Earth from Three Lands

Earth from three lands mixed—Zambia, Lukenya, California.

We were meeting Ronah Mussenge, David’s bride-to-be, for the first time.

And that first time was on their wedding-day.

And not only that, but the wedding was going to be at the Red Rhino Orphanage Project in Lukenya, where we hadn't been for four years.

So we experienced all three—meeting Ronah, being at the wedding, and seeing these children in their home at Red Rhino—all in one day.

When we had been at Red Rhino four years ago, the steel trusses for what would be the kitchen and dining hall were going up.

And now, four years later, the building was hosting the wedding of the orphanage’s director and the children’s Auntie Ronah.

The children were going to dance Ronah up to the altar.

“We’re going to lose it then,” I told Monte who’s made three earlier trips to work as a volunteer at Red Rhino.

“I thought you were exaggerating,” Monte told me later.

“But, yeah, I lost it then myself.”

Afterwards, as the girls—Prudence, Faith, Rachel, Frida, Peace, Mercy, and Mrs. O’Bama (because her name is Michelle)—flocked around their good friend, Ronah told them that there was one small diamond on her engagement ring for each of the children at Red Rhino.

And so the girls counted the stones meticulously. There are twenty-two children at Red Rhino.

“But there are twenty-three stones,” the girls said.

“One of the stones is for your aunties,” Ronah told them.

 The children’s aunties are the women who look after them.

On the day of the wedding, when we had turned off the paved Mombasa road onto the murram Daystar road to the orphanage, the conversation in the landcruiser went mostly silent.

So many memories rose as we traveled along this road again.

For one thing, each of us has had important experiences with giraffes here.

Once, for instance, as we were returning late from Nairobi, we spied these stately, shadowed presences moving quietly through the night.

"Can we stop and get out?" I begged.

"Sure," said Dave, "why not?"

And so soon—the engine off now—we found ourselves wandering as if in a dream among these graceful night-shadows.

There were no giraffes in sight along the road on this wedding day, but there were elands, and as almost always, wildebeests and zebra and Thompson’s gazelles.

We’d seen photographs of the orphanage completed and the kids at home. But we hadn't been there in person yet.

What strikes you—whether it’s your first time or you remember the land as nearly barren and barely delved—is simple.

Home. Unsentimentalized. No need for cute.

What, if we’re lucky, each of us has found once, only to lose again. It seems that most of us can’t simply inherit home. We have to create it, too.

And yet at the same time, how many places, so deeply lived in, welcome us back home as well?

The kids have as much of a stake in this marriage as anyone. Maybe more.

They already call David “daddi” and Ronah “auntie.”

So on the day of the wedding, the discussion among the children became rabbinical.

“If you’re marrying daddi,” they report to Ronah, “then you must be mami now.”

“Do you want me to be your stepmother?” Ronah asks.

“No, not stepmother,” they answer.

We haven’t introduced the guests. We’ll do that next time.

But in the meantime, suffice it to say, this wasn’t a “destination” wedding unless the destination—no matter how complex—is home.

Women at the Center: Preview of the Evening

Schedule

7 pm        Arrive punctually for a guided meditation (further information below); or else arrive at...

8 pm        Dave Saunders introduces Red Rhino Orphanage in Kenya; further reflections on our theme.

8.45 pm   Potluck and conversations continue (please bring a small dish or beverage to share).

If you'd like to attend, you can RSVP here.

Guided meditation at 7 pm

While this meditation is preliminary and optional, we think it will be very helpful. Its intent is to help us recollect moments in our lives when we've felt loved and accepted, particularly in a maternal sense—but maternal in a general way since it's not only our mothers who could have given us this sense of being loved and accepted.

If you have a moment to recollect someone who has helped you feel this way—and want to send us a photo— we'll include it in a round of images we'll show as part of our meditation. You'd have the opportunity to say a few words about this person—but only if you wanted to.

For example, above is a photo of Debi with Mother Miriam from San Vincenzo al Volturno in Italy. She's a person Debi might choose to talk about.

Dave Saunders on Red Rhino Orphanage in Kenya at 8 pm

We're grateful to have our good friend Dave here with us from Kenya. He'll introduce us to Red Rhino and also give us a sense of the need and challenges of doing this kind of work in Africa. For more information about Red Rhino, follow this link to Dave's own blog.

The evening will also feature the art of Nairobi artist Joseph Cartoon. The theme of Joseph's work is the centrality of women in keeping family, culture, and community alive. You can find out more about Joseph's work here. Joseph's paintings will be available for purchase at Women at the Center.

Red Egg prayer beads will also be available—as will notecards featuring the children of Red Rhino. All purchases will benefit Red Rhino Orphanage.

Recent news from Red Rhino

As we prepare for our upcoming Red Egg gathering on October 2—Women at the Center: Keeping Tradition and Community Alive—there is important news from our dear friends at Red Rhino Orphanage in Kenya.

The first news is deeply painful and tragic. And the second important news—the children's first day of school—is not only delightful, but shows all the good reasons why so many people have worked and prayed so long and hard for such a day to happen.

Read both stories in Dave Saunders' images and words. They're linked above. Start with the hard news first.

Dave returned to Kenya when the emergency struck—and that has enabled him not to miss the kids' first day at school. But he'll return to California in time for our October 2 gathering, which will make Women at the Center that much more full of hope and grit.

"The kids are here!"

Maybe you're already aware of Red Rhino Orphanage in Kenya on your own.

Or maybe you remember Red Rhino from our visit with Dave Saunders at the orphanage-in-progress last April. However, our blog from then only gives the smallest inkling of all the work, prayer, planning, "sweat-equity," and love that has gone into this project.

Or maybe you're only learning about Red Rhino right now.

But no matter what path you've taken to get right here, right now, you'll find yourself deeply moved at Dave's account of the first children arriving at Red Rhino just a couple weeks ago.