Dancing with a Kenyan

Well, it wasn't exactly a tribal dance or anything.

It was with a teeny tiny girl from a nursery in here blue school uniform.

"da-da-da-da clap. da-da-da-da clap." And the beat went on for about thirty minutes.

She was rockin' that beat and I was trying to keep up.

Today we went to Emmanuel School, a vocational school that Mocha Club supports. They had classes for catering, fashion, computers, beauty, and nursery to name a few. I chose to do to fashion and design to get in touch with my long lost artistic side. I got to tie die (Kenyans say tie and die) a piece of canvas. I made it say "hope for Kenya." One lady's said "Obama." If you didn't know this... his family is from Kenya and all the Kenyans get excited all over again about him whenever they learn that we are from the States. Anyways... it was really wonderful seeing the women learning to sew clothing. Ian, a guy on our trip, got stuck going to beauty school. Two hours later he leaves beauty school with a set of extensions and corn rows in his hair.

The significance of this is the location. We were in the middle of the Kibera slum as I have talked about a few times before. A man named Raphael explained a little more to us today. He said that it is absolutely unsafe after 8pm there and that any of us would be lucky to survive a night. Many children acquire STDS at a young age. Many teens have lost hope and wonder if God really cares. Mocha Club, Ellie's Run for Africa, and African Leadership teamed together to build this school because education is the only practical way to get out of the slums. I met Naomi, a 30 yr old who works at the school, and she told me her story about the struggles of growing up in Kibera. In 2007 there were post-election riots. It was brutal to the point where they do not tell us much detail about it. All we really know is that as whites we would have never been safe 3 short years ago.

Many people are turning to Islam for their faith here. It is growing quickly in Kibera.

Addition from yesterday:

I looked at my journal last night after blogging and on the first page I wrote Jeremiah 33:3 back in March. Wednesday while on the bus Mrs. Susan (our African mommy) out of the blue said, "Call to me and I will answer you and will show you great and hidden things that you did not know."

I thought it was really cool that right next to my "pray for Kenya" page in my journal was that verse... and then months later while in Kenya the Lord reminded me of that verse through her.

Also...things from Kitui still weigh heavy on my heart. If you didn't read yesterday\s blog I hope you can manage some time to read a novel :)

But really, those three days were life changing.


Today was a ray of sunshine. Dancing with those little children and later enhoying some tea outside our hotel was relaxing and peaceful.

Swahili word of the week:
Sawa: It's ok
Asanti Sana: Thank you very much
Karibu: welcome

ps. We have been lookin' like a fool with our Swahili. Sometimes we hear giggles as people walk off. bring it. It is all part of the fun

pss. Toilets in Kenya have a mind of their own

psss. I have never had more rice in my entire life.

I LOVE AFRICA!!!!!!

That's all I have for today. Yesterday was so intense that we all needed a bit of rejuvenation.

"Things already better. Things already better. When the Lord is on the throne things already better." This is a song the orphans sang yesterday in Kitui. Don't ask me to do the accent. I have been informed that my accent sounds Chinese. It'll get better.

Family: I found "Soul Sanders." He was the boy on the hill in the last post. The one who is raised by a nineteen year old.