Joseph Namutala

New Year Again.....

2010-01-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

It is another New Year.

And this Year is definitely going to be different from the rest of the years. I have been spending time the whole of today to think through how the year will be. To be specific, I have been financially planning my year. And the feeling of planning is of course that of excitement, because you see the 31st of December 2010 on the 4th of January 2010. What a great thing! But I think that there are realities that come with the New Year despite one having planned. I’m so looking forward to that.

May the Lord bless this Year and may it be a Year that will be fruitful, and a Year that I will walk in His purposes. Amen.

Out with First Year Students....

2009-10-23T02:43:00.000-07:00

Transition is one of the most challenging things that every morning as the sun rises, constantly faces everyone or is it one faces. One grows a day older every morning. However handling this challenge isn’t easy. And one of the not so easy transitions to handle is entry into institutions of higher learning.

I love working with students. And so two days ago, we went out for a retreat with first year students-freshmen they are called elsewhere. It was exciting to be in the nature and to as well play those games that we indeed played in the days of old as we grew up. It was just beyond imagination to see more than 700 students from more than 12 institutions around Nairobi gathered in the name of the Lord.

In the afternoon, the students split up into several smaller groups. We had animated discussions in our group, and I remember the students protesting that the time given for the discussions was too short. As the discussions unfolded, I could see so many questions in the faces of the students, and it seemed that whatever they were asking was just but a bit of what was going on in their minds-kind of scratching the surface. And this reminded me of my experience in first year, not so long ago. And I knew that as a student worker, all that was required of me is to indeed give the responses that I could on this day-but then be committed to walk along side these students as they begin their studies at campus and college. And as we prayed at the end of the day, one thing was very clear, that they would make it just the way I had…

Just How Public?

2009-10-13T05:01:00.001-07:00

Nearly a month ago I was privileged to attend Staff Orientation and Training at FOCUS Kenya. One of the speakers doing a devotional on embracing Godly leadership said something that is still ringing in my head, “our lives as leaders should be such that it can be toured by any one at any time without shame”.

A week later, I went with a friend to one of the popular tourist destinations in Kenya; Maasai Mara. This place is popular for its biodiversity and richness in fauna and flora. Our driver was good and not so good. Good that he ensured that we see the animals and birds, because that was all we had gone to see-and enjoy the creation of God. Not so good because he was flouting most of the basic guidelines that I knew of when it comes to driving within Game parks and Reserves. Moving too close to the animals and all that kind of stuff.

But then while we were there, I just remembered the teachings; having a life such that it can be toured any time by any one. We managed to see quite a lot of the big five except the rhino. What came to mind was that all that these animals know is being gazed at, nearly every hour of daylight. 12 hours a day, they are there to be looked at, to be seen, to be photographed. Actually, the driver told us that the animals had learnt how to pose for photos…may be. Just may be. But then me as an individual, how open is my life to be toured by anyone at any time? Can I manage an hour per day of my life being toured by anyone at their pleasure? Quite a big question…….

And this is my desire for my lifetime-living a life such that it can be toured by anyone at any time without shame. The challenge is that it just doesn’t happen. It takes time and discipline, and help from God. So help me God……..

Resolution.....

2009-08-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

This is the time to become more serious with blogging........

It is New Year Again!

2009-01-29T06:24:00.000-08:00

Every New Year comes with new resolutions. To many these resolutions are meant to help in achieving long time and lifetime dreams. This is always aimed at having better lives since that is the desire of every (if not most) living person.

The reality is however always at Variance with the expectations. As this year begins, I have my aspirations and dreams to be a better and more productive person. As of whether this will become a reality is a matter of time. By God’s grace, I hope that I will add value to people’s lives. And in the process I will have more value too. To me, that is all that matters........

Well, I am Back.

2008-09-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a long time since. I have been alive and kicking.

An d I am happy to be back. I don’t know how it feels to hibernate. This is because it is both good and not so good. Good that you worry about nothing if you choose to, but not so good if your buddies are wondering where you are. I am over here in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bye...............................

2008-06-23T03:30:00.000-07:00

On board Kenya Airways; the pride of Africa,

On my way to Norway, a country way up north,
The unknown country; where there is sun even at midnight.

Norway I had been told,
No Way had I thought,
Norway I found,
Many ways I found.

A city built on sand I landed,
Full of fjords I saw,
Conglomerations of islands I thought,
Was Norway the No Way?

At Hald I arrived,
Strangers I saw, Norway I had arrived,
In the land of many ways.

In one school I met
What seemed to be the whole world,
From Africa they came,
A natural tan of chocolate and black.

From the football loving Brazil and Cameroon,
To the fast running Kenyans
From the pearl of Africa; Uganda,
To the island of Ravalomanana, Madagascar,
From the slopes of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania,
From the rainforests and the Amazons in Bolivia and Peru,
To the advancing Thailand and neighboring Laos,
From the orthodox Serbia, to the new Montenegro,

From the hills and fjords of Norway they came,
Both the vertically challenged and enhanced,
All languages were spoken,
Confused I was.

Food was different,
People were different,
Houses were different,
Driving was on the 'wrong' side of the road,
Summer it was and cold I felt.

Winter came with snow,
Darkness at three in the afternoon!
White rain I saw,
Mesmerized I was.

Strange things I said,
Strange things I did,
Walking like a baby I did,
In the name of skating.
Families I visited, strange things I said,
Fine hair I meant, clever hair I said,
I am fine I meant, I am nice I said,
I must catch a bus I meant, I must imprison a bus I said.

Ten months on I notice,
Friendships have developed,
Everything is no longer strange,
The strange melodious language I can speak,
Everyone is outgoing more than I thought,
It has been great to be together,
Jeg kan Norsk nå,
Norge er et fint land.

And it is painful to say bye………………..

Interactions.

2008-05-13T01:39:00.000-07:00

Well, as I wrote last time, having the students back at Hald is exciting. There are a lot of things that I have been getting to learn and talk with the other students. In a way to create a more free and flexible atmosphere, we have been trying to do several things. One of them has been playing football.

I wouldn’t want you to imagine me playing football for anything else other than fun. Just running around with the ball is great. Of course it is also a way of keeping fit. This reminds me in the days of my youth when we could play football in the afternoons whenever there was rain and sunshine. The good thing over here is that the playing is in sun. The spring sun is here again and it is good to feel the sun after the cold winter.

Norway has many beaches. Going to the beaches with the students and having informal interactions has been useful as well in learning so much about other students and cultures. Some of the students are courageous enough to swim in the clod water but most are not. The good thing however id just sitting on the beaches and talking to no end with the other students.

Walking to the beach with Friends.

At the beach with Sammy.

At the beach with Friends, Faith and Pamela from Uganda.

With a friend from Laos.

Fun at the beach.

Time keeping has been a challenge of late. This is because the students are so different and have had different experiences with time in different cultures. It has become a joke of late when someone says that we are meeting at say One pm. Another asks what one pm really is whether it is Norwegian, African, Asian, or South American time. But things are getting done so it is not a big problem.

Back t o Hald.

2008-05-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

It is now three weeks since I got back to Hald International Center. At the beginning of the school year in August, it was fun being together with all the students. At the end of September, it was a sorrowful moment when we had to part as the students went to different places within Norway and several other countries for the practice period of the school year.

Even though I had been communicating with many of the students, seeing them again at Hald has been a great inspiration. It is good to see that all the students came back safe and sound. To this all glory goes to God.

The challenge however has been that the six months have been great time for many transformations. So many of the students are really changed. The non Norwegian like me are now tending to be more Norwegian as those Norwegians that went to different countries tend to have taken after the cultures of those countries. Thus you can imagine that in some aspects, I am behaving more Norwegian awhile the students that went to Kenya are sounding more Kenyan in some aspects. Well, even though it is a challenge, it is the uniqueness of the International school. I hope that my interactions will remain fruitful with the students even as we near the end in the next one month.

Music Concert.

2008-04-13T01:43:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been moments of great worship to God through music. It has been a blessing to sing to God hymns of praises and worship. I joined the Salem choir in January and we have been singing together since then. We were particularly rehearsing for a concert that was there last Friday in Jørpeland. The concert finally took place and it was a great blessing to sing and bless God’s name, but also the people as well.

The song that was a great blessing among others was Everybody is talking. The song was about what we shall do in heaven. That I have a crown, a robe, shoes, song, praise, a shout among other things. When we get to heaven, we shall shout to the Lord, sing praises and songs, put on our shoes, robes and crowns and walk over God’s heaven. It was a great song where the combination of soprano, alto and tenor produced a great blend of music in praise of the Almighty God.

Then on Saturday was a day to listen as other musicians sang. It was a great concert as well attended by among others Andrae Crouch. But before he sang, several other singers did sing, and one of them was almost eighty. He was incredible. His voice was so strong and his face could testify of his long pilgrimage with God.

Crouch shared a testimony with us about his youth and how he began to play music. He also shared how God healed him of cancer after many of his family members died of the same disease. And when he began to sing, I couldn’t fail to notice his deep joy of the Lord in his voice and face. Indeed as he sung Jesus is the answer to the world today I knew that he was singing out of real experience. This concert is the most outstanding and reflective concert that I have attended and I hope that I will continuously ponder on his everlasting love and mercy upon my life.

I went to the concert with a friend, Tom and Sammy. Tom has been a great blessing and I thank him for ensuring that I attended the concert. I will forever be grateful for him.

Meeting Europe in Linz, Austria.

2008-04-10T02:23:00.000-07:00

The IFES Europe conference was held in Linz, Austria, from the 20^th to the 21^st of March. This was a conference that brought together Christian students from mainly Europe and other countries as well.

The theme of the conference was BECAUSE OF LOVE. The emphasis was the desire and the need for Christian students to reach their fellow students with the love of Christ.

Other than meeting many new friends, I also got an opportunity to learn more about the state of Christianity in Europe.

In one of the tents, there was this statement that really got my attention. It stated; Europe, the prodigal continent.

This indeed reminded me of the prodigal son in the bible and the way he was warmly received back by his father. And I gathered that that is what God is ready and willing to do to anyone that has deviated from God’s call in his/her life.

And thus even thought the future of Christianity doesn’t look good, the good thing is that God is forever willing to receive back those who are ready and willing to go back to him. The plenary speakers had one main emphasis, the urgency with which the gospel has to be shared. This is not very easy in any particular place, but what is required of us is to be ready and willing to be used of him to bring people back if fellowship with him.

We had also an Easter service on Easter Sunday. There was nothing spectacular like seeing more than 2000 studnets gathered for the service. It was an awesome experience to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ together.

Easter Sunday service.

It is Summer time again!!!!

2008-03-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

I write with nostalgia about this topic. This is because it was a disaster for me when the time was changed to winter time last year. It left me confused for some days because I thought that there was a more complicated explanation than what I was told. I thought there was a scientific reason to it, only to realize that there wasn’t.

The issue was made even harder to comprehend since it became darker and darker as days progressed, and of course winter slowly settled in. I can say that the last few months have been the coldest months I have experienced in my life. Having to dress up with more clothes wasn’t an easier concept either, let alone walking on icy roads that made me fall many times against my will.

But summer time is a time of complete contrast. A time that begins with Spring, when the flowers spring up and leaves grow up on trees again. A time of more life than winter, one would say. A time of more and more light, thus warmer and warmer. How I have missed the warmth of the midday sun along the equator!!

Just to be sure that I am not messed up again as I was last time, my friends send me information informing me of the time change for which am very grateful. I would probably be in confusion if they were not kind enough to remind me of the time change.

I really look forward to enjoying my spring and summer time here.

Away on Holiday.

2008-03-29T06:14:00.000-07:00

I was on holiday for one week ending the 18th of March. I travelled to Oslo the capital of Norway to be with my Brazilian friends. For some reason, deciding to go for the holiday took me a whole three weeks. All the same, while I was on holiday, I realized that it had been a much needed one.

During the holiday, I went to Noordmark’s Chapel with some of my friends in Oslo. This was a chapel put up by students so as to meet the spiritual needs of people going to the hills to ski or to walk during Sundays.

When we got to the chapel, I noticed that the atmosphere was so different. It was suddenly quiet and all of us went to the altar where we had a time to pray together. That is when I realized that whoever came up with the idea was guided by God. We had been walking in the snow for a while and rest was very necessary. The chapel provided more than that. We had a place to worship as well.

This was one of my serene moments in my life since I came to Norway. It was very refreshing, and am thankful for the chapel.

The chapel in the background after having praying together.

In the chapel.

I also went to a Norwegian course with my friends. The teacher was called Rita. She is one of the kindest ladies I have met. She is a retired teacher that has offered to help teaching my friends in Oslo. It was prior to Easter and she gave a card as a gift for Easter. Her gift reminded me not only of the death of Jesus at the cross, but his triumph as well over death. Praise be to his name.

Amen.

The Christain Union.

2008-03-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Christian Union is made up of international students studying at the university in Stavanger. Working with this group has been one interesting experience, especially due to the diversity that cones with it.

Last Friday, I hosted the students for a dinner in our house. Sammy was away and therefore I was alone. I really don’t like cooking alone, but I had no alternative last Friday because I had to cook all alone and for several people. I was actually surprised that I enjoyed cooking. It was a rare occurrence.

The students are planning for an outreach at the beginning of next month. And we hope that all shall be well. It is indeed a taunting task but the good thing is that the students are willing to take the extra mile to ensure that they share the love of Jesus Christ with other students. We hope to join them in sharing the great nems of Jesus Christ this Easter.

So just pray that all shall go well with the outreach planned for the 1^st of April.

Bread. Yes, i like it.

2008-03-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

I went for a skiing trip a few weeks ago with some friends. As we were driving, they asked me about how much I liked about the Norwegian culture. Of course there are many aspects that I like about Norway, even though there are several others that are not as pleasing.

One of those that are appealing is that of eating bread almost all the time. I actually told them that ‘jeg elsker brød’. Of course they were surprised because the world ‘elsker’ has quite a deep meaning.

All the same, I remained adamant that I like bread. They therefore asked me to write a poem about my loving bread. Here it is;

Brød er godt,

Det er fint,

Jeg liker det veldig godt.

Det er lett å lage,

Lett å spise,

Noen kan spise den alltid,

Til frokost,

Til lunsj,

Til middag (If one is lazy to cook),

Til kveldsmat.

Jeg liker grovt brød,

Brunt brød,

Hvit brød,

Og mange andre.

Jeg elsker norsk brød!!!!!!

Sorry if you can’t make head or tail of the above poem. It is meant for my Norwegian ‘audience’.

This poem is dedicated to;

Knut, Karoline and Renate, who among others learned me oh no, taught me how to ski.

And Inki, who always taught me Norwegian even when I didn't want to.

I also dedicate it to Sammy, my team mate, who always laughed at me when I made grievous mistakes while trying to speak Norwegian.

Sigh Of Relief in Kenya.

2008-02-29T03:24:00.000-08:00

All eyes have been on the two political leaders since the chaos broke out after elections. The chaos were course uncalled for. The negotiation process has been an anxious moment for most Kenyans. Every evening update seemed to promise no hope, “progress has been made” only to realise that nothing much has been achieved.

It was therefore a sigh of relief when the two principal leaders decided to form what they are calling a grand coalition. The celebrations hat followed the signing of the deal was indeed a show of the anxiety that many Kenyans had, that was thankfully turned into joy.

There is however much more to be done. But I hope that the leaders will continue to show maturity and servant leadership even as the implementation process begins. There is a lot of sacrifices that will be required by many individuals, especially the parliamentarians. As every Kenya, I hope that they will follow suit and show servant leadership that many Kenyans have perhaps been awaiting for.

Bravo Kibaki and Raila.

BECOMING..........

2008-02-21T06:57:00.000-08:00

Go, learn and become is what I call the Hald’s three commandments. Having been here for six months now, there are many things that u have been leaning. Of course becoming follows learning. One of the things that I have been becoming is Norwegian. I have just realized that I have become quite like a Norwegian in several aspects.

Food habits.

Eating bread most of the time was not an interesting thing at all. But right now, I can say that bread is one of my favorite meals in Norway.

Skating.

It is not easy to do skating by all means. But after doing it twice, I can now say that I am among those people that can do skating, even though it is still very pathetic.

Skiing.

This is among outdoor activities that are liked by very many Norwegians. The air in the open mountains is refreshing and it is a lot of fun to do skiing, especially with friends or as a family.

Two weeks ago, we went skiing with a couple of friends in Sirdal. This was down hill skiing. Of course it goes without saying that I got to fall countless times. At first I remember I was so scared to fall. One of the friends we had gone with told me that falling on snow does not hurt anything, other than my pride. He was right!!!! So what I decided to do is to keep falling like a kid; no, the kids were doing much better that I was. So I kept falling like a person who was skiing for the first time. And after several falls, I got the confidence and I had fun the whole day. Of course I was helped alto by friends who were helping me learn skiing.

Here are some photos.

Just before Skiing began.

Lunch break.

Last weekend, we went to Sauda to visit a family of a friend, Tord, who is now in Cameroun. I also got an opportunity to go skiing again. It was cross country skiing this time round. It was much easier this time round and at least I didn’t get to fall many times. Visiting Tord’s family was an opportunity to know more about the

situation in Kenya since the family was in Kenya last month. It was good hearing about their experiences. One of the most exciting experiences of the weekend was when we had to prepare a Kenyan meal, Ugali for the family and friends. It was good to see that the family liked the food.

Here are some photos as well.

Down... down... down.........

With Tord's family.

Speaking Norwegian.

Speaking Norwegian is not easy. I have been trying to speak it whenever I get an opportunity. As much as the progress has been good, it has come with many silly mistakes which I wouldn’t want to mention here. The good thing is that am getting to speak more and more Norwegian and am so happy abut that.

Youth Conference.

2008-02-11T04:43:00.000-08:00

Imagine this scenario; three thousand people gathered together in one big hall. Most of them aged between 14 and 19 years. Several bands of great singers and many good preachers. I bet that such a combination produces some kind of a ‘mess’, especially during singing.

This was what characterized Impuls 2008 at the IMI church a few days ago. The young ones were crazy for Christ as one would say. The first night saw more than 50 of them come in fellowship with Christ.

Worship during the conference.

The mess in this case is of course not negative. The fact that excitement fills the air as they sing for joy to the Lord who has given them, and of course me and all the Christians freedom. During the conference, I rediscovered some of my gifting. I had kind of forgotten about it for sometimes. This gifting is actually making ululations. I realized on that weekend that once a boy, always a boy as I shouted my head off during the singing.

There is this song really got to my heart. It was called Frihetens Konge, which basically means King of freedom. Indeed Jesus is our king of freedom. Seeing the many young people, including myself jumping with joy was indeed a confirmation of this.

The main purpose of Impuls is to bring an awakening among the young in churches in Norway and the world over. Once again, seeing such a big gathering, one is left to conclude that the Christianity is alive in Norway among the young.

My Beloved Kenya.

2008-02-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

It began as a premonition. But it ended up as a strategy. On the 27^th of December 2007, Kenyans queued to vote for their local governments, members of parliament and a president. So far, at least they have oh no!! We have a president, whose legitimacy is in question.

But I would wish to share my experience over these days. I followed the elections on internet. In the evening of the voting day, we went swimming. It was so hard to concentrate on swimming since I was anxious to know the results, just like any Kenyan. The difference was that I was doing it from thousands of kilometers away.

When we came back from the pool, it was about 2000hrs, in which case it was 2200hrs in Kenya. As the analylists would call it, the results had began trickling in. I was to travel the next day to a conference. Well, I tried to sleep and I couldn’t for the whole night. When I realized that my trying to sleep was futile, I read all the night as I followed the news. The results were quite surprising as the sitting members of parliament kept loosing their seats. Another occurrence was that quite a number of ministers and their assistants were being ‘send home’ at a not so surprising rate.

Three days later, the Electoral Commission announced the results that were long disputed before they were announced. I could not access internet at the conference, so I had to rely on my friends in Kenya to update me. Anyway, the declaration of the one of the candidates as a winner resulted in untold violence across Kenya as it is now known internationally.

But there is one thing that is very disturbing to me. As one part of the country is intact, the other part of the country is basically on its knees. In the west, a city that not so long ago celebrated its a hundred years is no longer a city, but a shell. This is just but one among the many bad things that have happened.

The politicians continue politicking. The rich continue to be rich, and of course the poor fight each other and die. And if they don’t die they are left to live in more poverty than they have ever before. That seems to be democracy in Kenya these days.

And I have this hope against hope, that the politicians will listen to each and themselves even as Kofi Annan does all he can to help the Kenyans save a country that was once known as an island of peace. And that Kenya will emerge stronger than before, with reforms that will favor the populace, but not the leaders and the rich few, some of whom have no Kenyans’ interest at heart.

Eleven Months to New Year's Eve.

2008-01-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

It is a month now since the new year began. One would say time flies!! Does it really? I visited a friend today. While he was taking us back home, he said something that got my attention. He said that it is 11 months to New Year’s Eve. Of course it is the same thing as saying that it is the end of January.

That got me thinking about this year so far. A lot has happened in this year, even though it is only 30 days. The main concern to me right now is to try and ask myself if I have been true to my word that I will become better and better in this year than the previous year. So far, am not sure, but at least am on track.

What makes it hard to do an evaluation is that last year began when I was in Kenya. Beginning a year in Norway is totally a new and different scenario. But I have been reconciling the two. And actually I have found a common ground. And you know what!! The common ground is me. And that is exciting.

Building on your stengths.

2008-01-07T06:27:00.001-08:00

The creation is full of diversity and beauty. I have been asking myself about some basic questions. Why is it that there are lions in Kenya by nature, and say only in Norway in the zoos? Why is it that there are elks and bears in Norway and none in Kenya? Further to this, what would happen if Norway insisted that it wants to have lions in the wild just like Kenya and vice versa. It would be an effort in futility, I think.

These diversities, natural orientations and advantages are also observed in people. There are people that when seen dancing, for instance, you would wish that they would do so forever. There are others that you would wonder why they are trying to do so in the first place. Interestingly, those ones unable to dance are likely to be better at something else. These abilities are quite observable in many people. There are things that some people can do; almost perfectly and like them; the same things are almost impossible for other persons or if possible, they not done with as much fun.

This is part of what I have really appreciated during the infield course at the International school. It is true that every body has strengths, though different. Further, that every one should put their strengths to work, as opposed to weakness. This is because people who put their strengths to work get better and better most of the time as opposed to those who fix their weaknesses.

The challenge I now have in the present and near future is to try and find out what really my strengths are and how put them to work to be better, as opposed to fixing my weaknesses.

Infield Course.

2008-01-06T05:26:00.001-08:00

Travelling comes with many issues. Life for me is kind of a journey. Moving from one place to another. Doing one thing from the other. It further involves making decisions that make one to move from one place to another.

My life journey last year took me to Norway, where I still am. It has been good living in this country for the last five months, which is half the time am meant to be here. Thus it is a time to stop and take stock of the past and also dream about the future.

The last five months have presented so many opportunities of working with university students at Stavanger. I further got many opportunities to interact with many other people, especially at the IMI church where we go for services.

I also got an opportunity to travel Denmark for a conference. This gave me more experience that I greatly appreciate. Meeting students and staff from the Nordic countries was very fulfilling.

There are of course many other numerous activities that I was involved in the last year. Am so grateful to God and all the people around me for being faithful and believing that I could be able to do the many assignments I was entrusted with.

Infield.

I have been at Hald international Center for the last one week, doing an infield course. It has been a great opportunity to meet others and reflect on the past but also to look forward to the future.

The future.

The short term focus is now for the remaining five months of my stay here. I look forward to being involved in many activities this new year, especially with the students at the university. I also look forward to learning more on my main interest in leadership. This will be by reading more books on leadership that will give me a better understanding of the same.

THE NEW YEAR, 2008.

2008-01-02T04:39:00.002-08:00

The New Year is here with us, or should I say here with me. A New Year of making resolutions indeed. I have been making new resolutions every New Year. However I have hardly been able to fulfil hem. The good thing is that I have always fulfilled the resolutions even without following them. Of course that is maybe not good.

So the challenge I am having this New Year is how to make my resolutions. Some ways of doing things become a tradition, and that is what am struggling with. As I struggle with this however, one New Year resolution that I have is to be better than I was last year. Better seems too wide and not concrete at all. But that is another challenge that I have. I have just learned that there are many ways of doing many things.

The first half of this year will be spent in Norway. This will most likely present with me many challenges. This is because it will be a time I will be making very crucial decisions about my life. I believe that with the help of the Lord God, I will be able to make the right decisions.

God has been faithful in the last year. My friends too have been faithful and am glad that they stood by me, especially when I was stupid sometimes. You are a great treasure for me and God bless you all.

I hope that the New Year will equally present you with new opportunities. I look forward to having great experiences with you and reaching new heights in this season of continuous blessings from the Lord.

The Christmas that was.

2008-01-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas celebrations this year were as different as never before. Being away from home was quite hard but not as hard. This is because we went for the celebrations away from the city and it was quite like home.

Being in a Norwegian household was a great opportunity not only to make friends, but also to get to know more about the Norwegian culture. It indeed didn’t disappoint because I got to really learn a lot from the three days that I lived with this family.

It is a family that Lives on Fogn island. I got to understand that Christmas is celebrated on the 24^th in the whole of Norway as opposed to the 25^th as I am used to.

The people on the island are actually quite interesting. The island is so secure such that people actually don’t lock their houses when they go out. The cars are sometimes not locked among other things. This, indeed s an island of tranquillity. Everything not only seems to be working, but working in the right manner.

Back to the Christmas story. We went to church on the Christmas Eve. The church was packed to the brim. The good thing about the Christmas Eve is that most people get to go to church and I think that is so good. Those that come are both Christians and non Christians.

After church we had the Christmas Eve dinner that was prepared by Dag, the Father of the home.

We later danced and sang Christmas songs as we went around the Christmas tree. The gifts were unwrapped later and it was good to receive beautiful Christmas gifts.

The Christmas tree. From left; Finn, Inga Katrine, Else, Estre Alida, and Dag.

Dag is the father of the home, Else the mother, Estre and Inga are the younger children in the home, and Finn is the eldest son.

On the 26^th, we got an opportunity to go in to the forests for a trip. It was an opportunity to freshen up in the mountains and get the fresh air that we really needed. That indeed was the best way to end Christmas celebrations on this island of tranquillity.

A Walk in the Forest.

Inga Katrine.

Estre Alida.

Finn.

The Hard-Easy thing called Skating.

2007-12-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Growth and development in human beings has several stages. The first is of course conception, all the way to the last which is old age. When a kid is born, it is always received with joy and celebration. But the kid always demands a lot of attention as he/she grows up.

Toddlers are known for crawling around the house and trying out everything and turning things upside down in the house. But there is always celebration as well when they begin walking (not sure it is the right English word.). My mum told me that I began walking when I was one year old. This is how it was when Our friend Tom took us skating.

These memories flooded my mind when I went skating today for the first time. Walking on the hard ice was impossible for me just the way it was before I was one. I felt stupid that I couldn’t just walk on the ice. I mean, it is just walking!!!! All the same, I came to understand that I have to go back to the basics just the way it was when I was one. I fell down many times in my futile attempts.

Three Skating Teachers.

I had almost given up when I began talking to some three Norwegian girls. I think they were about 7 or 8 years old. I can’t speak much Norwegian, but they all the same gave me some skating lessons. They explained to me what I should do, and it actually worked to the excitement of both of us. They were school kids, and it was very disappointing when they had to go. They said numerous bye byes, and I just wished they could teach me more. They were adamant of leaving until their teacher had to take them away because they were going somewhere else.

Well, am not sure I will meet any of them again. They deserve all the credit for making me gain confidence to do some skating. They are my three little skating instructors and I will forever remember them.

Christmas Destination on Fogn Island.

2007-12-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Living on an island in any particular place is always a challenge. The main reason is always inadequate infrastructure like roads among other things. There is always the fear that people will be cut off from the main land or the neighbouring islands if that is the case.

Fogn is such an island. However, it is not an island deprived of infrastructure as stated. It has good roads, though some of them are quite narrow. It takes about 30 minutes by boat from Stavanger. It is an island with about 300 or more people. When we visited a friend’s family last weekend I observed how life is so different on this island from the mainland in Stavanger. Well, at least there are several boats going to the island and several ferries in a day, thus the island is not cut off from the main land.

On this island, life is quite different from the main land. The people have most of what the main land have such as internet and other facilities. But the main difference is the lifestyle. It was quite surprising to know that people are very dependent on each as opposed to the general perception that Europeans are individualistic. The people can borrow vehicles from each other. They also help each other in running small errands. For instance, if a neighbour is going to the main land Stavanger and you need something that is not available on the island, it is a common scenario to send your neighbour to get it for you.

And this is the place I shall be for four days during Christmas. It is the perfect place for one to be for Christmas, and I really look forward to that. The family we shall be with is just great. The mother of the home really likes singing and she sings so well. I really look forward to singing Christmas songs during this year’s celebrations.

Prayer Meeting.

2007-12-14T05:47:00.001-08:00

The practise of Christianity in Norway is diverse just as it is in any other country. This is because of the differences between the Christians in Norway. This is also observed in the student group that we work with.

We had a prayer meeting last week where about 15 students attended. It was good to see that all of us that were there expressed ourselves before God in many different ways.

Candles making the cross during the meeting.

Singing during the meeting.

Time to thank God.

We had plenty of time to thank God for the many good things this year. God has been gracious to all of us through out the year, and we were filled with gratefulness as we looked back at the past and saw God’s faithfulness. This gave us confidence to face the future that is uncertain, but we can certainly make it by faith.

The students are now away on for the Christmas break. I look forward to January. I believe that God has great things for us during Christmas and New Year.

Christmas is here with us.

2007-11-29T14:44:00.001-08:00

It is Christmas time, despite it being so early in December. Norway is a Christian state and therefore Christmas is a deep cultural practise. There are a lot of things that come with this religious and at the same time cultural activity.

Shopping.

People began shopping for Christmas as early as November. Actually, some shops had Christmas stuff long before November. Shopping is of different kinds. From the food that will be eaten to good dress that will be worn during Christmas. Many people also shop for Christmas gifts. It is as if everybody must get at least a gift from either a friend or a family member.

Advent and the Christmas Calendar.

Advent begins on the first day of December. This is a period of waiting for the birth of Jesus.
On these 24 days, there is a Christmas calendar that helps the people get ready for Christmas. For kids, there is a calendar that has surprise gifts everyday. They can also have an activity calendar where they get to do something, especially when they are not at school. For the grown ups, there is a calendar to help you plan all through the advent period, including shopping and sending and gifts.

The unfolding Surprises.

What remains is to see the unfolding activities in this month in the Norwegian culture. I know there are many things that are to happen during this time, and I look forward to learn from them. My greatest desire is that this will be a time to deeply reflect on the love of Jesus Christ, and that he will take the centre stage in all these celebrations.

EVANGELISM CONFERENCE IN DENMARK.

2007-11-25T12:55:00.000-08:00

We went to Denmark a week ago for a conference. The conference brought together the five Nordic countries. They include; Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Iceland. The students who attended were from the IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) movements in the respective countries. The conference began on Friday and ended on Sunday.

The theme of the conference was Evangelism as a lifestyle. I attended a track on Glad you asked. It was a good blessing to learn that Andy, the guy who was facilitating the seminar, had been in Kenya in the summer of 1999 working with the IFES movement in Kenya. The track was meant to help us use the tool glad you asked as a way of reaching out to our friends who are not Christians. It was further to help us apologetically share the love of Christ.

The emphasis in the seminar I attended was relational evangelism. This basically is where one purposefully decides to reach out to the people in one’s environment. Some of the mind searching questions we discussed included;

Does God matter?

Does God exist?

How can God allow pain and suffering?

Relational evangelism is a spiritual journey. One walks with his/her friend or neighbour who is not a Christian from a state of unbelief in God to a state of believe in God through Jesus Christ. This is not by any means a one day event. It is a long term event. Further, relational evangelism is backed by commitment to prayer and the desire to obey our Lord’s command; ‘… go and make disciples of all nations…’

In the course of the journey, one may not be able to answer all the questions asked by the seeker. It is however fulfilling to know that as you walk together, the seeker will get to learn more from you and your interaction and relationship with God. Even though not all the people reached in this way have become Christians, it is encouraging to know that some of them have become Christians. As co-workers with Christ, this shall always keep us sharing the love of God; ‘…for Christ’s love compels us…’ (2nd Corinthians 5:14).

Small group discussions during the conference.

JOINT FELLOWSHIP.

2007-11-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

We had a joint meeting between all Christian students in the University last week. There are more that three student groups in the University. The groups are Laget, New Generation and the Christian Union among others. The groups meet every Tuesday between 1200 and 1400hrs.

On this day, there were more than 120 Christian students gathered. This was indeed a great occasion because this has not happened before; at least for the time we have been around. Of course there are more students who are Christians that didn’t turn up. Organisation for the meeting was motivated by the fact that Christian students will be encouraged to be stronger in their faith. Furthermore, the gathering will be an indication that after all they are many, even though they may look fewer in their respective groups.

A group of students gathered for the fellowship.

The preaching was done by the university chaplain, Mr. Steffan. He talked mainly about Jesus being the prince of peace. This implies that since he is the prince of peace, then we should be instruments of peace wherever we go as Christians. He used some video clips to show how lack of peace has resulted in a lot of suffering worldwide. Furthermore, he said that even though we should be agents of peace, we should begin this by having peace that surpasses human understanding, which only God gives through Jesus Christ.

This sharing was enriching and challenging at the same time. From some brief discussions with students, I came to realise that they were yearning to be involved in world peace. My prayer is that as they try to do this, they will have peace from God that surpasses human understanding.

STAFF MEETING IN SANDEFJORD.

2007-11-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

Staff Meeting; Sandefjord.

We attended a staff meeting for the IFES movement here on the 2nd of November. All the LAGET staff came to thank God for the far that has brought the student movement. A lot of time was spent in prayer for the ministry and for each. It was so refreshing just to pray together with each other.

All the students (Staff) on exchange were in one group. This was a moment of reflection with each other since we had been away from each other for more than a month. We are a total of eight on exchange.

The reunion; Thiago, Sany, Ivana, Faith, Marija, Me and Pamela.

We took this photo after prayers by the ocean.

Get Focussed Conference.

While at Sandefjord, we attended a conference at Tornsberg, a neighbouring city. This was a conference that encourages young people to get focussed more so with what they do with their lives. It was amazing to see hundreds of young people gathered worshipping God. Surely there are great worshippers in Norway. The worship was so awesome such that I really wanted to be left behind, especially when we had to go back before the end of the meeting because we had to drive to the place we were spending.

Praise and worshp at the conference.

The weekend was helpful in many ways. I will however mention two of them;

a).

I understood more about student work in Norway. Interacting with the Staff enabled me to know the dynamics of student ministry and how best I can be involved to be effective.

b).
An understanding of Christian youth in Norway. I had not seen as many young people gathered to worship as I saw over the weekend. Most young people here don’t go to church, but attend Christian meetings in the course of the church. I don’t know why they don’t go to church, but at least I know that they get their spiritual nourishment from the many Christian meetings they attend.

CONFUSION; THE ONE HOUR SHIFT.

2007-10-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

It has beet a bit confusing at times since I came to Norway. But not as confusing as Sunday. Tom, a friend of ours was supposed to get us at 1315 so that we go to attend a Sunday service. Yes; a Sunday service. The church we were going to normally has services at 1400 hrs.

I woke up in the morning and checked my watch. I switched on the computer to listen to some music. When I looked at the clock, I realised that there was a difference of one hour with my watch. I suspected that something was wrong.

At 1345 when he was supposed to get us, my phone rang. I didn’t expect him to call at that time. What we expected was the doorbell. All the same, he said that he will be getting us in one hour. I immediately thought the service had been moved by one hour. No! The service was still at 1400hrs! Time had just been shifted by one hour.

What was the most confusing was the way time had shifted by one hour. I have studied physics and I know the time regions and the accompanying dynamics in time determination. I just couldn’t understand how one hour can just be lost like that!! I tried to get a scientific explanation to no avail. I was trapped. I just couldn’t buy the one hour shift business. It was scientifically impossible!!!

I had to send a text message to a friend in Kenya to confirm what time it was. This was after checking the internet and confirming the tImes.

All the same, the explanation was so simple. On every last Sunday of October, the time is set back by one hour. This is to deal with the coming winter-more light. The same is done towards the beginning of summer-they add one hour. I have never been this confused!!!

It was a human explanation and not a sceintific explanation after all.

BIRTHDAY BOY, JOSEPH.

2007-10-25T02:54:00.001-07:00

I celebrated my 25th birthday yesterday. It was a good moment of knowing the far that God has brought me. It was a nice time to celebrate my birthday away from home. It was so different. I celebrated the birthday in the office with Sammy, Gunn Elin, Sigurd and other staff members.

At the house, I celebrated with my housemates; Einar, Finn, Sverre and Ingunn. Tone and her husband Leif joined us as well.

It was a solemn party, bearing in mind that am now a quarter a century old.

The birthday cake.

The birthday boy cutting the cake

I received a number of gifts from my friends. Tone and her husband bought me two movies. Thye are very good!! My housemates bought me two tickets for the Cinema, which is called Kino here. Last but not least, the Laget students bought me a fishing line. I hope to go fishing one of these days. We just live by the ocean

Me, the proud owner of a fishing line.

My prayer is that God will continue to be gracious to me and he will enable me to live to fulfill His purposes in my life.

Knowing Stavanger.

2007-10-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

We had a long day tour of Stavanger. We were taken around by a friend of ours called Tom. He is a great guy. He works as a cabin crew with SAS. We were able to visit different places within and without Stavanger. The tour is shown below in pictures.

The beginning;

The trip begun with a drive,

Then the first stop; in a myriad of boats. Norway has alot of waters. This has necessitated Norwegians owining so many boats. There are boats almost all over the coastline and many household own boats. Norwegians also do alot of fishing. Some bigger boats are used for fishing, either for fun or for commercial purposes.

Then came a number of stops. These stops were for for taking photos. We were shown to many different historical sites. Most of these sites have been a

defining moment for the history of Stavanger and Norway at large. Norway is not to have been home to the iron man. As you can see below. This man lived in a cave. This cave has been given a nickname of the Norwegian apartment.

In the Cave.

With the iron man.

This iron man lived in the 'apartment' above. The 'house' actually had two floors.

Unification of Norway.

Norway's history goes back to hundreds of years back.

Unification took place in 872 A.D. This

whan Norway came togetner under one king. This came after a great fight, in which one king won, and therefore became the king of the whole of Norway. The three swords have been put at the sight where the battle was won.

World War II and Hitler's teeth.

Norway was among the European countries that were affected by world war II. German soldiers occupied it for the better part of the war. In an effort to counter an attack by the prospective enemies, the Hitler men put up stones next to the sea, so that they could be able to stop attackers coming in from the Sea. These stones, covering a number of kilometres along the coast in Stavanger, have come to be called Hitler's teeth.

I was standing on one of them in the photo below.

The End.

The day ended well, with lots of excitement.

Am a 'strong' man. As you can see below, only a strong man can lift such a big rock!!!

Joseph the Strong Man.

Many Norwegians including students like going out on trips and camps especially during weekends. Knowing these visited places has enhanced my understanding of Stavanger and Norway at large. I hope that having known this will enable me to interect with students all the more.

Preikestolen.

2007-10-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

I have been in Stavanger for almost two weeks now. It has been fun knowing Stavanger and getting used to the way things are here. We have been able to meet many people especially students from the University. Among them them is Knut, who took us to Preikestolen. This is a flat rock tha is 604 metres above the sea level.

Preikestolen sketch.

Knut is a student at the University in Stavanger. He is studying petroleum technology.

The day was brifht as we walked up. It is October and it is off course fall. Most of the trees with normal leaves are shedding them in preparation for winter which is coming very soon. The sceneries were so beautiful as we went up. It took us more than two hours to walk up to the prekeistolen.

A photo showing the beautiful scenery that is a result of fall. The leaves which are green, turn to different colours before dropping to the ground.

When we were beginning the trekk, I didn't know that it will take us too long to get up. All the same, it was refreshing to walk in the fresh air of the mountains. After more thatn two hours of walking, talking, resting, eating ald laughing,we finally got there; The Prekeistolen.

Prekeistolen is a famous destination for many tourists. There are many people going up there. The people are of different nationalities and they come et differnt times. For instance, as we began our climb, we met with other people who prabably had been there earlier to see sunrise. On our way back, we met many others who were probably going to see sunset.

As you would guess, we got to the top tired and hungry. We definately needed something to rejuvenate our bodies, and some quick berbecue did the trick. I haven't done berbecue before. You can however notice how a good speactator I was as Samy and Knut (pictured) prepared the fire for the berbecue.

After eating, we got an opportunity to look below the fjord . Due to my fear of heights, I could only view it on my stomach. It was so surprising to see how strong some of the people were.

You can be sure that my looking down at the fjord took alot of Courage. All the same, the good thing was that the trip ended when I was in one piece, and I was glad to have seen amazing sites of God's creation.

Preaching in a Norwegian Chuch.

2007-09-24T07:39:00.001-07:00

I got an opportunity to preach in a Norwegian church on 23rd September. The church is situated in Mandal, south of Norway. The church is attended by mainly elderly people. The young people normally have their meetings on friday since they dont prefer being in the church. It was good to speak to such a congregation, something that I was doing for the first time. I preached in English but managed afew Norwegian woords of introduction. It was a privilege to preach with Inger Jahanne. She is the principal at Hald Internatioa Center, and she translated for me.

Me and the principal.

There are 13 coutries represented at Hald. The flags of these different countires were displayed all over the church. The Madagascar flag can be seen on the pulpit. Of course you can see the Kenyan flag cospicously as shown below. Surely, am proud to be Kenyan. Other flags could not be seen in the photo.

Well, all I say is thank you for the Opportunity to preach. It helped to understand more about Norway and The Norwegian Church.

Kenyan flag in the church.

Stavanger, our place of internship.

2007-09-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

On 15th, I and Sammy visited Stavanger. It is the city in which we shall live for the next six months beginning 28th September. I dont much of its history, but it is a city with ancient buildings. One of the ancient buildings is a church, shown below.

Another thing is that there are many iron men. I dont know what they symbolize, but I hope to learn about them with time. Some of the iron statue are shown below.

My friends Torstein and Inki in Stavanger.

We shall be living in a well furnished apartment, 15 minutes' drive out of the city centre. It is surrounded by good green fields that are beautiful to behold. Below are ptotos of the rooms and the fields.

Joseph (myself), standing in a field outside our apartment in Stavanger.

Social gathering of students at Stavanger.

Unuversity of Stavanger where we shall be working with Sammy.

I really look forward to going to Stavanger this friday, a place we shall be living their for the next six months.

Learning Norwegian Language.

2007-09-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

Languge and Culture.

Language is one of the major constituents of any culture. Although there are so many ways in which communication can be non verbal, no culture can be willing to forego this beautiful God Given gift.

Becoming Norwegian.

Thus learning Norwegian is part of becoming Norwegian. Learning a new language is not easy. It really needs alot of effort. I ahve been learning Norwegian since we came. Monica has been teaching us in class. However, to practise and learn more, I have a 'personal' teacher. Her name is Ingrid. She is a Lady full of Energy as you can see in the Photo below.

Ingrid.

There are off course many other Norwegian students that have helped to practise speaking Norwegian. My regards go to all of them.

Home, and Home away from Home.

2007-09-07T10:47:00.000-07:00

Norway.

Home away from Home.

I have been in Norway for the last 4 weeks. Norway is a beautiful country on the North of Europe. This country is beatiful. It is green all over now that the summer is just ending. I have been living in the south of Norway, at a place called mandal. This is where hald international school is. It has been good being here because I have learned so much so far.

I have been so observant here, and I am really learning alot from that. I hope to really get to know Norway.

There are 67 students at hald this year. These students are drawn from different countries. It has been good interacting with people from very different cultures.

Kenya.

I have lived in Kenya for the last 24 years. I come from the Western part of this very beautiful country. My character has actually been formed from this country.

When I was young, my mum and the teachers of the school that I attended always insisted that because a person had two ears and one mouth, one was required to listen more and talk less. I took up this from them and it has really shaped me. Something that they also taught me was always make conlusions from extensive observations. It has been fun practising those old tricks.

Namutala in Norway.

2007-09-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

Am finally in Norway. It is now 23 days after I got here. Life is pretty different here and i have been spending most of my time trying to get used to the culture. I have been learning alot of Norwegian. It is not an easy language to leran but i like it all the same. It is very different from English. It has 29 letters in the alphabet, in addition to the 26 in English. We have been learn Norwegian in Class here at Hald. I have also been doing alot of practice outside class.