Not a single loaf of bread within eye sight! It's eleven o'clock in the evening. Nakumat, this modern Kenyan supermarket open 24 hours, is still loaded with customers waiting in long queues, their carts overflowing with every day commodities. On our way from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to the MAF Team House, we're just popping in to buy some few things to eat for the next few days. Yes of course! Tomorrow is the referendum and people are stockpiling, certainly still with fresh memories from the violent aftermath of the 2007 elections.
    – Let's buy some yeast and flower and I'll bake some bread tomorrow, Birgitta says cheerfully. And thankfully there are still other goods left on the shelves.

Wednesday, public holiday, referendum day. We have already sensed that there is both excitement and anxiety in the air. It's either YES or NO to a new constitution. But the polls have been quite unanimous about the Greens (Yes) being well ahead of the Reds (No). However these latter ones have their prime stronghold in the Rift Valley where it all derailed last time and no one can be really sure how the day will close.

Silent Night, Holy Night! The usual roaring of heavy traffic around 7-8 a.m. outside the compound walls is reduced to next to nothing. It's like the air is standing still. Someone later describes the event as ”Silent Night, Holy Night”. In the afternoon I get to chat with the day guard at the gate. He is proudly showing his pinky nail painted with a dark blue marker, a sign of having cast his vote.

Rebirth. Strolling around the block I meet pedestrians who are seemingly very relaxed and traffic is on the increase again. A vigilant predator sits perched high above. As the day progresses it's like a whole nation is about to draw a big sigh of relief. – We made it! We've moved ahead as one nation! – It's the rebirth of a nation. At last we will be able to rid ourselves of remnants of colonial heritage, writes one columnist.
                                                                                        Another one of those independent observers?

Newscaster proudly commenting results  -            - Sunday service with thanksgiving for a peaceful referendum!

Modern times. As opposed to at previous elections, where results were rushed in by road to the Electoral Commission in Nairobi, the broadcasters are now proudly showing how numbers are transferred with modern technology (via SMS) and the trend of the voters' choice is getting clearer by the hour: YES it is! An overwhelming affirmation of the Kenyan's desire for change and with high hopes of a radically transformed governance and rights of individuals in this country.

Devolution of power. The president's power will be drastically curtailed. The National Assembly will have two chambers, the Parliament and the Senate. A lot of governance will be devolved to 47 counties (each with an elected parliament etc.) and they will have one representative each in the 68 member strong Senate. In addition to the 290 elected MP's (men and women) in the National Parliament, each county will be represented by a woman. Handicapped and youth will also have their spokespersons.

A tall order...! From now on, even MP's will have to pay taxes! At least 15% of state revenue will be devolved to the counties. One third of the public workforce shall have to be women and the new constitution guarantees every citizen adequate food, housing, education, access to health and social services. Indeed a tall order to say the least! (I can't help but think of our marginalised Turkana community in Loki).

Anton with his little prins Cezar!

Joyful reunions. There was a sense of rapture in our hearts as we spotted Anton and his little Cezar in the first floor apartment window. Jonathan had met us at the Stockholm Arlanda Airport and handed over our old VW Passat and we drove straight to Strängnäs to see our latest edition of grandchildren. The early summer sun was radiating around us and already this first day of our holiday in Sweden was one of our many prime times as we visited with Anton, Natalie and Cezar.

Swedish Midsummer. Invited to celebrate the traditional Swedish Midsummer with our son Jonas and family plus Liza and her fiancé Martin and Jonathan with girlfriend Magdalena was another of those prime times. Likewise spending a week with Anna's children Wila, Kalle and Kliff and seeing them tumbling around in the slides and other attractions at the Skara Summer-land water fair. That was also the time when the weather started to become semi-tropical!

Stina, Molly, Emil och Alice

Family weeks. The visit by Emil, Stina, Molly and Alice finished the first stint of “family weeks”. Picking wild strawberries and making jam or pushing through the woods to one of our favourite swimming lakes were some of our activities with them. And getting to know Alice (8 months and always radiant) and Molly (3 in August and extremely verbal already) a little better was also very precious.

All but one. Saturday 6 July was another of those special moments, not the least for Birgitta, as we were able to get together all of us, 21 people, (except Magdalena – we missed you Magda!) to celebrate Birgitta's 60'th birthday at a restaurant by the lakeside. A Swedish summer night with tropical heat, plentiful barbecue, songs and skits by children and grandchildren and a plunge into the warm waters around 11 p.m. – what else could have made this a more memorable and precious moment!?

Get together around the 60 year old grandma! Rear row - Martin, Henrik, Jonas, Emma, Alice, Emil, KeA, Jonathan, Anton, Cezar. Middle row - Anna, Liza, Stina, Birgitta, Natalie, Front row - Wila, Hugo, Kalle, Kliff, Molly, Bennine (missing Magdalena)

Turkana necklaces. Apart from seeing family and friends we have also been able to share our Loki experiences with two of our supporting churches. And Birgitta didn't miss out on any opportunity to sell necklaces and bracelets made by the her Turkana Women's Co-operative in Loki which yielded almost 2,000$!

Time to say good-bye. 

The time to say good-buy came just too quickly! And how long before we see our loved ones again?
     But we also know that the summer holiday has done us good. And now we're back in Kenya and meeting new and old colleagues at MAF's monthly grill-party yesterday just outside the Team House was also refreshing. We're so privileged and we're excited about travelling back to Loki tomorrow morning and set about our various tasks and challenges!