Day 18: Stopping and Smelling the Coffee Beans

Transporting our coffee beans to the factory

View from the coffee factory

When I got back from school today, I couldn't help but think about random things like seeing my teammates again, people back at home, etc. We had been in Weru for almost a week and I had developed a routine as I normally do when adjusting to new places. While it was okay for me to get into a rhythm, I realized the last thing I wanted to do was go through the motions. It's so easy for me to go through everyday getting things done and fulfilling my obligations but not really doing anything meaningful if that makes sense. Yes, it's important to check things off my daily schedule but not at the expense of doing things of eternal value. Things as simple as encouraging people, serving others, and talking with God. I was here in Weru for a reason and I did not want to lose these 3 weeks to just "getting things done" and "doing ministry." I wanted to be 110% present and ready to see what God had to show me. I wanted God to show me new things every single day and I told myself I wouldn't leave Weru unless God did so.

In the afternoon, Dylan and I harvested coffee beans with Jack (he helped our host family with their shamba) and another lady. We spent a good while picking the little red beans from trees before packing them up and heading to the coffee factory. Once at the factory, we had to sit and separate the red beans from the darker, maturer ones. This was a day in the life of a Kenyan and something Dylan and I had never done before. While I watch sports, work on problem sets, and hang out, these people have to pick coffee beans and literally live off the land in order to survive. For me, picking coffee beans was a novelty. It was something I could sort of be interested in for an hour before I got bored and then never have to do again. For Jack, this was something he would do probably once a week or something like that.

We had to rush back home because being at the factory had made us late for the weekly Tuesday intercessory prayer meeting. I was sort of glad we were late, because that meant we could skip out on the long, repetitive, emotional prayers (please don't judge me haha). We arrived to hear Pastor speak from the book of Daniel and Konge speak about not being entangled in the sin which so easily does so.

So I haven't really mentioned the three kids in the family very much yet and I definitely should. Their names are Mweti (16), Mercy (12), and Kevin (7) and they're the grandchildren of Doris. They were pretty shy at first but by now, they were pretty chill with me and Dylan. We were always home for dinner and it was always one of my favorite parts of the day. Kevin was especially ridiculous and is the most energetic and fun-loving kid I have honestly ever met. Our family was so chill that we pretty much broke all cultural sensitivity. Due to Dylan's gassiness, some of the nights with our family became farting sessions during which we spent the whole night yelling "Nimemyamba!"

Looking back, living life in Weru was too just too special for me to take for granted. There honestly was so much to see everyday. From the beauty of the mountainous area to doing ministry with Pastor to farting with the family, life was so special and sometimes I just needed to stop, realize where I was, and stop and smell the coffee beans.