Kisumu

The matatu is a crazy but also humorous Kenyan form of transport.  Imagine 15-20 people crammed into a 12 passenger van, along with luggage, kids, and the occasional chicken.  It can be loud, hot, and very squished!  Add to that three vehicle changes, resulting in a 2-hour trip being doubled, and you can see what our trip to Kisumu was like.

Despite all the hassle of getting there, we encountered many helpful and friendly people in town who helped us find where we were going.  I enjoyed having my first pizza in Kenya, as well as a cappucino :)  Thought since Kenya exports a lot of coffee it would be easy to find here, but that has not been my experience.

On Saturday morning we took a boat ride on Lake Victoria to view some hippos.  About 20 of them were in a herd and we got quite close to them!  We were also able to shop at the local Maasai market and find lots of beautiful, hand-crafted gifts.

Tonight more volunteers arrive on the farm, so things will continue to be busy.

Thanks for continuing to remember me in your prayers!

Heather

View of Kisumu

In a tuk tuk on the way to the lake

the Hippos!

Lake Victoria

our boat

Some of the wildlife on the lake

beautiful Kenyan sunset just a few minutes from the farm

:)  love this little girl!

„And a little child will lead them“ - Isaiah 11

It’s amazing how fearless and intuitive kids often are!  They will try something, when we are cautious, or remember something, when we’ve forgotten.  On Saturday afternoon, Anna, Katie, and I took a matatu to nearby Webuye Falls (aka Broderick Falls).  After an hour or so of being crammed into a severely overcrowded van (J), we arrived at the town of Webuye.  It took quite a bit of negotiation to get a good price for a piki piki, but it was worth it!  About 5 km. of stony, hilly road would have been more than we were up to walking at the time!  The falls themselves are beautiful and much more extensive than I had imagined.  After asking around, we found a path that would lead us around the side of a cliff and to the source of the falls.  As usual, there were plenty of kids around who were glad to show us the easiest way to get to our destination.  It’s wonderful to have such enthusiastic guides at your fingertips!  One of the girls also helped us cross the water, making sure we didn’t fall in :) .  We had a fabulous view and a relaxing couple of hours enjoying the water and the surroundings.

Tomorrow we start work on a small project – repairing the gate to Epico Jahn’s Primary School and painting it.  Let me rephrase that:  having the gate repaired in town and then painting it ourselves.  Glad to have something to work on now that school is out though! 

We plan on traveling to Kisumu on Friday for the weekend – hoping to see some hippos and buy some hand-crafted jewelry!

Kwaheri,
Heather

Webuye Falls

Made it all the way to the top!

Concentrating on not falling in ;)

Some difficult things to think about...

I have learned so much over the past few days through seeing extreme poverty and grief. 

On Thursday, Anna and I went to the funeral of a student who lost his father, along with Mr. Wanyonyi, Mr. Ochieng, and three other students.  When we arrived at the family's farm, we proceeded inside the house to view the body.  Some other family members gathered inside as one of the teachers started singing a praise song (similar to “On Christ the solid rock I stand”).  Everyone joined in in harmony, and it was really moving to see so many people lifting their hearts to Jesus in trust and hope!  During the following prayer, a baby reached out to touch my shoulder and I was able to hold her hand.  Her face and eyes remain etched in my memory, and I wonder what her life will be like in 10, 20 years?

Afterwards, we went outside to a tent where about 50 people were gathered.  Both teachers gave a short message in a mixture of Swahili and Kibukusu and all those attending were very welcoming to us.   After returning to school, we prepared for the talent show that was happening in the evening.  It was really neat to see how many students showcased their talent and did a very good job.  Acts ranged from dance to song to drama.  Anna, Katie, and I sang “Stand by me” with the help of a few students singing back-up.  It was interesting to spend time with the students “outside” of school and have fun!  We also judged the acts and gave the top 5 performers prizes.

Today was the last day of the term, which meant:  Form 1 and 2 students went home for 3 weeks, no classes were held, and the faculty had a meeting to review the past term and plan for the upcoming term.  After the meeting, we headed to the home of a Form 3 student, Maurice.  He lives about an hour away from Kabula, so we took a matatu to a nearby town, and from there, a piki piki.  It was so humbling to see his village and the compound on which his family lives.  They have a one room hut which is used for eating, sleeping, and living space.  They hadn’t eaten for the past 3 days, yet still managed to prepare a large dinner for us of cassava ugali and fish.   The leftovers were then eaten by the family.  I felt awful eating their food when I knew I could easily go without and was assured of a meal this evening.  It was especially difficult to see the mother and daughter who are HIV-positive.  This family is in such great need, particularly since the father passed away.  The girls were thrilled to get a pink jump rope and small stuffed animal. ..probably the first real toys they have ever owned.  :(  I brought a package of sillybandz which I gave to all the kids we met.  They were a little shy at first, having never seen a mzungu before, but were happy to get something colorful to wear!

There’s probably a lot more I could write, but I’ll stop for tonight.  Whatever you’re doing, wherever you are, think about all the many things you have to be thankful for.  Even on what seems like the worst day, we have so much to thank God for and praise Him for all His goodness!

It’s a privilege to have shoes to wear.

It’s a privilege to have drivable roads.

It’s a privilege to be healthy.

It’s a privilege to have easy access to education.

It’s a privilege to have meals to eat every day.

It’s a privilege to have parents who love you and provide for you.

Now I’m left thinking about what Jesus would have me do and how I can share His love in a practical way…

Until next time,

Heather

The sweetest little girls!

The kids with all their sillybandz on

Myself, Katie, Maurice, and Anna

Rafting on the Nile

Rafting down the first waterfall

All geared up to go!

I'm sitting on the right-hand side, 2nd from the front :)

Just returned from a weekend in Jinja, Uganda and am so thankful for what a wonderful experience it was!

We left on Friday afternoon to take the bus from Bungoma to Jinja.  Should be a 2.5 hour trip, but with police checks, immigration at the Ugandan border, and other interruptions, it ended up taking just over 4 hours.  Someone from Nalubale Rafting picked us up at the bus depot, though, and took us to the Nile River Camp which is a collection of small cottages and dorms overlooking the Nile at Bujugali Falls.  The view is absolutely breathtaking!

Having access to running water (even hot!), restaurant on location, electricity, etc made our stay feel very luxurious!

On Saturday morning we joined with 4 other people (2 from Slovakia, 2 from Holland) to go rafting.  Our guide was super friendly and experienced and made me feel very safe :)  Some of the rapids were grade 5, but all was fun and no worries.  The very first part of the water we went down was a 16 foot waterfall!  (Photos coming soon!)  It was incredible!  Throughout the day there were several rapids, as well as still pools where we could jump out and swim.  Definitely was a beautiful day:  exciting and a lot of hard work rowing, but such a wonderful experience!

Oh, and I even got a good burger at dinner on Saturday night!

Uganda is noticeably different from Kenya - more tropical landscape with fruit trees, palms, as well as mountains and rivers.  The people we met were also very friendly and helpful.  Driving to the river we saw pineapples, mangoes, bananas, coffee, sweet potatoes, yucca fruit, and rice being grown, which was fascinating.

Now a little rest before our last week of teaching at the secondary school.  Form 1 and 2 students break for three weeks starting on Friday.

Tutaonana,
Heather

View from the camp, overlooking the Nile

Fenesi - I think this is called yucca in English?  Really want to try some!

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

Ready to go on the river!