Steve and I were walking down to Staff Chai (a 20 minute break each morning when the entire staff has chai [tea], prays together and has announcements) when we met one of the elementary boys we both know. He had his arm in a sling so we immediately asked what had happened. His reply was that “I hit some kid’s head with my arm.” Then he trotted off! I trust the other kid was okay, too.

Monday, Grace and I were both working together in the kitchen. This kitchen is a lot smaller than the kitchen we had in Stevenson Dorm, so I was having to reach over her to get something. As I did, she pulled some of the hairs on my arm and said, “I wish I had these.” I stared at her and said, “What?” She repeated that she wished she had hairs on her arms. I looked at her arm and sure enough, she had almost no hairs. She said, “Maybe it is because we cook with fire.” I then asked her if she had hair on her legs. She said, “No!” I started laughing and she asked why. I told here that there were millions of white women who would pay a lot of money to NOT have hair on their legs. She asked why and I told her about shaving and waxing etc. She just shook her head, and so did I!

We recently celebrated Moi Day, a national holiday. (As an aside: Moi is the current president and many Kenyans don’t feel he’s really done enough for the country to deserve a holiday.) I asked Grace about her feelings. She replied that she thought it was good to have a holiday that she didn’t have to really celebrate so she could get a lot of work done at home!

I started leading the Bible study with the same group of Kenyan women who sell vegetables on campus that I met with last time we were out her. This year I will share leadership with 2 other missionaries and we are studying Richard Foster’s book, “Celebration of Discipline.” (An excellent and challenging book.) I was a bit nervous, but we had a wonderful time together. After the study I asked one of the young women in the study when her baby was due because she was very obviously pregnant. She and the women seated on either side of her just giggled and she said, “Later, alone.” So later she took me out on the porch away from everyone else and said the baby was due in December. I congratulated her and we chatted a few minutes.

The next day I mentioned to Grace that Ruth seemed embarrassed to tell me about her pregnancy. I knew Ruth was married and had other children, so I was curious. Grace informed me straight out that it is HIGHLY improper to inquire about a woman’s pregnancy or to talk about being pregnant if you were. I was rather incredulous and asked if you told anyone when you found out you were pregnant. She said, NO!” “Not even your mother?” Grace replied, “Aaaaiiii, no! And not even my sister.” I explained that in America we generally tell everyone as soon as we know for sure and we usually start with our parents.” Grace was appalled.

The next day Grace said to me, “You know what we were talking about yesterday? If you asked me if I was pregnant, I could hit you!” Enough said!

That’s all for now.

Blessings to each of you,
Nancy