We apologize for the length of this update but we've decided this is also our diary so hope you enjoy what you want and skip the rest!!
Dinner & Devotions
We eat at 5 in the dining hall with different families from the cottages each evening. It is nice for the Mamas to have some adult conversation and it encourages good behavior among their children. We will be done about 5:30 then again on Mon & Wed at 6:30 we will visit one of the cottages for enrichment (usually books or games) then stay for devotions which start at 7:15 and last until about 8. For example: In one cottage, Mama Lydia, who is paid by Rafiki and her 10 boys were all ready when we got there. It was very clean and neat. We read books and played games while their Mama got them ready for bed. Then they sang--like a choir with harmonized & solo section and repeated scripture verses. Mama Lydia read from the Bible and taught a lesson on Joshua that came straight from her heart. She said that Joshua was a leader and he had to be wise and sometimes firm/courageous. She said that as the leader of their house she also has to be wise and firm with them because she loves them. She told them that she hopes they will also be wise and firm with their loved ones. After training to be a Rafiki Mama she had a wait 8 months before getting an opportunity for employment. She calls her house Canaan as it is the Promised Land. She never had children until she came to rafiki in 2003.
School
Rog's fifth grade class is now working on Multiplication. Jane subs a lot in first and fourth grade besides working in the library. The teachers have high expectations for paying attention and behavior. This is very much reinforced throughout the village. Students take their turn willingly to sweep the floor, clean the bathrooms, mop the classroom floors and clean the chalkboards. They also spend time each week working in the community garden (which they all enjoy when the food turns up onthe table). Saturday morning is reserved for additional cleaning in their cottages.
People
We love the other missionaries and meeting locals who work here and other visitors who are staying here to learn about how to run similar orphanages in Kenya. They treat us very well (laundry done and folded, rooms cleaned and fridge stocked food, special treats on the table at our house, invites to dinner at the director's house, invites to church/ soccer/movies..Peter Turuthi is staying in the wageni (guest house) this week and training for his job as administrator of a satellite village that The Rafiki staff here is encouraging. Peter told us last night that the funding for his village has failed and the future of the satellite village is uncertain. He is determined and we sure hope the situation will soon improve for them.
Food
The portions are always more than we really want to eat so we usually ask for a smaller serving or give some of our food to the kids at our tables. We eat with the students for lunch. It helps them with speaking English and they are expected to learn from the example we provide. The meal is often rice with beans (cooked in different ways with spices and Rog thinks is very good but you can guess what Jane thinks} or ugali (like unsweetened cream-of-wheat though it's cornmeal) with cooked spinach orkale. Also there is often an slice of orange or mango or another type of fruit. Everyone gets the same thing and there never seems to be any complaining. On a few occasion I have seen a kid that had to eat on the floor because they had not been sitting properly in their seat. The Mamas & teachers make the kids behave! At lunch today I talked with my table about Oceans, equator, hibernation and migration. Most of the information was new to them.
Interesting note:When it is 10:35 PM here it is 2:35 PM in Michigan. We are 8 hours ahead of you.
Baby Orphanage in Nairobi
We went to a baby orphanage in Nairobi Saturday morning. Some of the kids here had lived there as infants and today was a reunion for them and their caregivers and other kids that lived there before being adopted. Two Mamas and eight kids went along, too. They have a very nice orphanage that is clean and bright with plenty of staff. There were activities for the kids such as face painting, balloons, coloring, entertainment (futbol player doing tricks with a soccer ball) trampoline, and a bouncing castle. They also served lunch (sandwiches and something very like empenadas called sabousas, donuts, and cake.) Rog poured somecoke into cups for Clint and Kyle (the two boys that were with me). They didn't know what it was. They wanted more, though. It was a moving day as we watched so many orphans who would have died running and playing...all the while they played "You raised me to more than I could be."
Traveling
We have traveled both in a bus & cars. It is always interesting to see the people along the way and their tiny businesses that line the road seemingly for miles. Unemployment is about 60-70% here and there are always lots of people moving from place to place. Beside every road there is a well worn path crowded with walkers. Traffic is pretty heavy with few rules that we recognize. People cross the street at any and all places and expect drivers to avoid them. We noticed just one traffic light today on our journey to downtown Nairobi and back again. We have seen very few accidents so I give the drivers high grades here. I'm glad I'm not driving.
Plans
A safari trip is planned for next weekend. We will be out and about on Thursday through Sunday. Later we may also be traveling to Tanzania with a doctor from the US (she looks forward to having some company).
Time to quit. We did hear the good news about Andy (Rog's nephew) &Karra's new baby daughter born yesterday. Hope all is well with anyone still reading this!! We do miss all of you.
Roger and Jane
School
Rog's fifth grade class is now working on Multiplication. Jane subs a lot in first and fourth grade besides working in the library. The teachers have high expectations for paying attention and behavior. This is very much reinforced throughout the village. Students take their turn willingly to sweep the floor, clean the bathrooms, mop the classroom floors and clean the chalkboards. They also spend time each week working in the community garden (which they all enjoy when the food turns up onthe table). Saturday morning is reserved for additional cleaning in their cottages.People
We love the other missionaries and meeting locals who work here and other visitors who are staying here to learn about how to run similar orphanages in Kenya. They treat us very well (laundry done and folded, rooms cleaned and fridge stocked food, special treats on the table at our house, invites to dinner at the director's house, invites to church/ soccer/movies..Peter Turuthi is staying in the wageni (guest house) this week and training for his job as administrator of a satellite village that The Rafiki staff here is encouraging. Peter told us last night that the funding for his village has failed and the future of the satellite village is uncertain. He is determined and we sure hope the situation will soon improve for them.
Food
The portions are always more than we really want to eat so we usually ask for a smaller serving or give some of our food to the kids at our tables. We eat with the students for lunch. It helps them with speaking English and they are expected to learn from the example we provide. The meal is often rice with beans (cooked in different ways with spices and Rog thinks is very good but you can guess what Jane thinks} or ugali (like unsweetened cream-of-wheat though it's cornmeal) with cooked spinach orkale. Also there is often an slice of orange or mango or another type of fruit. Everyone gets the same thing and there never seems to be any complaining. On a few occasion I have seen a kid that had to eat on the floor because they had not been sitting properly in their seat. The Mamas & teachers make the kids behave! At lunch today I talked with my table about Oceans, equator, hibernation and migration. Most of the information was new to them.
Interesting note:When it is 10:35 PM here it is 2:35 PM in Michigan. We are 8 hours ahead of you.
Baby Orphanage in Nairobi
We went to a baby orphanage in Nairobi Saturday morning. Some of the kids here had lived there as infants and today was a reunion for them and their caregivers and other kids that lived there before being adopted. Two Mamas and eight kids went along, too. They have a very nice orphanage that is clean and bright with plenty of staff. There were activities for the kids such as face painting, balloons, coloring, entertainment (futbol player doing tricks with a soccer ball) trampoline, and a bouncing castle. They also served lunch (sandwiches and something very like empenadas called sabousas, donuts, and cake.) Rog poured somecoke into cups for Clint and Kyle (the two boys that were with me). They didn't know what it was. They wanted more, though. It was a moving day as we watched so many orphans who would have died running and playing...all the while they played "You raised me to more than I could be."
Traveling
We have traveled both in a bus & cars. It is always interesting to see the people along the way and their tiny businesses that line the road seemingly for miles. Unemployment is about 60-70% here and there are always lots of people moving from place to place. Beside every road there is a well worn path crowded with walkers. Traffic is pretty heavy with few rules that we recognize. People cross the street at any and all places and expect drivers to avoid them. We noticed just one traffic light today on our journey to downtown Nairobi and back again. We have seen very few accidents so I give the drivers high grades here. I'm glad I'm not driving.
Plans
A safari trip is planned for next weekend. We will be out and about on Thursday through Sunday. Later we may also be traveling to Tanzania with a doctor from the US (she looks forward to having some company).
Time to quit. We did hear the good news about Andy (Rog's nephew) &Karra's new baby daughter born yesterday. Hope all is well with anyone still reading this!! We do miss all of you.
Roger and Jane
