Steve and Tobias

There are two security guards that work at the Nyanza Club in Kisumu. This is kind of like the Kenyan's version of a country club...ish:) Every morning that I go to work I walk up to the Nyanza club to catch the shuttle to take me to work about 10 miles outside of the city. I can't remember when or how, but at some point I just started talking with the two security guards at the front gate of the Nyanza club. Steve is 27 and Tobias is 25. They arrive at work at 6am and work until 6pm or 6:30 everyday, seven days a week. Tobias has not had one day off in a year. Steve has a wife and three-year-old daughter, and also helps take care of his brother. Tobias helps take care of his younger sister, as both of his parents have passed away. Now this is a very typical story of a life in Kenya, but these two guys are just amazing and God has put them on my heart so strongly that I can't stop thinking about it. Every morning they greet me with a huge smile on their face and they are always talking about how good the Lord is and how they desire to do what's right. They wanted so badly for me to come see where they live before I left so I told them I would yesterday and mom came with me, thankfully. We headed over to Nyanza around five in the evening, and first took a tuk-tuk to Tobias's house. He lives by himself in a part of town called Manyata, and suffice it to say it was quite the adventure just going to his house. He called some of his friends over to greet us and went and bought us all some cokes-he wouldn't let us leave until I finished my whole half liter of coke. We were so touched by his desire to welcome us into his humble home, but at the same time we were also getting so tickled at the whole situation. We would say something that we thought was really nice or normal, and sometimes, for no reason we could understand, they would all get so tickled at us and laugh really hard, which made us laugh because we had no idea why they were laughing and then they would laugh at us some more. The conversation was good, but also humorous because in Swahili, the word for he and she is the same, so he would be talking about his sister but I'm trying to figure out which guy he is talking about because he keeps using the masculine pronouns. Well they finally decided it was time to go to Steve's house, and I said it would be okay to take a motor bike because, of course, they said it was "very close." So we hope on a motorbike with the seat slightly too short so I'm sitting on a metal piece in the back and we head off over a glorified foot path and onto a very busy road on a bike with no rearview mirrors and no helmets (don't ever tell my children I did this). Steve and Tobias were on another bike which kept dying so we would pass them and I was thinking where is this guy taking us and I feel really nervous, and then they would catch up and pass us with huge grins on their faces. This happened several times until I was really getting tickled at the whole situation. We finally made it to Steve's house and met his wife and daughter and brother. We sat there and talked by the light of a lantern (no electricity) as they shared with us their life stories and told us how strongly they believed in God and his goodness. I just kept thinking, these are two amazing men. No bitterness, just a desire to make life better for their families. When it was time to go home, it was pitch black outside, so Steve used the light of his cell phone to help guide us around the mud puddles on the path from his house and Tobias drove slowly behind us on his motorbike to shed a little more light. They were going to put us in a tuk-tuk to go back home but I asked them to come with us the whole way because I don't feel safe out after dark, so they took us all the way back (which was quite a way) and we said goodbye.

We spoke to them again this morning and assured them we would see them again soon. I don't know why but neither mom or I can stop thinking about them. I want so badly to help them. I'm praying that God shows me how. What an amazing way to end my time here for now. Kwaheri Kenya, nitarudi December!!!