Blessed

I can’t believe it’s been nearly five weeks. It’s hard to explain how days here seem to be so slow, and the concept of time in Kenya is definitely a lot different than anything I’ve experienced in the states, yet time has still gone by so incredibly fast.

Days seem to be becoming a bit of a blur of cleaning, laundry, paperwork, nursery school, and lots of playtime. This past Saturday morning we got to greet the new addition to the livestock living here when Daniel notified me that one of the cows had had her calf the night before. After finishing up laundry with Ann, a bunch of us took several of the toddlers to see the newborn as it wobbled around on its unsteady legs. It was adorable, and so soft, but it took some convincing to get some of the kids anywhere near it – many of them are terrified of most animals. When the very friendly watchdogs Cole and Jinx are lying out on the porch, poor Peter John won’t even step outside, though a few of the younger kids have made it into a bit of a game, yelling “Sa, Sa!” And running after the dogs, proud of themselves shooing away their enemies.

Later on, I had the chance to accompany Donna (a long-term volunteer who’s been here for the past seven years, only leaving every six months as her visa expires), Sara, and Joyce (the nursery school teacher) to the visiting day of six of IAA’s boarders. That afternoon, we loaded up the car with Chipatis, chicken, rice, and some of Jen’s freshly-baked cookies and stopped off to get sodas as well as some beef stew before arriving at Good Shepherd Academy. The lawn in front of their chapel was covered with cars parked with families picnicking and visiting with their students. We found Kennedy, Joseph, Francis, Simon, Kevin, and Grace and propped open the back of the car to serve everyone lunch. All the kids huddled inside for warmth (it was plenty windy and cold) and Sara and I plopped right outside to enjoy our Kenyan meal. It was fun to see the kids, and I only wish I was able to be around when they were home on another one of their offs (I was able to meet them earlier during my trip when they came home for three days, but their two-week break isn’t until the end of July).

Fourth of July felt incredibly unusual this year. Being that it was a Sunday, we enjoyed church with all the neighborhood kids, and after that most of us stayed indoors watching a movie and playing cards where there was a warm fire to help fend off the cold (I taught some of the older kids how to play Egyptian Rat Screw and they get quite the kick out of trying to slap all the “sandwiches” and “doubles” at the right time). So no barbecue, fireworks, or celebrations… but I have to say – I think life here’s a pretty good trade-off, even if we are missing out on the American fun back home.

Yesterday afternoon Sara and I helped out in the nursery school during their “writing” time while Joyce went to the kitchen for prayers with the rest of the IAA staff. The kids are always more wild than usual without her around, so we definitely had our hands full. But I’ve felt that we’ve been able to be more helpful in nursery school recently – with the extra help Joyce is able to split the kids into two groups, one that can do a pretty good job writing out numbers, the alphabet, and even their names, while the other focuses on drawing their ones, zeros, A’s, and shapes.

Suddenly most of them seem to have figured out my name, so every time they decide they need help on something they yell out, “Auntie Carly, Auntie Carly!” over and over and over until I acknowledge them.

When things slowed down a bit later on in the afternoon, Sara and I took Joy and Jacob for a walk down the road. Joy did a great job marching along, pointing at all the cows on the side of the road and asking, “Auntie, doggie?” while Jacob was a trooper, laughing at the dogs who were walking with us while I carried him tied to my back Kenyan style in a lesso.

Its mid-afternoon right now, and this is right about the time things start getting more and more chilly outside. But it’s also getting close to when the big kids get done with school. Recently I’ve had a really good time hitching a ride in the van to pick them up and bring them back to the site. The scenery is green and beautiful along the way, and on the way home we talk about their days or I listen to them sing.

The last few days have included many transitions. We were all sad to see Krisitn leave on Saturday, Donna left yesterday, and we have one new arrival of a visitor who’s only planning on staying for the next week. Its hard knowing that I have such a seemingly short time left here, and I really do wish it would work out to stay longer. But everything happens for a reason, and I know I’ve been so incredibly blessed to be here as long as I have.