We had another first happen to us today in Kenya and I hope it never happens again.  Intrigued?  Let me tell you the story:

This morning Chuck, Joseck and I got up at 4 am and packed the truck for our trip back to C4KK.  We left Luanda at 5 am in the dark with only a few matatu’s on the road and headed towards Kisumu (where Joseck would leave us to return to Luanda).  That part went smoothly and we said our goodbyes, praying we will once again return to Luanda to minister to the poor and hopeless.  Then Chuck and I continued towards Nakuru…so far so good.  We reached Salgaa (I didn’t know the name until much later in this story) around 8:50 am, about 25 km outside Nakuru, and there was a police check point.  We had to stop and the police officer told Chuck we didn’t have a particular sticker for our truck.  We have an insurance sticker but he said we were supposed to have an inspection sticker, which we’ve had the truck since 2010 or so and not once has anyone told us we needed an inspection sticker.  The police officer wanted a “little something” to allow us on our way but Chuck refused so the officer told us we’d have to pay the fine at the police station.  He took Chuck’s license and pointed us towards the station.  We drove to the station and Chuck went inside.  Another officer took down some information and then put him in a locked 10×6 dark room with about 10 other guys.  He was there for about 2 hours and finally he came out with the rest and was loaded into the back of a truck.  I went over and asked what was happening and Chuck told me they were taking him to Molo court and he was put in the truck and I watched my husband being trucked away with no idea of when I would see him again.

I immediately got on the phone to the US Embassy, of which 2 of the 3 numbers weren’t working!  What!?  I’m calling the Embassy and the phones won’t go through?  I finally got a number (thank goodness I had internet on my phone so I could look it up) and the first person who answered I simply said “I’m a US citizen” (meaning ‘don’t hang up on me!’)  They listened to my story…basically saying they’ve taken my husband, I don’t know where I’m at and I only know they took my husband to Molo.  The man on the other end of the phone listened and told me he would check stuff out and call me back.  Thankfully he had someone call to tell me they knew Chuck was at the court and we would wait and see.  Not that I wanted to hear that but it did ease my mind a bit.

For the next couple of hours I was back and forth on the phone with the Embassy, Joseck and our friend Ben in Nakuru.  Ben and Joseck were communicating and attempting to find Chuck at the courts and Ben finally met up with him around 1 or so and at 4 pm they both finally landed back at the police station where I was still waiting….the officer in charge at the station was not helpful at all.  He was actually quite rude and acted like I wasn’t even worth his time to assist.  He refused to answer my questions about what was happening and he refused to talk with Joseck’s friend who works in another police station who was trying to get me some information.  But everyone outside the police station was being very helpful and I thank God for them.

Now for Chuck’s side of the story and so much more happened I’m sure Chuck will fill you in if you ask 🙂

He began preaching the minute he was locked up….my modern day Paul!  Once he was put in ‘the box’ at the police station and the jail at Molo he started to tell them about the situations we had just worked with in Luanda and said the jail cell was better than what most of the people we assisted were living in.  He preached but I don’t think anyone fell out of a window (ok, that’s a Bible reference and an inside joke, sorry).  One young man at the Molo jail came up to him and confessed why he was in jail, he had fought with his brother and the brother charged him and he was put in jail…that was five months ago and he couldn’t pay the 5000/- ksh fine.  Chuck told him if his story was true and he’d check with the officers why he was in jail then Chuck would pay his bail but he would have to promise to make changes in his life and to see that Jesus had intervened in his life.  Chuck found out that was exactly what happened so he paid the bail.  People in the jail cells were whispering about how someone would pay another person’s bail and said ‘he must be a man of God.’  So while Chuck was imprisoned (never thought I’d be writing that) he showed people the love of God through his actions and told them God has a purpose for each of them if they will commit their lives to Christ.

We don’t know who will take that step but we do know today was all a part of God’s purpose and will for today.  Thank you Father for the privilege of serving you once again and helping me to stay somewhat calm throughout the 7 hour wait at the police station.

We’ll be heading back to C4KK tomorrow, hopefully no trips to any police station tomorrow!