"Would you love to be ordinary?"

Today was just another day, nothing out of the ordinary. I went to Oasis for most of the day, went into town, had some lunch, and then went home.
Just a regular day, but I guess I would have thought that by now it would feel like just that, an ordinary day, but i swear I just get happy all over again.




Its not an ordinary day, I mean I do the same thing, but I never wake up not wanting to see those kids. Or think it will be the same as the day before.



I sat with Manu, one of the teachers/adminstrative people at Oasis, during their break and watched the kids play soccer and just asked him more questions about them. Where they came from, what their life is like now, what they're like at Oasis when were not around, if theyre really as great as we think they are or is it just an act...




It was sad to hear deeper details of some of the kids stories but I was thinking as we were watching them play soccer and later teaching in class, how thankful I was for them and thankful they have a place to go like Oasis, and that they actually come everyday...

Kevin, I love this kid, he's still on the street but comes everyday and spends extra time asking me questions after math class


Kamao


Moses


Silas on his first day of class


It's already half way through November and February is going to come faster than I can imagine. I don't mean to but I think about it all the time, what it's going to look like to leave. Part of me wonders whether I've made a difference. Once I leave, someone else will come to take my place. Do I mean anything to these kids? Am I attached more then them? Probably, but then I have to remind myself none of that matters. The point is not my gain, but that these street kids, who their whole life have been thrown away and abandoned, feel like they're worth something.
I don't know what to do with all of these thoughts, I guess I have 3 more months to think...

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Katie and Ryanne. I was sad to see them go. Allison was more sad, rightfully so, they're her best friends, but I loved having them here, they were so much fun.





I've known them both since Jr. High. Katie used to be my small group leader and Ryanne, Allison, and I were good friends. We haven't kept in touch much since I moved to Nashville, but it was great to just reconnect after all these years.
So this post is dedicated to Katie and Ryanne, it was great to have you and you were so much fun. Ry, I hope you had a great first trip and can have a pizza when you get home. Kate, I cant wait to see you back here in February.

This weekend has been a lot of fun but super busy because we tried to cram as much in as possible for Katie, Ryanne, and Matt. The weekend started Friday night at house 3, with dinner with Joseph, Ovito, John, Isaiah, Wiki, and Patrick.
Again, we can't attend an event like this without bringing our cameras. We hand then out then come back at the end of the night to discover the fun....

Wiki...


Cooking fat, this is what you put on the jiko to help cook the chipati. You have to put it on before the Chipati and even when you flip it, all that to say all of that cooking fat is definitely ending up on your ass...




Ovito


Little John can mess you up with his martial arts


They like to pose with the vegitation





Isiah's having a soccer


Ovito's Chinese












Anthony, the house dad, likes to call this our family picture



Saturday morning we went to the women's prison where James works to spend some time with the female inmates. The warden said they rarely receive visitors so they really appreciated us coming. Allison sang, Ryanne read from the bible and spoke, and at the end the warden asked if we could go to the women individually and pray for them...I have to be honest and say that I havent done this a lot so I was pretty sure I was going to screw it up. But, I ended up loving it.
As I started praying for them I just overwhelmingly wondered if anyone cared for them, if they felt loved or known. It broke my heart to think that these women might feel that they were throw aways, that no one knew they were in prison or cared. No one should feel that way. I just prayed over and over that they would know they were important and were meant for something more than prison...After the prison everyone went to Tumaini and i went home to rest. I've been sick again so I wanted to rest a little

Pool Day!

Yesterday was thursday so that meant it was our day to take the kids that live at Sister Fredas to the pool at the Kitale Club. Last week we were in Nairobi so we weren't able to take the kids, and with Ryanne, Katie, and Matt all being here we were really excited to take them this week...

On thursday mornings I usually walk with Umi and Yulia (our other housemates from the Ukraine and Uzbekistan) to Sister Freda's home and then we all go into town so Freda and Richard can run their errands before we head out to the hospital and pick up the kids...Freda had to go "the market" in town to get some things and I decided to take some pictures of the craziness....






Now on to the pool...Richard said they were really looking forward to going because it had been so long since the last time.










Elia performed a musical poolside


Moses rocked the sunglasses



And also practiced his jumps


Morgan


Gale and Susan


Having some chips (fries) by the pool


Matt


Elia offered Chris his pumpkin, but after Elia smeared it on the ground a couple times, Chris decided he didn't want any


Elia