Pauline Baptist Church

Well the group arrived on Wednesday, just a day late and a few pieces of luggage short.  But they were all safe and we were happy to see them.  James will, I'm sure give a more detailed update, I just wanted to give a general overall and one detailed story of my and Miss Paula's adventure.

 Thursday the group passed out balls and bibles at the school near our church and then did some work on the plot where the church meets.  It was a great day of work, then Ryan taught the Bible study that evening. 

(This part is a little long, but it's worth it to read)On Friday we were to go to Mazeras early in the morning to show the Jesus Film.  Well the sound system was one of the pieces of luggage that didn't make it, so James had to rent one.  Since he had to rent it, Paula and I stayed behind so that we could pick up the sound system and the man who would run it later in the morning.  We would also take our three older kids out to Gertrude's to spend the night.  We took the kids to Gertrude's first and then went to town to pick up a few last minute items for James.  Then it was time to pick up the man and the sound system  We picked him up and began our, what we thought was a 2 hour journey to Mazeras.  Well just outside of town there was a police stop.  No big deal, it's usually there everyday.  But today it was a big deal.  Our insurance had expired on our van just two days earlier.  So as usual I had to go through an ordeal with the officer who just wanted a bribe.  He asked me to step outside the car.  He said, "You can see from your sticker your insurance has expired. Why have you let this happen?"  I explained to him that I didn't realize it had expired, but that earlier in the month my husband told me to help him remember to check it because he thought it expired at the end of the month, and I had forgotten.  I told him I was very sorry and could rectify it immediately.  He said, "Well I will have to charge you." I told him I understood and I would be happy to pay my fine as long as he could give me a receipt.  He said, "Receipt?  Oh well, no I don't have any receipts."  I said, "Well I am sorry I can't give you any money without a receipt."  So he called his senior officer over to the car, who took me to the back of the van and once again, tried to get money without a receipt.  He said, "You see we don't have the receipts here."  I said, "Where are they?"  He said, "well we will have to charge you and take you to the police station, where you will have to go to court and it will be very expensive."  I said, "Well I understand, and I'm very sorry it's my mistake and I guess that is what I will have to do."  He mumbled and jumbled trying to get me to offer him a little "kitu kidogo" (a little something) so I could go on my way, but I stood my ground I was not giving him money as a bribe.  So he said, well I will have to arrest you and take you to the police station.  What is funny, is, I took us to the police station because they had no car.  So off we went to pay my "expensive" 10,000 shilling fine according to the officer.  So Paula and I got out at the police station and had to leave the sound system guy with the van to watch his stuff.  I apologized.  He was okay though, he was getting paid either way.  So we go into the police station and the officer leaves me with a female officer after he tells her my offense.  She then asked my why I did this and didn't I understand what would happen if I had an accident.  Of course, once again I explained that I did not intentionally drive my car without insurance.  So she explains how terribly expensive it's going to be.  I said, "I understand, and would pay because I should follow the law."  So we were just waiting and another officer came in and asked why I wasn't in handcuffs and a cell.  I just laughed.  The other officer came back and said, "Well the courts are finished already this late in the day, it was only around 10:30am.  I said, "Well then what should we do?"  Well you are going to be given a date and you will have to come back.  Meaning my van would have to stay. I knew the courts had probably barely started.  I said, "I'm not leaving my car here today.  I will go to town, get insurance on it and come back and you will find a receipt.  Again, I was told how expensive it was.  I finally said, I don’t care how much it costs, I am just going to pay my fine and go.  So miraculously (haha) they were able to get me into court.  So Paula and I went with the lady officer by tuk tuk to the court house.  She said to me on the way, "Why don't you just pay 2000 shillings here and go, if you go to court it will be 6,000.  I told her I would be happy to if that was what the law said and if I could get a receipt.  She just gave up.  So we arrive at court and she got another man, who is an officer in civilian clothes.  He just hemmed hawed around trying to get me to bribe them.  He said, you know when someone makes a mistake and they are truly sorry then well you know, they can just be forgiven if......  I said, "Listen to me, I am not giving you any money unless you give me a receipt, so I will stand in front of that judge and I will tell him everything that has happened here and I will pay my fine.  Do you understand?"  The lady officer began to get scared, because she knew she could now get in trouble.  So they tried the scare tactic.  He said, "Do you know where I am going to put you?  You are going to the jail cell."  I then began speaking in English, because I was getting mad.  I said, "Don't you try to scare me, because I am not afraid.  I haven't committed a terrible crime.  I drove my car without insurance.  I will have insurance on the car by the end of today and if you have to put me in a cell until I stand in front of that judge then I don't care.  But I am not giving you anything unless I have a receipt."  They walked away.  Then this man comes over to me and said, "I have heard your problem, I just wanted to give you my card.  You see I think your insurance company should call and remind you when your insurance is expiring.  I am a broker and can help you with insurance."  So I thanked him for his card and he walked away.  So the lady office came over and said, I have to take you out of here you are making too much noise.  So they took me to the jail cells.  The officers outside of there were very nice and did not make me go inside the actual cells as they were full of prisoners who had who knows what.  So I sat outside the jail cell doors.  Paula and I just talked and even laughed with those officers.  One officer came over and said why are you laughing?  I told him I could cry, get mad, or laugh and laughing was the better choice.  Even the prisoners of course were getting some entertainment as they probably had never seen a white woman under arrest.  So they called out the whole day trying to talk to me.  Most of them were high, as all day long, there were people sneaking marijuana in to them.  Paula and I smelled it several times after lunch.  The police officers just played it off when I asked them about it.  Anyway, there was one man inside, who said, can you call my wife for me?  She doesn't know I'm in here.  I asked him what he did.  He said he was a thief.  I asked if I should tell her his crime and he begged me not to.  He said his wife was a white British lady.  I didn't believe him, but the officer said he was telling the truth, so I told him I would.  So I called her.  She said, "Please tell him I'm not his wife anymore and to stop calling me.  I am remarried now and he needs to move on with his life."  I relayed the message to which everyone laughed.  Miss Paula and I cracked up.  And then the one police officer who was so nice, decided that Paula should stay here and marry him since she was his age.  We quickly declined.  So by this time it's about lunch time.  And the officer tells me, if you just send someone to get you insurance they will let you go.  I said, well why didn't you tell me that earlier.  He said, well it's just my little secret.  So I called James and he said to call the man who gave me the card.  Our old insurance office was only in Mombasa.  So I called him and he said he could do everything if I texted him the info. And then he would bring it to me.  It was awesome.  So Paula had to take a tuk tuk to get me some money from the ATM.  James called Godfry to come and take Paula to the bank.  So he came and they went to the bank.  That man came so fast with the insurance.  I was so happy, but was praying that it was legitimate.  He brought me the sticker and I paid him as soon as Miss Paula and Godfry got back. He wrote me a paper receipt and then came back later with the real one.  I was very impressed and all the paper work seemed fine.  Because it's almost 2 pm.  I was wondering if we were going to make it to Mazeras, we needed to leave by 4 in order to get there in time.  Well James calls and says the airport in Mombasa called with the sound system and Clayton's luggage and they were on their way to get it.  So if I didn't make it they would be fine. At about 3pm they called me for court.  So I went with another man who was a rapist to stand before the judge.  They asked him if he had prayed because he needed it.  I was the first one called.  James had told me to be sure to tell the judge everything.  So they first charged me and I had to say true or false,  I said true.  Then the judge asked how I pleaded, guilty of course.  So the clerk asked if I had any personal issues I wished to tell the judge.  I told her I didn't appreciate being asked for money without a receipt.  She totally ignored what I was saying and before I got the last work out, she gave me my sentence.  At first all I heard was 2,000 shillings and 2 months in prison.  I was like, What?  But she said, 2,000 shilling and in default 2 months in prison.  I was like, I choose the 2,000 shillings.  So I went and paid 3,000 shillings total WITH  a receipt.  And then I had to show it to the officers at the jail cells and then I was free to go.  My lady officer friend disappeared when I said I was going to tell the judge everything.  But I saw her again when I went back to the police station to show her my receipt.  So I showed her my receipt and then got the van.  That poor sound man had been sitting there all day.  I apologized several times and then also informed him that we wouldn't be needing his sound system.  So I took him and the sound system back.  And then Miss Paula and I stopped at the gas station for a junk food lunch of snickers, and ice cream.  And we were off once again to Mazeras.  This time the police didn't stop me.  So when we were just passed Mombasa, James called and said, he couldn't find the Jesus DVD.  So he was going to some of the shops that sell generic DVD's to try to find something to show.  You can from time to time find the Jesus film.  Paula and I ended up stopping in Mazeras town to pick up James and Juma who had found a Jeremiah film.  So that is what we showed.  It was in English, but at least we were able to keep our word about showing a cinema.  Everyone was happy.  When we got there, the kids were so sweet, they just shouted Mama Josiah and then cheered and cheered.  It was nice to finally get there. 

We had a great night and then a good visit the next day.  We stopped in Mombasa on the way home and then made it home to get the kids and have a light supper. 

Sunday was a great day with the baptisms.  Getrude didn't come to church and that was very unlike her, especially since Paula was going home with her after the baptism to visit.  So later, Rebecca and I went out to check on her.  She has also had a terrible day.  She had gotten all ready to go and realized that her gardener had stolen her money which she was going to use for transportation to get to the church.  Her cell phone was dead and she doesn't have power to charge it, she charges it here when she works.  She couldn't call us or anything.  So she was just broken.  Also I think she and Jeff had also had something going on.  She didn't tell me that, but you could tell.  She just cried.  Rebecca and I had a good long visit.  She showed us her garden and everything and was feeling better by the time we left.  We got home a little late for supper, so I made some scrambled eggs after our evening service that James preached at the house.  

Yesterday was a good day of snorkeling and snake farm for the group and today they have gone to Singuaya.  I stayed behind to get caught up around her.  So that is in general our time with the group so far.  James will give a more detailed account of the group later.  

Thanks for reading and praying.  

KENYA