Mukaa Children's Home

It’s hard to believe that our trip is coming to an end. On Friday, we leave our last children’s home of the summer. Where did all the time go? In one way, i feel like we have been here for quite awhile but on the other hand, time has been flying by. Mukaa is up in the mountains and the view here is breathtaking. I think the whole country must be beautiful because i know i say “it’s amazing” every single time we go to a new home. This home and the experience we’ve had here has been a little bit different. We not only added Tim and Mary to our group, but we met up with 2 other wazungu from the U.S. They are the ones that have run the VBS in the past. They come as a part of AIM (African Inland Mission) and without warning, the organization changed their flights on them so that they would be leaving country before the referendum voting on August 4th (the last time Kenya had a big political vote, there ended up being a lot of violence so people were taking precautions...but this time the country remained peaceful. The area we are in is the safe side of the country so we had no reason to worry—there was just a recommendation to not be travelling during those days (so no worries!)). Anyways, since the 2 of them had to leave early, we ended up running a lot more of the VBS than we originally thought we were going to do. Tim and Mary were the ones who planned out the curriculum so they delegated Ashley, Jessica, and I to run the craft station together until Kristin and Cody had to leave. It was...fun? How could paint, glue, sand, a million little pieces of construction paper cut into fish scales, and over 150 children not be? The last 2 days Jessica and I took over the game station. During steal the bacon, we were afraid someone was going to die (maybe we shouldn’t have given fighting for it as an option...maybe we should’ve let the slower person have absolutely no hope in winning it...but we didn’t) but TIA. They’re tough. And they loved it. VBS ended on Thursday and many of the kids that came from the community left. It was kind of nice having a smaller group again but even still, Mukaa is a large home. It has about 80 residential kids. On Friday, Armstrong, the manager, took all of us to buy wood carvings. The region we are in is home to the Kikamba tribe and they are the ones that do the carving. It ended up being an all day affair and it was a lot of fun. It was cool to see the process a bit. We first went to an actual shop where tourists go, just to look around at the options and note the prices. Then Armstrong took us to a little row of shops, which were the actual workshops. There we were able to buy things for a much reduced rate and also see some of the things in the process of being made. On our way home while stopping for gas, Armstrong disappeared for a few minutes and came back with sodas and hotdogs for everyone! After not eating of drinking for about 10 hours it looked like a high quality meal. I don’t think i’ve ever been that enthused to receive a hot dog before...i’m a bit wary of them at home...and this is Kenya. But it didn’t phase me. The rest of our time here has been spent hanging out with the kids. They have off of school in August so we have been with them every day all day. They’re a great group and a lot of fun but it gets tiring. We have been playing games, going on long walks, and watching movies like American Karate, which is as good as it sounds. Tim and Mary left on Monday and it was really hard to say goodbye. We’re going to see them again in just 1 week but they had become a part of our team. It was great having them here...as Ashley said, they were fresh meat. It was almost like having a bit of home without actually being there. I think that it will also help us in our transition back to the states. So the schedule for the next few days: tomorrow we leave Mukaa and travel to kijabe where we will stay for 2 nights. We then go to Nairobi for 2 nights and we fly out on Tuesday, August 17th. During those days we will be saying goodbye to a few people, shopping, and beginning our debriefing process. There’s much more i could say but for now that’s all. Be looking for a newsletter update in the next few weeks! Thank you all so much for your prayers, continue praying for us as we prepare to come home. It has been an amazing summer and i am excited to share more of it with you!

Kaptagat

As always, I am having trouble figuring out where to start. It’s hard to write every 2 weeks and be able to relay all that has been going on. We are currently staying at the Flamingo Hills Tent Camp near Lake Nakuru. We slept here last night and will sleep here again tonight before leaving for Mukaa tomorrow morning. The break was much needed but it’s a little odd to be in a resort/vacation area after living here for 2 months with the kids. I don’t think any of us are fans. It just doesn’t feel right, and we are really missing everyone we have met.
So we just finished our 2 weeks at Kaptagat Children’s Home. It was awesome. The home is located on the mountainside with a river running through it. The environment is beautiful (as always…I know I say that at every home but it’s true. This country is amazing and so diverse). The home is about the same size as Ogada—there are currently 36 kids living at the home and 6 staff members. The staff is incredible—they are extremely short handed but they work hard and cover all the jobs of the home. We really enjoyed getting to know them—it’s funny, I think it was harder for each of us to say goodbye to the workers than to the kids. We loved the kids and had a lot of fun with them but they were a much younger group and communication was a bit difficult. The conversations did not run as deep as they did at Ogada and at first that was really frustrating to us. We felt like failures and didn’t know why we were having trouble connecting on that level. Then we realized that maybe God’s plan for Kaptagat
Children’s Home was not for us to have deep, heart to heart conversations with the kids—maybe the kids at Kaptagat just needed someone to play with, to laugh with, to have fun with…maybe we were simply to show these children love in that way. Like I said, the staff is amazing and I think the children receive a lot of emotional support from them—so we took comfort in the fact that maybe we weren’t the ones to go to that level with the kids. A few days after we started to think about everything in that way, we also realized that maybe this was not only God’s plan for Kaptagat Children’s Home, but it was his plan for us too. I don’t think it was any accident that a place like Kaptagat came after a place like Ogada. Being at Ogada was an emotionally draining experience for us. Although we were preparing ourselves to find the same heartache at Kaptagat, I’m really not sure that that would’ve been a healthy experience for anyone. I believe that God was in the plans of this trip…that we would go to a fun home like Kaptagat and have an amazing time just playing with the children there after having such a rich but taxing time at Ogada. Pastor Ego preached on the passage about Martha and Mary the Sunday before we left…and it was that morning where we had discussed God’s purpose in us being there at Kaptagat…and it was so neat to realize that we were so caught up in being “Martha” (in making sure we got what we needed to do done and in attempting to fulfill our idea of “success” at a home) that we almost mistook being “Mary” as failing. I don’t know if that makes sense how I worded it but I think you can figure it out.
I think the hardest part of Kaptagat for us was the long days. We would wake up at 5:40 and be down at the dining hall to lead kid devotions at 6. We would then return to our house and get ready for the day and head back down at 7:15 for chai and staff devotions. The day would pretty much be straight through until 9 pm when the kids went to bed…and we were more than happy to make that our bedtime as well. During the day while the kids were at school we would help out around the compound, either cutting vegetables and doing dishes in the kitchen, weeding in the shamba, or sweeping and mopping in the kids’ dorms. It felt good to be able to help at a home that desperately needs the extra hands. I’d like to briefly tell you all about the staff from this home. As I already said, we got very close to them. We spent so much time sitting and talking with them or working alongside of them or leading/attending their devotions that we started to make some real connections. We discussed a lot of issues that are not only important but things that we were all interested in and generally had a strong viewpoint on. It is overwhelmingly clear that the staff at this home are not there because it is a job. To them, it is so much more and it was such a blessing to see that shine in this home. God is at work here and it was fun to be a part of that if even for a short while. Everyone lives on the home’s compound which adds a neat dynamic and unity to the home. It really is like one big family and the way that the staff integrates and interacts with the kids is definitely unique. I really don’t have words to capture just what kind of relationship it is. All I can say on it is that I think the kids are in really good hands. I don’t really worry about how they will be cared for or the examples that they have before them as they grow up.
During our stay at Kaptagat, we were able to see a lot of the surrounding area. It was such a blessing to be able to get off of the compound and walk around a bit…the only unfortunate part was that the “5K” walks that sounded so doable weren’t exactly 5K…I think some were reaching a bit beyond 10K. The first Saturday we were there the kids took us on a walk to see the forest and the monkeys. They were so excited. I went into the dining hall to tell Crystal that we were leaving and Pastor Ego (the manager) asked me who was leading, where we were going, when we would be back, etc…I had no idea so he asked me to bring him the team leader. So I go and get Nelson (nicknamed Mandela), a 14 year old boy in class 7, and tell him he’s team leader. Pastor starts to tell Nelson, in English, what time we had to be back…he then proceeds to give him strict instructions on boundaries—where we are and aren’t allowed to go…that part was in Kiswahili. Thank goodness because then I couldn’t feel guilty as 40 minutes later we were crawling under bushes and over big tree roots as we were running through what felt like the African jungle. We arrived back late, which I could be reprimanded for, but other than that, I could claim ignorance. Another day we went on home visits with Cosmas (the social worker) and Samson (the accountant). That was the first of the “5k” walks that turned into being a 5 hour journey. It was fun though…until the end when nothing seemed too fun anymore. But we got to see a lot of the area and several of the surrounding primary schools. At one of the schools we sang a song called the hippo song for them…the reaction we got was hilarious. Priceless…and it’s videotaped. So that will have to be shown when we return. On Sunday afternoon we went on another walk lead by Cosmas and Samson…true to form, it was not 5K…it took 5 hours once again. But all the kids came along with us on that one so it was really enjoyable. I loved it. I walked for most of the time with a little boy named Amos. He cracked me up. As we were walking hand in hand, he starts to point out trees to me and say, “this is pine. this is bottle tree. This is acacia. This is blue gum.” And it just made me laugh because he sounds just like someone else I know…not mentioning any names…
When the kids were home from school either in the evenings or on the weekends, they played a lot of football (soccer)—and I LOVED playing with them. It was so much fun. We also had some spontaneous dance parties, dance competitions, game nights, and coloring sessions. It was just an all around fun home to be at. On the 21st of July, it was Ashley’s birthday. In Kenya, birthdays are not celebrated with parties…they are barely even acknowledged. Many Africans aren’t even able to tell you what their birthday is. Unfortunately, Ashley is one of the most enthusiastic birthday girls I have ever met…she doesn’t just celebrate her birth “day” but she likes to celebrate what she calls birthday week. So we decide that we will fund a party for her. I went into town with one of the staff members the days before so that I could get cake and snacks for it. So the day of the party comes…and I’m in the kitchen trying to figure out how to cut the cake and Cosmas comes in and asks if I have a plan for the party. I say no but that I think it will work out and we can plan as we go. We reaches in his jacket pocket and pulls out a typed up itinerary including 15 different items…one of which was “the purpose/objective” done by Lauren. So during the party I got to give a speech on the purpose and objective of a birthday party. The whole party was so sweet and they really went all out. They even decorated the dining hall using their bed sheets as window coverings and their blankets as table cloths. It was such a fun afternoon and I think the kids all really enjoyed it…the staff too—Eliab (the night watchman + about 13 other jobs) asked if I would be celebrating mine with them as well. The last night that we were at the home, we set up a projector that we have been hauling around with us for 2 months and not using and hooked up my camera to it. We had a slide show of all the pictures taken since we had arrived. It was so much fun and the kids loved it…we should have been doing that all along.
God has been doing a lot in all of our lives since coming to Kenya and it has been awesome to see the changes in each one of us. I know all of us have grown in many ways and one thing that we’ve all grown in is seeing and recognizing God in everyday life. We call them “yay God” moments—when something happens or works out perfectly and all you can do is realize that God’s hand was in it from the start…they are occurring all the time now. And we know that God didn’t just start that recently…he has been doing it all along but we are finally becoming aware of it and perceptive to it. Ashley, Jessica, and I left Kaptagat on Tuesday morning and drove up to Ogada to pick up Tim and Mary who had been staying there for the past week. It was such a sweet reunion to go back and return to all the people we love there, but it was again hard to leave. However, I wouldn’t change having that opportunity. I think that although it was bittersweet, it tied up a lot of loose ends and just reaffirmed in everyones’ minds that what happened those 2 weeks there was a gift from God and that the friendships made could last a lifetime. So we leave tomorrow morning for Mukaa, our last home. It’s crazy how fast the summer went. There have been times when we’re homesick and there have been times when we want to stay here forever. God is working in this country and in these children’s homes. It has been such a blessing so far to be a part of that. We are humbled that God has allowed us to be involved in each of these children’s and staff’s lives. Please continue to pray! There should be one more update before we fly home on August 17th.

Oh and a specific prayer request—Pray for Kenya. They vote for a new referendum and some changes in their constitution on August 4th I believe. A lot of big issues are being dealt with…so pray for the people to have wisdom and discernment

Lauren has been at Kaptagat for the past two weeks. It is tack #3. This is the children's home partially supported by Impact Thrift Stores. Waiting to hear where they are moving on to next!

Ogada

I want to start by saying that I have no idea what I’m going to write about the last 2 weeks. I know that I have said every home is amazing but it just gets more and more true each time. Nothing makes sense in my head right now. I can’t describe what it feels like to have left Ogada. Yesterday was horrible. I don’t think any of us are ready to move on—all I can say is thank goodness our 2 night break came between Ogada and Kaptagat rather than between Mogogosiek and Ogada. We thought leaving the other homes was hard…but for some reason, this one was worse. It’s painful. I don’t know how else to describe it. The relationships built at this home ran deeper than before. We’re not exactly sure why…maybe because there were only 38 kids, maybe because they were older and the home was just overall more mature. The kids were about 9 – 20 years old. Experiencing life with them was amazing. I really don’t have words to say right now. I’ll just start at the beginning and try to go from there.
Coming to this home, we were all prepared for the worst. The way Crystal described the 2 weeks here made all of us scared out of our minds. Not that she said anything bad about the home, she just said it will be difficult. And she was right. Erick (the manager) picked us up 2 weeks ago from Mogogosiek and we went straight to Ogada. It was hard to not have a break in between to regroup and collect ourselves after another goodbye. When we first got to the home, we didn’t want to be there. We just wanted to go back to Mogogosiek. It’s funny to think about now—Crystal told us last night she was worried about us those first few hours as we sat in the room trying to get motivated to begin again.
Day 1: The first day we were there we ate lunch with the kids. They come home from school everyday around 1 to eat and then they head back…well that first day was horrible. We were told to go to the dining hall to eat with the kids and they had already gotten our plates ready for us…which is nice except for the fact that Kenyans eat every meal like they’re never going to see food again. So they served us the biggest, heaping portions of ugali and sukumoiki we have ever seen. Plus we were given 3 avocados (and don’t think avocados as you know them…think of avocados as approximately 3 times the size you know them. They are enormous. The pit is more like a baseball than a golf ball). So here we are, sitting in the dining room, with heaping portions of food we find slightly difficult to get down, and not one kid sits next to us. Not only does no one sit next to us, but no one sits at our table or even looks at us. To make the meal even more terrifying, they all eat those sized portions in about 20 minutes or less…we sat there for 2 hours. After that first meal, we were all ready to pack up and leave. But something changed throughout those 2 weeks…changed to the point where I think we all would have been content staying there for the rest of the month (and then some). That first day we were also taken to the primary school to look around, meet the teachers, and get introduced to the classes. Terrifying experience number 2. We were told that we would be teaching at the school for the next 2 weeks…which if you are reading this, you probably know how terrified I am of public speaking and being the center of attention. Not only that, the way “teaching” was described to us was that the teachers would say…ok, we’re learning about plants in science today…teach on something within that. We were all scared out of our minds. To be put on the spot (because we really wouldn’t be given advanced notice) and to not have any materials to go off of would be insane.
When Crystal said this home would be difficult and that we would be stretched in ways that we don’t even know, she was right. I feel like that’s a common theme… “she was right”. She told us that we were going to be put in all sorts of uncomfortable situations so God has the opportunity to really work in and through us…if we never take a step out, how can he prove to us how big he really is? And God has proven how big he is. I was slightly excited at the beginning of the past 2 weeks…kind of an anticipation of what was to come. Terrified for it, but excited to see God working. And we got to see him in some huge ways. It was awesome. Since I’m on the subject, I’ll talk about the teaching experience at the school. We taught on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, usually about 2 lessons each. I taught math to class 6 every day and then I also taught science and social studies to class 8 and social studies to class 7. We also went back one afternoon—Jessica and I taught a music class. My favorite one to teach was math class 6. First because math is pretty universal and I’ve always enjoyed it and secondly because teaching something like math is a lot easier for me than teaching about the Organization of African Unity. It’s kind of hard to teach on something you know nothing about…it’s even more unfortunate when you find out that the topic you’re teaching on is already known…100%. When you ask review questions at the beginning of a class to test their knowledge and they get every single one correct, it’s a bit unnerving…what the heck do you say for the rest of the period?? Ashley was fortunate enough to teach class 7 about the system of government in Swaziland. Fantastic. Anyways, teaching wasn’t too bad. I have to say it was even enjoyable at times. God’s peace truly seeped through each of us as we taught. We were all terrified at the beginning but he carried us through it. The first day the teacher would come to class with us and help a bit but by the end we were showing up on our own to teach. Oh and an important point—we weren’t sent in unprepared. They usually gave us a textbook 30 minutes beforehand and told us what topics we were teaching. For the most part, we really enjoyed the teachers and had some crazy conversations with them. It was entertaining to say the least.
Our time was also spent going on several home visits, attending and leading some devotions at night, helping with chores around the compound, and watching the world cup—which was awesome. The kids love it so much. Crystal, Ashley, Jessica, and I watched it at our hotel last night but it wasn’t nearly as exciting without the kids. We also did a kid’s day with them and it was great…we changed the whole program to aim it at a more mature age group and it ended up being successful. I think the kids all really enjoyed the day and we did too. It was so much fun…and even more amazing—we passed out 50 markers and at the end received 49 back…I know you may not see what’s amazing about that but believe me, it is. Oh, and even better…the next day, 9 year old hellen came up to us with the missing marker..guess which one it was…Ashley’s.
It was an amazing 2 weeks. Erick, the manager, and his family are great…and he is absolutely hilarious. I wish I could explain his personality…he’s a really good manager and the kids all love him. A lot of changes have been going on at the home in the past several months and there is still a lot to be done. Please be praying for Ogada children’s home—the kids and the staff, as well as for the Primary School that the children attend. I wish I could find words to explain more but I can’t. Also, be praying for us as we head to our next home tomorrow. Right now we are all feeling spent and drained, not at all ready to head off to another home. But we know that God will help us to love with his love, not our own…which is good because I don’t think any of us feel like we have anything left to give. One more request—please pray hard that we can go back to Ogada before we leave this summer. We want it more than anything right now. Know that Ogada is an amazing place filled with amazing people. Our last night with them we talked about our first lunch there and how no one would even look at us—we laughed about how it was just 2 weeks ago.
We appreciate your prayers and I love your emails! Thank you for the encouragement. Hope you all are doing well and having a refreshing summer!

Ogada Children's Home---Tack #1

Mogogosiek Baby Home

“Welcome to the Garden of Eden.” Those were Crystal’s words as the gates to Mogogosiek Baby Home opened almost 2 weeks ago to let us in. She wasn’t kidding…I’m not even sure she was exaggerating. This place is BEAUTIFUL. I wish I could describe view here but you will have to wait for pictures. The home is up in the mountains in the ‘tea country’ part of Kenya. The home is very picturesque and I am enjoying all the different plants and flowers that are here. Driving here 2 weeks ago was an amazing reminder of God’s creativity. We’ve been singing a song with the kids that says God’s “fingerprints are everywhere” and it’s so true. Between seeing the landscapes and the wide variety of plants and birds around, God’s artistic ability is overwhelmingly on my mind.
Tomorrow we leave this home and move north to Ogada, a Children’s home near Kisumu (you can check out the map again if you want to see where we are heading). Leaving is going to be much harder than I originally expected coming into this home. Coming here, I was excited about the type of loving we would do—we can’t communicate through conversation with these kids (they are all 6 years and under) so we were all excited to love them through actions and in a simple, physical way. I didn’t realize how involved my heart would become and how attached I would get to some of the kids. It’s amazing to me to love that much when words cannot even be exchanged. I think I also finally understand how parents’ love multiplies with each new child instead of divides. It’s weird because in some ways I feel like a mom to some of these kids—I don’t know how the nursemaids do it (as in how they can watch these kids grow up and then have to let them go. I’m already struggling with letting go and it’s only been 2 weeks). The nursemaids are awesome girls (all about 18-23 years old) who work like crazy. There are 9 of them and 45 kids. These girls are saints—the work they do cannot be matched and the love they have for the kids is so evident. Most of them do not speak much English but we were still able to have fun and joke around with them. I feel like 2 weeks gives us just enough time to really get into things and start to build friendships…and then we leave. The girls really enjoyed laughing at us—especially when we try to put the cloth diapers on the kids. After 2 weeks, success! If you can call it that…I usually get it on them and then put the plastic over-diaper things on immediately so it doesn’t have the chance to come undone.
While here, our lives have been pretty routine. And usually routine and I don’t get along…I get bored with repetition. But here, I haven’t gotten restless. Something about these kids is just so enjoyable and relaxing. I mean, it’s exhausting (and we even take 2 chai breaks a day that the nursemaids don’t get) and sometimes overwhelming but it’s just different. So a typical day looked like this: we would get up and have breakfast at 7:30 (the nursemaids are up at 5:30) and then head down and start working at 8:30. In the mornings, we did different tasks depending on the day. Sometimes we stayed together and other times we all split up. It was a lot of fun—a few of the days we went to the preschool on the property and worked teaching letters and numbers in the 2 classes there. I have discovered that I’m not cut out to be a teacher. Especially to preschoolers. I don’t think I have the patience to teach “small letters” for an entire week and not really have the kids pick it up. They’re cute though and for 2 days, I enjoyed it. I also worked in the kitchen 2 mornings, which I really enjoyed. I got to see how they make some of their traditional dishes. Ashley and I worked in the shamba (farm) 2 other mornings. We helped them weed…it took a bit to get used to…I think we may have uprooted some of their vegetables. Another morning we helped do the laundry…imagine what the laundry looks like for 45 little kids…the skin on our fingers didn’t fair too well after all that scrubbing. And finally, I also was able to go down and help with the little kids in the morning with bathing, changing diapers, and dressing. At around 10:15 am, we would take a chai break and then head back to work. At 11, the babies are fed. And around 12, the 2 and unders are fed. Then the kids from the school come home at 12:30 and eat before heading back. From 1-3 the kids nap and that’s when we would take lunch and get some stuff done. Then we would head down and help feed the kids porridge. At around 4:15 we would take another chai break and then we would hang out and help with the kids until around 7:30 at night. Then dinner and relaxing for the evening. Which is kind of nice and different from the other homes where there’s activity until at least 10 pm.
I’ve spent most of my time with the kids that are around 2 and under. The older kids are great and I really enjoy hanging out with them when the weather is nice and we can be outside, but when you put me in a room with 28 3-6 year olds, I get a bit overwhelmed. So I tried that out a few times but learned to avoid it in excess. There are a few kids here who have really grabbed my heart. One in particular I know is going to be extremely difficult to leave…and it’s weird because she’s only 6 months old. But for some reason I am crazy about her. She just has the most beautiful little smile and she provides the perfect refreshment if I’m feeling overwhelmed with the others. I kind of want to sneak her home with me…
I should explain briefly what kids are here and how they come to be here. Many of the kids have lost a parent (usually the mother), arefrom a family that is too poor to care for them, or have been abandoned and brought to the home by the police. That is a brief summary…their stories are all different but I think those are some of the main points. These kids are great and so fun to love.
It has been an awesome 2 weeks and I wish we didn’t have to leave quite yet. The staff here, although few, does an amazing job. They have a lot on their plates so keep them in your prayers—along with the kids! Also continue to pray for the team as we head to Ogada tomorrow. Ogada will be a whole different feel as there are only about 40 kids (and only 8 are girls!). I hope you all are doing well, thank you for the emails and encouragement, and be checking for another update after our next home!

Lauren has been at Mogogosiek for most of this past week. It is tack #4. It is in the Western Region of Kenya. She was able to send her dad a Father's Day Greeting today!!!

Maai Mahiu

So finally an update! we were given a brief amount of time earlier in the week but the internet connection was a bit funny and by the time i had typed it all up the connection was lost...along with my post. and you the point it was not worth retyping...you pay for internet as you go so you try to be quick. i was however able to read emails really quickly (didn't have time for responses...sorry for all of you who have been waiting for some news!) but thank you all for sending me messages. it was encouraging to read them and even though i couldn't respond they put a smile on my face.
so we arrived in kijabe this afternoon after a tough goodbye at our first children's home, maai mahiu. today was hard because we knew that we were leaving and the kids knew it and they kind of shut down...which is an understandable response. i know i would do the same thing (not that that means it's a healthy option). But still a lot of the kids came out to say goodbye and there were lots of hugs going around. i’m not sure it has really hit me that we may not see those kids again but it did affect me a little bit these past few hours as we have been reconnecting with crystal and processing the week (she left us on Tuesday to head to another children’s home so it has been a good few hours of catching up). Our time at the home was a lot of fun…busy at times and relaxing at others. I was a little worried because after the first 2 days in kenya (which flew by), time felt like it stopped. But the second week really flew by, and although I’m excited to see more of Kenya and visit more kids, I wish we had some more time.
While the kids are at school, we occupy our time doing things like our laundry (handwashing is not our strong point. Our clothes go in dirty and they come out dirty. It’s just a different sort of dirty…it’s no longer dusty and smelly, it’s now just stiff and soapy. The kids like to stand around and watch us wash. They think it’s hilarious how pathetic we are at it. But yesterday I got up with the girls and some of the older ones showed me how to wash correctly. When I first started the girls just looked at me and one mumbled, oh god. Haha it was embarrassing but I think they taught me well. I’m kind of excited to do laundry next time. Maybe my stuff will actually get clean!). we also have been interviewing the staff, helping them with their jobs (I got to work with a man named Paul who runs the shamba, which is the farm that provides much of the food to sustain the home. I planted kale for him. Another day I worked with uncle (which means chef) in the kitchen. Jessica and I had to wake up at 3:40 in the morning to get to work making porridge by 4. by 1:40 that afternoon when they started telling us that next we will prepare ugali, we told them we had other work to do before 3 when the little girls would get home from school…which was the truth. Partly. Mainly we just needed a nap. I don’t know how they keep on going). We also have attended some classes at the polytech school (which offers studies in computer, knitting, tailoring, leatherwork, carpentry, hairstyling/salon, and welding).
You would think that it would be easier to connect to the polytech students because they are closer to our age but that hasn’t really been the case. They are a lot of fun and I finally started to connect with a few of them several days ago, but I think we have all spent more time getting to know the younger girls…who are hilarious. At first, I was afraid of upsetting or offending them so I was being pretty careful about the way I acted and the things I said. But after getting to know them, I realize that I don’t need to be so cautious…I can be silly with them and joke around and it is so much fun. It has been a relief to know that they’re just kids and even if I accidentally offend them, they will forgive me (which I’m sure they had to do often these past 2 weeks without any of us even realizing it!).
When we first arrived, the number of kids was overwhelming. Maai Mahiu is the biggest home of the 23 in the network. I didn’t think I would ever be able to remember any of the names (but then I learned that if I just said “Mary” I would have an 80% chance of guessing right…ok maybe a bit exaggerated but seriously, I can think of 6 right now off the top of my head at this moment). Thankfully, I now know a good number of them although I still get so confused. It was hardest in the beginning because they all looked the same to me…now I understand when they tell us we all look the same. I used to think they were crazy for saying that…now I understand a bit better.
The young girls are insanely fun. They’re not used to getting much attention from adults so when we hang out with them it can be a bit overwhelming…everyone wants your undivided attention. It’s great when we shift their climbing all over us into singing and dancing for us…both are fun but the latter is a bit more relaxing and entertaining on our end. I have really loved being with the girls. Communication is not very difficult—most of them speak a good amount of English but some try to insist that we speak in their “mother tongue” (which is kikuyu). Those conversations are not very effective as you can imagine…especially since they have only taught us the words for different body parts. They are, however, very good teachers—especially the little ones who are in the process of learning English. They help us syllable by syllable, unlike the older ones who spew off a list of ten words, expecting us to repeat back all of them at the end.
I just want to pause right here and apologize for how disjointed this all is. I couldn’t get it into a coherent post…I just don’t know how to summarize 2 weeks very effectively. So, I’m sorry for all of you who are reading this and are confused about what the heck I’m talking about, to be honest…I’m not even sure half the time. Comforting I know.
The past 2 Sundays we went to church in the town of Maai Mahiu. And it was the first we had really walked through the streets of the town. Reality hit. Inside the home compound we are very comfortable and safe. Outside the compound—things are not so pleasant. I know we haven’t even seen the half of it but even just walking to church made me realize just how true that is. Walking down the street tore at my heart a little bit…the streets, “paved” with a mixture of dirt and trash, are overwhelmed by holes and ditches. The small building lining the streets are sometimes plaster and stone, but often they are constructed from pieces of wood tied together with tarps and random pieces of metal (like rusted garbage can lids).
Last Sunday we had a kid’s day when we had crafts and activities planned. The day ended up ok but let’s just say it was definitely a learning experience for Ashley, Jessica, and I. controlling that many kids and trying to cater to children ages 5 to 20 was a bit hard. We’ll have to work on a better strategy for the next home we do that at.
We’ve also gone on several home visits with the social worker at the home. These visits have all had different feelings to them. The first one was hard because it was a house where the wife was only 20, had 5 kids of her own and was taking care of 11 kids from her husband’s previous marriage. It was a difficult situation. I felt like we were intruding on her privacy but I’m not sure that’s how they see it. Either way, we felt kind of helpless and unsure of what to say and do. In reality, we really can’t offer anything on our own accord. Another visit was to the house of some of the kids who have just received sponsors—so they can now come to the home! This visit was quite enjoyable as we met with the grandmothers and the one told us of how she had 16 kids…and told us you just keep having them until you hit menopause…we weren’t quite sure how to respond to that. Well, until she asked us if we could have 16 kids like her…then we all responded no pretty quickly.
We taught a life skills class yesterday…that was definitely a moment to step out of our comfort zones. But all in all it went well (praise God for that one…seriously, public speaking is not my strong point. Nor are the topics I taught on…assertiveness and decision making). We then attended a lecture at the primary school. We sat in on a class 8 science lesson on health and nutrition of a nursing mother and her infant. Their style of teaching is pretty cool and seems very effective—it is also all very practical. It was funny walking up to the school and having 800-1000 kids hanging out the windows yelling wazungu! (white people!). it’s a bit intimidating.
We have been sleeping in the dorms with the kids the past 5 nights. At first it was impossible to sleep but I have slept better with each consecutive night. The kids go to bed between 11 and 12 and get up at 5. I don’t know how they have the energy to keep going. Mama aphia (the dorm mom) sends Jessica, Ashley, and I back to bed after devotions at 6. I feel so lazy not staying up and working with them.
The world cup started on the 11th and it is huge here. Partly because it is being hosted in south Africa. Everyone is so excited. And money was donated by a chariot’s partner for a tv so the kids can all watch. I cannot express how happy it made Ashley, Jessica, and I to see the kids all crowded together in the dining hall, cheering on the teams! It was awesome.
We have been so blessed these past 2 weeks…as people told us before we left, we will receive so much more than we give. And I think that has proven true so far. Please be praying for the kids at maai mahiu. They are such a joyful group of children and I pray that they will tangibly feel the love of God in their lives. Also, be praying as we head into Nairobi tomorrow morning to meet with the AIC children’s welfare board (not sure if that’s exactly right but something like that)…they are doing an orientation with us (and were not exactly sure what that means). Thank you for your thoughts and prayers so far this summer! Once again, I’m sorry this update is a bit unorganized. I hope to figure out a better method for next time….but don’t count on it. Hope you all are having a fantastic summer!

Find Tack #9--Maai Mahiu--this is the first children's home Lauren is at! It is in the Central Region of Kenya. It will be fun to follow her travels!

in Kenya!

hi all! just a quick post to let you know that we have arrived in Kenya! we got to the home late last night. it was a long day and a half of travel. we are now at our first Children's Home and are enjoying the day with the kids. last night we got here in time to stop in and say hi during their devotions. we then left planning on an early evening but found out the kids were rehearsing for a dance the next day and so we went to their practice...they were great! ...and wanted us to dance with them...but they were making cuts and we told them we would just ruin their dance...besides i guarantee we would've been the first ones out.
today was a day of big celebration as they are celebrating 30 years of the home. there were many visitors and a church service that lasted from 10 to 3...pretty long. it's amazing how well behaved the kids are.

anyways--i must go. i will hopefully be able to write more the next time we have the internet. keep praying! we really appreciate it!

The Kenya 2010 Summer Internship Team

Lauren, Ashley, Crystal and Jessica

Living out of a suitcase for 3 months!!!

Here is a picture of Lauren....with her very small suitcase for three months....she was given a specific list of clothes to take that would be both culturally acceptable and very practical (nice to have Impact as our #1 shopping destination!).... All of her clothes had to fit in this carry-on style suitcase with immediate personal toiletries. Her sleeping bag and larger toiletries fit into a shared suitcase for supplies! Time to take off!

t minus 7 hours until go time.

Hi! Thank you all so much for your prayers! We appreciate it...so much.

In 7 hours, we (the interns- Jessica, Ashley, and myself, and our leader- Crystal) will be arriving at chelten baptist church to leave for JFK airport to make an 11:20 flight out of the country. We will first embark on a 12 hour flight to Dubai and then catch a 4 hour flight to Nairobi (never did a 4 hour flight sound so good...). We should arrive in Kenya around 2:45 pm on Saturday (for all of you who are wondering, time in Kenya is 7 hours ahead of the time on the east coast). From the airport we head straight to our first Children's Home called Maai Mahiu. This home has been supported by Chelten for 7 or 8 years so lots of relationships have already been formed. It will be a great home to start out at as it is somewhat familiar surroundings and it is close to the AIC Kijabe Hospital...just in case any of us have trouble adjusting to our new environment (which is a HUGE prayer request...we had a health meeting a few nights ago...which was extremely helpful but a little scary as well).

To be somewhat brief, I would like to give you a tenative schedule of where we will be over the next 3 months. We will be spending 2 weeks in each of 5 Children's Homes extending across the entire Southern portion of Kenya (check out the map of the homes on Chariots for Hope's website at www.chariotsforhope.org. From May 29-June 12 we will be at Maai Mahiu, from June 13-26 we will be at Mogogosiek, from June 27-July 10 we will be at Ogada, from July 11-24 we will be at Kaptagat (which is sponsored be Impact Thrift!), from July 25-31 we will have a little bit of a break where we will take a moment to breathe and travel the country, and from August 1-14 we will be a Mukaa. The schedule is very open to flexibility...it is part of their lifestyle over in Kenya so know that this is definitely not set in stone.

A lot of people have asked me what exactly we will be doing while at the homes...well, i finally have some answers for you! i know it's hard to believe that as interns we walked into this trip blindly, but in a way, we really did. we just found out during our training this week what our responsibilities will be besides just loving the kids.

The first week at each home will be sort of a Home Orientation. Chariots would like to be able to make a Home Profile for each orphanage so that sponsors will have more knowledge on who they are partnering with, but it needs the information to do so! as interns, we will be interviewing the staff and writing up staff bios, getting into the children's lives and hearing/recording their stories, taking a general cultural survey of the area that the home is in, and taking note of the strengths/weaknesses/needs of the home. We have a lot of freedom on how we want to structure this and what questions we would like to ask, so we have been encouraged to explore in areas that interst us. At the homes we are also responsible for holding a Kid's Day (including games, crafts, songs, Bible stories, etc.). We will also spend a day in each home at school with the kids (where they will most likely ask us to teach them something--if you have any ideas...please let me know! it can be anything. seriously.), a day working in the kitchen, and a day doing home visits with the social worker. Other than that, we will live life with the kids! Sleep where they sleep, get up when they get up...eat with them, do wash with them, play with them...and love them!

Updates will be coming by way of this blog at least once every 2 weeks.

I better get going as we now only have 6.5 hours until we need to be at church ready to go. Please be praying for a safe flight over! and strength when we arrive...it will be a long few days and we're jumping right in at Maai Mahiu!