Another Wonderful Week

Last Sat. we hosted 9 of the high school teachers for lunch and fellowship.  It was good to get to know them more.  One of the things in the library is 25 piece puzzles.  These are a challenge for most of the kids as they have never seen them before. So we decided to see how the teacher would be with these.  So for fun we made it a race. They paired up to work on one.  To our amazement they struggled with them as well.  But in that struggle they had fun as they all wanted to be first.  This Sat. we are having the academy and nursery kids over for lunch.  We will do the same with them.  Should be a good day.

I also had a chance to visit Kauka which is an outreach of PACE.  It is a nursery school for mostly Turkana children living in a more remote area about a 15 min. drive from where I am.  There is one teacher teaching up to 40 kids from age 3 – 11.  My church has supported this ministry for some time so it was good to go and touch base and spend time with kids.  There was even a child supporting Toronto and didn’t even know it.  This child also did not want to come near me.  This is common with more rural kids that don’t see white people often.  The teacher had to make her stand up and hold her hands in order for me to take the picture.  

I also spent more time with the nursery kids at PACE.  After reading a story I got my laptop (have I mentioned I am so glad to have it back) and played some kids music videos.  They love it.  Next week will be a cartoon move as they have requested. 

This Sat. we had the academy and nursery kids over for lunch.  We had a great time of good Kenyan food and wonderful fellowship.  We had them do puzzles again and they loved it.  It became a pretty big race of who could do it the fastest.  We had a great time.

Library

I am happy to say that the library is coming along great.  The kids are so excited to have it open.  They rush to get there first to get the items they want to play with or read.  It is hard to say no to the kids that want to come in but it is not a big room so there can only be so many in at one time.  The kids know when it is there turn and try to sneak in when it is not there turn.  Kids are the same no matter were in the world they are.  My schedule basically is Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Class (grade) 1, 2 and 3 each take a turn coming in over lunch for about an hour.  Half the time they spend playing and the other half reading.  Sometimes I will read a book to them or they will read on their own.  From Monday to Friday from 3:30 to 6:00 the library is open for class 4 to Form 4 (grade 12).  This is a busy time.  Uno and checkers is the wanted games for both young and old.  I play Uno with them and they take great pleasure in beating me.  They play checkers with some different rules but they beat me doing that as well.  We have dolls and stuffed toys they all like to play with.  They enjoy also reading the story’s to me or myself reading to them.  On the weekends I try to be there in the afternoons for a period of time.  There is no comment made but if I can get over there I do.  On Wednesday morning I also spend time with the nursery classes (age 3-5).  This past week I read a story (interpreted by a teacher) and then they drew a picture of a butterfly from the story.  Then I gave them two stickers to put on them.  It was a good morning.  I will also be spending time with two of the outreach ministry at pace that have nursery schools.  I want to be with them to read and spend time with them.  So keeping busy enough and trying to be with the kids as much as possible.

Good News

I am happy to report that I have my laptop back it is working well.  I praise God for this. It is so nice to have my own computer back.  Though the hard drive was damaged and I lost all my files at least I have a working computer.  I also have all the pictures I have taken since I came on my camera so I have not lost those as well. The good news is that I have everything backed up at home so I know I can get them when I return.  The other good news is that I am feeling much better.  I am eating and feeling hungry which is great.  I didn’t realize until after I was feeling better how long I had not been.  Yesterday I enjoyed chips (French fries) and chicken again.  There is no place in Canada that compares to the fires here.  It was good to enjoy them again.

Now that I have my computer back I hope to have more updates on a regular bases

Sorry for the delay in getting another post up.  To say that my life has been filled with many things would be an understatement.  Last Sunday my computer fell from the couch to the cement floor.  This caused it to stop working.  We spent the following week trying to find someone we could trust to fix it in town. After a week of looking we had no luck.  During that week as well my stomach was not right.  By Thurs. I new it was time to see a doctor.  So we went to the hospital in town (the only way to see a doctor) and was checked out. They said I have Typhoid.  I don't quite believe it since I had a shot for it but they gave me meds which seem to be helping a little.  I am slowing starting to eat more with out a "reaction".  Then on Friday we had scheduled a trip to Nairobi so I took my computer along to have it looked at.  After a lot of talking it was discovered that the hard drive was broke and I would need a new one.  So it is currently there being fixed and Lord willing I will have it back on Thursday.  Luckily the girl I am living with has a computer so I am able to use hers to check in.  But I can't wait to get my back.  Even if I have lost everything.  The good thing is that I backed up everything before I left.  The files are at home and that is good.
As for the library things are coming a long great.  The kids are very excited to have it open again.  I am slowly getting to know them and there personalities.  I am working with kids as young as 3 and as old as grade 12.  So there is a lot but it is coming along.  Once I have my computer back and up and running I will post pictures and a more updated report.

Creatures

So I can’t decide which I dislike worse.  Is it the flying termites that come after the rain into my house or the big black spiders that appear out no were and move very fast.  When the termites come diving at my head I want the spiders.  Then I walk into a room and there on floor is a spider to great me.  Just so you know I do kill them myself with a shoe and a very hard smack.  As long as the mice stay away we should be good to go.

Matatu ride

Well I have become pretty good at taking a Matatu into town.  This morning I needed some things so I headed in.  Walk up the “PACE road” to the tarmac (paved road) about 5 min.  Did not need to stay long before one came along.  The ride in does not take long about 7 mins so you might not think you could pick up a lot more people along the way.  This is not true.  Remember  that these vehicles are small vans.  There is someone call the conductor the works with driver to get people in and make sure they pay.  When I got it there were three in the front.  Three in the middle one being the conductor and two in the back.   By the mid-point to town there were three in the front, four in the middle and four in the back.  It was full and the conductor was not in.  Where does he go?  He lifts the hatch at the back and crams himself in and closes it.  All I wanted to do was turn around to see how much space he really had but I am pretty sure he had only enough to lay down and close the door. Crazy Kenyan’s.  I prayed for safe travel and we arrived safe and sound and the driver got his money’s worth.  The way home from town I took a motor bike.  Faster and believe it or not I feel safer.  It just costs a little more so one way is good.  

Camp Pictures

This is out of order again but here are some pictures from the kids camp.

Sunday Supper

Well after a wonderful day of worship and fellowship what does one have for supper.  I say you have what I would have at home which as you can see the picture is popcorn, fresh oranges just picked from the tree a few days ago and crackers and chocolate.  Perfect meal.

Baden

This blog will be out of order but just got some fast internet so decided to take advantage of it.  On our way to camp with the kids we stopped at the Scouts Information place.  The name of the founder caught my eye.  Looks like I didn't have to go far to see my home time name.

Reading and a friend

This morning as the sun came out to warm the cooler morning I decided to sit outside and do some reading.  As I was siting there I heard something beside me and when I looked there was a chicken.  Now I don't have chickens.  This chicken had come from another and decided to join me for a while. This is pretty normal here.  I can also walk outside my gate and be greeted by a few cows in the morning.  It is a part of life here which always brings a smile to my face.