I try to ask my guests if there is something special they would like to do/accomplish while they are here.

The Gilberts (Jeff, Shari, Briana, Britney, & Brooke) who were visiting over Christmas said they would like to go out in the desert at night to worship God.

Last Tuesday night, we loaded up in my truck and drove 1 hour eastward, towards Lake Turkana. When we reached the crest of several small hills, we left the road.

Away from the dirt road, I turned off my engine.

There under a star filled sky, all 6 of us piled out of my truck and stood in the very presence of God.

With millions of stars to give us light (and several shooting stars), the Holy Spirit filled my cup to overflowing! I stood with my hands lifted in praise...I bowed my knees in prayer...I trembled at the majesty of our mighty, an awesome, and holy King! There in the middle of nowhere, the world seemed so big...and it is just His footstool. Yet...YET, He was there with us! Emmanuel...God with us! He sees us, He walks with us, He hears us, He loves us!

It was one of those eternal moments God gives us. To remind us, He is here...HE IS HERE, HE IS NEAR...EMMANUEL.

I love you Lord! Thank you for loving me!
Eddie Ekiru

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There is a scene in the movie, "The Other Side of Heaven", where the missionary sleeps with his feet uncovered. He wakes in the morning with bloody feet cause the rats had feasted on them during the night.

My feet are no where in that kind of shape...nor did I have problems with rats.

The trouble is with MOSQUITOS!

With all the rain and the fact that the village of Nangolipus is right on the shore of Lake Turkana, there are MILLIONS of mosquitos!

My best repellant spray and the 2 repellant bracelets I wore could not keep all of them away! While I certainly did not suffer like Pastor Moses (he did not want to use my spray, Mike and Elizabeth did though), it was a time of testing and torture!

Of course part of the trouble is mental anguish. I know mosquitos carry malaria. I have guests (very good friends) coming in 8 days and do not want to be sick while they are here. Every time I was bitten, I prayed asking God for His protection.

After we showed the "Ten Commandments", we roasted a goat. Then off to bed about midnight. I crawled into my sleeping bag...but it was so hot. So I left my feet in, and threw my sheet over my body and head.

Some time in the night, I guess my feet got hot. When I woke up in the morning, they were bloody.

I counted 13 places where something feasted on my feet and each spot was marked by trickling or dried blood.

If the culprits were mosquitos, they sure do grow 'em big out there. If they were not mosquitos, I have no idea what did that.

This is just one of the many joys of preahing the Gospel to the ends of the Earth that was not covered in my missions classes at Bible college.

While Nangolipus may not be the end of the Earth, it can be seen from there!

Much love,
Ekiru

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I was proud of something I saw this week during our Bible Institute.

The culture puts children on the bottom of the food chain. The men eat first, then the young men, then the mamas, then young women, and finally the children.

Pastor Peter's 3 kids came to town (all by themselves) to find their dad. They live in Nanyangakipi, some 40 kms away. He was studying with us in our school. They were sick and were needing to see a doctor.

They showed up unannounced, so no preparation were made for them to eat at our school. When we broke for lunch, there they all sat...sick and wanting to see their dad.

I went to the kitchen and asked Angelina (our cook) if there was anything left to give them. There was not. Our food had already been dished into bowls (3 chapati-pieces of bread, and stew-3 potatoes, 3 pieces of meat cooked in broth). I told Angelina to bring 2 extra bowls and I would divide my lunch into 3 and they could eat (it would not hurt me to miss a meal).

She brought the bowls and before I could begin to divide my food up, all the men started taking their own food and adding it to the bowls.

We filled those 3 kids bowls with bread, meat, potatoes. We men were the ones that ate a little. I looked and everyone had given more than half their lunch away. Those kids were stuffed...and surprisingly, so were we!

I have to state the obvious. These men were some of our pastors and preachers who have completed 3 years of study in our Bible school. It was these men of God who saw the need and met it. These men who stood against their traditional way and showed those kids (and their dad, Pastor Peter) the love of God.

It was AWESOME!

I am so thankful to see God moving in the hearts of His people in Turkana!

Much love,
Eddie Ekiru

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This is the first Turkana Tale I have written. This section is different than my journal. I wanted a place to share some of the lessons I have learned living in Turkana and some of the challenges I face culturally. This section may not be for everyone. It is not intention to cause offence or to be critical. I just wanted to be able to ask questions and share answers...

...so welcome to TURKANA TALES!

There were many things I learned this past week in marriage seminar about the culture here. Some of them were very hard for me to understand.

One of them I want to share.

First, I want to state the obvious. I am a white man from a Southern family with deep roots in Florida. I am still a very typical Florida cracker, in many ways.

This week, I heard many questions asked by the men (some were pastors, others church leaders and members). Many of the questions were asked with this statement included...Niko moto ndani mwili wangu...I have fire in my body.

Why do men here take multiple wives...they have fire in their bodies. What is a man to do, if his old wive is finished performing her duties...but he still has fire in his body? Sometimes they have to force their wives...afterall, they have fire in their bodies.

The Biblical plan of marriage (one man and one woman) is very different than the traditional plan of marriage among the Turkana. Monogamy (I was told) is practiced only by white men because we do not have the same fire in our bodies as they do as Africans.

They used this "fire" excuse every time their culture conflicted against the Bible.

I shared some personal experiences, mainly that a man can renew his mind (as per Hebrews) and win the battle against his own fleshly desires (Paul said he beat his body into subjection) with the help of the Bible and the Holy Spirit. As fallen men, we do have "fire" within us...but that does not give us a reason to sin. If he will allow God to not only save our souls but sanctify our lives, we will become vessels of honor in this world.

I was shocked at the backlash.

Basically, I was told that I could never understand the fire within them. I am not a Turkana. Up until this point, all week, I was called Ekiru. During this discussion, they called me Eddie.

I was made to feel like an outsider and a bit of a freak...the first time in a very long time that has happened.

So I ask you, though I fear many or all of you are white Americans...Am I right? Can a Turkana man learn to control his "fire" with the help of God? Or am I just a freak that has lived 11 years alone? Has my "fire" gone out?

Much love,
Eddie Ekiru

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