Safari na Nairobi

Here's some pics from our safari in the Mara...we got to see most of major animals, elephants, lions, tigers, a rhino, giraffes, and of coarse wildbeasts. It was a lot of fun, especially because Ryanne had never been one safari and we got 2 float tires in one day. Once while on our way to the Mara and the other while on the Mara, as a hyena watched us...we thought it was going to eat us...





The first flat tire


And the second...





Lions...



Giraffes


Elephants..




Zebras, our guide Victor said that a zebras stripes are as distinctive as humans thumb prints


Water Buffalo

Edwin's back!

We just got back from Nairobi and picking up Katie, Ryanne, and Matt and our time there was so much fun. It was great to be in a big city and eat things other than rice and beans (not that we dont love that, its just to be able to have a turkey sandwhich now and then) for a while...but ill post about that later...

Today we went to church at Oasis and I was so excited to be back and get to see all the kids. Afterwards we just kind of hung out and caught up with all the boys for a while...I wandered up to the hill at the top of Oasis and saw Moses, who I hadn't talked to yet, so I ran over to him and gave him a big hug and talked with him for a few minutes.
Then he grabbed my hand and said "Come here, I have something you want to see." So i followed him over to a group of boys and they all just sort of parted and there in the middle was Edwin, one of the boys who had run away over a month ago.


I immediately started crying when I saw him. I was so happy to just see his face. He looked different. He was a bit skinnier and wearing clothes I'd never seen before...not that i knew his entire wardrobe but most of the house boys have similar clothes...

He was a bit quiet but answered my questions, so I just sat with him for as long as I could before we had to leave. He told Moses he knew he was wrong for leaving and so sorry and he wanted to come back. He said he missed school and wanted to go back...



What do you say to that?
How do you look at this kid, this face that you love and tell him, kindly, that he was wrong for running away? How do you tell him he's forgiven and are happy he's back, but he lost what he had because he made many poor decisions?
The best that I could offer was tell him I loved him, was so happy he came back and that I've been praying for the best possible decision Lydia and Geoffrey could make, and I knew they would have a horrible time deciding but in the end they would make the right one...

This morning we went to Purpose Driven to interview the Oasis kids that board there to update Oasis' files.
We haven't done interviews for a while and I was honestly happy we were getting to do them again. I interviewed Silas, Abraham, and Irene...
Their stories are incredible and to hear about where they came from and see where they are now is amazing...
One of my favorite parts of the interviews was when I asked Silas if he had gotten in trouble at school and he kind of smiled and said yes and I asked why...He told Manu in Swahili, laughing mind you, that he got in trouble for beating Shaban. I asked why he was laughing and he thought this was funny and he said that he had hit Shaban because Shaban had been beating a younger kid, so Silas hit him and told him that it was wrong. He said that Shaban and him and hadn't been good friends before that but now they are...
I loved hearing Silas story. He has done and seen everything on the street and not in a good way, but to see him now, working hard and doing well in school and actually "setting things right" and having a moral conscience about things just made me happy.
He's got a sweet heart, but you definitely don't want to cross him...

This afternoon was spent at Gilgal High School. I missed going last week because of malaria and was so excited to get to see their faces. I taught a lesson about igneous rocks, (so interesting)and then we talked about the upcoming election in America, tornados, cellars, maps...Their questions were ridiculous!

Tomorrow we leave for Nairobi to pick Katie and Ryanne! Once we pick them up we'll go on safari for a day and be back in Kitale by friday evening...so if our blogs are quiet for a couple days thats why...but well have some great pictures once we get back

The Show pt.2

So I couldnt finish blogging about the show last night because the malaria kicked in and I got tired, plus there was just too much stuff to put on one blog so heres the rest...

This was the initial group that showed up to Oasis, but then we added the house boys and some others along the way...



This was the stadium where they had soccer and rugby games as well as marching bands...


Moses





Don't worry the bleachers might look a little unstable, but they didn't wobble too much...


Look quickly, it looks real...Everyone said that the show used to be better when President Moi was in power because the animals were real, but they said now its not as fun as it used to be. They said it was pretty much the same every year.


How do you feed over 100 kids lunch? Easy whole loaves of bread and soda


Fun


We got lost in some corn for a while...


The perfect ending to the day of coarse would be to ride a camel, so...




We were famous, some guy even videotaped our entire ride, which lasted all of a minute...

Kitale Show

Yesterday was one of the biggest days for the Oasis kids and most of the school kids in and around Kitale...
Once a year "The Show" comes to Kitale from Wed-Sat. Its like the county fair in America. Its meant to be an agricultural show to display agricultural and farming techniques. But they also have rides, like the giant swing, which looked a little rusty, and games and attrations...all of which you have to pay for.

Cabbage


We had just over 100 kids from Oasis and the various schools around Kitale. Most kids were let out of school so they would be able to attend. We were told all kinds of things before we got into the show, like watch your bags and pockets because there are tons of pickpockets. One student even told me that you could get stabbed...nice. Of coarse they like to exagerate a little, but after Patrick and Manu punched a guy for trying to pickpocket before we even got into the show, everyone was paying attention...

Some plants...


Joseph gave his approval


Timo and Moses





Chris & John


A bunch of agricultural stuff I didn't know about...It was awesome because they would point something out and say "Do you know what that is?"I would ignorantly say "no" and they would explain the whole thing.




Allison, Moses and Timo


These people are making fun of the British colonists...


Omega 1, This is the dance club that stays open 24 hours a day and we can hear from our house, when it wakes me up at 330AM everyday


Stuard


Andrew


Some other attractions on display...



Were not quite sure what happened to this camel, all we know was it somehow ended up head-first down this hole...its one of those trainwreck things where its horrifying to watch but you almost have to look to see for yourself...They said they tried to get it out but I guess they couldn't


If you were ever curious as to how much a pigs head would cost, they could tell you





P.I.G.


Paul & Justus


Dorcas


Joseph


Soccer Stadium



Im going to have to cut it off here and continue tomorrow....

African Articles

There has been a lot going on in the headlines over here in Africa as far as politics and fighting, and I'm just curious as to how much of it is actually making it over to the U.S...
Let me say that NONE of whats going on makes me feel unsafe. It just seems that in most of Africa's history there have been so many great tragedies that have never even made it to us in the U.S. until it was too late to do anything about it or we've heard just enough to know somethings going on but our government doesn't think it's necessary to act, like the genocide in Rwanda and Darfur, starvation in Ethiopia, or pirates hijacking ships off the coast of Somalia...
Here are some recent headlines...



Deadly car bombs hit Somaliland

At least 29 people have died in a wave of coordinated car-bombings across northern Somalia.





Congolese government troops and UN peacekeepers engage in fierce fighting with rebel forces in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, sending more refugees fleeing






Drought in the Horn of Africa is deepening after the failure of annual rains, and the UN estimates that more than 14.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.



Darfur



This post is in no way meant to be harsh or cause guilt, but maybe raise more awareness and provoke curiosity...I hope it didnt come off negatively

It's Time

So after not being able to sleep all night and feeling like my whole body was on fire, I thought I might possibly have malaria.
I went to Sister Fredas this morning and got tested and found out I had it.
It's ridiculous how fast it came on and from out of nowhere...
Last night we hosted Sister Freda and Richard for dinner and I felt a little hot but i just figured it was because I had been in the sun all day...
Well by about the 5th time of waking up and feeling like I was on fire, I thought just maybe I might have malaria....

Malaria Virus





I have to say it really sucks...It comes in waves. So after I recieved my huge shot in the ass, of which I have 4 MORE to go, I felt better. Then I came home and got hot flashes and a migrane. I ended up just sleeping all afternoon and when I say all afternoon I mean from 12:30 to after 6...I feel a bit better now but theres almost no way to describe it...All I know is is sucks and it comes in waves...Im definitely not looking forward to my series of shots that await me the next 4 days...
At least Im getting it over with right?