As we begin this new ministry, you probably remember that we are working to facilitate the production of the Jesus Film in the Samburu language. We did not realize that the Samburu language is an unwritten language. The Bible Translation Team here is earnestly working to develop and validate a Samburu alphabet and the syntax for the language. Furthermore, the education of children and adults is conducted in Kiswahili and English, so the few people who are educated remain illiterate in their mother tongue. So, the translation of the New Testament and eventually the Old Testament is a very tedious and a long-term project.
However, we see God’s hand at work to bring the Jesus Film into production. The Bible Translation Team is currently drafting the Gospel of Luke which serves as the script for the Jesus Film. In addition, they have been reviewing and utilizing an earlier film script that was provided to us by another AIM missionary who worked with the Samburu people for over twenty years. In short, the Gospel of Luke should be completed by the end or 2008, and we foresee production of the Jesus Film occurring in 2009.
Please pray for good progress with the translation of the Gospel of Luke, and please thank the Lord that cooperation between the Bible Translation Team, the Jesus Film Project, and local pastors has gone well thus far.
Living here in Maralal gives us the best perspective for the challenges we face with language acquisition. We can confirm that learning Kiswahili is essential towards the teaching we will do in the training center. We also need an understanding of this common language to function effectively in Maralal. Once we go outside of the town to the local Manyattas, it is apparent that understanding and speaking Samburu is also a necessary language skill. So, we are moving forward ever so slowly to improve our Kiswahili skills at this time.
Please continue to pray for successful language acquisition as language learning is ministry too.
We have made multiple trips in the past six weeks to transfer our possessions from Nairobi to Maralal, and we have successfully (by God’s grace) moved many small items to this place. What remains are larger pieces of furniture. Through the help of supporters, we have acquired two important items: a bush trailer and a gas/electric chest freezer. The bush trailer has been a God send for moving. It allows us to relieve the loads on the suspension of our old vehicle. There is a trade off however – the 2.5L diesel engine must work harder to pull the loaded trailer up and down the mountainous terrain. So, far we have only had two break downs – one trip our skid plate protecting the bottom of the engine broke loose along with a tire puncture; then another trip found us in a remote location with a busted heater hose. These two issues were relatively easy to resolve, because we were prepared with tools and water.
God travels with us we can tell you. As we were driving down a mountain slope recently, one of our front wheels went into a wash out near the edge of the road. As we corrected back, the trailer began to fish tail down the gravel road surface. This gyration continued for about 200 feet before we were able to gain control and stop. We thank God that we did not go over the edge. He saved us in that situation, and He has found ways to help us resolve problems along the way.
The chest freezer has been a God send as well. Our appeal for help with this $1,600 freezer allows us to remain upcountry with the food we transport from Nairobi. Diseases from bad milk and meat are common in Maralal town, so we prefer to bring those items up from Nairobi. The gas side of the freezer is expensive to operate, but it is a necessary expense until electricity comes to us. Thank you to those of you who helped with this purchase.
As we write this letter we are functioning upcountry in Samburu District. Our water issues are improving as the rains have finally come. Ken is using his limited mechanical and electrical skills to install a good water pump and add electrical outlets around the house. It is necessary to be a jack of all trades here. Limited access to many things in the stores nearby continues to make necessary repairs challenging. We should also mention that an older missionary couple donated their 1940 Maytag wringer washer to us recently. It works well, and Susan looks back many years when she helped her grandmother wash clothes with one of these. Robert and Joseph are progressing with their home school studies, and they now have a nine year old female German Sheppard and a two year male cat as companions. We feel more secure with the dog around as she is very intimidating, and the field mice are now out of the house with the cat in charge of rodent control.
We have had minor health issues during the past two months. Ken had an abscessed tooth, and he has a pinched nerve in his left leg. Susan has had vertigo on occasion. Robert has an allergy to the dust, and Joseph is doing well so far. We call our doctor friends in Naivasha or Nairobi, and they suggest medicine to use. So, far God has delivered us from most of these problems, and we are confident that He will continue to bare our burdens.
The house needs major renovations, so we will keep you all up to date once we compile a list of necessary project. This is probably an area where short-term team support will be helpful.
Please pray that we can continue to adjust to what many people in the Midwest recognize as life in the country – albeit many years ago!
We walk almost everywhere we go. That is the way most Kenyans get around, so we do it too – up and down the hills. We are a real novelty around Maralal town. I may have mentioned the Old West atmosphere in the town. There are many bars and many men are drunk 24/7. There are thousands of Turkana people living on the outskirts of Maralal barely getting by and living in squalor. When people see us coming they cannot seem to keep their eyes off of us, and we are constantly approached by beggars and people selling all sorts of things. As an example, we bought a make shift cow bell the other day for 100 KES ($1.35) to help a Turkana man even though we have no cow for the bell.
Even though our focus is on language learning and building relationships, we are moving forward with some ministry related to our long-term mission in Samburu District. As we will train lay pastors, elders, evangelists, and other church leaders, a logical starting point is to train the local AIC church elders. So, Ken is leading Bible studies three times per week on the Pastoral Letters (1&2 Timothy and Titus). This study will probably continue into September.
We are also moving outside our comfort zone to start Chronological Bible Storying with Samburu and Turkana women living on the fringes of Maralal town. Women are the back bone of family life here. Traditional Samburu men are very resistant to the gospel, yet their wives and children seem very open to the gospel. The Turkana people are very supportive of one another, but again the women exhibit more spiritual strength then the men. Susan will take the lead to “train” women to be Sunday school teachers to the kids in the Manyattas and the Turkana village of Lokuto.
We have chosen Mama Sylvester, (Mary is her Christian name), to help translate directly from English to Samburu and also Turkana. This tough-as-nails lady once hunted jackals in the wild to feed her eight kids. Another Samburu woman, Mama Moses, will assist Mary. We recently presented the story of creation to a group of women and children in a local Manyatta. Susan told the story in its simplest terms using her own illustrations from Day 1 through Day 7 of creation. These people really enjoyed the story, and one woman who attends the local PCEA (Presbyterian Church East Africa) became very excited. She exclaimed that she “finally got it” with the help of pictures.
Looking ahead to the long-term ministry, we need to prepare the training center building for the work to be done there. The priority is to wire the building for electricity so that a generator can be used as the electrical source. We estimate the cost to be approximately $500. Then, we need to prepare the building for boarding trainees. Outdoor toilets (long drops) and an outdoor shower room along with wash basins will be needed. The kitchen will also need some basic equipment for food to be prepared for boarding. The cost to prepare for boarding is yet to be determined.
We are very encouraged by the interest shown in the training center by local pastors, many of whom have never received formal training. We are also very encouraged by the prospects of strengthening some preaching points in the Samburu bush. As an example, one AIC Samburu lay pastor with little formal training walks 60 km every week to preach at a place in the Matthew’s mountain range. He has no vehicle and a bicycle is impractical because of the sandy soil. His faithfulness is remarkable, because he has been doing this work for three years with no support. He is an example of someone who Ken hopes to support with training on the road to help this faithful brother.
Please pray that God will give us wisdom as we move forward with this ministry.
Please pray for Mary, Mama Moses, and the other women who want to teach the children.
Please pray for Ken to reach the local AIC church leaders so they can come to understand servant leadership.
Please pray for training center building improvements.
Please praise God for the interest shown by local lay pastors to receive formal training.
Please pray that God will provide ways to support remote preaching points in the Samburu bush with formal training.
· Cows in Samburu eat garbage about as well as the goats.
· Samburu women dancing with an umbrella in their hands and large necklaces around their necks are a sight to behold!
· A Land Rover pickup carrying 20 Samburu in the bed is a “legal load.”
· Zebras grazing at night give the appearance of a million eye balls all focused on you at once.
· An AK47 can also double as a walking stick.
· Keep your fingers clear of the Maytag wringer rollers!
· Save everything that has potential for future use, because you will find a need for it!
· Chewing sticks are more popular than toothpaste.
Posted in Ken & Susan Black
I would like to inform you that Internet Services with high speed connection are available in Maralal.
Welcome to lailasamburu.
By: lailasamburu on July 17, 2008
at 10:08 am
All my admiration for your perseverance and enthusiasm! I hope it will soon materialize in the forms that you envision. Yet that which you envision, with regard to Samburu people at least, is based but on a vision, and that is a Eurocentric vision, to say the least. The language of this peace is hardly different from that of the reports of the early evangelical missions of the 19th century, who blindly believed to be “penetrating” a “virgin” Africa. – As a historian working among the Samburu, I would like to remind you that, in the contemporary world, a globalized one at that, such visions become ironical indeed.
First of all, a simple search through the literature in social linguistics would reveal that a Samburu syntax and alphabet has long been validated, and that what is actually the Samburu dialect of the Maa language is far from being an “unwritten language” as you state. Secondly, although I agree with you that the translation of the New and Old Testament is indeed a “very tedious” “long-term project”, this project has long been accomplished. The Bible was translated in Maa more than a decade ago. A short library research would have revealed all that much earlier, so you would not take credit for that which has been done by others.
To end with the same issue of cultural misunderstanding and, I would say, neo-imperialism which is so well dissipated in your language, I would point to several few issues. Preachers here are far from under-qualified, many having attended theological schools in Nakuru and Nairobi. That “cows in Samburu eat garbage”, that “AK47 can also double as a walking stick”, or that “chewing sticks are more popular than toothpaste” are statements that lead no further than a touristic hegemonic gaze that – meant to exoticize its terrain of observation – has in fact no real understanding about local politics and social life. Good luck with your vision! And good luck to the Samburus with the vision they will have of you.
By: PAUL on July 17, 2008
at 1:48 pm
Dear Paul,
I appreciate your comments. As we have shared with others who we are, perhaps you can identify yourself to us. Are you an anthropologist or strictly a historian? You say that you have worked among the Samburu, so it begs the question – are you Samburu, if not what is your cultural background? If you have worked and lived here in Samburu, then I am interested to read your published works on these people. By Eurocentric vision, you suggest that we come here with a western perspective, and I readily admit that we have that perspective. We still have much to learn about the Samburu people. However, we are not colonialists or neo-imperialists as you seem to suggest. We are not here to “conquer” anyone.
We have a Biblical world view which we struggle to keep culturally neutral. The traditional Samburu world view will clash with the Biblical world view in some areas creating barriers to understanding. Changes from that point are inevitable through the work of the Holy Spirit. Our mission here is to provide basic Bible training to those who desire to receive that training in a non-denominational setting. Furthermore, we hope to provide an oral Bible to the trainees, so they (Samburu lay pastors, church leaders, and evangelists) can present this oral Bible to the Samburu people in their mother tongue. That hardly suggests a neo-imperialist approach, because it will be Samburu men (and hopefully women) reaching out to their own people.
Indeed some of the pastors in Samburu have received formal training in seminaries and/or Bible colleges, and a smaller number of them are ordained. We are not here for those men. We are here for the people who cannot afford to go to Nakuru, Nairobi, or elsewhere to receive training. We offer basic Bible training using the BTCP/L curriculum. We can only offer a training certificate at the end of the program. So, those who are faithfully attempting to preach, teach, or evangelize will have an opportunity to receive Bible training within Samburu District.
Regarding the Samburu language, our information concerning this language is sourced from Bible Translation and Literacy (BTL), the Kenyan arm of Wycliffe. My wife and I are not taking credit for anything to do with the Bible Translation project or any other work. Only God receives the glory. As a Maa language, Samburu, is significantly different enough from Maasai to warrant its own Bible translation according to BTL. The Maasai version of the Jesus Film has been shown to the Samburu, but it was not received well at all. The Maasai Bible does not work well for the Samburu either. Again, this information comes from BTL as well. We also note that the use of the Kiswahili Bible or Maasai Bible still requires translation during worship. We understand that Maa syntax and the alphabet are documented, but the Samburu Bible Translation project is refining this for the Samburu.
Finally, our observations in our newsletter were simply that: our recent observations that we were communicating to our friends and supporters back home in America. Through the use of the word hegemonic, you are suggesting again that we are trying to exercise control or authority as Americans over Kenyans and specifically the Samburu people. That insinuation is absurd, and our observations were not intended to marginalize or demean the Samburu people. When we said:
• Cows in Samburu eat garbage about as well as the goats. As pastoral people, the Samburu are very conscious about the health of their livestock. When someone, stakes their cow in the middle of a garbage dump, it is quite surprising.
• Samburu women dancing with an umbrella in their hands and large necklaces around their necks are a sight to behold! The lady we observed is a faithful Christian lady who walked with us to her manyatta sharing our umbrella as she sang and danced to a Samburu hymn along the way. She is the matriarch of the manyatta.
• A Land Rover pickup carrying 20 Samburu in the bed is a “legal load.” With strict laws concerning vehicle loads in America, we simply shared that the Samburu maximize the transportation that is available to them. Walking long distances is common.
• An AK47 can also double as a walking stick. A weapon in anyone’s hands should be treated as a weapon – not a trekking pole. However, with armed raiders and bandits in the area, maybe this rifle is better used as a walking stick.
• Chewing sticks are more popular than toothpaste. This was a new one for us learning that these special sticks are purchased in ducas for 10 Kenya shillings to clean the teeth.
We are very conscious about what the Samburu people see in us. If you consider some of our prayer letter to be offensive, then for that we apologize. You imply that you live somewhere in Kenya, so I will finish by offering to meet you for a cup of chai one day.
By: Ken & Susan Black on July 18, 2008
at 5:44 pm