Steve stole my line for his update and I was the one who ordered zebra!! Oh well, it was good, but not quite as good as an American grain-fed steak!

We have had a dizzying week and a half. But it has been good. Some wonderful and rich experiences like going to Grace’s home. Her home is very nice by Kenyan standards. It has 3 rooms (2 bedroom and the living room) plus a very small kitchen room. The main room was about 10×12 and had 2 windows with glass. We didn’t see the bedrooms but they are smaller. She has 2 kitchens. The small one is attached to the main house and is about 5×8. It has a non-glassed window, a small grill called a jiko on which she does all her cooking, a small cupboard and a 10-inch shelf that runs the length of the room. There is also a stool where she sits as she cooks. The living room had 2 couches and several stools and a coffee table and a cupboard. She had family photos and some old calendar pictures on the walls. The floor was cement with some linoleum tiles on part of it. The outside is made of stones they have collected, but she told me she hopes to finish it with a stucco type finish some day. Knowing Grace, it will happen!

Her other main kitchen is outside in a very rough wooden structure that used to be the chicken house.  It is similar to the small kitchen but with more window openings. Then they have a third structure, which is made of mud and sticks. One side is her son Macharia’s bedroom and the other side is the chicken house. In most Kenyan tribal traditions when a young man is initiated into adulthood at about 13 he moves out of the family house into his own small house on the family property. Grace, with unfortunately little help from her husband has made a wonderful home for her family. And God has provided them with a spectacular view out the front door!

Kenyan hospitality is great. They gave us seats on the upholstered furniture and pulled a coffee table up for us-Kenyans do not usually eat meals at tables. The entire meal is served for you into a large shallow bowl. You sit and hold the bowl and eat with only a spoon as a utensil. No knives or forks, no napkins. They usually do not serve a drink until the meal is over, but for us with the table in front of us; we had cups of water. (And I might add that the water was carried the whole hour-long trip from RVA by Grace’s oldest son-the water she usually uses is not “safe”).

As Steve has written, the meal was excellent (I wish JT would clean his plate as good for me!?!) We had irio which is mashed potatoes, beans and corn and pumpkin leaves, carrot stew and beef. I’m sure the beef was a big splurge for them. After the hour hike to her house we were hungry!!

After we ate some of the young folks led us in games. We all, from Matthew at 8 to Grace’s mother who is in her 60’s, played games like Concentration-the clapping/name game that you probably played as a kid in school or camp. It was great fun and we laughed a lot. Then the young folks danced for us. And, yes, they did ask us to sing! Kenyans love to sing and have no embarrassment about singing or asking you to sing! (When we distributed food on Christmas Eve, the folks often sang their thanks.)

We stayed about 3 hours then walked the hour home. Grace and her husband, Peter, walked us about half way home. Kenyans have taken that last half-hour of visiting on the front porch and added feet to it! We felt so privileged to have been in their home and enjoyed their hospitality.

I came away from the experience realizing how much more relational life is when you have to make your own fun. No TV, no videos, no movies to go to, not even a board game – just people together enjoying one another. Some aspects of our “modern life”, while not bad, are not better.

Then there was Mt. Longonot. I climbed a mountain!!! And it felt like it. Longonot is about 8000 feet, 500 feet higher than Kijabe. No snowy summit, but for me it was just about as hard as climbing Everest! There were several times when I thought I might just wait for the others to go up and come down. I’m not sure what kept me going, but I’m so glad I did. The view was simply magnificent and the sense of awe at God’s creation was huge. Even when I could hardly walk for the 2 days afterwards, I was still glad I did it! But I do respect the mountain and my age a bit more now.

And now the boys are back. It was good to see all of their faces again. But it is again hard for them. We’ve had some teary nights. Keep them in your prayers as they yet again have the pain of leaving mom and dad for 3 months.

We feel much more prepared for this term, needless to say. And we look forward to what lies ahead. I will resume the Bible study with my Kenyan friends next Tuesday and am looking forward to that, but would also appreciate your prayers. I’ve seen even more of what daily life is like for these women. I respect them more. I want to encourage and bless them.

We also got a huge shipment of all the toys for the orphanage and hospitals. THANK YOU. I nearly wept as we unpacked and unpacked and unpacked. You have all been so generous and gracious. We stopped in the midst of the unpacking to praise the Lord and ask for His wisdom and direction in distributing them. They were all repacked in NY and we do not know exactly who sent what, but we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. May God bless each of you as you have blessed these little ones you may never meet.

Sorry to be long-winded, but we’ve experienced a lot in the past week and a half. Our love and prayers and thoughts go out to each of you.

Love,

Nancy