On 21 July 2012, Nasha Ministries hosted a Storytelling Workshop for the teachers and youth workers of the Narok Central cluster of churches. Twenty-eight attended the workshop. This was the culmination of a six week training seminar, which was based on our Eating the Word of God (Enkinosata Ororei Le Nkai) curriculum. Joshua taught two sessions and two modules of a third session. Because the group is composed of several tribes, English and Swahili (as the two primary second languages) were used.
Ellen Ombati, a missionary with Nasha Ministries (part of NMSI) has been leading the seminar and organized the workshop. Solomon ole Taki (a Maasai) is translating.
Carol Chelang’ant and Edith Tang’us (l-r; both Kalenjin) were the last to arrive, so they had to sing a song in Kalenjin for the group. Elijah Ombati (Ellen’s husband) and Solomon ole Taki look on.
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Joshua performing the enkiguran (drama) of “The Three Maasai Elders.” Note the red leather sheath of the olalem (Maasai sword) and the eng’udi (elder’s walking stick).
(We’ve posted an english translation of one version of the text for the “Three Maasai Elders” drama here).
Harrison Kyalo, a Kamba and a minister at the Ewaso Ng’iro, shared a magisterial presentation on storytelling.
Harrison began by narrating the story of the unrepentant David being convicted by parable told him by the prophet Nathan. Here are some of my favorite quotes from his session:
“Every one likes to listen to stories – adults and children, christians and non-christians.” “Every person likes to hear a story, and pays attention.” “Stories are powerful and can transform people.” “The story transformed David.” “It is hard to delete a story from our mind.”.
And finally, an example of storytelling by miming:
Jesus (portrayed by Elijah Ombati) has just spat to make mud and sent the blind man (portrayed by Joshua) to wash at the pool of Siloam.
the blind man taps his way to the pool of Siloam (the baptistry, in this case) to wash and see