Crackberry Cracker, part 2

Hoping to find someone who could unlock my locked Blackberry, I asked around the phone stores of Nairobi. Finally, I got the number of “a guy” who could do it. I called him (on Heather’s phone), and he said he’d meet me at the mall to take me to his shop. An hour later, I said goodbye to my wife and kids at the mall and got into the backseat of a little yellow sports car with the guy who could supply me with my Crackberry again. It felt like one of those moments in a bad TV drama where you just roll your eyes that the main character could be that stupid.

We wove in and out of alleys through parts of Nairobi I’d never seen before. Once we parked, we walked three blocks or so, slipped inside a tiny storefront, walked to a dark stairwell in the back, and climbed up to an 8x10 office with six Kenyan guys inside it. What in the world was I doing?

Of course, the Internet in their “workshop” was down, and the crowd of stalled people had me discouraged (and more than a bit afraid). As we waited, the conversation turned to cars. The men talked mostly in Swahili (of which I know little), but then my guy turned to me and explained what they were saying. He followed with some advice to me: “You can get all the Kenyan women you want if you drive a Hummer.”

I responded, “I’m happy with my Toyota truck and I’m happy with the wife that God gave me.” You would’ve thought a switch went off in this guy’s head. When I turned the conversation to God, my Blackberry cracker started shooting off questions at me like firecrackers. He had a stormy Christian background and was honest about the fact that he wasn’t following God anymore because he loved fornicating too much. I encouraged him to ignore the hypocrisy of Christians and to bask in the truth and glory of Christ. And I shared with him how the joys of marriage to one woman outshine the temporary pleasures of adultery.

An hour later, my guy was convinced that God had brought me into his life for a reason. He said he wanted to follow God again and just needed someone to remind him of God’s goodness. We agreed to meet again on a future trip to Nairobi, and of course, we could talk on the phone or text message each other for accountability and encouragement every few days.

And I would be able to do those things because while we were talking, his co-worker unlocked my Blackberry.

Now, you may be wrestling with the morality of this story. Go ahead. I’m not sure myself. Blackberry restricts me from using my own property, so I break the law and find a way to use my own property (paying for cell phone service now legally here in Kenya, by the way). While I’m at it, I find a lost sheep of the Lord and help bring him back to the flock. Sounds like a great case study for a Christian Ethics 101 course to me.

But here we are. Heather’s cell phone…unlocked. Ryan’s cell phone…unlocked. My Blackberry cracker’s heart…unlocked. Not the way I expected the story to end up at all.

Crackberry Cracker, part 1

When we came back to the U.S. in July of 2009 for home assignment, we had an amazing supporter set us both up with cell phones. One was a nice basic phone (basic for 2009, that is) and the other was a new Blackberry. I, being the tech toy addict, gravitated to the Blackberry, and my wonderful wife reluctantly agreed that the highline gadget would find better use in my hands.

It was a tumultuous year with my Blackberry, filled with hours talking to AT&T and dozens of emails to tech support, but in the end, I figured out why they call it “Crackberry.” Me and my palm-sized assistant were inseparable. And to make matters even better, both of our new cell phones were purportedly “international phones,” meaning that we’d be able to insert Kenyan SIM cards and use them on the mission field.

The week before we left the U.S. I began the process of unlocking our two phones. Heather’s was easy. Mine was shockingly impossible. It seems that AT&T doesn’t have access to the unlock codes for their highline phones, so they have to petition directly to Blackberry. Although I was assured by AT&T that Blackberry would release me the code, they didn’t. My appeal then failed too, and I was left with the shocking reality that my Crackberry would be only useful as a paper weight in Kenya. I felt so violated. My love would be locked in a tower, held by the greed of King Corporation and his dragon of legal exclusivity.

I detoxed pretty well. Unpacking our boxes and suitcases in Kenya was a fortunate diversion away from my useless and lifeless handheld. After a week back in Africa, we did a shopping trip to Nairobi, and I began asking around the phone stores if anyone knew how to unlock a Blackberry.

And that’s when things got interesting.

Tomorrow, the story of the back alleys of Nairobi and how I came to find a man who needed his soul unlocked.

Excellent review

For those of you who haven't found one of my new books yet, perhaps this review will tip the scales for you. Discerning Reader is a very reputable site that reviews new Christian books. Mark Tubbs found my books through a woman at his church who worked at Rift Valley Academy for two years, and after reviewing my first one, put my second one on his summer reading list as well.

Winter Spring Summer Fall Review on Discerning Reader

In Kenya

We made it to Nairobi. Grueling trip. Lots of snags along the way. Two bags missing. Very jet lagged. Everybody healthy and safe though. Everything peaceful here in Kenya after constitutional vote. Heading to Rift Valley Academy at daylight. God is good.