swimming with street boys

first, let me say that i really appreciate the comments that people post.  it is very encouraging to know that people are reading what i'm writing and staying connected with what's happening here.  it's not always easy for me to communicate back to you b/c the internet is slow and the keyboard keys all stick and the internet goes out in the middle of typing, but i am thinking of you all back home and praying for you.

today was a pretty awesome day.  i've been feeling overwhelmed lately by the number of people in our house.  we've had a lot of get togethers recently, which is fine, but having 20+ people in this very tiny apartment of ours is a bit much.  plus there's always loud music on or movies or people constantly getting phone calls/texts in the middle of prayers and no one switching off their phones (totally ok and acceptable).  it's really hard for me to take in, but i try.  this man two computers down from me has someone loudly calling him through the computer, but it doesn't sound like skype, and he was snapping at the cyber cafe worker to come fix the computer.  everyone snaps here to get people's attention.  anyway, despite all this, good stuff happened today.

we went to minister to the street boys today.  we did the skit about the man who is in his house when the flood comes.  he prays that god would save him.  3 people come to help him (one on foot, one in a boat, and one in a plane).  each time he rejects their help and says god will save him.  and the water gets higher and higher until he dies.  he goes to heaven and asked what happened, and god tells him he sent 3 people to help, but he refused each person.  we compared this story with the boys to their lives and how we're here to help them make better choices to get off the streets but that the decision is in their hands.  alex got a guitar today, so we were able to sing some worship music with them.  we then took about 11 kids who were "clean"ish, although not really, and not using to drugs, to go swimming.  (most of the other kids sold the soap we gave them for drugs and they were really dirty).  we had this huge group of us walking to the YMCA, and everyone was staring at the mzungus walking with all the street kids.  i honestly didn't think they'd let us in at the Y b/c these kids were pretty dirty, but they did.  the dutch guys came to help giving swimming lessons.  the kids loved getting in the water, and we were able to teach them a little.  apparently, the jump in the river a lot chasing plastic bags, and sometimes they drown b/c they can't swim.  unfortunately, the water was super cold even for me, and since africans are always wearing sweaters when it's 75 degrees, they were of course very cold.  most of the shorts we bought them for swimming were too big, and so all of them were falling down or barely staying up.  we were a sight to behold splashing around in that pool, people frantically kicking their feet, and trying to learn to breath under water.  afterwards we took them to a big park called aboretum.  it is my new favorite place in nairobi.  we had to walk pretty far out of town up a hill to get there.  it's a shaded park full of trees and paths, flowers, even monkeys and it's pretty clean.  i didn't feel like i was in nairobi there, and i thank god that this beautiful place exists in the midst of a city that is so chaotic.  for most kids it was their first time to see a monkey.  we sang songs, ate chips, and walked around.  it was really sad to leave the boys this afternoon.  i think god has really given rachel, ash, and i a heart for them.  we hope to visit them more and more.  we gave them big hugs on the street corner and had to leave not knowing if we'll see them again.  (francis, my favorite kid from before, was no where to be seen today).  they were already asking people waiting in traffic for money.  please pray for these boys, that they would desire to make good choices, and that there would be a place for them to go.  we took peter with us today, and the boys were very impressed, and jealous to see him looking clean and in nice clothes.

another funny thing that happened yesterday was that our matatu was over filled (with 18 people i think).  the matatu conductor told us that if we get pulled over we should all start crying and pretend we're going to a funeral so that no one would be in trouble.  so we practice fake crying in the matatu.  and speaking of funerals, people take pictures at funerals, which is really creepy and wierd for me.  popo made his girlfriend a movie slide show full of pictures from her sister's funeral..complete with the casket and grieving people.  i've seen it at least 3 times, and it bothers me to watch it.  and he used this really cool swahili song, but i don't want to listen to it ever b/c it makes me think of death.