So here I am in Ghana. This is like the longest day ever. We have an 11 hour layover here. We met another American guy here who is on the same connecting flight with us, and we're passing the time talking to him about his time in Kenya. Someone in the airport tried to make us pay money to get a transport visa when we arrived. I'm pretty sure that was just some shady deal he was attempting to make. He said we needed the visa because our time between our connecting flight was so long and that it cost $20. I said we don't have any money with us (which is true. I have like 50 shillings left and no American money). And after some talking back and forth he said he was willing to wave the fee for us. So we bypassed the customs line and walked out of the airport again to go back inside to departures. Again we definitely could have left the airport, but the problem is that they wouldn't check our luggage all the way. So we are sitting with 3 suitcases and 1 bag. Rachel is on luggage watching duty while I'm typing. No where in the whole airport accepts credit cards and so Rachel walked quite far to find an ATM to get some Ghanan money so that we could eat.
It has been an extremely hard day for me. I was crying hysterically all morning and at the airport. Edwin drove us there and Tall and Julius came with. They were all watching us through the windows waving to us as we waited in line for our tickets. I can't believe I am leaving all these people that I care about so much and that I have bonded with so well. Yes, there have been struggles at times and living with everyone was difficult. Us mzungus often got frustrated by the loud music which woke us up many times in the morning. But overall it has been such a good experience and I have learned so much.
Yesterday we went to juvenile for the last time to make chapati with the boys. Nearly everyone loves chapati here and for these boys it's a rare treat. They never have it at juvenile because it takes so long to make for that many people and isn't as cheap as other foods. This process went extremely smooth, much better than I expected. All the boys took turns mixing, rolling, and cooking. Overall there was minimal amount of pushing and fighting. And with so many hands we finished cooking in 2 hours. One boy told me he remembered doing this in 2008 when I was here. It is good to know that people remember. We had a small drama to deal with during the day because John, the street boy, stayed at our house on Friday. And Julius discovered in the morning that John had taken 3000 shillings from his wallet. So there was lots of discussion with him about what happened. It seems he misunderstood that Alex was only temporarily taking him to Kibera to stay for a few days before taking him home. I think John thought he was being left there. Of course that doesn't justify the stealing though.
We went out for Ethiopian food last night as a farewell dinner. And then we came back to the house for tea and people came over to pray for us. It was good to hear everyone recap about how they think the 2 months went and what we have learned from each other. Rachel and I tried to stay up most of the night so that we are very tired for the plane so that our bodies can adjust. We made it till about 3:30 a.m. and slept 2 hours before getting back up. We are decked out in our Kenyan garb, braided hair, and tire shoes. I think minus our skin color we could pass for Kenyans.
So Monday morning I will be home. I feel so conflicted and pulled in many directions. I know that school is about to begin in America and that I have a purpose there. But it is very hard to leave behind my life in Nairobi. The people that I've met are like my family. And the stories of the women and boys we've met really tug at my heart. I am so encouraged by the way people share the little that they have and the strong faith of people who have been through so much. I may be leaving Kenya, but I know that I will not forget what I have seen. This place is such a part of me and I pray that I will be changed for the better by what God has allowed me to experience. Thank you again for all your prayers. We have stayed fairly healthy for our whole trip and have yet to have anything stolen. We were kept safe at night when so many scary things happen in Nairobi. Truly God has protected us and we appreciate your prayers. Asante Sana. I hope to see some of you soon and share with you about my time here. Barikwa sana!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
More Goodbyes
As the week winds down, we are continuing to say bye to people. Yesterday was the small boys juvenile. Unfortunately we haven't really grown that close with those boys. They don't speak much English, so communication is difficult and we haven't spent as much time there as the other places. But all the same, we finished up our time there yesterday. Rachel, Alex, Tall, and Julius came back from Mombasa on Wednesday, so it has been nice having them around again. Today we enjoyed our last day with the street boys. We played all sorts of games with them. It becomes very apparent when doing this as to who is on a lot of drugs. We were playing that very simple hand clap game, Down By the Banks, and Kennedy could not grasp the simple comment of slapping the hand of the person next to him. Kennedy is probably at least 19 so this shouldn't be difficult but it really was for him. Fortunately I only saw one person actually using drugs today. And it happened at the end. It was an older man. He willingly gave me the bottle and rag he was using. I thought they were basically empty so I went to throw them up on the ledge where we always throw everything. But silly me didn't notice there were actually a lot of drugs in the container and it spilled all over my hair. I wouldn't normally even care that much except that my hair is braided and can't be washed. What to do??? I guess just spray lots of product all over it to cover up the smell :)
The boys had some nice things to say about how they enjoyed us being there and they never thought visitors like us would come see them and God bless us on our trip back home. The pastor also said that we've made him to have a backbone because he is better able to stand up to the boys and women and establish some ground rules. Rachel and I laughed about that. White people are known here for being open, honest, and speaking their minds. Yes, that probably fits us. At the end there were people from city council who came to meet with the boys. They told them all this stuff about how the constitution has rights for them and they can go to these free hospitals and they have a right to have a place to sleep, blah, blah, blah. They weren't telling them anything concrete, and it seemed like a bunch of hogwash to me. We asked Julius about it later and he said it was all talk--that nothing much would happen and that there is a government place where they take these boys but it's unacceptable. It's overcrowded; they aren't fed much; they have to wake up at 4 a.m. Many of the boys who go there just run away because the streets are actually a more appealing alternative. On a good note, we took another kid from the street today. He's currently at our house waiting for Alex. Alex is supposed to take him to live with his brother for the night and then take him home tomorrow. He was extremely excited on the bus ride home. He keeps trying to talk in this mzunugu voice, which just sounds really silly. He had a bad headache. I think maybe he is very dehydrated and hadn't eaten for a long time until we fed him lunch today. Also Francis showed up with the street boys today. That's the first time we've seen him in over a month. Rachel talked with him about where he's been and how we were disappointed that he ran away. She said he looked like he might cry. He looked to me like maybe he'd been using drugs too.
And then there's this issue of Peter. Rachel and I were just examining his leg before we came to the cyber. He has completely bled through the gauze on his leg. I fear that when they took the staples out that something bad happened. And I just wonder if there has been any improvement at all. We are going to get some new gauze on our way back to the house and have him rewrap it. I worry though that this issue really hasn't been solved at all after all the effort. Continue praying for him please.
We stopped by Julius' mom's house in Kibera and made tea for her. Their house is nice and tidy and she was so welcoming. I'm really going to miss hanging out and having tea with people. And Rachel and I were commenting yesterday about how we're going to miss street food. It's so yummy, convenient, and cheap! And I'm going to miss joking around on the matatus. Yesterday we pretended not to know Alex and let him strike up this conversation with us on the ride to juvenile. I think the guy next to Alex was really believing the whole thing and a little bit confused until I finally turned around and said, "We know him actually. He's our friend." And he just laughed.
Rachel and I discovered today that we think these little neighbor kids have been going through our stuff and eating our chocolate. It's really normal here for kids to just come into the house by themselves when your door is open. It's very wierd for Rachel and I and we usually kindly try to ask them to leave because they're just sort of walking all around the house. What we didn't realize is that they've been coming in while Peter is there by himself. Rachel was upset when she found her backpack and suitcase opened up. Nothing was missing, but it was a bit disorderly. I couldn't figure out why I keep having chocolate missing. We were hiding chocolate in our room to make s'mores and everyday a little bit more disappears. We're pretty sure the kids took it. I'm glad they didn't take any money or anything important. It's just wierd. And people share everything here, so food of ours often gets eaten. We don't mind so much except when it's something special we've gotten. There was a time we came home and a bag and a half of Ashley's marshmallows had disappeared (we found out some of our friends ate them). I think we're just very used to people asking before they help themselves and so that frustrates us a lot.
One more day here before we leave Sunday morning. We're going to juvenile to make chapati. And tonight I requested that we eat madondo (beans)...my favorite. Thanks so much for your prayers and support while I've been here. I appreciate knowing that you all care enough to read these long posts. Be prepared for lots of storytelling and picture showing when I get back on Monday.
The boys had some nice things to say about how they enjoyed us being there and they never thought visitors like us would come see them and God bless us on our trip back home. The pastor also said that we've made him to have a backbone because he is better able to stand up to the boys and women and establish some ground rules. Rachel and I laughed about that. White people are known here for being open, honest, and speaking their minds. Yes, that probably fits us. At the end there were people from city council who came to meet with the boys. They told them all this stuff about how the constitution has rights for them and they can go to these free hospitals and they have a right to have a place to sleep, blah, blah, blah. They weren't telling them anything concrete, and it seemed like a bunch of hogwash to me. We asked Julius about it later and he said it was all talk--that nothing much would happen and that there is a government place where they take these boys but it's unacceptable. It's overcrowded; they aren't fed much; they have to wake up at 4 a.m. Many of the boys who go there just run away because the streets are actually a more appealing alternative. On a good note, we took another kid from the street today. He's currently at our house waiting for Alex. Alex is supposed to take him to live with his brother for the night and then take him home tomorrow. He was extremely excited on the bus ride home. He keeps trying to talk in this mzunugu voice, which just sounds really silly. He had a bad headache. I think maybe he is very dehydrated and hadn't eaten for a long time until we fed him lunch today. Also Francis showed up with the street boys today. That's the first time we've seen him in over a month. Rachel talked with him about where he's been and how we were disappointed that he ran away. She said he looked like he might cry. He looked to me like maybe he'd been using drugs too.
And then there's this issue of Peter. Rachel and I were just examining his leg before we came to the cyber. He has completely bled through the gauze on his leg. I fear that when they took the staples out that something bad happened. And I just wonder if there has been any improvement at all. We are going to get some new gauze on our way back to the house and have him rewrap it. I worry though that this issue really hasn't been solved at all after all the effort. Continue praying for him please.
We stopped by Julius' mom's house in Kibera and made tea for her. Their house is nice and tidy and she was so welcoming. I'm really going to miss hanging out and having tea with people. And Rachel and I were commenting yesterday about how we're going to miss street food. It's so yummy, convenient, and cheap! And I'm going to miss joking around on the matatus. Yesterday we pretended not to know Alex and let him strike up this conversation with us on the ride to juvenile. I think the guy next to Alex was really believing the whole thing and a little bit confused until I finally turned around and said, "We know him actually. He's our friend." And he just laughed.
Rachel and I discovered today that we think these little neighbor kids have been going through our stuff and eating our chocolate. It's really normal here for kids to just come into the house by themselves when your door is open. It's very wierd for Rachel and I and we usually kindly try to ask them to leave because they're just sort of walking all around the house. What we didn't realize is that they've been coming in while Peter is there by himself. Rachel was upset when she found her backpack and suitcase opened up. Nothing was missing, but it was a bit disorderly. I couldn't figure out why I keep having chocolate missing. We were hiding chocolate in our room to make s'mores and everyday a little bit more disappears. We're pretty sure the kids took it. I'm glad they didn't take any money or anything important. It's just wierd. And people share everything here, so food of ours often gets eaten. We don't mind so much except when it's something special we've gotten. There was a time we came home and a bag and a half of Ashley's marshmallows had disappeared (we found out some of our friends ate them). I think we're just very used to people asking before they help themselves and so that frustrates us a lot.
One more day here before we leave Sunday morning. We're going to juvenile to make chapati. And tonight I requested that we eat madondo (beans)...my favorite. Thanks so much for your prayers and support while I've been here. I appreciate knowing that you all care enough to read these long posts. Be prepared for lots of storytelling and picture showing when I get back on Monday.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Last Day With the Street Women
So today was the last day with the street women. I didn't expect to get so emotional, but I definitely shed lots of tears. (Can't imagine what the next few days will be like). I was telling them about how the first time I came there, it was crazy. All the women were yelling, shouting, on drugs, complaining, etc. I complimented them on how far they'd come. Today they were sitting down nicely listening when we walked in. I'm so amazed by the small ways even that God is changing their lives. We brought cookies and juice for a small farewell party. We also carried thermoses of hot water so that we could wash the babies today. The moms helped us, which was really nice. And the kids seemed less upset by it. One little boy, James, just stood quietly in the water and didn't cry at all. Several of the kids have ringworm or some kind of worm on their skin, not to mention some crazy rashes. I think one boy had a severe case of diaper rash, or maybe something worse; I'm not sure. But I know that sitting in poopy pants all day cannot be good. The women had nice things to say to us. Mama Vincent gave me a necklace she made, and I gave her my shoes. They stink pretty badly, but I think with some cleaning they will last a long time and be much better than the cheap flip flops most people wear. Oh, and praise God...no one was doing drugs today.
In the morning we were in Kibera. I've stocked up on lots of things to sell...necklaces, earrings, woven basket bags, and some soap stone bowls. We had to do a little negotiating because a new lady came today and was trying to sell her necklaces for 100 shillings more than the other ladies. That's only a dollar, but still it's kind of a big deal. She tried to insist that the quality of her work was better, but I think they are equal. So we got her to agree to less and I think the other women were pleased that we appreciated their work and wanted to make it fair for all. Rachel and I took them a big bag of our clothes. We're leaving almost everything here except for a few pieces of clothing.
Monday I took Peter to the hospital, and he got a mostly good report. They said the skin graft took ok. It looked really gross to me though and not all that healed. But they took the staples out and said it was fine. I had to leave the room during this b/c for some reason I couldn't handle it that day. He goes back for a follow up in 2 weeks, which means someone else will be taking him. They said he can start getting it wet next week. But the part of the skin that was vacuumed together is still oozing really badly. I just wonder how it will be. And the doctors said he needs to have his bone looked at every few months in case the infection flares up. Please pray that he would heal and mend and that this isn't just a short term fix.
On the way home today, the lady on the bus next to us started freaking out yelling in Swahili. The person on the other side of me finally explained that she was upset b/c she claimed to have dropped some money and thought the person in front of her picked it up and took it. The woman in front of her was denying everything, and the yelling continued while everyone on the bus turned to stare.
When we walked through Kibera carrying our tea for the women this morning, everyone kept making comments like, "mzunugu, give me some tea." And I decided to have a little fun with the situation, so I started making comments like, "sure, chai 40 bob." It should be only 5 or 10 shillings a cup, so the people started laughing or acting surprised and it became this big joke. I said, "Special mzunugu price." (That's what they tell me at the market).
I got my hair plaited and braided yesterday, and it looks pretty sweet. I'm getting bad headaches from it being so tight, but it's worth it. Julius' sister, Alice, did it for me. And she took less than 4 hours, which is impressive. Last time I sat for 6 hours. Our Dutch friend, Shantal, had her hair braided on Monday and it was bothering her so much that she took it out the next morning. She even had to cut some of her hair b/c she couldn't get it out. She and her family left this morning, which was very sad. I hung out with them yesterday and it was hard because Shantal really wasn't ready to leave. She is praying that God allows a way for her family to come back. If her husband could get a job here there would be a possibility they would come back to stay here. We ordered pizza with them and there was a big mixup at the pizza place over the number of pizzas ordered. We ended up getting 10 instead of 6, so let's just say there was lots to go around. And ice cream too because they were cleaning out their freezer. I took the ice cream home and Peter and I had some before I took the rest over to our Eritrean neighbors. I had to get rid of it quickly because it was melting and we have no refrigerator or freezer. I stayed and had coffee with the neighbors. They are super nice and polite. But it's wierd too because the mom seems to think that I have some special power to help her because I am white. She is a refugee here and I'm not sure if she is going to be deported or if it's just difficult to get a job here. The family talked a lot about how they are discriminated against by Kenyans because they look differently. Her husband was drafted into fighting in Eritrea...apparently Eritrea and Ethiopia are fighting over the border, which I didn't know. And I think the husband was killed. So they fled and now she is stuck here. I'm not sure how she is able to support her 4 children. There are 2 other Eritreans in the building, and they all hang out together and consider each other to be family. They call each other sister and brother. That is what I like about Africa--this sense of family and of taking care of each other. We are after all part of God's family, right? So may we not see skin color or background or upbringing or socioeconomic status. That's my prayer today and that I would bring this value of family togetherness home with me.
In the morning we were in Kibera. I've stocked up on lots of things to sell...necklaces, earrings, woven basket bags, and some soap stone bowls. We had to do a little negotiating because a new lady came today and was trying to sell her necklaces for 100 shillings more than the other ladies. That's only a dollar, but still it's kind of a big deal. She tried to insist that the quality of her work was better, but I think they are equal. So we got her to agree to less and I think the other women were pleased that we appreciated their work and wanted to make it fair for all. Rachel and I took them a big bag of our clothes. We're leaving almost everything here except for a few pieces of clothing.
Monday I took Peter to the hospital, and he got a mostly good report. They said the skin graft took ok. It looked really gross to me though and not all that healed. But they took the staples out and said it was fine. I had to leave the room during this b/c for some reason I couldn't handle it that day. He goes back for a follow up in 2 weeks, which means someone else will be taking him. They said he can start getting it wet next week. But the part of the skin that was vacuumed together is still oozing really badly. I just wonder how it will be. And the doctors said he needs to have his bone looked at every few months in case the infection flares up. Please pray that he would heal and mend and that this isn't just a short term fix.
On the way home today, the lady on the bus next to us started freaking out yelling in Swahili. The person on the other side of me finally explained that she was upset b/c she claimed to have dropped some money and thought the person in front of her picked it up and took it. The woman in front of her was denying everything, and the yelling continued while everyone on the bus turned to stare.
When we walked through Kibera carrying our tea for the women this morning, everyone kept making comments like, "mzunugu, give me some tea." And I decided to have a little fun with the situation, so I started making comments like, "sure, chai 40 bob." It should be only 5 or 10 shillings a cup, so the people started laughing or acting surprised and it became this big joke. I said, "Special mzunugu price." (That's what they tell me at the market).
I got my hair plaited and braided yesterday, and it looks pretty sweet. I'm getting bad headaches from it being so tight, but it's worth it. Julius' sister, Alice, did it for me. And she took less than 4 hours, which is impressive. Last time I sat for 6 hours. Our Dutch friend, Shantal, had her hair braided on Monday and it was bothering her so much that she took it out the next morning. She even had to cut some of her hair b/c she couldn't get it out. She and her family left this morning, which was very sad. I hung out with them yesterday and it was hard because Shantal really wasn't ready to leave. She is praying that God allows a way for her family to come back. If her husband could get a job here there would be a possibility they would come back to stay here. We ordered pizza with them and there was a big mixup at the pizza place over the number of pizzas ordered. We ended up getting 10 instead of 6, so let's just say there was lots to go around. And ice cream too because they were cleaning out their freezer. I took the ice cream home and Peter and I had some before I took the rest over to our Eritrean neighbors. I had to get rid of it quickly because it was melting and we have no refrigerator or freezer. I stayed and had coffee with the neighbors. They are super nice and polite. But it's wierd too because the mom seems to think that I have some special power to help her because I am white. She is a refugee here and I'm not sure if she is going to be deported or if it's just difficult to get a job here. The family talked a lot about how they are discriminated against by Kenyans because they look differently. Her husband was drafted into fighting in Eritrea...apparently Eritrea and Ethiopia are fighting over the border, which I didn't know. And I think the husband was killed. So they fled and now she is stuck here. I'm not sure how she is able to support her 4 children. There are 2 other Eritreans in the building, and they all hang out together and consider each other to be family. They call each other sister and brother. That is what I like about Africa--this sense of family and of taking care of each other. We are after all part of God's family, right? So may we not see skin color or background or upbringing or socioeconomic status. That's my prayer today and that I would bring this value of family togetherness home with me.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Was My Kitchen On Fire?
Because Peter and I can't clearly understand each other, often our conversations are like trying to solve a mystery. We work really hard to talk slow and motion with our hands and pull out the small English and Swahili phrases that we each know. And sometimes we are left staring at each other frustrated because we have no idea what the other one is talking about. Take yesterday, for instance. I went to juvenile with Popo for devotions. And of course, without exception, things were disorganized there. Some other random man had also come to do devotions. But no worries, Popo and I sat and listened and added some things at the end and sang some songs with them. I realize when I hear other people speaking to the boys, that not everyone is cut out to minister effectively to them. Alex and Popo have been blessed with being really hilarious and because of that they can easily get the boys' attention and get them to listen. When this other man was speaking every few minutes he would pause and say, "you, why aren't you listening? you, I'll kick you out. you, you're being disrespectful, etc." obviously you have to ignore some of this stuff or you'll never get anywhere. anyway, he mostly had them listening I just don't know if they were really letting anything sink in. And at one point he kept talking about how God wants to make you rich (and not in the spiritual sense). This is a common message that I hear a lot, even last time, and it really bothers me. I think God wants us to bless others and live in a way that we are able to share and help others, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, after this I went with Popo to the Salvation Army church in Kibera. There was no room inside so we were just standing outside until the pastor came and insisted that I couldn't sit outside. I really didn't want to go in b/c it appeared that Popo was getting left outside. But Popo made me come in, and I had to sit in the front of the church and Popo was given a seat on the stage, which made him feel really uncomfortable too. I had no idea what was going on because the entire service was in Swahili, so Popo kept texting me updating me on what was going on, "They're praying for the pastor b/c he's having surgery", etc. I know...texting in church...bad right? I would never let myself do that in the U.S.
Anyway, back to Peter. I came home and the house smelled like smoke. I asked what the smell was and he said he didn't know. I thought it might be coming from outside b/c people are always burning trash. And I had Peter start cutting vegetables to make lunch. Then a few minutes later I found a very burned towel in the trash. And I said, "Peter, did you catch something on fire?" After much struggle with communication I got the basic idea that he was cooking chips (french fries) and either the grease caused a fire on the towel or he accidentally got it caught in the flames. And to put it out he had thrown water everywhere. Everything was wet: the floor, the dishes, the flowers in the window from Popo's graduation. I wasn't mad about the fire. I mean let's face it: I do silly klutzy things like that all the time. But the fact that he lied to me about nothing happening was really irritating. I don't know if he thought I would be mad or what. I was also concerned about getting the floor dry because i fell down yesterday from it being so slippery and I don't want Peter to fall. I feel bad that he is in the house a lot by himself. I've been trying to work with him on his math and writing his letters, but I feel limited by what I can do because I don't speak Swahili. His English has improved though. Ashley talked with him on the phone last night, and she could tell a difference from when she left. Peter has a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so we'll see what happens.
i was with the street women this morning. everyone, (meaning Alex, Rachel, Tall, and Julius), is in Mombasa (not sure if I mentioned that), so I was there by myself. Popo had other things to do today. I arrived and there were 3 women for about 45 minutes. I talked with them as best I could. Mama Vincent arrived and that helped because her English is perfect. She hasn't done drugs for the entire week and she has moved into a house! She looked very clean and nice today. Praise God! The pastor never came, and I thought he wasn't going to show. So mama Vincent and I went to buy food. I never knew where they got the food from, but I learned today that it's a little nearby "slum" restaurant sort of. It's just this little tin structure down the road from the church. I thought maybe I could get food and eat with them too, but it was really really dirty...worse than most places I usually eat, so I decided maybe not. I got chapati though...somehow it seems cleaner to me b/c it's been fried and isn't sitting in a dirty dish. Probably isn't...just a mental thing. We went back to the church and of course now there were 7 more women and the pastor and all sorts of kids. They spent forever arguing about coming on time, etc. And the pastor just sort of lets them talk and discusses it with them. Finally I said, "um, are we still talking about coming on time?" (i wasn't sure b/c the conversation was in swahili) They were; and I said, we need to move on. you know the rules and the consequences and that's that. and finally they finished up this discussion and moved on to the Bible. Seriously, do we need to have this same conversation every time? Follow through, please! I watched the babies while they talked. And can i just say that watching 6 kids under the age of 3 is really hard to do by yourself. One girl peed her pants and it was all over the cement and she was playing in the puddle. Mugo, one of the babies, is super mean to the kids. His mom is never around. And everyone punishes him by hitting him, which in turn just makes him hit the other kids.
By the way, I should have been saying how thankful I have been because lately I've been taking lots of hot showers! I think because we've been having less people staying at the house that there's more hot water to go around. It doesn't stay hot super long, so you have to be snappy and turn it off while you're shampooing your hair, but it does get hot. The water situation is still iffy. Usually it's off during the day. But on Friday I came back and there was no water at all, and we hadn't stored up any extra as we normally try to. I barely had enough drinking water to brush my teeth, and there was absolutely no way I could wash my face. Popo got up early and nicely asked the landlady to fix the problem. She didn't have water either and so somehow she pumped water into the storage tank. The water tanks are on the top of the building in a large black container. But we store water in some kind of cistern underneath our apartments. there's an opening for the cistern right by the gate where you enter into our compound. So I don't know if she pumped it from there or what but it was quite glorious to wake up and be able to take a shower.
Lately people keep making comments about my nationality. Several people have asked if I'm from China or Japan...seriously people? One girl told me she thought so because my eyes were small. And then as I was walking the other day, someone said, "hello miss. where are you from? Egypt?" Rach and I are always trying to guess where other mzungus we see are from. We're usually able to narrow it down pretty easily based on what they're wearing or how they're talking. it's strange though b/c when white people see each other here, it's like we're uncomfortable or something because we never maintain eye contact. People look away instantly almost as if we don't want to acknowledge the fact that we stand out.
Anyway, back to Peter. I came home and the house smelled like smoke. I asked what the smell was and he said he didn't know. I thought it might be coming from outside b/c people are always burning trash. And I had Peter start cutting vegetables to make lunch. Then a few minutes later I found a very burned towel in the trash. And I said, "Peter, did you catch something on fire?" After much struggle with communication I got the basic idea that he was cooking chips (french fries) and either the grease caused a fire on the towel or he accidentally got it caught in the flames. And to put it out he had thrown water everywhere. Everything was wet: the floor, the dishes, the flowers in the window from Popo's graduation. I wasn't mad about the fire. I mean let's face it: I do silly klutzy things like that all the time. But the fact that he lied to me about nothing happening was really irritating. I don't know if he thought I would be mad or what. I was also concerned about getting the floor dry because i fell down yesterday from it being so slippery and I don't want Peter to fall. I feel bad that he is in the house a lot by himself. I've been trying to work with him on his math and writing his letters, but I feel limited by what I can do because I don't speak Swahili. His English has improved though. Ashley talked with him on the phone last night, and she could tell a difference from when she left. Peter has a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so we'll see what happens.
i was with the street women this morning. everyone, (meaning Alex, Rachel, Tall, and Julius), is in Mombasa (not sure if I mentioned that), so I was there by myself. Popo had other things to do today. I arrived and there were 3 women for about 45 minutes. I talked with them as best I could. Mama Vincent arrived and that helped because her English is perfect. She hasn't done drugs for the entire week and she has moved into a house! She looked very clean and nice today. Praise God! The pastor never came, and I thought he wasn't going to show. So mama Vincent and I went to buy food. I never knew where they got the food from, but I learned today that it's a little nearby "slum" restaurant sort of. It's just this little tin structure down the road from the church. I thought maybe I could get food and eat with them too, but it was really really dirty...worse than most places I usually eat, so I decided maybe not. I got chapati though...somehow it seems cleaner to me b/c it's been fried and isn't sitting in a dirty dish. Probably isn't...just a mental thing. We went back to the church and of course now there were 7 more women and the pastor and all sorts of kids. They spent forever arguing about coming on time, etc. And the pastor just sort of lets them talk and discusses it with them. Finally I said, "um, are we still talking about coming on time?" (i wasn't sure b/c the conversation was in swahili) They were; and I said, we need to move on. you know the rules and the consequences and that's that. and finally they finished up this discussion and moved on to the Bible. Seriously, do we need to have this same conversation every time? Follow through, please! I watched the babies while they talked. And can i just say that watching 6 kids under the age of 3 is really hard to do by yourself. One girl peed her pants and it was all over the cement and she was playing in the puddle. Mugo, one of the babies, is super mean to the kids. His mom is never around. And everyone punishes him by hitting him, which in turn just makes him hit the other kids.
By the way, I should have been saying how thankful I have been because lately I've been taking lots of hot showers! I think because we've been having less people staying at the house that there's more hot water to go around. It doesn't stay hot super long, so you have to be snappy and turn it off while you're shampooing your hair, but it does get hot. The water situation is still iffy. Usually it's off during the day. But on Friday I came back and there was no water at all, and we hadn't stored up any extra as we normally try to. I barely had enough drinking water to brush my teeth, and there was absolutely no way I could wash my face. Popo got up early and nicely asked the landlady to fix the problem. She didn't have water either and so somehow she pumped water into the storage tank. The water tanks are on the top of the building in a large black container. But we store water in some kind of cistern underneath our apartments. there's an opening for the cistern right by the gate where you enter into our compound. So I don't know if she pumped it from there or what but it was quite glorious to wake up and be able to take a shower.
Lately people keep making comments about my nationality. Several people have asked if I'm from China or Japan...seriously people? One girl told me she thought so because my eyes were small. And then as I was walking the other day, someone said, "hello miss. where are you from? Egypt?" Rach and I are always trying to guess where other mzungus we see are from. We're usually able to narrow it down pretty easily based on what they're wearing or how they're talking. it's strange though b/c when white people see each other here, it's like we're uncomfortable or something because we never maintain eye contact. People look away instantly almost as if we don't want to acknowledge the fact that we stand out.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Peter is Home!
Yes, it's true--Peter finally got discharged from the hospital, and it seemed to happen almost effortlessly. Ok, maybe that's not true. I've spent days and days seeking information and asking when he can go home and begging people to inform me. I had planned to call and possibly visit the hospital yesterday afternoon b/c they were going to look at his leg in the morning. I expected to wait hours for a doctor to give me information. Instead, we were in Kibera yesterday with the women making beads. Alex came in a bit late and made a casual comment about how the hospital called and Peter was being discharged. And I'm like, Whoa....wait, what?? I then called and talked to the surgeon and she said that the skin graft looked good enough for him to recover at home. The catch was that I only had 2 hours to get to the hospital and sign paperwork or we would be charged for another day. Now 2 hours might seem like plenty of time, but it's really not when you have to get there using public transportation. Plus we were deep in Kibera and someone always has to walk me out b/c i'm completely lost in there. so off we trudged out of Kibera carrying 21 straw baskets that Emily, one of the ladies, made for us. Oh, and we also had 2 wash basins, 2 thermos of hot water (all for washing the babies in the afternoon), jam and butter from making tea for the ladies, and lots of other stuff. We looked ridiculous and Joyce, who's house we were at, couldn't understand why I was in such a hurry. I ended up going to the hospital by myself so that Alex and Rach could go meet with the street women. I got there in record time; it only took about 1 hour 15 minutes...hooray for no traffic. I signed some papers, went and picked up his medicine from the pharmacy, found out I'm getting a small amount of money back from the hospital, and that was it. I think it's the only day I've smiled while at Aga Khan. So at this point he was free to go, but I didn't want to take a taxi with him myself, so I had to wait 3 hours for Alex and Rachel to come. Peter was asleep, so i found some lunch and finally finished a book I've been trying to read the whole summer. Around 5:00 we finally left for home. Peter seems glad to go home, although I just don't think he was truly understanding how careful he has to be. We have been reiterating this over and over. Rach and I have insisted he can only get up to use the bathroom and that's about it. They didn't give him crutches or anything and we have no chairs in our house, or any furniture except a falling apart stool, so he is pretty much confined to the mattresses. We go back on Monday for a follow up with the plastic surgeon. Thank you so much for your prayers for Peter and continue praying for his recovery.
Also please be praying for Rachel and I as we prepare to come home in a week. We are both really struggling with not wanting to leave and we try not to talk about it too much. I don't really know how to merge these 2 lives of mine together. I know it will be difficult leaving everyone behind here, and I think it's going to be a hard transition for me. I pray that I may take the good things that I have learned from America and Kenya and that they may shape who I am wherever I am living.
Also please be praying for Rachel and I as we prepare to come home in a week. We are both really struggling with not wanting to leave and we try not to talk about it too much. I don't really know how to merge these 2 lives of mine together. I know it will be difficult leaving everyone behind here, and I think it's going to be a hard transition for me. I pray that I may take the good things that I have learned from America and Kenya and that they may shape who I am wherever I am living.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Celebrity Encounter
So I met, or rather saw, a famous Kenyan yesterday. I went to the doctor here (yes, I am very scared of health care matters here but decided to take the risk) because I've been having this pain in my stomach since before I left the U.S. After many tests at home, no one could figure anything out, so I thought I'd pay a visit to Dr. Saio, my favorite doctor here. He is the Italian doctor who specializes in tropical medicine and was the one who finally figured out what was wrong with me last time I was here. Funny enough they still had my file from 3 years ago, and he asked for a whole recap on how I'd been doing since then. He was telling stories of travelers who'd developed diseases here that no one could diagnose at home but he finally figured it out. And when you hear him tell these things you can just tell he knows what he's talking about. Anyway, I was in the lab having blood work done, and the same lab doctor was in there too. I said, hey I remember you. You're the one who told me last time that I didn't have malaria b/c if I'd had it this long I'd be dead. And he said, yeah I remember you. He was all frazzled and flustered though and proceeded to tell me it had been a crazy afternoon because people kept coming in without appointments. and i said, oh is that common? And he said, well we have these Olympic athletes in here. I asked for clarification and he explained that the woman I'd seen in the waiting room with the nice Nike shoes was Nancy Langat, the Kenyan runner who won a gold medal in Beijing. I'm sure that was a breach of confidentiality, although that maybe doesn't exist here, but in any case I thought it was pretty sweet. So again I definitely feel like I'm at the right doctor if they're treating Olympians there. And my whole appointment took only a little over an hour. I love Western time :)
Today we are off to see the women in Kibera and hopefully they've made some sweet artsy stuff for us. They are making necklaces, earrings, and bags. If anyone is interested in purchasing this stuff when I get home, let me know. They really do great work and the money goes back to supporting them. Not sure if I mentioned that we bought some things from them last week and they were so happy b/c many of them hadn't been able to feed their families for several days. We're also trying to bring hot water to wash the babies this afternoon and then off to the hospital for an update on Peter.
Have a great day everyone. God Bless.
Today we are off to see the women in Kibera and hopefully they've made some sweet artsy stuff for us. They are making necklaces, earrings, and bags. If anyone is interested in purchasing this stuff when I get home, let me know. They really do great work and the money goes back to supporting them. Not sure if I mentioned that we bought some things from them last week and they were so happy b/c many of them hadn't been able to feed their families for several days. We're also trying to bring hot water to wash the babies this afternoon and then off to the hospital for an update on Peter.
Have a great day everyone. God Bless.
Thoughts on Culture
Today is our day off, although I'm not exactly sure that it feels like a day off and usually I stay pretty busy anyway. I slept as long as I could before going to lovely Aga Khan Hospital. I found Peter in a wheel chair trying to explore as much of the very small surgical ward as possible. He seems to be in less pain today although I'm not for sure b/c i was by myself and I don't know how well he understands me. I went to pay the hospital bill, which seems to be mounting everyday, although my mom reminded me it would be costing 10x this in the U.S. I still got no answer as to whether we would not have to pay for the extra time he's been in the hospital due to a delay of surgery. So I guess I just wait and hope for the best and keep talking to the manager as I did again today. They are supposed to look at his graft tomorrow to check on the progress. One cool thing is that the surgical beds in the hospital are made by HillRom! yes, that's right. For you Brookville people, you understand that it's a big deal since HillRom is right next door in little Batesville, Indiana.
It occured to me today that I don't talk a lot about some of the basic cultural things I encounter everyday. I guess I figure many of you have already read my book and know some of this. But let me brief you slightly...for instance, I take a bus to town every morning. The bus conductors stand outside of the bus and yell for passengers to come and wait for it to fill up before continuing. Then they come around to collect your money. Most days it's 30 shillings but it varies on the same route and i glance around at everyone else hoping to know the cost. To get to the hospital I take a matatu, and these have become much less blingy these days. The music seems softer than my last time here and they aren't decked out with as many stickers and all sorts of writing anymore either. New laws have caused these changes. I used to see Obama's face all over them and Britney Spears, and various other pop stars but not as much now. Sometimes I think the matatu drivers must just be bored and that is why they choose to take these ridiculous "short cut" routes that go off the sidewalk and through the dirt and are always very bumpy. Often people are selling bananas right next to the matatu and Rach and I are usually eager for them to come to our window so we can by a snack. There is a small shop with food and household products right next to our house. I love it and will really miss the convenience of it. We go there every morning to by milk and bread for making tea. They sell airtime for the phone, snacks, rice, oil, toilet paper. you name it, it's there.
i went to exchange american money today, and i can't say i enjoy this. you have to go into a small "room" where the cashier is behind glass. And no one outside can see completely into these rooms although you can make out shadows. it's all meant for security, but i don't know if it helps. once in the room i could completely see how much money the person in the room next to me was exchanging. how exactly is that secure? and by the way, they hate small bills here. $20 gets a worse exchange rate than a $50 or $100. does that happen at home? at one point during the exchange someone handed the cashier a huge wad of thousands of shillings. just seeing that much money makes me fear theft. i left quickly once i was done, hoping that everyone on the street didn't notice that i just came out of this place. it's not exactly great for people to know you're carrying around lots of cash.
It occured to me today that I don't talk a lot about some of the basic cultural things I encounter everyday. I guess I figure many of you have already read my book and know some of this. But let me brief you slightly...for instance, I take a bus to town every morning. The bus conductors stand outside of the bus and yell for passengers to come and wait for it to fill up before continuing. Then they come around to collect your money. Most days it's 30 shillings but it varies on the same route and i glance around at everyone else hoping to know the cost. To get to the hospital I take a matatu, and these have become much less blingy these days. The music seems softer than my last time here and they aren't decked out with as many stickers and all sorts of writing anymore either. New laws have caused these changes. I used to see Obama's face all over them and Britney Spears, and various other pop stars but not as much now. Sometimes I think the matatu drivers must just be bored and that is why they choose to take these ridiculous "short cut" routes that go off the sidewalk and through the dirt and are always very bumpy. Often people are selling bananas right next to the matatu and Rach and I are usually eager for them to come to our window so we can by a snack. There is a small shop with food and household products right next to our house. I love it and will really miss the convenience of it. We go there every morning to by milk and bread for making tea. They sell airtime for the phone, snacks, rice, oil, toilet paper. you name it, it's there.
i went to exchange american money today, and i can't say i enjoy this. you have to go into a small "room" where the cashier is behind glass. And no one outside can see completely into these rooms although you can make out shadows. it's all meant for security, but i don't know if it helps. once in the room i could completely see how much money the person in the room next to me was exchanging. how exactly is that secure? and by the way, they hate small bills here. $20 gets a worse exchange rate than a $50 or $100. does that happen at home? at one point during the exchange someone handed the cashier a huge wad of thousands of shillings. just seeing that much money makes me fear theft. i left quickly once i was done, hoping that everyone on the street didn't notice that i just came out of this place. it's not exactly great for people to know you're carrying around lots of cash.
Monday, August 1, 2011
A Success Story
I'm very excited to tell you that Ephantus, the boy from the streets that Alex took to his house, has now been safely delivered to his home somewhere in Thika (I think). He stayed at our house last night and was doing quiet well. He speaks great English, so it was easy to communicate. He ate 3 chapatis that Rach and I made (which weren't too bad), and seemed quite content. Alex took him back this morning and left a little money with the grandmother for food. They are going to try to look for a place for him to go to school. Alex says that no public schools will admit him when the term begins in September (they are off in August) b/c public schools only admit people when the school year starts in January. So hopefully they find a private school to send him to (and no it won't be fancy like some private schools in the U.S.). I thank God for his return home, and I urge us to continue praying together that this boy will continue staying off the streets and be able to go to school.
By the way, this keyboard that I'm using is amazing...it's one of the few I've used that doesn't have keys which stick hence the reason I'm able to use capital letters :) But for some wierd reason yahoo doesn't work today. Only Google programs like this blog. TIA
I just returned from the hospital with Rach and Julius. This was of course a 3 hour event like normal. It ended up that Peter didn't have surgery until Sunday, so all that running around on Saturday morning to sign paper work was completely unnecessary. Rach and I met with the manager of the hospital to try to avoid having to pay for all these days that Peter unnecessarily stayed in the hospital when he could have been discharged. Pretty much I think we just paid for him to stay there and eat chicken. The manager was more helpful than other people and she was able to find us a doctor to talk to within 45 minutes (better than the normal 2 that we wait). The surgery went fine I guess, but now we are waiting 3 days for them to remove the bandages and see if the skin graft took. They took skin from his upper thigh and grafted it on his fibula. This is the first day in many that Peter seemed to be in pain. Please pray that there will be quick healing and that he can be discharged soon.
This morning we were with the street women. We had planned to wash the babies but all the women complained that it was too cold. And it probably was. August is a bit chilly here. I'm wearing a dress and a fleece jacket today, and I'm cold. So we decided to postpone the washing until Wednesday. We're hoping to make it a joint effort where the women do it with us so that we are teaching responsibility. Plus, there is one baby, Mugo, who is constantly smelling like poop. He must never get changed. Just being close to him turns my stomach and Rachel has to encourage me not to think about it. Last week we noticed that one of the women, Mama Vincent, was using a plastic bag as a diaper for her kid. He kept making swishing sounds as he walked around. Actually I think it's a pretty resourceful idea really. I mean at least his clothes aren't always soiled. We were sad today b/c Mama Vincent was doing drugs when we arrived. She has been clean and drug free for weeks since we met her. We pulled her aside to discuss this and she said it's because she is very stressed since she lost her house a few weeks ago. I fear that she will slide down the same path as the rest when she clearly has a chance to make it out of this situation. She speaks great English and she was wearing this cool bracelet that she made today. I told her she should sell them to make money. She said, "I make one and you buy it from me." And I said that maybe we could trade the bracelet for food. Money would be a bad idea I think.
Rachel and I discussed with the women about all being part of the body of Christ and looking out for each other. We made them work in partners to make bracelets, and they did a good job with the teamwork. And then someone started playing with my hair and before I knew it, 4 women were standing around me braiding my hair. I love when people play with my hair, so it was nice even though it looked pretty ridiculous. I think women are always surprised at how white people's hair doesn't easily stay braided like the Kenyans'. Somewhere during our time one of the babies was pulling on my very large hoop earrings, until I yelled, "Hapana" meaning, "no." And Mama Vincent commented that the baby was trying to turn me into a Masai (since their earlobes are very largely gauged). Alex jokes about Rachel's ears since they are gauged, saying she is turning into a Masai.
On a good note, the landlady agreed to let us stay in the house for 2 more weeks and only pay half month's rent, which she previously wouldn't agree to. I figured she'd come around since she has no other renter. So Rach and I are happy not to have to move our stuff around. Also I am feeling better. I self diagnosed myself and got some amoxicillin (no you don't need a prescription here). And I should also mention that I'm enjoying the food much better this time. Rachel and I have learned to make quite a few Kenyan dishes and I think we are much more content since we get to decide what to have for dinner everyday. I'm about over the whole peanut butter thing though since I eat it almost everyday for lunch. We make it our mission to eat as many mangoes and pineapples as possible since they are amazing and cheap. Even the bananas taste better here. We make jokes about how a lot of my pants don't fit, which I like to think might be because I've lost a little weight, but I think mostly they get stretched out during washing and never shrink back since there's no dryer. And although I'm really ready not to have dirty feet everyday when I come home, I'm really not ready to leave here in 2 weeks. Yes, things are hard some days, but there is so much to love about the people here and the work we are doing.
By the way, this keyboard that I'm using is amazing...it's one of the few I've used that doesn't have keys which stick hence the reason I'm able to use capital letters :) But for some wierd reason yahoo doesn't work today. Only Google programs like this blog. TIA
I just returned from the hospital with Rach and Julius. This was of course a 3 hour event like normal. It ended up that Peter didn't have surgery until Sunday, so all that running around on Saturday morning to sign paper work was completely unnecessary. Rach and I met with the manager of the hospital to try to avoid having to pay for all these days that Peter unnecessarily stayed in the hospital when he could have been discharged. Pretty much I think we just paid for him to stay there and eat chicken. The manager was more helpful than other people and she was able to find us a doctor to talk to within 45 minutes (better than the normal 2 that we wait). The surgery went fine I guess, but now we are waiting 3 days for them to remove the bandages and see if the skin graft took. They took skin from his upper thigh and grafted it on his fibula. This is the first day in many that Peter seemed to be in pain. Please pray that there will be quick healing and that he can be discharged soon.
This morning we were with the street women. We had planned to wash the babies but all the women complained that it was too cold. And it probably was. August is a bit chilly here. I'm wearing a dress and a fleece jacket today, and I'm cold. So we decided to postpone the washing until Wednesday. We're hoping to make it a joint effort where the women do it with us so that we are teaching responsibility. Plus, there is one baby, Mugo, who is constantly smelling like poop. He must never get changed. Just being close to him turns my stomach and Rachel has to encourage me not to think about it. Last week we noticed that one of the women, Mama Vincent, was using a plastic bag as a diaper for her kid. He kept making swishing sounds as he walked around. Actually I think it's a pretty resourceful idea really. I mean at least his clothes aren't always soiled. We were sad today b/c Mama Vincent was doing drugs when we arrived. She has been clean and drug free for weeks since we met her. We pulled her aside to discuss this and she said it's because she is very stressed since she lost her house a few weeks ago. I fear that she will slide down the same path as the rest when she clearly has a chance to make it out of this situation. She speaks great English and she was wearing this cool bracelet that she made today. I told her she should sell them to make money. She said, "I make one and you buy it from me." And I said that maybe we could trade the bracelet for food. Money would be a bad idea I think.
Rachel and I discussed with the women about all being part of the body of Christ and looking out for each other. We made them work in partners to make bracelets, and they did a good job with the teamwork. And then someone started playing with my hair and before I knew it, 4 women were standing around me braiding my hair. I love when people play with my hair, so it was nice even though it looked pretty ridiculous. I think women are always surprised at how white people's hair doesn't easily stay braided like the Kenyans'. Somewhere during our time one of the babies was pulling on my very large hoop earrings, until I yelled, "Hapana" meaning, "no." And Mama Vincent commented that the baby was trying to turn me into a Masai (since their earlobes are very largely gauged). Alex jokes about Rachel's ears since they are gauged, saying she is turning into a Masai.
On a good note, the landlady agreed to let us stay in the house for 2 more weeks and only pay half month's rent, which she previously wouldn't agree to. I figured she'd come around since she has no other renter. So Rach and I are happy not to have to move our stuff around. Also I am feeling better. I self diagnosed myself and got some amoxicillin (no you don't need a prescription here). And I should also mention that I'm enjoying the food much better this time. Rachel and I have learned to make quite a few Kenyan dishes and I think we are much more content since we get to decide what to have for dinner everyday. I'm about over the whole peanut butter thing though since I eat it almost everyday for lunch. We make it our mission to eat as many mangoes and pineapples as possible since they are amazing and cheap. Even the bananas taste better here. We make jokes about how a lot of my pants don't fit, which I like to think might be because I've lost a little weight, but I think mostly they get stretched out during washing and never shrink back since there's no dryer. And although I'm really ready not to have dirty feet everyday when I come home, I'm really not ready to leave here in 2 weeks. Yes, things are hard some days, but there is so much to love about the people here and the work we are doing.
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