It's been awhile

Hey gang. So, it has been a while since I have written anything. Actually, you have yet to hear about any Kenyan adventures. This has been due to the fact that there is limited internet connection, but while I have it I will jump right in and begin at the beginning of our journey. On Monday June 8th after leaving Indianapolis at 3:00 in the afternoon and flying approximately 17 hours we arrived in Nairobi, Kenya. we spent the night there at the Methodist Guest House, where I slept under a misquito net. It looked just as pretty as it might in a little girls room in the states, but was vastly more functional. Tucked in under our nets we all tried for a good night's sleep to acclimate ourselves to the new time.

We woke up the next morning for another day of travel, journeying to Eldoret. Even though it took longer to drive than to fly, I was glad for it , because we got to see the countryside. We saw zebra, flamingos, baboons, cows, sheep, and donkeys all from the car window. We journeyed throught the Great Rift Valley, the cradle of civilization, past a dormant volcano, and over the equator line. An exciting car ride indeed.

After spending several days in Eldoret and learning about AMPATH and the clinic there that partners with IU (Indiana University), we continued on to Kisumu. Which is where we are staying for the remainder of the summer. We are working with the UMOJA project which is a wonderful, office free, on the ground organization. UMOJA, which means "unity" in Kis-Swahili, works to support orphans and vunerable children (OVC's) in several different ways. It helps pay school fees for the children in secondary school, it helps provide the children with school uniforms, it provides sanitary napkins for the girls, blankets, and most recently it has begun a school lunch program. This initiative was begun, because Joseph Okuya (Director in Kenya) and Ellen-Howells Danniel (Director in Indiana) asked the teachers what the number one hindrance was that was keeping children from school. They said that the children often couldn't come because they had to work for food, and when they were there had a difficult time focusing, because they were hungry. The partnership is very important, the people here in Kenya help identify the children in need and help identify what their needs are. The guardians of the children help, along with the UMOJA project, to grow and supply food for the children. It is a wonderful relationally based program. I hope in the future I will have time to tell you stories of the children. They are so hard working, kind, and loving. Words cannot convey my experiences.