Day Eleven

I woke up at 6 am to the start of another beautiful day in Kenya! We bid good-bye to the portion of the group that went onto a three day safari. I saw the Masai Mara Game Reserve on my last trip to Kenya so I opted to layover in London on my way home, others chose to go straight home. On the way to Nairobi we stopped at 'the top of the world' to take one last look at the Great Rift Valley before saying goodbye.

Our afternoon was spent at the Westgate Shopping mall which had the most amazingly clean flush toilets, frozen yogurt, and wireless internet. I was able to pick up souvenir t-shirts from One Way and browse the Banana Box but my excitement was for shopping really peaked when we wandered to the space between Peponi and Lower Kabete Road and were transported to that place where shopkeepers appear out of the shadows to summon, 'Sister, come to my shop' and where it is not uncommon for merchants of one shop to follow you with an arm full of their wares into another shop to sell you their products.

I had a list in mind of a few items I wanted to take home and I kept the basic conversion in mind: 1,000 shillings is about $12.00, armed with a little bit of money in each of the pockets of my cargo pants I set out to set see just how many items I could get on the list.

I paid about 1,000 shillings for a floor length skirt in green, brick red and black-the skirt isn't the most striking item I have worn, but there are large pieces of well over a yard of fabric that will be the beginning of a very beautiful quilt.

And another 1,000 shillings for a set of 11 hand carved ebony Africa animals that I will put in my grand-babies toy box so that I may teach them about elephants, lions, and giraffe. The African 'mom' doll with a little baby on her back also came home with me, but by far the hardest thing to find was baby clothes, I would have paid several pocketful of money if I could have found some. I also bought several baskets, handbags, and bracelets for myself and the the numerous women in my family.

As we drove thorough Nairobi to the airport we slowed down for traffic and I had a man reach into the matatu and grab for anything I had sitting on my lap. Unfortunately for him, in the past Scott and more recently Alex had taught me how travel as an American women in a foreign country. My visa was in my pocket, my bags were on the floor, my camera put away and the only thing the man got from me was a smack on the hand.

We boarded the plane at 10 pm for an eight hour flight to Heathow of which I spent the first three hours taking the braids out of my hair, saying goodbye to a vacation is never enjoyable but my reasoning was that eventually I would want to wash my hair.

Day Ten

We were invited to attend the Christian Fellowship Church and it was nice to see the Headmaster at the secondary school was a member of the congregation. I was somewhat surprised that after traveling quite a far distance on mud rutted roads and through a shanty town that our driver told us we would have to get out and walk the remaining distance. I did not want to walk! I was in American Eagle flip flops and the road smelled like urine mixed with garbage and marked with large mud puddles everywhere. I am quickly understanding that clean feet are a rarity in Kenya.

The meeting house was a tin building measuring about 50 x 100 feet with dirt floor and rows of plastic lawn chairs. We were seated in the front of the congregation and immediately I noticed that on the walls white lace table clothes were hung on the walls and white doilies were placed at various places on the pulpit. I was very moved by the hospitality of the parishioners and the spirit of fellowship I received while in their mists.

Throughout the worship service the subject of charity was discussed many times and the work our non profit had done in the community was brought to light. The congregation was told that each person paid their own way and I did a quick calculation and realized that my trip had cost 380,000 Kenyan shillings (remember that a bricklayer makes 300 shillings a day) yes this venture had come at a considerable cost.

The doctrine preached out of the Kenyan bible contained God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. A story was shared of a person at Heaven's Supermarket who picks up a basket and begins put stuff in it, then puts even more stuff in the basket, immediately they realize how much it will cost them and they begin to become worried. Just then their Savior appears and says, 'My child, shop anything in this supermarket, I paid for it on Calvary.' This story demonstrates their belief in a redeemer who will rescue them from the bonds of this earth, similar to the belief I have in my Savior.

Our day ended at the west end of Lake Naivasha with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a view of the Pink Flamingos that are so common to the area.

Day Nine

Saturday mornings at St. Catherine's are usually filled with activity as the students attend class from 6am to 2pm then are dismissed for the day to attend to their personal needs such as laundry, and housekeeping. This morning the students were treated to chai tea and store bought bread before heading out for a hike to a neighboring school hosting a scholastic assembly. We filled our time by giving the school a new coat of paint.

Unfortunately, we ended up finishing our project early and asked our security guard if we could spend some time hiking the foothills around the school. Alex wasn't very excited to have us wandering off into a situation he could not control so he agreed to allow us to walk the 3+ miles from the school to the Nakuru-Naivasha road with the following conditions: 1) everyone had to walk together or sit in the van 2) The van would follow close enough behind us that the driver could see us at all times 3) Under no circumstances were we to walk on the main road or get anywhere close to it. And this was the view we got on our walk, thank you Alex!

After peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the compound we headed out for a boat ride on Lake Naivasha to see the most famous residents: hippopotamus! Unfortunately, by the time were were boarding the boats I was having major anxiety due to the storm clouds forming over the lake...why does this seem like a good idea? The storm rolled in completely drenched us but the hippos didn't seem to matter the rain and we were able to get a very close look at them. Later I found out that the average depth of the lake was just 5 meters, I guess Alex was keeping us safe after all. We ended the afternoon by wandering the shoreline to get a close up view of water buffalo and giraffes that also live at the lake.

Day Eight

I spent the day at the secondary school today and had the opportunity to meet a young girl that had come to the school with her mother and aunt to see if there was a way that she may be able to afford the private education that St. Catherine's had to offer. The girl was an only child and the mother seemed determined to provide her with the education she would need to be successful. The mother is at the right of the photo crocheting a handbag out of plastic shopping bags and plastic table cloths. The nonprofit organization provides these materials to women then assist them in selling the completed product.

In Kenya if a child can not pass a government mandated exam after completing the eighth grade they are asked to leave school. If they pass the test they are allowed to continue but at the end of their secondary education they are issued a second test, if they fail that test they are not allowed to continue in any government universities. Kenya does not have remedial education for students who fall behind or for facilities that are unable to educate its students to a level of proficiency.

The girls mother stated that, 'everything in our world changes if she gets an education' and I could not help but feel the weight of responsibility this girl must bear. She knows that with an education she will be able to greatly improve not only her mother and aunts lives, but also her future husband, and childrens. It is moments as these when I began to understand the importance of my college diploma.

Day Seven

I was assigned to the medical clinic today in the small town of Molo, northwest of Nakuru. It is the community where Margaret, the in country director for the non-profit, was born and raised. We were introduced to the children of the area and I wondered if they were a fraction of the fortunate students that attended private school, or if they were condemned to a substandard public education. In general the students uniform was in overall disrepair and they seemed to speak with less articulation then the students of St. Catherine's--definitely public school, and in great need of the preventive medication we provided.

The clinic ran very smoothly-Debbie said we saw 600 patients, I do no know where she got that number, the church where we were set up held 75 patients and I hardly believe we emptied the room 6+ times--exactness, that is what the Pharmacist has to offer.

We had the standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, wheat or white, crunch or smooth, it all tastes the same. Our compound employs a kitchen staff that prepares a buffet of 8 to 10 serving pots and platters and various other food items for breakfast and lunch. Aside from salt and pepper placed on the table, meals are no served with spices, butter, sauces, ketchup, salsa or dessert.

Breakfast consists of deep fried pancakes, pan fried eggs, french fries, batter coated hard boiled eggs that are deep fried, scones, grilled cheese and ham sandwiches (without the cheese), fruit in season (papaya, pineapple and banana) and thermos of goats milk.....I never did figure out what the purpose of that was.

Dinner consisted of a cole slaw of mixed greens, sauteed carrots, sauteed green beans, finely chopped mixed greens that were boiled or deep fried, roasted potatoes, mash potatoes, french fries, meat filled scones, and a stew I didn't get close enough to examine.

Actually, I had peanut butter and jelly for all three meals today.

Day Six

I went to St. Catherine's primary school today and had an opportunity to see the school put on their best face for a van full of strangers. Each class had a presentation for us ranging from singing, to dancing, to poetry. The youngest child in this school is a 5 year old girl that has recently been enrolled. Mary found her on the street begging for food with her disabled mother, rather that give her money, Mary saw a way to give her a future. The mother agreed to allow the child to go to school but Mary insisted that she would need to board at the school full time. The child will attend classes at the primary school during the day then be moved to the secondary school where the many other teenage girls will help care for her in the evening hours.

I was drawn to the construction of the new classroom that was going on at the west end of the school. The field was covered with a layer of hand cut stones roughly 12 x 8 x 6 inches, sand, a tank of water and bagged cement. The stones were hauled to the work area where two men selected their placement then mixed the cement with water in a 5 gallon plastic bucket to then mortar them in place. The men (56 and 32 years of age) received a wage of 300 shillings (about $3.55) for a full days work. The older man had 5 children, and the younger man had 3, and each were very grateful for the work they had been provided. They told me the job market for mason is very saturated in Kenya as most men who do not get an education become a labor of some sort--I liken it to the men hanging out in the Home Depot parking lot looking for work in Salt Lake, and once again marveled at the value of an education, this is not a job I would want to have on a regular basis

As we boarded the buses for a trip back to the compound our in country directer selected a number of person to ride in a separate matatu. At the time we did not realize that she wanted to detour through Niavasha proper for a quick stop at a supermarket. I quickly saw that none of the younger members of the group was present. As we pulled up to the curb we were given very specific instructions as this would be the first time we were allowed out of the vehicle in a such a densely populated area.

The supermarket contained two entrances marked by armed guards, we were to quickly open the vehicle door and briskly walk straight past the guard and into the store. We were told to watch out for each other while in the store, shop for a total of 10 minutes, pay for our purchases and when we left the store walk immediately to the van, get in and close the door. No exceptions.

I felt like I was at Disneyland! I purchased a carton of ice cold yogurt, some string cheese, three apples, a pack of cinnamon gum, a can of pork and beans, a snack size can of Pringles, and a box of oatmeal. My purchased came to 380 shillings (about $4.30) and I was in the van with time to spare. Ironically days later when I attempted to open the pork and beans I realized I should have bought a can opener, when I asked a women on the kitchen staff to help me open it, she preceded to use a 10 inch kitchen knife to poke a hole in the lid, then proceeded to cut the lid loose as she turned the can-I had no idea!

Day Five

Crap! I lost my sunglasses, how is that even possible? I remember walking into the dining hall and the next minute they were gone....I kept checking my pockets and head but was not able to find them, where am I going to find another pair of Oakleys in Kenya? And more importantly, how am I going to last another 10 days on vacation without sunglasses.

I worked at St. Catherine's secondary school today. I began by cleaning and organizing the library which is housed in a 20X20 stone room with cement floors. Like many Kenyan buildings the roof is open under what should be the soffits to provide for ventilation, unfortunately, in this case it only served to make the room and books dirty......and spidery! That comfort zone of mine that does not enjoy dirty hands was really pushed as today, and I can not imagine reading a book that you can shake dirt out of, but this is the unique challenges that go with the area.

The topic we taught in the classroom of 14-18 year olds today was 'consequences' and at some point in the lesson I realized how culturally challenged we really was. How is it that we assume that the Kenyan students will relate to our teaching style? Why hadn't taken the time to consider where they would learn optimally? I sense differences when we speak, I hear them speaking English, and I speak English, but sometimes their language structure is not as ours-it is as if their process of speech differs. Couldn't that also mean their learning style is different too?

Did I mention I lost my Oakleys?

Day Four

I was anxious to get to work today and was assigned to work in the medical clinic once again. I woke up at 6 am and enjoyed breakfast under a beautiful Kenyan sunrise as I waited for the 7:30 departure time. The matatu we ordered was late arriving and then we realized that a 15 passenger vehicle was not nearly large enough for 15 persons and the necessary medical supplies so the morning began with packing and repacking. After a very lengthy stop at the pharmacy we were finally on the road to the clinic that was 'just down the road'

'Just down the road' was a 1 hour 45 minute ride to a service station where we used the rest rooms and stretched our legs. The restroom is called a 'long drop' It consists of a cement floor and a cement hole, the trick (for women) is to squat over the hole without having your pants rest on the previously dampened floor, to urinate, and redress while maintaining some sort of hygiene. When I stepped out of the stall I was somewhat surprised that the restroom did not have a basin sink in spite of the fact that the gas station had a very successful restaurant on the premises????? The good news was that the store had a soda cooler with Coke Light for 55 shilling (about 65 cents) the bad news was it was lukewarm and expired in November of 2011-and I was never so happy!

We arrive at an orphanage/boarding school in Njoro, Kenya, an agriculture town about 12 miles south west of Nakuru to a group of approximently 300 citizens lined up for the clinic. We were greeted with a song from the student body then were invited to the Directors office. Fourteen chairs were brought in to accommodate our group with another seven chairs for the school staff. The Director closed the door and began the meeting by introducing his group by name then requested we do the same. He then asked one of the school teachers to offer a word of prayer and immediately all fears and anxiety I was carrying were set aside.

The patients preregistered for medical services and the clinic ran orderly as a member of the school staff called the patients in order of their registration. School was suspended for the day so the lawn around the clinic held a massive group of patients and spectators. Here is a partial list of the more extreme cases that were treated:

1-a woman with leprosy on her leg (who sees that in Utah)

2-a young boy who had chopped the tip of his finger off early in the day

3-an older woman in pain for an illness she was previously told was cancer.

4-a young boy with a large, severe infection on his shin

5-a young woman carrying for a infant that was failing to thrive. The child's mother was deceased and the young woman was doing her best

6-multiple fungal infections

On the way out of the compound the children ran ahead of the van then disappeared, as we cleared the gates they jumped out and yelled "RAAAAAH" it is nice to see that some things are universal.

Day Three

In my last trip to Kenya, I had a Matatu driver tell me, 'Africans are a Christian people' and as today is the Sabbath day I was happy that the itinery included worship services. We traveled about 20 minutes northeast to a borrowed meeting room which was hosting a tiny 'group' of Africans meeting in the name of Jesus Christ. The unofficial number of members of this 'group' is 65 including a pair of missionaries from New York and Uganda, and couple missionaries from Ogden, Utah, so when our white faces joined the sea of black faces we quickly became one homogeneous unit. My heart was tender when I learned that this unit was formed only five months ago and as the names of six male members were read for sustaining in the Priesthood I could not help but feel humbled in the midst of this blessed people.

The ward choir presented several hymns and the words spoken over the pulpit were very timely and appropriate. We gathered after the meeting for soda and biscuits in hopes of extending our love to these saints and I was asked many times about what the Church was like in Salt Lake and how long I have been a member, eventually the ordination was conducted for the brethren receiving the priesthood.

I tired as the congregation continued to press us to 'tarry a little longer' and it was very clear that they were not wishing us to leave even as the event ran over 4 hours in length. We stopped by a building under remodel that will act as a branch meeting house once the membership becomes large enough to sustain such an organization, and I was left with a feeling of gratitude for the opportunity I have to worship in such ideal conditions.

After a quick Sunday afternoon nap we walked down to Lake Niavasha in hopes of catching a glimpse of the many hippopotamus that live in the area, and although the wildlife was scarce, we did see the area where 'Out of Africa' was filmed.

Day Two

We finally arrived in Nairobi, having arrived on the tarmac at 6:30 am just as the sun was rising. It was a good thing I was well rested as getting the group through customs, baggage pickup and loaded in the vans proved to be very taxing. We must have counted the duffle bags 100 times and my Type A personality kicked in more than once. It seemed like every time a duffle appeared on the conveyor belt the stack was recounted, and after the first three or four times I believe I would have put the bags in stacks of five.

We were missing about 30 of the 60 duffle bags and you guessed it, once we realized the bags needed to be reported lost we had to figure out who's bags were missing. Maybe putting the bags in stacks of five wouldn't have worked.....we should have lined up all 25 volunteers and had them stack their two duffles on the ground in front of them. Anyone who did not have two duffles should report their duffle as 'missing.'

We started at The River, a series of squatter encampments with numerous children in various stages of dress and uniformly dirty. The objective was to entertain the children while giving the parents uninterrupted time with the medical staff. It appeared (and smelt) like we were standing on a landfill and my heart was tender as I saw the children digging through what appeared to be garbage to find something to hold onto. Africa, like most countries, is quickly becoming a country of 'haves' and 'have nots' with a disappearing middle class. Poverty is as apparent as affluence-If I was in Africa who would I be? Where would my station lie? Would I be the one on the side of the road selling home grown corn roasted over a charcoal fire? Or would I live at The River?

The view of the Great Rift Valley was even more spectacular than I remembered it on my last visit to Africa three years ago with Scott. In some places you could see heaven, in other places the clouds were very low and almost to ground with a small amount of mist everywhere. The terrain was alive with brilliant colors, deep red dirt with layer upon layer of dark green foliage. It took my breath away.

Day One

Having been delayed at the Dallas/Forth Worth airport, We arrived at Heathrow at 8am to find we missed our connection to Nairobi. With a 12 hour layover ahead of us, we made the most of our day by storing our luggage at the airport and buying a pass to the Underground.

Having travel mates that can navigate London was a great trial run for my layover at the end of the trip. Emily was able to explain to us how the subway gates and platforms worked and successfully got us off the tube at Green Park Station so we could take the short walk to Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Thames.

Having received a sense of how the city was laid out and a general idea of how far major landmarks were in walking time versus how far they looked on the map was invaluable. With one day of sightseeing completed, I believe I will be able to venture out much further than originally planned, the city proved very easy to travel.

The best part of missing the connection was that we were rerouted on Kenya Air, by far the best airline anywhere. Since it was 10 pm local time (6am Utah time) I immediately settled in for sleep, which made the 8 hours flight very enjoyable. When I awoke I found out the stewards packed me a sack lunch since I missed the in-flight meal!

UNPLUGGED

In just a few hours I unplug my phone and start my journey to Kenya and to an unknown experience among the African people.After a very long wait I am heading to Kenya to spend some time admits the people God colored with a dark brown crayon.

I did not activate the international calling plan on my phone and took no effort to inquire which 'G' Safaicom uses for internet service, I really don't care. In a few hours I will be on a layover at DFW and after that, I am unplugging my electronics so that every minute I am away will be spent discovering the wonders of Africa.

I am a little worried that I have extra space in my luggage and I am not looking forward to that moment in the trip when you realize that something you desperately need, you have left at home. Maybe the reason Americans have such big Walmarts is because we believe we need so much 'stuff.

I downloaded 7 novels to my Kindle to hold me over on the extensive flights each way then last week I borrowed Cutting for Stone from a friend and decided I could not wait two weeks to finish the book--yes I am dragging all 657 pages with m

I will be in Dallas at 5pm this evening (Thursday) and London at 8am tomorrow morning (Friday) and Nairobi at 9pm tomorrow evening and if you need to get a hold of me, leave me a message and I will get back to you the first week of June....until then I am unplug

WHEW!

I am sitting on a semi vacant auditorium enjoying the hustle of activity generated by someone other than myself....whew! I've had a long day.

I was awoken this morning by a text from Christine urging me to join her at book club this morning, apparently she did not understand the point of me lying in bed, in silence. It was my love for Little Bee by Chris Cleave that eventually convinced me to get out of bed and head over to a brunch of croissants and fresh fruit.

Partway through book club Nicolas called to invite me to lunch and informed me that his afternoon was free, so away we went! We had banking to get us ready for Kenya ($50 bills post 2003) and Kuwait (a power of attorney) then a trip to the book store and OldNavy (bling for Khole) and a stop at Walgreens for photos and OfficeMax for a toner cartridge.

After dropping Nicolas off at home and picking up rented road bikes at Canyon Bikes, and a quick snack at Taco Time, I am saving seats at Juan Diego for family and friends that are coming to see Jake's acting debut in High School Musical..... and there is nowhere in the world I would rather be.