Ilchartuiani Church Women's Conference

A couple of weekends ago, a friend of mine who helps start and run children's homes through Oasis for Orphans invited me to a Maasai Women's Retreat out near their first children's home.  The children's home, which they refer to as The Hill,  is located about 5 hours from Kijabe, and this first-ever women's retreat was held in the local church there for all the Maasai women in the surrounding communities.  We left just before 6am, in order to arrive by 11am for the all-day conference.  I made coffee before leaving and had my travel mug all ready - why I keep filling travel mugs with coffee around here, I will never know.  I think it just must be a comforting ritual from carpooling days in the US, because I certainly can't drink it on the roads near Kijabe.  The only way to consume the coffee on the roads leaving Kijabe is to sniff the splashing coffee as I bring the mug to my mouth! ;)

Once down the escarpment from Kijabe, we drove across the Rift Valley floor toward the west.  The land here truly is beautiful, and I loved seeing how the various communities through which we drove grow different crops.  I saw wheat growing in Kenya for the first time.

Dawn on the Rift Valey

Wheat fields....

.....dotted with beautiful acacia trees.

Typical Maasai dwelling in the rural areas

"The Hill" is so named because it is located on the far side of the Rift Valley, as the escarpment on the western side begins to rise again.  It is located at about 7000 feet - similar to Kijabe - and the land is lush and incredibly beautiful.  On our way, we drove through the land of various tribal groups, including Maasai, Kipsigis, and Kisii.  We saw many interesting sites, most of which I will have to save for another blog.  Near The Hill, the Kisii and Maasai lands are next to each other.  The Kisii tribe is somewhat wealthier than their Maasai neighbors, which is evident in their living arrangements and farming success.  I am not sure of the reasons for the differences, or if the differences apply to other settlements of these tribes.

Maasai dwelling on the crest of a hill - notice the terracing for the crops.  Also notice that their mud huts have thatched roofs.

Kisii land in the distance - notice most of the homes have tin roofs (costlier than thatch) and their fields are well-organised.

This photo is quite telling and remarkable to me:  just before the children's home, this is a view of the Kisii land on the left, separated by a roadway from the Maasai land on the right.  It is obvious that the Kisii land is much more developed.  

We arrived at the church to a very warm welcome by many of the men in the church - they had held early (and short) services that morning, in order to allow the conference for the women to begin at 11 and run most of the day.  The church is set near the crest of a hill - a small mud structure with a tin roof and a dirt floor.  There are wooden benches for seating and plastic chairs at the front for the folks leading the conference or service.  After trying to sit on the benches with the women, we were ushered by the pastors' wives (2 different pastors - not multiple wives!) to the front.  The Kenyans are very gracious to their leaders, and I always think about the passage from Luke 14:8-11 when I am in that situation or notice someone else in it.  But, I hardly feel distinguished enough to be given a prominent seat.

The church in the background, before the conference.

The inside of the church, from the rear.

The conference was very well organized and ran remarkably on a schedule.  Each speaker, and there were many of them, had an allotted amount of time, and a bell was rung to indicate that their time was done.  Early in the morning, Emily the community health worker spoke to the women.  I was amazed that this was one of the most interactive of all the sessions - the women obviously have many questions and misinformation about their health, particularly reproductive health.  Rick and I would love to return and work with the community health workers to offer a conference dedicated to health related topics for the men and women separately.  What a neat ministry that would be and such a necessary resource for the people!  They have to walk several kilometers to the nearest clinic - a huge commitment of time, not to mention the money that is required for any services provided.  Comparatively, we in the States have almost unlimited access to the internet, medical offices, and other resources to answer so many of the questions we have...plus we have cars and telephones to easily make contact with those resources.

So, the day was filled with great teaching from the Bible and fellowship among the women of the church.  I'll include some photos below of the sweet women...

Lunch was included - rice, hot coleslaw, and boiled beef...plus soda.  Soda is safer than water in many places.

This woman intrigued me - she obviously dressed in her finest clothing, and probably went to the trouble to have a hat that matched, but she wore very rough boots on her feet.  It is actually unusual to see this kind of footwear on the women - they usually wear dress shoes or some other lightweight shoe.  I wonder how far she walked to get there and what her life is like.

Towards the end of the conference, the women were invited to write something they were struggling with or something they wanted to give over to God on a slip of paper and tape it to a rough-hewn cross.  At the end, we prayed for God to remove these struggles or sins from the women's lives - to forgive them and offer them freedom.  The women seemed to rejoice in the opportunity.

At the end, my friend Ann had brought small beaded gifts for the women to choose from, as a token to remember the conference.

The men outside were measuring off the footprint for a larger church building.

A few of us after the conference.

This is most of the women who attended the First Annual (hopefully)Ilchartuiani Church Women's Conference.  (You won't find me here, because I am the photographer.)  The pastors' wives who organized it did such a fabulous job in pulling together the program, the speakers, the food, and supplies.  They have a real love for the people they serve.

I hope to share with you more stories on another day.  For now, please pray with me for the Maasai women of this community and rejoice in thanksgiving that they were even able to spend a whole day away from their homes in a conference dedicated to women! 

With love,
Sarah

I Thessalonians 5: 14-18
We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.