By Steve Van Nattan

 

INTRODUCTORY BLATHER Having passed the age of sixty, I have been told that I now have the right to indulge in reminiscence without apologizing. Thus, those of you who venture into this section of the Journal will have to tolerate my attitude if you please, and I hope that I can reward you in some small way with interesting stories of my past experiences. It sure beats having a "mid-life crisis." The baboon in the picture looks very much like the ones who stole my mangos as I was growing up.  Hopefully, I have acquired a few more civilizing traits than this fellow, but I think he is very much in context on this page. They are almost as troublesome as the IRS. Christ Jesus is due all credit for anything I may contribute to life. I shall not, however; make silly scenes of false humility. My life has been rather colorful at times, not because of my own cleverness, but because my Lord has graciously chosen for me a life trail which is rather fun to look back over. Elizabeth is my good wife, and my class mate at RVA. She is consulted on these yarns since she was with me in most of them. We now live in eastern Tennessee. It is green, well salted by the Gospel, and hopelessly Laodicean. Churchianity prevails in most places. It is sad. Powerless-- our small rural county has 90 Baptist churches and is known as the nation's number one meth lab County. We have web business selling piano related things by mail order. Come by, and we will roast some Harrar coffee and boil the ibrik (Arab coffee pot), and we'll spin a yarn on the front porch. We have wog chai for those who appreciate it. Our tea comes from Ramash Patel in Knoxville-- special import quality, AND a bakshish thrown in. If you need it badly, we have wimbi on hand and can make up a pot for you. And, teff for you Ethiopians-- call ahead so we can get the leet aged properly. For several years I have thought of gathering my experiences, along with those of my past friends, and writing a fiction of a missionary's kid as historical fiction. Forget it. Life is too busy to figure out the details. So, what follows is partly mine, partly yours, and partly someone else's.   Someone once said, and it might have been me, "Don't look back when things are getting rough-- Look back when it is good now. The past will add peace to the moment at hand." FORMAT: Please be patient. I shall also fail gloriously to keep things in chronological order. What fun would that be? So, in order for you to figure out when a given yarn took place, I give you a BIO PAGE TO BROWSE Also, a more detailed BIO PAGE FOR THE JOURNAL Enjoy.

YARNS OF STEVE VAN NATTAN

A MACHINE AND HALF A HOLE

MY KEEPERS-- Coming soon

PYTHONS

THE SEVEN CYLINDER PONTIAC

AZIZ AND AKBAR

THE STORY OF MOUNT LONGONOT

BABOONS

EGGS-- Buying them and tithing them

FETCHING THE MAIL--  Online browsers may load this one.

MERV ROSELL and the four ships

PAUL BEVERLY takes me on a bicycle ride.

RVA FOOD  Strange things-- Wonderful things

HAM BY MAIL  Or, The Ham that crawled in From the Cold.

BULL DOG, MUD FIGHTS, Dinky toys, nyabs, and hill climbing

PINCHING ANTS-- Keep moving

AFRICANS I HAVE KNOWN

BOOKS I HAVE READ

STEVE'S WEIRD TALES "COMING SOON"
You can see what is coming by the unfinished list below.

CHARLIE HESS-- Still being written
MAU MAU DAYS
HUNTING HIPPO
HOW I WAS BORN AGAIN
YOU CAN FIX ANYTHING WITH BUNGIES
MUD, CHIKKA, MBUGA
MAKING A SHORT WAVE RADIO
FERRY BOATS-- SIMIU, RUGEZI, NYAMTAKUZA
SERENGETI VACATION
MZUNGU DINNER FOR THE PREFECTS
THE ROBIN WENTLY AND 1954
MWANZA
NAHASHON AND MWANGI
CHIPUKIZI
LIVINGSTON HOUSE, STANLEY HOUSE
SHEGE
BITIRU
BOREMA
DANNY KEIHU
DR. GOBIZI
GEBRE MICHAEL
MARIO AT BEKELA MOLA'S RESORT
UHURU
NIGHT SCHOOL IN ELDORET
SAMMY KAMAU
BAPTISTS IN AFRICA
MWANZA MISSION HOME
FISH COURSE ON THE LAKE STEAMER / BEKELA MOLA FISH
AUGUSTA MANNING
1943 INDIAN
COMMUNION SERVICE AT MENNONITE GATHERING
MY DAY OF FAME ON ART LINKLETTER'S HOUSE PARTY
MY COOKING EXPLOITS- Shark stew, fried lettuce, egg fuu yung
MOTHER SYWALKA
YANKEE CRICKET
CROSSING A LIVE VOLCANO
TEA TIME AT KIDONG DORM
THE GUDGE
HIKING IN THE FOREST
HERB LION AND CARL ULINE PLAY A TRICK
ARTY DAVIS SEES A LEOPARD
FIELD DAY
RECIPE-  HIPPO FOOT
BWIRU COFFEE CALL
KIAMBOGO BUILDING
A WEASEL CHASE
CHIPPING ROCKS
SORTING CARROT AND CELERY SEED
HYENAS
SOME DAMNED FOOLS I HAVE KNOWN
(Damned by their own rebellion against the Gospel of Jesus Christ)
AMERICAN FLAG FLIES IN TANGANYIKA
KISUMU
SERGEANT MAJOR IN CHARGE
200 NECK TIES
WILHELM MAY KEEPS IT IN "ECONOMY GEAR"
BURNING FETISHES
HANS NYMAN RIDES A DONKEY
SIAFU-  ANTS IN YOUR PANTS
FRANK MANNING
INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS CLUB-- LONDON
TRAVELING ON THE LAKE STEAMER
ENGLISH FULL COURSE DINNER AND OTHER STRANGE CUSTOMS
HOW TO EAT THE FISH COURSE FIVE TIMES
BARGAIN BANANAS
GOD'S KITTY SAVES MY DAD FROM A COBRA
BROTHER VAN GOES TO TOWN
CHECKING UP ON DOMINO PLAYERS
PREACHING IN THE OZARKS
DEACON JONES WAKES UP
KEY OPENS THE WAY
HILLTOP CAFE
NEWAYGO BIBLE SIGNS
FRED WHEAT
GREYHOUND BUS STATION-- SAN FRANCISCO
OLD MINE IN CALICO MOUNTAINS
SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE HIGH DESERT
AFRICAN FOOD VARIETIES
MIRACLE OF THE POWERED MILK
"THE HOOVER KIDS ARE NORMAL"
CRAIG POSEY RINGS THE BELL
DROUGHT IN AFRICA
PETER DIGS A DITCH AND TOPS A TREE
MARY'S FRIEND SAVES HER LIFE
ARABS AND KITANI
FORESTS GOD MADE--  KENYA HIGHLANDS, ARUSSI LAND, REDWOODS
RESTAURANTS I HAVE ENJOYED--

OMAR KHAYAM, VILLA VERDE, ADDIS ABABA RESTAURANT, CHUNG HUA, ITALIAN IN ASMARA, DEBRE BIRHAN, NAKURU TRUCK STOP, STAGS HEAD, LUNDIANI, NORFOLK, NEW STANLEY, FAIRVIEW, LINCOLN, U.S. EMBASSY, CEDARS OF LEBANON IN DEARBORN, BLUE NILE IN DETROIT, PALM IN BARSTOW, HILLTOP IN BAILEY, LION'S HOUSE IN LONDON, YE OLDE KING'S HEAD INN- WINDSOR, INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES IN LA MIRADA, HUNAN IN LOS ANGELES CHINA TOWN, MA GANSIE'S IN KENTUCKY.

NO FAZER, NO MUZER, HUNGRY TODAY
RIDING THE BUS TO ADDIS
SHOPPING IN ETHIOPIA
BEKELA MOLA'S HOTELS
MR. SPEEDY'S TEA PARTIES
DECAMHARE SCHOOL DAYS
GOD SENDS A MAN TO PUT TRUSSES UP
TRAIN TRAVEL IN KENYA
ROAD BUILDING
RED TAPE IN AFRICA
THE KEFO
BUILDING A DAM
ZETEN BIR
JACK JOHNSON-- Pastor from N. Ireland to missionaries
ASMARA
"SOLD"
ITAKO AND AFRICA ISRAEL NINEVAH
SIMON STANDS TALL
DINI IN ELDORET
KIPKAREN CHURCH
KITALE CHURCH
DOWNTOWN ELDORET-- BANSAL, BAHARILAL, AZIZ AND AKBAR
C__________ SMITH REPENTS
CHRIS LEAVES THE ROMAN WHORE
NEWAYGO SIGN STORY
ETHIOPIAN DOCTOR IN GRINGO LAND
FIGHTING AN ADULT BOOKSTORE
"AND THE LORD GOD PLANTED A GARDEN..."
DEAD BODY IN THE MINE AND OTHER SPOOKY STUFF

 

ELIZABETH, MY WIFE, TELLS SOME OF HER OWN TALES:

POWERED MILK MIRACLE

LINKS:

Great Place to Eat Ethiopian food.

Another one in Colombus, Ohio

This made tears come as my mind went careening back with David's help

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