Meyers Mission

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Misson Accomplished

By Dale

Do all good things have to come to an end? Maybe, but where one good thing ends another can begin. God is good all the time and as we close this relatively short chapter of our life we declare His goodness. It was sad to say goodbye to our family on Sunday, April 17th but the time we had in this closing day was extra sweet. We spend the morning in worship and reflection together as each family member made his/her contribution. Tears were shed but God wiped them away.

Packing and tying up loose ends became the theme of the late morning and afternoon. I even got to sneak in one more hour of basketball from 4-5pm thanks to encouragement from Joe Riley…thanks Joe! With the van pick-up scheduled for 6pm the last hour went by very quickly. Gladly, we were able to shed enough luggage in Kenya that there was less than half of the bags by number for our return trip. It made for much easier packing and gave us a sense of excitement that we were able to bring so many gifts to leave.

Our van arrived right on time and as best we could we made ourselves ready to depart our loved ones. Through the sadness that our time in Kenya had come to an end there was joy that we even had the time in the first place. So it was with these mixed emotions we prayed together one last time and loaded into Philip’s van for our transport to Nairobi. (Philip is the Kenyan driver we hired)

Traveling light(er) and enjoying a long awaited milkshake at Java House.

Our flight landed late but safely at Charles De Gaulle (Paris) and after a circuitous route (a euphemism for yet another frustrating time at this airport) we exited the airport to meet our tour guide/driver. No offense to Philip’s vehicle but when we laid eyes on our Parisian transportation each one of us was impressed; a brand new, jet-black, Mercedes, limo-style van. We road to the city in style facing each other and enjoying Perrier sparkling water. Kids, were not in Kenya anymore! There wasn’t much time but we caught a few sites, snapped some memorable pics and ate some yummy pastries before returning to catch our flight to Toronto.

Arch of Triumph

Serve together as a family…check!

Gain a new perspective on life….check!

Visit and encourage family on the mission field…check!

Have some adventure as well as some needed rest…check!

Make new friends from a different culture…check!

Experience a layover tour of Paris, France…check!

Arrive safely back to Dersam Road…check! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Photo by brother George who knows how to make us laugh!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

A Walk to Remember

By Dale

I had mixed feelings as the week began because on one hand it marked the last several days of our stay in Kenya while on the other it was time for the much anticipated hike up Africa’s second tallest mountain. The threat of altitude sickness is very real and the chance of rain during April is extremely high. It would take close to 40 miles of hiking and approximately 16,000 feet in total elevation change (up and down) to claim Lenana Peak which stands at 4,985 meters above sea level (third highest peak of the mountain but the highest obtainable without technical climbing gear).

Blissfully undaunted by the feat ahead and undeterred by the beginnings of a head cold I set out on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with my son, Isaac, my brother-in-law, Dan and eleven other men of Rift Valley Academy. Our 4 day / 3 day trip began at 7:30 Tuesday morning as the 14 of us gathered to meet our vans. A light rain saturated the air as we loaded up but it didn’t dampen our spirits. Excitement among the men was thick for it would be the first attempt at the mountain for all but two of the group.

By the time we arrived at the gate the rain had been long gone and the way ahead looked clear. We had a light, but fairly steep, hike up an access road to Old Moses Camp, our first lodging site, where we began acclimating and shared an evening meal. Sleeping in tents with the tip of Mt. Kenya (top-center on second picture) on the horizon afforded us the sweet anticipation of the morning ahead.

Morning dawned with more clear skies and after taking breakfast we made our way through the hills and valleys leading up to the mountain. Apart from the summit this may have been my favorite part of the hike. It was a moderate couple of miles covered in grasses and other African greenery that brought us past a clear brook to a long valley. The views along the way were simply spectacular in every direction. It felt like something out of the Psalms; “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”

We would follow this valley all the way to Shiptons Camp at the very base of our aspirations.

Photo by Dan Schmidt

Photos by Dan Schmidt

Photo by Dan Schmidt

Morning of the third day came very quickly! We were up at 2:30 am and on the trail by 3:20 with hopes of summiting at sunrise. Darkness and a near vertical climb slowed our pace such that the sun rose faster than we did. However, witnessing the eastern horizon ignite with reds and oranges as we ascended brought as much satisfaction as watching it from the peak.

Photo by Joe Riley

Photo by Taylor Hemphill

All 14 of us made the summit and no one suffered more than minor symptoms due to the elevation. This was a real blessing! Though, as any climber knows, once you’ve reached the summit you are only half done with the hike. Ed Viesturs said, “It's a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory.”

To put it mildly we had a long, arduous descent off the mountain to our next and final lodging accommodations. We registered a minimum of 17 miles this third day and felt every inch! But we were rewarded with hot showers at the Chogoria bandas and slept in beds with mildly comfortable mattresses. The final day consisted of a 6 mile hike down a different access road on the other side of the mountain where we met our transportation.

If it were not for my aching calves, I would think that this also was a dream. What an enormous blessing to be able to hike this mountain with my son, by brother-in-law and a great bunch of guys! We took several photos but they don’t do justice to what we saw and experienced. They will, however, serve to spark the many memories made on this trip after time has diluted and distracted my mind.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Life with Brother and family

by Rachel

Here in Kenya the movie Lion King has been a topic of conversation. Elton John’s “Circle of Life” turns in our minds and sometimes rolls off our tongues. We are thankful that our circle has been able to intersect with the circle of life at RVA. Living in this circle for the past 3 weeks has brought new insight on what life is like for these missionaries. Comforts of “American living” can be found here and there, yet for a variety of things many extra steps must be applied. A trip into the closest shopping center takes an hour and a half one-way and can easily turn into an all day excursion. The RVA community here is very giving of time and often share resources. The one thing I have observed in this circle is that you are available 24/7. Families here live very close and daily there are people in, around, walking through your home. Children have playmates hourly and the phone rings with more opportunities for play. You never quite know what the day will hold. Flexibility and authenticity is KEY to living in Dan and Courtney’s circle of life. Privacy and quietness is hard to find unless you are intentional about getting it. However, if you need help with anything such as borrowing a shovel or needing laundry soap, just walk a few feet to your neighbors and they generously lend what they have. Living in such community offers many opportunities for people seeing you in your happy, sad, and overwhelmed state of being. Not a lot can be hidden.

We have shared in all three of these states of being but because the difficult times aren’t often reflected in photographs posted on a blog one might be misguided that life in such a community is always smooth. Overall though, it has been a joy to participate in this generous and loving community.

Me with my “little” brother