My Mzungu Friend, Ben!

So....since being in Kenya, I have come to know the name, mzungu, quite well! I have heard it shouted out by many, many children and we kid about it in conversations I have with other Kenyans, SDBs and others. It means "white man".

Ben sharing at the SDB Kenyan Conference Office

I saw people from other nationalities when I went to the Kisumu game park (zoo) the first Thursday I was here, but as far as being here in Kisii and in all of the running around we've done in these last 3 weeks, I've only seen two others: one was just the other day at the internet cafe (not my favorite one) when a dealer of some electronic gadgets came in to sell his wares to the cafe owner; one was in my favorite cafe as we worked on opposite sides of the booths; and then there is Ben.

He was the first mzungu that I had seen in Kisii.

Ben had been working at the Kisii hospital for the last two months as part of his enhancing his nursing skills, having recently graduated in that field. As we talked in Benard's office last week, he told me that on staff at the hospital there are other mzungus who are there for training and serving, but, with God's grace, I trust that I won't have to meet any under those conditions.

Ben with Pastors Benard & JohnSilas in Igorera

Ben is from Sydney, Australia, was serving here in Kisii through an organization called Cosmic Volunteers and has now moved to Nairobi for a month to serve in one of the hospitals there after which he will go home until October. At that time, he plans to come to the US, arriving in NYC, and travelling across the country. 

I invited him to come stay the night with us of course on his way through!

Ben is a really neat young guy, pleasant to have chatted with as he rode with us to the Riomoyo church site to see the sheep project and then to the Igorera site to see what they were doing as a project.

Ben and Benard became connected when he accompanied Benard to one of the HIV/AIDS support group sites and was impressed with what was taking place.

Ben & I part way up to the Riomoyo church site

Ben shared with me about his active involvement in a church in Sydney with young adults, asked about SDBs and about the Sabbath, shared about his family at home and his thoughts for the future.

Perhaps in October his visit to Verona will be something I can add to this blog as part of the "SDB Kenyan Connection" - I am thankful to have connected with him!