Sharing of my Trip!

Just incase anyone looks at this before Wednesday August 11, I wanted to let everyone know that I am sharing my trip with a slideshow at my aunt's house this Wednesday, August 11 at 7 p.m. For more info or directions please e-mail me at kira3318@msn.com Please pass the word on to anyone you think may be interested! Thank you :) Hope to see you there!

Goodbye Kenya

Well its time, time to leave this place that I've come to love. I have a pretty good feeling that I will be back though so that is keeping me from being too sad. Today was our last day teaching at the school and tomorrow we are going to the school in the morning for a special surprise before beginning our journey home. In some ways I am ready to be home; ready to be somewhere that I know and that is comfortable, ready to be with friends and family, ready to see less poverty. But mostly I am sad to leave. We have been SO welcomed here and feel so appreciated here. The people here have shown us a kindness and warmness that I've never experienced before. More importantly, the kids have touched us in ways we didn't expect. So much potential and joy is easily recognizable when you look at them, and yet its hard at the same time because I know they are experiencing so much hardship. They have given a whole new meaning to perseverance- one that I won't forget.

A teacher at the school we've been helping at passed away last week leaving her two kids, ages 8 and 10, parentless (their dad passed away many years ago). They have no family here and the orphanage would struggle to provide for them without a sponsor. Thanks to all of you, I still have enough money left from fundraising to support one of them for a year and that is a wonderful thing. So thank you for being willing to help and know that your donations are being used in BIG ways.

I will get home late Thursday night and would LOVE to share stories/pictures, etc. with ANYONE who wants to hear! There are plenty of kids that still needs sponsors and plenty of other ways you can still help if you're interested. God bless you all, see you in the states!!

Lodwar- A Desert

We handed out cornmeal at one of the villages we went to....
2 Children awake, I guess I was too boring for the third oneShe really wanted to ride it, I told her no.
Our hotel in Lodwar

Oh wow, what a weekend. We spent Thursday-Monday in Lodwar which is a city north of Kitale where the people in the slums of Kitale “escaped” from because it is so hot there and let me tell you, it is HOT there! Easily over 100 degrees (and its winter there right now). We visited 5 churches in 4 days and most of them were in the middle of nowhere. People there walk for days in search of water and food, it is miles and miles and miles of desert. Once again, we experienced a joy like we haven’t experienced in America. At the churches we visited here are people who are literally starving and have no water yet they still find hope, joy, and peace in the Lord. I have learned so much about that while being here.

The first day there I was sure I wouldn’t make it another three days but the weekend actually went quickly. I started getting used to the occasional lizard by my pillow on cockroach in my shoe, coming back to Kitale today felt like home. We stopped by the school to see the bringing down of the Kenyan flag which is a big deal here then Helen surprised us by taking us to the seamstress to have African dresses made for us. I can’t believe we only have 2 days left here, I definitely want to come back and you are all invited J I will write one more time before we head out and some when I get home too. We will be planning a fundraising even in August for the school and orphanage so I will keep you updated on this blog. Thanks again for ALL of your support, prayers, and encouragement; we have felt so loved and so protected while being here.

There Are Monkeys Eating At The Buffet!

Volleyball with the older kids at the orphanage
Red light green light during P.E.
Church in the Kipsango Slum

That's a sentence I never thought I'd hear, "There are monkeys eating at the buffet". The other day a group of monkeys bombarded the outdoor buffet we were eating at and started eating the buffet! Everyday here has been such an adventure. We went to visit a teacher from the school today in the only public hospital in Kitale and when we walked in we were astonished to find that each bed has two patients in it! Things like that are hard to see here.

On Sunday we had church in Kipsango, a slum in Kitale, and it was unlike any experience I've ever been a part of. People who can barely see, don't have shoes, and many elderly people journeyed just to come to church. It was really special to get to worship together with them.

We are going to walk through Kipsango tomorrow after school which I think will be hard to see but probably necessary. I hope I am able to capture even a small part of what I've seen and felt here to share with you all. We are leaving Thursday morning for Lodwar, a city in northern Kenya where most of the people from the slum came here from so I won't be able to update the blog until next week. Its helpful knowing you all are supporting us from so many miles away :)

Saturday School!

Ilove being here more everyday, the kids are finally fairly comfortable with us and so we’re laughing together A LOT more- my cheeks hurt tonight from laughing so much today. Yesterday we brought 5 volleyballs to the school for the kids and they LOVED it; surprisingly however the teachers loved it even more. We played volleyball with the teacher for over 30 minutes and they were getting so into it, they even cleared the students off the field so we could continue playing.

I taught the “baby” class (3&4 yr olds) this morning for their Bible class and it was an adventure. Some of them got bored and ran outside to play, some of them were turned facing the back wall, but most of them just sat starring at me with their mouths open. Bridget taught the older kids and after we were done there we journeyed with Richard and Helen (the owners of the orphanage) to a wild life reserve. After an Elon rammed the side of our car and almost broke the glass and tipped us over I did something I never imagined doing… I road an ostrich!!! By the end I was falling off but it was fun to say the least.

Tonight we gave the children their shoes that we brought them and what a JOY that was to get to do. Its amazing how something that is so simple to us could be so so so special for them. It was a miracle but each child found a pair of shoes that fit, praise God for that! Tomorrow Bridget is “preaching” in Kipsango, the worst slum in Kitale so please be praying for her. I miss home but I know I won’t want to leave when its time J

Trying Ugali with Kale for the first time... not so bad!

Arm circles during P.E. (above)

Bridget and Madam Ester during social studies (left)

learning how to make Mandazi! (below)

We're Here!

Jambo! Thank you so much for your encouraging comments :) We just got internet for the first time so that's why the delay. We got to Kitale (where the orphanage is) Sunday night after a 6 hour celebration in Eldoret for the 20 year anniversary of the ministry that the owners (Richard and Helen) are a part of. I LOVE it here!!! Bridget it teaching social studies at the school and I am teaching 2 P.E. classes a day, its so fun and we are learning A LOT. I have many fun dances to bring back to the states so get ready... After school we get to hang out with the kids, help with homework, do Bible study, play volleyball, and yesterday we went on a run with some of them! Unfortunately we are mizungos (white people) so we couldn't keep up.

The school is in the middle of Kipsango, one of the worst slums in Kenya, and it is heartbreaking to drive through it everyday. There are people digging in trash, lying on the ground too weak to move, TONS of children just sitting waving to our car... I am so thankful to be here with this ministry however because they offer so much hope to these people. I have seen a kind of joy here that I have not witnessed in the United States, they have nothing else but God and they are so thankful to him- I am learning so much from them. We keep very busy and are worn out at the end of the day, but that's why we're here. We try to attend Swahili class at the school to learn some, we're getting there slowly.

Know that we are safe and feel so blessed to get to be here. The people here keep thanking us for coming here to teach and help the children but I don't think they understand how much they are teaching and blessing us, we feel privileged to be here. Thank you all for your prayers, I will try to write again soon!