UUs in Kenya

I met today with a group of Kenyan Unitarian Universalist leaders. (For those who don't know, my religion is Unitarian Universalism...learn more at http://www.uua.org/. Kenya is a predominantly Christian country and UUism in Kenya is a liberal form of Christianity.) They were so excited to meet me! UUism is growing in Kenya; they told me there are UU congregations all across Kenya from Nairobi to Kisumu on Lake Victoria to Lodwar near the border with Ethiopia/Sudan and to Mombasa on the Indian Ocean coast. They are currently working to centralize their operations and strengthen their affiliation with the international UU body. It was really wonderful to hear their excitement about their activities and to answer their questions about the UU faith in America and in Portland. What a small world...one of the guys is a Facebook friend with one of my Portland ministers!

We met in an area of Nairobi I hadn't been to before: Eastlands. I picked up two of them in central Nairobi and then drove them to the meeting place. On the way, they told me we would be going to "real" Nairobi, not the "elite" Nairobi I live and work in. And after the shacks and crooked vendor stalls and poorly paved roads we passed to get there, as we pulled into the restaurant parking lot, I have to admit I wondered if my car would still be there when I returned.

I shared my first truly Kenyan meal with them: the server brought a hunk of grilled lamb to the table, where he proceeded to cut it into bit-size chunks and put it into the communal plate in the center. The plate also had tomatoes chopped with onions like a pico de gallo, french fries, ugali (boiled maize cake) and another dish made of mashed potatoes with mashed beans and whole corn kernels. As I looked around for a fork, the group chuckled at me and said they eat with their hands. As we dug in, the server also brought a platter of beef cooked with tomatoes and potatoes. So we ate and talked and 2 hours quickly passed. THEN everyone started ordering drinks. The group ordered for me and the server put two cans of Reds malt beverage in front of me. I wondered who was going to drink the second one, and the group told me that in Kenya you're always given two! Good thing I didn't order vodka! Another two hours passed, this time with more animation and laughter as the drinks kept coming. I finally begged off of further drinks saying I had to get home for dinner!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I agreed to meet with this group. It could have ended up a very boring meal with us sitting in silence. But I'm so glad I did. I hope to have the chance to visit each of their congregations around Kenya while I'm here.