Continuing the Journey: April 2007

A Nation of Cell Phones

We've done it! We've joined the new era of mobile communication. Four Brislens in Nairobi and 4 cell phones in the family: one for each of us. I've resisted for many years. Why did I want to be interrupted by a phone call, possibly a wrong number, everywhere I go: in the car, in church, at school! But who can resist the waves of expectations from schools, students, colleagues and friends to have a phone constantly in your pocket.

Can you guess which belongs to who?

Cell phones are everywhere in Kenya. As I teach my class, New Testament Survey, phones ring in the purses of the women students and the pockets of the men. We haven't sat through many church services where a phone hasn't begun its song - most people have programmed their phones (simu in Kiswahili) to sing a hymn. Walking along the street, driving on the road, or sitting in a restaurant people are talking, at first it seems to themselves, but upon closer inspection there is a small silver phone hidden in their hand.

We also have a telephone in our house, connected the old-fashioned way to a wire, but it only works about half the time. It seems that maintaining the miles of telephone wires, patched and twisted and wet from rain is more expensive and difficult than keeping a few communication towers working and the air clear. So cell phones are replacing land lines through out much of Africa.

The Falling Tree

Sunday morning, April 15, at about 3 AM a tree fell on our house.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it caused considerable damage to roof over parts of the house. Our car just escaped being crushed as the tree fell all around it, but not on it.

A large branch found its way down into our courtyard. Waking up early in the morning (or late at night) to find a tree inside your house is rather disconcerting.