North Fork Blog

Wine Dinner Weekend February 19-21

Arrive on Friday by 5 pm and enjoy complimentary wine and appetizers until 6:30 pm.

Saturday morning breakfast will include mimosas, fresh fruit topped with special yogurt topping, lemon cranberry scones, omelets made to order, roasted red pepper, rosemary & onion potatoes and coffee made with fresh roasted beans.

Gourmet picnic baskets will be available for lunch for an additional charge.

Saturday Wine Dinner is a pre fixe menu with wine and food pairings. Our appetizer will be smoked salmon, topped with sour cream, capers & dill; paired with a cool crisp Sauvignon Blanc with hints of citrus. Our soup course will be Crab Bisque Chincoteague; paired with a 2008 Chateau Fantin Grand Vin de Bordeaux, Rose. This Merlot Rose is a huge mouthful of ripe strawberries and cherries with just a tinge of tannin to balance the wine out. Our intermezzo will be a mango sorbet, paired with an Italian "Muscato di Asti”. Our main course will be fresh Atlantic salmon with a garlic sesame glaze, served with basmati rice pilaf and a fresh vegetable; paired with "Domaine Christophe Pichon Condrieu".. This Viognier, in the best vintages produces some of the most delicate, elegant, and sought-after wine in the world. Our dessert course will be chocolate soufflé served with vanilla ice cream; paired with a Hungarian Ausbruch. An after dinner liquor of Cognac or Port will also be served with Gourmet Flavored Coffee.

Sunday Morning we will offer a choice of fresh juice mimosas, fresh fruit medley, Sleep Late French Toast with Apple Butter, and bacon or sausage. Our gourmet and roasted at the Inn coffees are available each morning around 7:00.

This special package costs $ 100.00 per person and requires a two night minimum stay.

Posted on Friday, February 05, 2010 - Permanent Link - 0 comments

Safari at Amboselli

It is 2:00 on Friday morning. I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. My body must be anticipating the upcoming jet lag. Or perhaps my body is trying to maximize the last 24 hours in Africa. As I reflect on the last two weeks and the last two days here at Amboselli, there are many precious memories that flash through my mind. As I sit here, without power, I am reminded of how in the USA we take for granted things like 100% availability and uptime of electricity and internet access. While on safari, the power and hot water are powered by a generator so there are limited windows of opportunity to take a hot shower, or turn on the lights. I have come to realize that there is nothing wrong with going to bed when the sun goes down and getting up at the break of dawn.

These lacks of conveniences take me back to a time when I was much younger, a simpler time, and I wonder if we were not better off then. Things we take for granted like paved roads, good modern infrastructure, 24 hour supermarkets, air conditioning, and 24 hour access to news and sports come at a price. Are we better off with these luxuries or would we be better off if we lived a simpler life that places a greater emphasis on personal relationships, interdependence, a greater sense of community, and shared resources. In the USA we often are driven by success, financial gain, and our desire for material goods like the new car, flat screen TV, an elaborate wardrobe, but I wonder if maybe we have created a certain type of bondage as we strive to fill our lives with much more than what is required to live comfortably.

While in Kenya we have seen tremendous need. We have taught students that live on one meal a day and many only each 3 or 4 meals a week. These meals are very simple, and pale in comparison to what we may consider our normal lunch or dinner. We take for granted things like clean running water that we can drink right out of the faucet. In the Kibera slums, their tiny homes do not have running water, restrooms, electricity, and well stocked refrigerators, something that we take for granted. As we travel around Nairobi and Kenya, we notice a high percentage of the people are walking, not driving luxury automobiles. Most people rent instead of purchasing a home because interest rates are 18 to 20%. But in spite of all they may lack in creature comforts, Kenyan seem to be some of the happiest people in the world. Does that mean that our wealth and materialism has become a barrier to true happiness?

Having been here in Kenya has changed my life, I hope for the better. When I return home, I am committed to fasting more and eating less. Saving more and spending less.

Spending less on me and spending more to help others less fortunate is my new year’s resolution. Taking the time to listen to and care more about others and their needs has become a new priority in my life. Committing more time to serving others and spending less time seeking my personal pleasure will be a big adjustment in my life but I think it will make me a better person. But most of all, I plan to spend more time in prayer and meditation seeking God’s purpose in my life. True peace and happiness must come from serving others and not seeking my own self interests.

These last two days on safari have been a great time to reflect on what I have experienced these last two weeks. Now that it is over, I wished that I had kept a journal to be better able to reflect on and process

Posted on Thursday, February 04, 2010 - Permanent Link - 1 comments

The weekend is finally here. Carol and I are spending the weekend with our good friends of many years, David and Patience Waweru. We first got acquainted with David about 8 years ago when the Nairobi Chapel band along with their Pastor Oscar came to the United States to begin the strategic partnership between their church and ours, Grace Community Church. We were able to host David and another friend Alfred in our home. This was the beginning of a great friendship. David and I refer to ourselves as “brothers with different mothers”.

A few years later, David came to visit us and was able to experience snow for the first time. We continued to build our friendship as we had a lot in common. We both work in telecom, he worked at Kenya Telkom, and I worked at Verizon. We both enjoyed outreach, music, travel, and he had a real entrepreneurial mind. We kept in touch by e-mail and always looked forward to our short term trips to Kenya. In fact David did a lot of the coordination for us as a host. He arranged for our ground transportation, our host families, the safari, and was always there to help us whether it was bartering at the Masai Market or taking us to visit his mother up country.

In fact, I was able to live vicariously through my Kenyan brother. We were blessed to hear about his courtship of Patience, pray with him during the dowry negotiations, and bless their marriage. We even were able to support them to realize their dream of having a child. They had tried for years to get pregnant. To their and our amazement, last year they conceived. In fact last year when we were here, Patience was in the early stages of pregnancy, and it took all the self control we could manage to keep it to ourselves until the pregnancy was in an advanced stage. They wanted to make certain that her pregnancy was several months along before telling everyone. Shana was born about 4 months ago and she is the most beautiful African girl I have ever seen. She has the sweetest disposition and holding her and singing to her is truly one of my greatest joys.

On Sunday, we will attend Nairobi Chapel with them and will be reunited with many friends there we have been blessed to know over the years. Afterwards we will treat our host families to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, the Carnivore. This restaurant is similar to the Brazilian steakhouses where they bring many different types of exotic wild game and other types of meat on large skewers and carve it for you tableside. In the past I have eaten ostrich, camel, crocodile, élan, zebra, water buffalo, and others. For those who want something less exotic they serve more common meats like chicken, beef, goat, pork, and lamb. It is always a lot of fun to fellowship with our host families. In addition to David and Patience, our host families include, Carole Kariuki, Chris and Elizabeth Kamuna, Marcy and Muhia Karianjahi, and Twity and Manaseh Uzele. We are very grateful for them opening up their homes and giving us a taste of Nairobi by experiencing life through their eyes.

Our team member spotlight is on Carol Fischer. She is sleeping in this morning, one of her favorite things to do. Carol grew up in on a farm in Eastern Kentucky. She was the youngest of three girls. An interesting fact about her family is that Carol, her mother, and both of her sisters graduated as valedictorians of their high school class. Carol went on the major in accounting at the University of Kentucky and later earned her Executive MBA from Duke while working at GTE. She held various positions in finance and accounting working in Lexington, Kentucky, Durham, North Carolina, Tampa, Florida, and Westfield, Indiana. She met her husband of 11 years, Ed, in Westfield. After 28 years in the corporate world, Ed and Carol realized a dream they had shared for 8 years when their purchased the North Fork Mountain Inn, in beautiful West Virginia. Carol enjoys the hospitality business and feels like she is living out her purpose serving those in ministry and missionaries that come to stay and enjoy the peace and natural beauty of our Inn in “almost heaven, West Virginia”. Carol is an excellent baker and cook. You can see many of her most popular recipes on our website at www.northforkmtninn.com.

Perspectives from Carol: This is my 4th visit to Kenya. I think its part of Ed’s plan to convince me to move here. I always enjoy coming here and enjoying the beauty of Africa. While the animals, flowers and landscapes are beautiful, the real beauty is in the faces of the Kenyans we meet and especially the ones we have gotten to know over the years. The world feels like a much smaller place and makes me much more aware of things that happen outside the US. I am looking forward to the church service on Sunday and especially the music. After the first visit from Nairobi Chapel to Grace, I remember commenting that when I get to heaven, I’m going to find the Kenyans because they know how to worship. That’s even truer today. Even when the songs are in Swahili and I don’t understand the words, there is such a special worshipfulness in their voices that it penetrates my heart and I feel so blessed to be here.

Posted on Saturday, January 23, 2010 - Permanent Link - 0 comments

This picture is from our visit to the Kibera slums earlier this week. Here a family is living in a small 9' by 8' room. but you can see from their faces, they are unaware of their poor living conditions.

It is another beautiful day here in Kenya. We have been blessed with amazing weather. This is another great example of God's provision for us. I understand we have been missing freezing rain, snow, and cloudy days back in the USA. It makes us all the more glad to be here. Some on our team have indicated that they not be coming home, that they plan to stay here. I certainly understand that feeling. That happens to me every time I come to Africa. If I did not have a B & B to run and job responsibilities back home in West Virginia, I might be tempted to stay also.

Today's team member spotlight is on Mike McDonald. In speaking with Mike this morning he commented, "I have been amazed at the hand of God which has continually been present on this mission trip. From the sudden and unexpected receipt of funds to cover the exact cost of the trip to the people we have been blessed to meet, it is clear that God is present and guiding this effort."

Dr. John Evans, formerly from Indianapolis came up to greet us. He was excited about seeing folks from Indy. He mentioned that he had gone to school at Heritage Christian School-which floored Mike because that's where his sons, Luke and Jacob go! Imagine traveling all the way to Kenya and bumping into someone from Heritage. John is training missionaries that will serve throughout Africa.

When asked about his impressions so far, Mike stated, "I've heard much about the remarkable hospitality and graciousness of the Kenyan people-but it cannot be fully appreciated until you experience it." He went on to say, "These are people on the front lines of poverty, dire financial circumstances and attacks on Christianity. Yet their reliance on God providing for their needs has made their faith, hope, and love very strong."

Mike works at Eli Lilly in Information Security. He has served 12 years on the Westfield Town
Council. He is married to Kathy, the mother of their 2 boys, Luke (10 years of age) and Jacob (6 going on 7 years of age). Mike serves in Grace Kids Company, Small Groups, and outside the walls of Grace Community Church he is a board member at Fletcher Place Ministries in downtown Indianapolis. This mission provides food, shelter, and education for the homeless and disadvantaged people.

Today we will be teaching computer classes and at 6:00 p.m. we will travel to Mamlaka Hill Church in Nairobi to meet up with our Nairobi Chapel host families and we will be spending the weekend with them seeing the world through their eyes. We will attend church with them on Sunday, afterwards we will take them to a nice dinner and then shop together at an outdoor Masai Market. The Masai Market is always a lot of fun as we get to try out our bargaining skills. They always start out with very high prices as they think Americans are very rich and can afford to pay more. I always find this is a great place to buy souvenirs for my supporters and to take home as memories of my trip. We now have a large collection of African masks and other items. I just tell my wife, "let's get these things so we can re-sell them in our gift shop at the Inn." That rationalization seems to work. You should see the paper bead jewelry and Kazuri Bead accessories that we have acquired this time. We will definitely need to put them in our gift shop. They will be great conversation starters and give us a chance to share about our Adventures in Africa.

Posted on Friday, January 22, 2010 - Permanent Link - 0 comments

Another Day in Paradise...

Yesterday the team toured the campus at NEGST in the morning and planned for our first day of computer classes which begin on Wednesday. After lunch at NEGST, we traveled to the Nairobi Chapel office to prepare for our visit to the Kibera slums. We were provided overviews of these programs by Pastor Faith of Nairobi Chapel and Susan Mbuga.

HARC is geared toward children in the Kibera slum. It is a Saturday program that feeds children who usually in the week barely get enough to eat let alone a nutritious diet. This ministry sponsors some of the children through school as well as have bible class on Saturdays and outreach to the families of the children. Most of the caregivers of these children are HIV positive and they provide support and care for them too. When HARC leaders visit with them, they usually bring care packages that would include flour, some cooking oil, milk, bread so there is a token of love left behind. Pastor Faith from Nairobi Chapel provides leadership to this team.

Susan leads a ministry called PARC which serves children and families living in the slums that often are dealing with health issues related to AIDS. She told how she works with a team of 4-5 women that live in Kibera and help identify those in need. After her overview to prepare us for the experience, we went across the street to Ichumi, to purchase groceries for 6 families that we went to visit. We then took a matatu to Kibera where we met the rest of our team and tour guides.

We left our cameras at home so that the residents would not feel exploited as many tours come here and often they feel marginalized by the tourists taking pictures and gratifying their own self interests. So we quietly made our way through the maze of rooms and buildings which are made of mud walls and tin roofs. The narrow alleys between buildings often include open sewers containing garbage, discarded food scraps, and pungent odors. This guided trip was challenging and strenuous. The smell of garbage burning mixed with odors of the open sewers left an indelible impression. Even a day later, I can still recall the stench. It is hard to imagine 6 people living in a 9 foot square room. Most homes do not have electricity, running water, or toilets. As we visited with families and prayed with them, we realized their reality is far different than ours. We were glad to be able to bring food as many go several days without a meal. It is not uncommon for a 10 year old child to be responsible for raising and supporting other siblings, parents that are ill, and helping neighbors with parenting chores.

The ironic twist to this was the happy greetings from young children that came out to greet us with choruses of "how are you" and eager to shake our hands. Having lived their whole lives in the slums they seemed to be happy and content, not realizing their conditions were substandard. Kibera seems to have it own eco-system and lifestyle. It is interesting how many of the unemployed inhabitants manage to earn money by cooking food, selling charcoal, or selling wood stolen from nearby forests.

Later that evening, the team de-briefed the experience and talked about how this trip has opened their eyes to poverty and has challenged them to get involved serving the less fortunate when they return home. Praying with those we met earlier in the day, took on a new meaning. When praying for others that have real desperate needs, whether, jobs, healing, food, or education, it really tugged at your heart strings when you see the need. It is almost overwhelming when you consider how these million people living in what we would consider inhumane conditions struggle each day to survive. On more that one occasion, I was overcome with sadness and shame as I consider how blessed I am and those living in Kibera struggle with the basic necessities of life.

One of the reason we took this tour was to help our team to be sensitive to the students we will be teaching as some of the NEGST graduates will start ministries in these type of conditions to help improve their medical, spiritual, social, and economic poverty. Having been to Kibera on 3 different trips, it is always a humbling, yet poignant experience. It makes me more determined to return home and more more of an effort to help those who are less fortunate.

Our team member spotlight is on Colleen Armstrong. She works in program management for Universal Music Group (PMO Director). Colleen spends her time at work, managing a group of projects-teaching, coaching, mentoring, and developing processes. She is one of our team co-leaders and is in charge of curriculum development and training. She is married to Greg and they are very fond of their two shelties. She grew up in Wisconsin and in her spare time enjoys reading, kayaking, exercise, and walking the dogs. Colleen will miss the first session of her current Women's Bible Study in Acts which begins tonight.

Colleen remarked that one of her observations in the difference in African and American cultures. Here in Africa, people are more community focused with an emphasis on meeting the most immediate needs as part of their support structure. If your neighbor needs food or rent money, it is not uncommon to share what you have, even if it means you may not have enough when your rent is due. She went on to say how teaching and learning is different. In the United States, as an instructor you are expected to be an expert and are challenged often. Here, the students seemed to be more tolerant of less than perfection, even being able to relate to you better when you are not afraid to expose a weakness or vulnerability. The team is delighted to have Colleen with us and her wacky sense of humor keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously.

Posted on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - Permanent Link - 0 comments

It's Tuesday in Africa and "all is well"

It is Tuesday morning and I see that I am not the only one still experiencing jet lag. For the last several days I have awakened to the sound of roosters crowing in the distance. This early morning ritual is becoming all too common. Rather than fight it, I get up, shower, and use this time to meditate and prepare for the day ahead.

In our devotions yesterday, we discussed the “Call of God” (Isaiah 6:8). This can mean many different things to others. For me it is expressed in the “hearing and seeing the ‘call of God’ in others”. I am challenged this week as we serve at NEGST to be intentional about being observant and as we interact with others whether on campus, in community with team members, or while visiting the Kibera slum. Oswald Chambers, in his daily devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest”, talked about how Isaiah was reflective after a time of crisis that provoked this observation. What I learned from this is that we must prepare ourselves to see and experience God in others.

Today we will be taking the team to the Kibera slum, the third largest slum in the world. This area slightly more than one square mile is home to over 1.5 million Kenyans and refugees from other African countries such as Uganda, Sudan, Liberian, and the Congo. As we prepare the team, we remind them to lay aside any preconceived notions they have of poverty and to go and observe. We are challenged to see God in the people living there. One of the ministries that will be our host and guide today serves several families living in Kibera. We will purchase flour, oil, rice, and other basic food items and deliver these items to families that would starve otherwise. Before you can share God’s love, hope, and the Gospel, you have to meet their most basic needs of food, shelter, and protection. I look forward to our team discussion this evening as we debrief the events of the day.

After touring the Kazuri Bead Factory yesterday, the team was able to stimulate the local economy and enjoy a cold soft drink. The Kazuri Bead Factory is located on part of the original plantation owned by Karen Blixen, author of “Out of Africa”. This ministry serves to employ over 400 single women as they make jewelry and pottery that is sold all over the world. Carol and I stocked up as we plan to sell their beautiful handmade jewelry in our gift shop at the North Fork Mountain Inn.

Our team member spotlight today is on Rich Stolt. Rich is the artist in our group. Rich teaches art at Allisonville Elementary School in Indianapolis, IN. Rich was planning to join our team 2 years ago and then again last year, when he found out his son was going to be born while away. So he decided to postpone until this year. I guess the third time is a charm. Rich is married to Lori and they have 2 children, Sierra, 6 years, and Silas who will be 1 year old on February 5th. Rich is working on his Masters Degree and plans to finish this summer. He will be teaching art classes at the Pistus School at NEGST. He is uniquely gifted as both an artist and a “techie”. We are very glad to have Rich as a part of our team. He adds a real element of colorful personality to the group.

Posted on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - Permanent Link - 0 comments

The Beauty and Spendor of Africa

Ed and Carol are taking a two week break from Inn Keeping to lead a short term mission trip to serve at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology. We will share their adventures daily with you on their North Fork Mountain Inn Blog.

We all arrived safely. Ed and Carol Fischer met the rest of the team when they arrived in Kenya on Sunday evening. It was so exciting to welcome the team to one of my favorite places, to the beauty and splendor of Africa. We arrived a few days earlier than the team and spent 3 days relaxing with our Kenyan friends, David and Patience Waweru, in the coastal town of Mombasa. It was a dramatic change from the snow and cold weather we left behind in West Virginia. It was the perfect antidote for jetlag as we spent much of each day on the beach enjoying the sun and the relaxing sound of the waves gently crashing on the shore.

Our first evening, we enjoyed a special dinner around the pool as we were entertained by an excellent band that played many familiar songs. We felt right at home when they played the John Denver song, “Take Me Home, Country Road”. Our table was located next to the US Ambassador to Kenya, so we had a chance to get acquainted with him. I shared with him that our team was serving at NEGST and how we were able to bring 21 donated laptops and 11 flat panel monitors to use for teaching with plans to leave them behind for students to use when our classes are completed. He mentioned how proud he is to represent the United States here in Kenya, and how it warms his heart when he hears stories of Americans coming here and making a difference in the lives of Africans.

Monday will be a relaxing day for the team. After a late breakfast, we will hear from Christi Byerly about some of the social customs and to help prepare us for our interaction with students at NEGST and beyond. We want to be sensitive to the Kenyan culture and most of all, we do not want to embarrass ourselves or our hosts as we serve and spend time in their world. We will tour the NEGST campus this afternoon to help orient those who have not been here before. After a trip to the bank to exchange our US dollars into Kenyan schillings, we will travel to the Kazuri Bead Factory. This is a ministry that provides employment for single women allowing them to earn an income and learn a skill. They make very beautiful necklaces and other types of jewelry. This is a great opportunity to pick up souvenirs and stimulate the local economy.

Each day I will spotlight one of our team members so that you can get to know us better. Today, we will present one of our team leaders, Polly Harrington. This is Polly’s second trip to NEGST and her 4th international mission trip. She has also served in Vienna, Austria and Bucharest, Romania. It was in Vienna, that Polly realized that her calling was to serve in education based short term mission trips. Back in Indiana, Polly volunteers at Grace Kids Company in the infant and toddler area. Polly’s career in is project management and works for a consulting firm. She appreciates the flexibility her job affords her to travel and serve on short term missions.

Labels: Ed posing for a picture with the locals....

Posted on Monday, January 18, 2010 - Permanent Link - 0 comments

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