Safari!

We had a lovely time at our safari in Amboseli.  Sunset and sunrise outings to see lots of elephants, zebra, wildebeest, Thompson gazelles, hippos from a distance, several baboons, a few reebok, two giraffes, one hyena, and one lion! Lots of birds too, including huge flocks of flamingos, which have only come to Amboseli this year.  They were too far away for pictures, but it was like seeing a lake of pink in the distance.

The team was very appreciative of our overnight respite at Amboseli after two intense weeks of ministry.  Thank you to all of our supporters who helped make this year's trip possible.  Our Kenyan friends wanted us to be sure to thank everyone and let you know that they are thankful beyond words for you and your friendship.  Asante sana to all.

New Dawn Last Day

This year our healing arts camp was just two days.  This worked well, but we did feel like it would always be good to spend more time with these students. After completing two more rotations of students through our four art classes, everyone shared their work in a performance put on for each other.  New Dawn Director, Irene, and Pastor Sammy of the Huruma church were both on hand to encourage the students and what they had accomplished.  After the performance we had a certificate ceremony and then said our goodbyes, which took a long time.  We were supposed to leave at 3 to avoid Nairobi traffic, but of course, we didn't make it out until 4 pm.

Some highlights were seeing the students, many of whom we've had for 3 years now, really begin to understand the value of the arts and how they can continue to express themselves through them to help address their pain and trauma, even after we have gone.

Several New Dawn alums were also there to visit, including Sammy, whom we learned is finally going to be sponsored for college.  Because he is the oldest son, he has been delaying college for himself, in order to provide for his family and see to it that his younger sister Faith completes college. Faith has recently graduated and we were all thrilled to hear he will be attending next term.   My other special New Dawn alum, Kaycee, whom I have known now for 5 years also came for a visit. She shared a powerful dramatic poem during the student performance.  She also shared that she is now attending university and studying social work.  That was another hallelujah moment for me, knowing that several of these students who have grown up in the slums now have the opportunity to truly break free from their systemic poverty.

Another poignant sample of the hands the students created of their past and future. 

Our finished mural titled "Reaching for the Stars"

Joseph helped with our camp and worked with Lance in the music class. 

Melabone, the head student, helped explain our art work during the performance.

Purity is one of our students who shared her poetry.

Kaycee performing her dramatic poem. 

The students always enjoy receiving certificates. 

Two alums.  One is Steven who is part of a team of 4 brothers who have been sponsored for college.  Zedikiah on the left is a very talented musician, the sole provider for his younger sister, who is waiting to go to college and needs sponsorship.  It breaks our hearts that we cannot support all who need it.  

New Dawn Day 1

The first day of our Healing Arts Camp at New Dawn High School went very well.  This year we are rotating 4 groups of students through each of our art forms: visual, music, drama, and poetry.

Our theme is the same as it was for Jamii school - the life of Moses and the plans God has to give us hope and a future.  In the visual arts this year I had the students do an art therapy prompt focused on our past and future selves.  They traced their hands, and on one they drew pictures and words representing their past,  and on the other, their future dreams and hopes.

We then cut them out and glued them on a canvas of the night sky with our hands reaching for the stars.

This one hand of the past was particularly poignant.  

This young man did a beautiful job expressing how God is powerful enough to redeem our past and how he will be our provider in the future. 

Two rotations of students done!  Two more to go tomorrow.

When they were done with their past and future hands I had them do Paul Klee inspired grid paintings with the letters in their names and water color the grid.  They each got to take home a water color set thanks to the many school supply donations I received from my teacher friends and their students in Sherwood.  They were thrilled to receive their own set of watercolors. 

All smiles as they completed their two projects.  More to come tomorrow!

Meeting the Mamas

 Driving up to Miriam's Mama's house we are welcomed by the local mamas we serve.  They sing and dance along the road, waving to our vans, then follow us up to Mama and Isaac's place.

Once we are all there, the mamas continue to sing and dance their welcome.  Several of us join in on the dancing. 

After the welcome, we distribute the food, flashlights, and sheets that we brought along with care packages of clothes and shoes.  Ann is here with mama Therese whose house we visited later.

No matter how hard we try, there's always some logistic that needs checking and rechecking.

The next task was distributing shoes for the children we support.  Matching shoes to kids was a challenge, but once we did the smiles on their faces was immense.

There is a wonderful group of mamas who prepare lunch for us.  Here is one rolling out chapati.  We had some of our best meals here at mama's.

Ann and Inga setting up their sewing class for the day.  They were making aprons to sell later. 

A very full day!  Back to the Savannah and then special olympics the next day. 

Shocking Stories from The "S" Hotel

Update:  Miriam thought it best to be more cryptic about our hotel.  So here is the updated post about our lovely accommodations in the hinterlands.

The "S" is the "hotel" where our team stayed while in rural Kenya to avoid driving all the way back to Nairobi after a very full day of seeing over 100 patients, dispensing food, making home visits, and conducting sewing classes with the mamas.   Here is our top ten reasons for never staying at the S again.

When staying at the S, one should be prepared for:

1. never ending looping of the same disco song blaring by the pool.

2. no hot water (last year Judy and I had no water at all, so this was a step up) or scalding hot water depending on your room.

3. no towels (that appears to be extra)

4. mosquitos that get around your netting because they don't go all the way around your bed (bring bug spray to spray on your netting)

5. exposed wires on the shower head that...yes...gives you a shock when turning on the water.

6. servers that stand behind the buffet line watching you try to wrestle all the saran wrap off all the dishes and hunt for the serving spoons.

7. "new" rooms with re-purposed metal doors that looked like old gates which used skeleton keys and had locks that didn't line up in the door jam.

8. dining hall that was so poorly lit you couldn't see your food, which... as it turns out, was a good thing, because this was the worst food we've had in Kenya.

9. the lights in your room not working because the power switch to a whole block of rooms happened to be in Judy's and my room.

And the number 10 reason we won't be returning to the S:

10.  one flush toilets... the tanks don't refill.  After your first flush, you are done.

Outing with Senior Class

Today was the day we went out to New Dawn and met the senior class.  The team took a quick tour around their campus and learned about the amazing work they are doing to provide a high school education for students who would not be able to afford school.  

Judy and I saw Maina and re-connected with him.  He provides care for the cows and gardens that help feed the students and sometime fills in as guard.  His daughter is currently being supported to go to university by Hans and Lois Blom.  

After the tour we were off to the Nairobi National Museum.  The students had never been there and were excited to go. 

I was excited to go to.  The museum was the original brainchild of Richard and Mary Leaky.  

In addition to the great displays of animals there were many archeological displays of the origins of man...including LUCY! 

The students had a fun time at the various displays including the snake park outside...which most of our team passed on, including Miriam and me. We just wanted to admire the cool sculpture outside the museum.

After the museum we headed back to our guest house where the staff had set up a nice lunch buffet under cover in the parking lot.  Last year it was on the lawn, which is now under construction for a new conference area.  Behind the kitchen they are also building a new 7 story guest house.  Seem like there is construction everywhere!

My student was Eunice.  She was so beautiful and interested in learning more about America.  She will also be at the Healing Arts camp we will put on next week.  This year's group of seniors were all much more engaged and didn't seem as shy.  Several of them we have had in the arts camp, so were more comfortable.   This year we did our gifts a little differently.  Each team mate was given 2 students to create gift bags for.  We had a great time shopping for these and the students were thrilled to open up all the goodies we brought.  Ann's student was crying and giggling all at the same time as she took out the gifts one by one from her bag. 

Sad to say goodbye.  It never seems to be enough time. 

Choma and Travel Day

Yesterday most of the education team headed back to our main guest house. Stephanie, Becci, and Kay stayed behind to spend time with the Jamii teachers.  Kay was able to meet with many of them to provide additional trauma training and counseling.  Then they all had a lunch together called a "Choma" which really means bbq goat!
Kizimani wanted to help communicate to the teachers how special they are and how much we appreciate what they do on so very little.  (Their salaries are half of government job salaries) Hope to get some pictures of that later!

Traveling back we see lots of roadside stands and sometimes immense farmer markets all crammed together.  Lots of cabbages, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and sometimes rhubarb!

Everything is always neatly piled in buckets or little pyramids.

For once I got to follow the police and not the other way around.