Hi From Kenya!

Jambo! (That's Swahili for "hello"!) We made it to Nairobi, Kenya on Monday morning. The weather was cool and partly cloudy and in fact has been in the 70s everyday so far. Not too hot and not too cold. We got picked up by our drivers JM and Wilfred and taken to our lodging for the week at Gracia Guest House. Probably built in the 1970s, dormitory style w a common room in the middle. My roomate and team member Felicia and I are a great match. All the Kenyan hotel staff are very friendly and welcoming which I've heard is pretty common among Kenyans. From what I've observed Nairobi seems like a mixed area with poor tin roof houses, people herding cows down the street, middle/working class people riding the van/buses or walking to work and then new condos and private schools in gated communities and a mall where the trendy "rich" people shop and hang out (that's where I am now using an internet cafe). I'm trying to soak in all my surroundings...so much to see! From the guest house we went to Nairobi National Park to see the baby elephant orphanage. I can't even describe how cute they were. Got to touch and take up close pictures. We also went to a girafe reserve where I got to feed, pet and even kiss a girafe! Pictures to come! An amazing opportunity. However, I spent most of the day in a fog from not enough sleep (two nights of sleeping upright on a plane) and my allergies were going crazy which started in London (feeling much better now). Today we made a trip to the village of N'gundu about 2 hours away. North Coast Calvary Chapel has a partnership with N'gundu Church and have helped fund their vocational school, toilets, medical clinic, trees, etc. So we visited as "representatives". While we were there we got a tour of the brand new vocational school (one tin roof building w 3 sewing machines) where they proudly showed us their very first mosquito net recently completed. Their first project will be to sew these nets and sell in the village. We planted trees and named them. Mine is named CuCu ("shoo-shoo") Virginia... which means grandmother after my grandma who helped fund my trip via my mom and aunts. Then we ate brunch that consisted of sweet potatoes (yellow), mandazi (like triangle doughnuts), small bananas, muffins and tea with milk. So good. I talked to one women about the tea and learned how they make it by boiling 1/2 milk and 1/2 water then putting in the tea leaves and then straining out the leaves. I will definitely be buying lots of tea to take home! Last we toured the clinic then gave them a suitcase full of medical supplies. On the way home we saw a few kids walking home from school. We stopped to give them lollipops and pens. Even dirty and some barefoot...these kids were so adorable.




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