Nature About To Explode

Meanwhile In Mwibagi

The reconstruction of the church destroyed in thunderstorm and twister nine days ago has begun (reinforced concrete beam ready, preparations of roof beams underway). Due to the help from our member of parliament, Hon. Nimrod Mkono, who donated roof sheets, timber and nails for roof work, and the contribution from other source, we will be able to finish the job in short time and bless anew the church on Sept 29, the Solemnity of Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Patron Saints of Mwibagi church.

Meanwhile In Mwanza

Power down, thunderstorm in. How I missed this sight and sound! So many months without rain in Kiabakari, only one rain a couple of weeks ago. As I await the time to go to the airport, a bit worried about the weather and the incoming plane from Nairobi with our guests, two Polish surgeons who have landed safely in Nairobi (we exchanged text messages a while ago), I enjoy the sight and sound of the thunderstorm in Mwanza. Here is a short mobile phone video clip which sadly cannot translate by far the might of this weather event.

If it rains in Mara Region, it must be Kiabakari...

I was just about to get car keys off the hook to get into the truck and drive away to military camp 253 KJ in Kiabakari for a regular prayer meeting  of Small Christian Communities of Catholic families of military personnel living in the camp and those of police station in Kiabakari, which is located close to the camp, when suddenly a thunderstorm came down from Butiama hills with full force and struck Kiabakari and Kukirango valley which stretches wide from east to west just in front of Divine Mercy Hill and my house on the dark slope of it...

I became weary and on guard over those years living here whenever rains comes to Kiabakari as its very seldom to come in peace and with its full blessing... Usually it comes with fury and anger, strong gusts of wind, with lightnings which intimidating, thunderous voice rolls freely throughout the soaked wet landscape... Sometimes it leaves a trail of devastation with fallen trees, blown off roofs from poor people's houses or floods in the lower parts of the valley...

So, instead of going to the meeting as nobody would dare to stick out his/her nose outside at these conditions till it passes completely (and it still rains which is 30 minutes after the time of the prayer meetings was supposed to begin), I called them to make sure the meeting has been postponed due to the severe weather condition, and took my iPhone to shoot some videos of the rain. Of course, it won't show the sheer power, awesome strength of the wind and magnitude of the forces of nature, but nevertheless you can see how wonderful it is with gusts of wind sweeping through the courtyard of the mission and outside...





Oh, I have just heard a lightning strike....a special one, which always announces the end of the fury...it is like it's saying - 'OK, guys, we are done, let's move on to somewhere else!'...

And it will take half an hour or more for people to slowly get out and go back to normal business and house chores.

Thank you, o Lord, for the gift of rain...

So glad, by the way, that the thunderstorm did not bring power lines down, as it happens most of the time, when a storm of this proportions passes through our area (sometimes even small rains make us stay in darkness when power goes off suddenly!) as I enjoy electricity while typing this post on my laptop, feeling so homey inside with a cup of hot Africafe coffee and the rain dies down gradually outside with evening shadows lengthening slowly announcing the coming of a night curtain over Kukirango valley and over the house with blue roof on the dark side of the slope of Divine Mercy Hill...