Hi--it's a warm feeling to know that you guys are out there and we are connected!! We love hearing from you too. I need to let you know that often the keyboards we use stick a lot and I don't have a dictionary or spell check so please forgive my errors!!! As a teacher, that hurts to say.
Birthday Party-
Yesterday as I entered the young children's orphanage, I had to pass by several TV cameras. The children were all in the entry way and their faces were covered with frosting. Someone handed me a bag of balloons and said, "Blow." The faster I blew, the more children surrounded me covering me with frosting also. Turns out they were having a birthday party--probably happens once a month and who knows why cameras were there. In a little while, the children were ushered (not easily) back to their room where they immediately pulled down their pants and sat on the potty bench-a long bench with 25 holes. As a teacher, I always had a gathering spot--guess this was theirs!! After we washed all faces & hands, we put on shoes and took them to the playground. As I sat on the long swing that holds about 8 kids, Mahdamyati (SP???) jumped on my lap and took both my arms and wrapped them around her. When I tried to put one arm around another, she grabbed it back. She had a special dress on so I asked if it was her birthday celebration and found out it was so I sang Happy Birthday to her. That opened a flood gate as she insisted I sing it to her maybe 30 times during the next couple hours--which I was delighted to do. Soon it was time to go in and eat. As I fed one child who just grinned at me--and never noticed that the child next to him was picking out her carrots and putting them in his dish. Then back on that potty. I love counting, saying ABC's, singing itsy bitsy spider, Mary Had a Little Lamb, You are My Sunshine and other songs as they sit there smiling at me!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Hi- I don't have much time tonight but have been wanting for a while to write about:
The Indian Man I Met on the Plane:
He was middle age and well dressed. He was flying to pick up his mother and bring her to live with him. He asked how we liked India and we said, we loved the people and the amazing old buildings. He said, "India is proof there is a God." I asked about the poverty. He looked down and said, "Many in India have much wealth but do not give. Americans are so fortunate and also have the heart to give." He went on to say that he thought it was because in America, we get the message that we should give and help others in many places--church, family and even our government. In India, they do not have that unifying factor.
Reflecting on his words, it 
made me realize that the message we get--to help others--was the new testament, Christ's message. Here I see so many temples and shrines and people praying individually in front of them. Even if there is a gathering, they are each quietly praying alone. It's like the new testament vs. the old testament. I was proud to be an American--as you should be too.
made me realize that the message we get--to help others--was the new testament, Christ's message. Here I see so many temples and shrines and people praying individually in front of them. Even if there is a gathering, they are each quietly praying alone. It's like the new testament vs. the old testament. I was proud to be an American--as you should be too. (Sorry this was a bit preachy but it was one of those WOW experiences.)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Namaskar (Hello in Bengali),
Each day is filled with new site and happenings that it's hard to even jot it all down...but here's a little piece of it:
Shishu Bhaven (Mother Teresa's Orphanage for small children):
I had been working with the physically/mentally handicapped children but yesterday, moved to the "healthy" children part. It's filled to the brim with 100 children under the age of about 7. As I walk in they all rush to me with open arms yelling, "Auntie" (which is what they call all volunteer women)--I wish I could pick them all up!! One little guy was just finishing his snack and offered the rest to me. I helped in the 2 yr old room of 21 kids who after they ate, all sat on one long potty as I counted them over and over until they were done. After putting various shoes on each, it was off to the playground. Now I know where some of the equipment the USA deemed unsafe is!! See saws, wooden swings, maypoles and cement slides with no rails--all surrounded by a cleverly painted wall of happy children and Sisters. The kids play vigorously as the hired ladies sit on benches combing lice out of hair and cleaning out ears. Gotta love it.
Did you know:
Jane
Each day is filled with new site and happenings that it's hard to even jot it all down...but here's a little piece of it:
Shishu Bhaven (Mother Teresa's Orphanage for small children):
I had been working with the physically/mentally handicapped children but yesterday, moved to the "healthy" children part. It's filled to the brim with 100 children under the age of about 7. As I walk in they all rush to me with open arms yelling, "Auntie" (which is what they call all volunteer women)--I wish I could pick them all up!! One little guy was just finishing his snack and offered the rest to me. I helped in the 2 yr old room of 21 kids who after they ate, all sat on one long potty as I counted them over and over until they were done. After putting various shoes on each, it was off to the playground. Now I know where some of the equipment the USA deemed unsafe is!! See saws, wooden swings, maypoles and cement slides with no rails--all surrounded by a cleverly painted wall of happy children and Sisters. The kids play vigorously as the hired ladies sit on benches combing lice out of hair and cleaning out ears. Gotta love it.
Did you know:
- Hindu turban is round. Sikh is round with a point, and the Muslin wear a small cap with no bill??
- Many Indians eat their food with their fingers--rice with sauce, mushed potatoes & beans, etc....and seldom do you see them use napkins...how do they manage that??
- One man can ride a bicycle down a busy, hectic, rough and narrow road with six dead chickens hanging from his handle bars and another ten tied to his fender...again how???
- Great recycling here as most food containers are simply newspapers folded up. Don't know if they were read first??
- You can make a bowl out of leaves by drying them on a round form...then just throw them on the ground with the rest of the trash when done!! Think Green!!
Jane
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sunday Service:
After getting all the kids settled on a carpet in a small chapel, one of the small boys began to play on the bango drums while others shook their tambourines and all sang to the top of their voices--not exactly sounding like angels but surely with purest of hearts. What an inspiring service!! I was with Mukul helping him stand and sit as well as keeping his drool wiped and with a blind girl who happened to find me and hung on my pants. Rog had a squirrelly one on his lap. Needless to say, we didn't doze off. Mukul had greeted me when I arrived this a.m. handing me a string he had found. He was so proud to give me something. Rog has connected with several boys who enjoyed tossing a rag ball with him. A big part of our day is feeding those who can't feed themselves. Suffice it to say, it's a messy affair and we both agreed not to discuss it while we eat...or really anytime. We continue to watch and learn from the nuns and local workers... Smile and touch each one.
Volunteers at Mother Teresa's:
I understand the Tower of Babel now. Each morning the volunteers gather for breakfast (chai, bread & banana), announcements and prayers. It's a social time so there is lots of talking going on and you hear so many languages being spoken. We've met volunteers from: Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, England, Italy, China, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Germany, Canada and good old USA. Most are young college kids and a few of us old folk. All are friendly and thank goodness, many speak English. We so admire the ambition and kind heart of the youth!!
Tuk-Tuk:
A tuk-tuk is a three wheeled taxi that is suppose to carry two or three but usually crams in four, five or six. It can go about 35 mph at full speed and that's the only speed they travel. At night, they are lit up like Christmas trees. The driver is an expert at dodging, swerving, honking and stopping on a dime. Often they try to pass each other and any other moving obstacle in the way. I feel like I'm in a Disneyland ride...but without any of the safety precautions.
Sidewalks of Kolkata:
Turn up all the noise around you, put something pretty rotten near you and then add these sights and you might have an idea of what the streets are like: broken, uneven bricks, protruding cement blocks, tree roots, broken glass, trash, homeless campsites, laundry, water gushing out of square basins where people are lathering up & washing every part of their bodies and others are scrubbing their laundry about every block, street vendors every couple feet selling odd and old collections of whatever, trash, dogs, outdoor kitchens cooking up a variety of smelly food, large pots of coffee, milk & tea steaming, shrines with dead and live flowers, walking vendors with baskets of fruit on their heads, charcoal grills made of clay with a variety of beans, potatoes and red carrots cooking in large, flat pans, vendors carrying large plastic bags of fish (heads & all), children playing with sticks/stones/brick pieces who run up to you & beg, goats, chickens, mice, and did I mention, trash. It's an obstacle course to say the least. Many times, it's so difficult to walk on, you just walk on the street and dodge the traffic. I chucked when I saw one sign that read: Accident Prone Area. That could be posted every foot of the way!! We sigh with relief when we get to our destination!!
Communist Rally:
While riding a bus today, we started to notice a large walking crowd carrying red flags with the hammer and sickle on them. The group kept getting larger and then trucks & buses of people with flags joined them. Our bus was creeping along and then several men started yelling and pounding on the side of the bus. We came to a halt and since we could not see wait. The crowd filled five blocks. We hoped the BBC would not get a picture of us as we weeded our way through the crowd to get back to our hotel.
Well, enough for tonight--except I think I gave some of you the wrong site to view our pictures and blog so I'll try again:
www.rogerandjane.shutterfly.com
www.rogerandjane.blogspot.com
Bekah--feel free to correct me if I got it wrong again!!!
Thanks for the emails some of you have sent.
We love hearing news from home!!
Jane and Roger
After getting all the kids settled on a carpet in a small chapel, one of the small boys began to play on the bango drums while others shook their tambourines and all sang to the top of their voices--not exactly sounding like angels but surely with purest of hearts. What an inspiring service!! I was with Mukul helping him stand and sit as well as keeping his drool wiped and with a blind girl who happened to find me and hung on my pants. Rog had a squirrelly one on his lap. Needless to say, we didn't doze off. Mukul had greeted me when I arrived this a.m. handing me a string he had found. He was so proud to give me something. Rog has connected with several boys who enjoyed tossing a rag ball with him. A big part of our day is feeding those who can't feed themselves. Suffice it to say, it's a messy affair and we both agreed not to discuss it while we eat...or really anytime. We continue to watch and learn from the nuns and local workers... Smile and touch each one.
Volunteers at Mother Teresa's:
I understand the Tower of Babel now. Each morning the volunteers gather for breakfast (chai, bread & banana), announcements and prayers. It's a social time so there is lots of talking going on and you hear so many languages being spoken. We've met volunteers from: Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, England, Italy, China, Japan, Spain, Mexico, Germany, Canada and good old USA. Most are young college kids and a few of us old folk. All are friendly and thank goodness, many speak English. We so admire the ambition and kind heart of the youth!!
Tuk-Tuk:
A tuk-tuk is a three wheeled taxi that is suppose to carry two or three but usually crams in four, five or six. It can go about 35 mph at full speed and that's the only speed they travel. At night, they are lit up like Christmas trees. The driver is an expert at dodging, swerving, honking and stopping on a dime. Often they try to pass each other and any other moving obstacle in the way. I feel like I'm in a Disneyland ride...but without any of the safety precautions.
Sidewalks of Kolkata:
Turn up all the noise around you, put something pretty rotten near you and then add these sights and you might have an idea of what the streets are like: broken, uneven bricks, protruding cement blocks, tree roots, broken glass, trash, homeless campsites, laundry, water gushing out of square basins where people are lathering up & washing every part of their bodies and others are scrubbing their laundry about every block, street vendors every couple feet selling odd and old collections of whatever, trash, dogs, outdoor kitchens cooking up a variety of smelly food, large pots of coffee, milk & tea steaming, shrines with dead and live flowers, walking vendors with baskets of fruit on their heads, charcoal grills made of clay with a variety of beans, potatoes and red carrots cooking in large, flat pans, vendors carrying large plastic bags of fish (heads & all), children playing with sticks/stones/brick pieces who run up to you & beg, goats, chickens, mice, and did I mention, trash. It's an obstacle course to say the least. Many times, it's so difficult to walk on, you just walk on the street and dodge the traffic. I chucked when I saw one sign that read: Accident Prone Area. That could be posted every foot of the way!! We sigh with relief when we get to our destination!!
Communist Rally:
While riding a bus today, we started to notice a large walking crowd carrying red flags with the hammer and sickle on them. The group kept getting larger and then trucks & buses of people with flags joined them. Our bus was creeping along and then several men started yelling and pounding on the side of the bus. We came to a halt and since we could not see wait. The crowd filled five blocks. We hoped the BBC would not get a picture of us as we weeded our way through the crowd to get back to our hotel.
Well, enough for tonight--except I think I gave some of you the wrong site to view our pictures and blog so I'll try again:
www.rogerandjane.shutterfly.com
www.rogerandjane.blogspot.com
Bekah--feel free to correct me if I got it wrong again!!!
Thanks for the emails some of you have sent.
We love hearing news from home!!
Jane and Roger
Saturday, February 6, 2010
First Day in Mission
Hello All,
Words don't come easy when I think of today. Rog & I spent the morning in Dali Dan--home of the handicapped/mentally challenged orphans. Rog went back this p.m. and I went to the 
home of the young orphans. The need. The arms reaching for you. The love that is being so generously given by the nuns, the local workers and the volunteers. Mother Teresa spoke of seeing Christ in disgusting disguises and I thought of those words so many times. It took concentration to look beyond the drool, the malformations, the wet pants, the strange noises--but with the nuns as my example--it worked.
We took about 25 to a park and the boy I was with walked so slowly--it gave me much time to talk to him--to take in the scenes and stares around us. I have to admit that crossing the six lane crazy traffic was a bit
scary and I prayed the whole time as we sloooowwwly made our way. Feeding time was a messy affair but there too, successful! The little ones in the afternoon just wanted me to hug them. Though most were probably two-three-four years old, few could walk well and even fewer could communicate. But everyone I spent time with--smiled!! I kept thinking of my healthy, boisterous, funny, mischievous, laughing grandchildren. In spite of all--I can't wait to go back tomorrow as I hope I learned things so I can be more effective. Africa was a stepping stone to today.
Keep all these little ones in your prayers--and us too!
Jane
If you have ever played Frogger on the computer you might know what it is like to cross the street here. The first night we were in kolkata we needed to cross the road after having dinner across from our hotel. Trucks, buses, bicycles, rickshaws, trolleys and taxis all presented a problem as we wove our way across six lanes and all I could think of was Frogger. Especiallly the part where he gets flattened! Last night we noticed that there is a real pedestrian crossing light just a short way down the street! So no more Frogger....
~Rog
Kids,
Wish you could have been with us today. We walked to the backpackers ghetto area here in the city and decided that it would be better to ride in a cycle rickshaw instead of risk getting run over by the traffic zooming down street inches away from all of the pedestrians. The rickshaw driver successfully deliverd us to our destination and at the same time provided us with a feast for our senses. Smells (not always bad-popcorn, nuts, bread, fruit), sights (shops and vendors selling everything imaginable), and sounds (honking, honking and more of the same!) I'll try to get a little video next time!
I'm pleased with the assignment that I have been given by the nun at Mother Teresa's. I will be working at a house for mentally and physically handicapped children. The day starts with 6 am Mass and will go until about 6 pm so we will be early to bed tonight!
Love to all, Dad
Friday, February 5, 2010
Today we walked where Mother Teresa walked. It is surreal to be here. We viewed her simple bedroom. We knelt at her tomb.
Flower petals formed the words: I did nothing. He did it all.
Her sisters and the love she spread are all around. At 3 today we will go to the orientation. We are eager to begin.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Arrived in Kolkata
Hi back home,
We are two among 17 million now in Kolkata! And so far I have not seen another white person so that makes us a real small minority!! We arrived at our hotel without a hitch and it's quite nice--Indian standards. We have a sit down toilet and hot water so we are happy!
SO if you are reading this you probably want to hear more about what's been happening:
Gov't School in Dehli
Yesterday we found a 1-5 grade gov't school and asked if we could visit. They happily let us come in and see the kids as they sang their morning routine--we could only decipher the ABC's. THey sang loudly with smiling faces. Then the older girls shook out some blankets and laid them down on the cement floor. THe kids sat crosslegged and pulled out books to read from their own backpacks. One girl had her little sister probably because she had to watch her. There were about 85 in each class. It broke my heart. I offered the teacher some of the books I'd brought from my classroom and she gladly took the easier ones. I felt like I was spreading the remains of my teaching career--some in Africa and now India. The teacher showed us her lesson plans that were very detailed and complete with her own illustrations. Teachers everywhere care lots for their students.
Shrines/Temples:
Everywhere! The buildings all around may be falling down or made of poor material but next to most was a well kept and often very beautiful small shrine with flowers & fresh paint . And if there's any hill or mountain, there is a temple on top. Each small village we drive through--there's atleast one temple. In Pushkar, a temple on every block. We wonder who is keeping them up and how are they paying for it?? Did you know there are over 3 million Hindu gods and I think we've seen statues of about 1/4 of them--each unique. Also, Raj (Rog) may be a king's name but Jain (pronounced Jane) is a religion. SO there.
Women/Men:
Of the multi million drivers (cars, trucks, ricksaw, bicycle, motorcycle) we've seen, only two of them were women. Men also run all the little shops, hotels, businesses, and seem to be the only ones sitting in groups chatting. Women we see gathering sticks, working in fields, working construction, sweeping streets, caring for children, cooking in front of their homes, shepherding and always in their beautiful saris that somehow appear to be clean and glistening in the sun!!
Construction:
Delhi will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in Sept/Oct this year so it's preparing in a massive way. Hundreds of huge buildings, metro system, sports arenas, gardens, roadways, sewers , pipelines, electric lines, etc. etc. are being built--we wonder how all of it will ever get done??? It will certainly make Delhi a more modern city. Signs every where read: Under Construction for a Better Tomorrow.
Trees:
Rog noticed so many trees that seemed to be trimmed of all small branches so he asked around and found out they trimmed them for fire wood but soon the monsoon would come and those trees would send out new branches. In this way, they are preserving their trees unlike in Kenya where they chopped the trees down to make charcoal.
Water:
Water here is holy. Lakes are surrounded by ghats--holy places with steps down to the water where people would bath in the holy water as part of their religion. It was sad to see several of these lakes almost empty knowing how precious the site was to them. Last year was a very dry year so they are praying for a long monsoon season this year.
Girlfriends:
I was talking to a local 17 year old boy and asked him if he had a girlfriend. He said no girlfriends were Mom and Dad's problem! (Arranged marriages still prevalent.)
And finally...Roger has found a place where his wardrobe is admired! He has gotten many compliments on his shirts and his hat (check him out in the pictures).
We are anxious to meet the Missionaries of Charity Sisters tomorrow!!!
God Bless all,
Jane and Roger
We are two among 17 million now in Kolkata! And so far I have not seen another white person so that makes us a real small minority!! We arrived at our hotel without a hitch and it's quite nice--Indian standards. We have a sit down toilet and hot water so we are happy!
SO if you are reading this you probably want to hear more about what's been happening:
Gov't School in Dehli
Yesterday we found a 1-5 grade gov't school and asked if we could visit. They happily let us come in and see the kids as they sang their morning routine--we could only decipher the ABC's. THey sang loudly with smiling faces. Then the older girls shook out some blankets and laid them down on the cement floor. THe kids sat crosslegged and pulled out books to read from their own backpacks. One girl had her little sister probably because she had to watch her. There were about 85 in each class. It broke my heart. I offered the teacher some of the books I'd brought from my classroom and she gladly took the easier ones. I felt like I was spreading the remains of my teaching career--some in Africa and now India. The teacher showed us her lesson plans that were very detailed and complete with her own illustrations. Teachers everywhere care lots for their students.
Shrines/Temples:
Everywhere! The buildings all around may be falling down or made of poor material but next to most was a well kept and often very beautiful small shrine with flowers & fresh paint . And if there's any hill or mountain, there is a temple on top. Each small village we drive through--there's atleast one temple. In Pushkar, a temple on every block. We wonder who is keeping them up and how are they paying for it?? Did you know there are over 3 million Hindu gods and I think we've seen statues of about 1/4 of them--each unique. Also, Raj (Rog) may be a king's name but Jain (pronounced Jane) is a religion. SO there.
Women/Men:
Of the multi million drivers (cars, trucks, ricksaw, bicycle, motorcycle) we've seen, only two of them were women. Men also run all the little shops, hotels, businesses, and seem to be the only ones sitting in groups chatting. Women we see gathering sticks, working in fields, working construction, sweeping streets, caring for children, cooking in front of their homes, shepherding and always in their beautiful saris that somehow appear to be clean and glistening in the sun!!
Construction:
Delhi will be hosting the Commonwealth Games in Sept/Oct this year so it's preparing in a massive way. Hundreds of huge buildings, metro system, sports arenas, gardens, roadways, sewers , pipelines, electric lines, etc. etc. are being built--we wonder how all of it will ever get done??? It will certainly make Delhi a more modern city. Signs every where read: Under Construction for a Better Tomorrow.
Trees:
Rog noticed so many trees that seemed to be trimmed of all small branches so he asked around and found out they trimmed them for fire wood but soon the monsoon would come and those trees would send out new branches. In this way, they are preserving their trees unlike in Kenya where they chopped the trees down to make charcoal.
Water:
Water here is holy. Lakes are surrounded by ghats--holy places with steps down to the water where people would bath in the holy water as part of their religion. It was sad to see several of these lakes almost empty knowing how precious the site was to them. Last year was a very dry year so they are praying for a long monsoon season this year.
Girlfriends:
I was talking to a local 17 year old boy and asked him if he had a girlfriend. He said no girlfriends were Mom and Dad's problem! (Arranged marriages still prevalent.)
And finally...Roger has found a place where his wardrobe is admired! He has gotten many compliments on his shirts and his hat (check him out in the pictures).
We are anxious to meet the Missionaries of Charity Sisters tomorrow!!!
God Bless all,
Jane and Roger
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Our Last Day in Delhi
Got up early to go to the school that is just a few doors down the street from our hotel. The teacher welcomed us and invited to come in and visit the classrooms. 85 students in one class with no chairs! All sit or kneel on the floor while at school. More on this later from Jane.
Went to the largest mosque in the world (Jamal Masud- see photo above), the national museum where we saw really old figures, carvings,statues, etc. Very interesting!!! Many items were B.C. including a beautiful dancing girl from 2800 B.C.
Met Josh and Mary at our hotel this morning (from Oregon). They are on a trip that reminds us of the adventure of our Europe trip 35 years ago. They quit their jobs and are going to be traveling all over for 5+ months. We invited them to join us for the day as we toured Delhi.
Went to the largest mosque in the world (Jamal Masud- see photo above), the national museum where we saw really old figures, carvings,statues, etc. Very interesting!!! Many items were B.C. including a beautiful dancing girl from 2800 B.C.
Also toured the Red Fort that showplace of the Mughal Empire. The Shah lived here in splendor with unimaginable luxuries-fountains, pools, gardens, baths with warm water, others with hot water, others with scented water... just because he wanted to please all the women in his harem. What a guy!
Then on to Lodhi Gard
en (a beautiful and shady respite from all the hustle and bustle of the city.) And Humayan's tomb (see photo left)...a huge structure built about 400 years ago to house his remains. Amazing that the old wooden doors seem surprisingly intact considering their age. What some people won't do to make sure that future generations visit their grave.
en (a beautiful and shady respite from all the hustle and bustle of the city.) And Humayan's tomb (see photo left)...a huge structure built about 400 years ago to house his remains. Amazing that the old wooden doors seem surprisingly intact considering their age. What some people won't do to make sure that future generations visit their grave. Tomorrow we leave Delhi for Kolkata.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Pushkar
Hello all,
We are in Pushkar another day as we love it here...slower pace...great shops and a chance to upload pictures and email.
And now for what we've been up to--
Camel Ride!! We mounted camels and took off for the local desert. Talk about feeling like you were in the Lawrence of Arabia film! The ride was a slow up and down movement when they walked and when they took off trotting--it shook every bone until I relaxed and just bouced along. We were on the top of a dune at sun down--showing our guides how to play tic tac toe in the sand. Rog also showed them how to juggle with some stones we found. Guess he wants to teach the world to juggle!We are in Pushkar another day as we love it here...slower pace...great shops and a chance to upload pictures and email.
And now for what we've been up to--
Have you ever felt you made a bad decision?? One of the palaces we toured took 12 years and about 20,000 workers to build--and after four years was deserted due to lack of water!!!
Food: We've been experiencing with the help of our driver, Noor. Rog has found all to his liking--aren't you surprised?? I so far have liked the chapatties(flat bread), a potato/onion bread and a banana/coconut pancake. A couple days ago, I declared a no Indian food day--to give my stomach a needed break. A couple Cipro helped also. It amazes me that food can be so different! Last night, Noor arranged with our hotel cook to give me cooking lessons. I rolled chapatties, fix a vege stir fry with plenty of spices. We devoured both on the roof under the stars--with a coke!!!
Roger is feeling very special as Raj means king so everyone makes a fuss over his name!!
Also, Noor calls us Mommy and Poppy now. Several locals thought Roger was an Indian and that we were his parents!! He gets a big kick out of calling us that and hugs us tightly when introducing us as his parents!! Ben, Bek & Jake--meet your new brother!!
Bogglehead: At all times, one must look around for speedy motorcycles & small white cars, must look up for unique architecture and down to avoid manure piles!! It makes you feel like a bobble head.
Laws of physics: How does a motorcycle driver keep balance when his wife who is holding a baby rides side saddle on the back while a sleeping child sits on his handle bars??? And why doesn't that sleeping child fall off??? Mind you, they are going 40 -50 mph!
And often I wonder... how can I help this begging child, this woman with no teeth with her hands outstretched, the man with no legs. I am hoping to find this answer at Mother Teresa's. I know if I give to one--I will be mobbed within seconds. I have handed out many books but only as we drive away from the area and still, the children run after us.
And I think... that perhaps the reason the woman wear such ornate jewelry, decorate their faces with vivid colors and wear sari's that defy the colors I've seen anywhere...trucks are painted with fancy designs...and temples are filled with beautiful flowers...give these people a sense of beauty within as they walk the streets filled with trash, manure, sewage and poor. They can look beyond it all and smile.
Time for lunch.
Take care and be thankful.
Jane
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Gems From India
Gems from India
- Words of a local: In India we have a big problem--that is there is no problem.
- Indian room service: open door and shout "Hello"--someone will come running
- Views from the car window: Indian man dressed in "Ghandi" pants and a T-shirt with a big yellow smiling face
- Indian woman wearing a beautiful pink sari working with a chisel breaking cement at a construction site
- Thoughts on living in such crowded conditions from a local: I would be lonely without so many others close.
- Did you know the Japanese are building the toll roads here and collecting the $$?
- There is a Global Management University in India??
- Girls who complete about 9 years of school get $$ from government because they will be more desirable wives?
Finally, treat of the day: Talk about service, you don't even have to get your own towels wet!! They come wet already!!
Enjoy USA,
Jane and Roger
*** Our first set of photos have been uploaded onto our photo website:
http://rogerandjane.shutterfly.com/ (look in the India #1 Album)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Greetings from Pushkar, India--home of many camels!!
We pulled up to our hotel and parked next to two camels who seemed to like the company. Can't wait till tomorrow when we hop on one of them. As we waited for our room, we sat in a garden and watched several peacocks roost for the night in nearby trees. We are in India. Today we toured the palace where the present Hindi Maharaja of Rajathstan state lives and 
the palaces & grave sites of several past kings. Marble carvings, golden paintings, mirrored walls, chandeliers, pillars, domes, Persian carpets and ornately painted gates everywhere. One built a palace for his wife that had 365 doors so she could always watch from her hidden window whatever was going on and from a spot with a breeze. Another built his wife a glass palace with thousands & thousands of tiny mirrors. Another built an observatory in the 1600's that included a sundial that showed time accurate within two seconds. It was about as big as our house. He also built a constellation finder, astrolabe, zodiac locator, etc., etc. just proved t
his Maharaja had a thing about knowing what time it was!! They sure didn't skimp on themselves. Of course, we sure don't feel like we are skimping on ourselves as we take in site after site of a most intriguing culture and tour their amazingly old and well preserved buildings. We've been enjoying talking to our guides at each site who are very willing to tell about their life and other Indians. Did you realize that about 80% of marriages are still arranged and the divorce rate is less than 3%?? I asked if they were happy with their spouses and he smiled and said, oh yes. He hoped he could be married as long as we've been. More later as we must rest up for more tomorrow.
the palaces & grave sites of several past kings. Marble carvings, golden paintings, mirrored walls, chandeliers, pillars, domes, Persian carpets and ornately painted gates everywhere. One built a palace for his wife that had 365 doors so she could always watch from her hidden window whatever was going on and from a spot with a breeze. Another built his wife a glass palace with thousands & thousands of tiny mirrors. Another built an observatory in the 1600's that included a sundial that showed time accurate within two seconds. It was about as big as our house. He also built a constellation finder, astrolabe, zodiac locator, etc., etc. just proved t
his Maharaja had a thing about knowing what time it was!! They sure didn't skimp on themselves. Of course, we sure don't feel like we are skimping on ourselves as we take in site after site of a most intriguing culture and tour their amazingly old and well preserved buildings. We've been enjoying talking to our guides at each site who are very willing to tell about their life and other Indians. Did you realize that about 80% of marriages are still arranged and the divorce rate is less than 3%?? I asked if they were happy with their spouses and he smiled and said, oh yes. He hoped he could be married as long as we've been. More later as we must rest up for more tomorrow.Enjoy!
Jane and Roger
Friday, January 29, 2010
We've arrived in India!
Day 1 that lasted until Day 3
India--we came looking for adventure...and quickly found it. We missed our New York connection due to fog in D.C.. Air India officials were at a loss what to do with us and ten others. One Indian man (a D.C./Delhi business man), San Jeev stepped forward and clearly took control for the whole group telling us that if we stuck together, we'd have better chance with Air India. He negotiated an acceptable scenerio to get us to Delhi ASAP. He did it in a quiet and polite yet demanding manner. We were given new tickets to Mumbai and then Delhi along with meal and hotel vouchers. From then on, we were close to San Jeev's heels as we moved a a pack from ticket counters, through security checks, in taxis for the next 24 hours. We became the "Dirty Dozen." At one security point, Rog & 2 other got separated. San Jeev spoke to authorities and offered to search for them. Another young man in our group doubled back and proudly returned with all three...relief. Our unplanned night in Mumbai gave us a glimpse of that busy of that busy business center and almost 4 hours sleep in a bed.
We are about to land in Delhi. We feel lost in a time bubble. It's Wed, 11:30 AM here --so that's Tues 1:30 AM USA time. Since we left Detroit at 6 AM on Monday--we just know we've been in planes and airports for a looong time.
Day 4 and 5
Taj Mahal - open sewers
Marble - dirt
flashy tour buses - ox carts
gold carvings - tinsel
domes - dung
gorgeous sari's - bare butts
Mercedes - ricksaws
friendly smiles - honking horns
Hindu - Muslum
rich - poor
The contrast is what smacks me in the face. We have spent the last few days with our driver, Noor who placed a ring of flowers around our necks when he met us at the airport and we were off! We've already been to Gandi's grave & museum, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Sikandra (fort), Fateh Pur Sikri (palace) and a few more palaces and forts. At each, Noor has arranged a guide who is loaded with info and takes our picture!! We've traveled about 500 kilometers on muddy alleys and new toll road, through huge cities & tiny villages, past fields of crops & bricks and past ricksaws, motorcyles (with 4 people on them), trucks totally decorated with USE HORN PLEASE painted on their tailgate, three wheeled taxis with 20+ people, bicycles galore, ox/camel/donkey/horse carts, tour & local buses and small cars. All these shared the road with cows, pigs, sheep, goats and people walking. It only worked because of the cooperation and respect everyone seemed to have for each other...and their horns which they used as a courtesy to warn others as they approached. It seemed like an amazing maze where people had a sixth sense of what others were going to do. All the while, we soak in the sights like a cow walking out of marble doorway, palace built in a lake, sari's blowing in the air as they travel on motorcycles or in backs of trucks, technical university next to dung pile farm, monkeys playing in ancient palace, women in vivid sari's washing clothes in the river and hanging them in dead trees to dry. children in smart uniforms going to school by crowded ricksaws, and so much more.
When we had to cross a road while walking, we would have never moved if Noor or our guide had not led the way stopping traffic. They told us--if you worry, you can't walk. Just walk.We're in Jaipur-the city they painted pink for the Queen's visit--so we'll see more palaces and forts tomorrow. The history here is amazingly ancient and ornate!
Hope all is well with you!
Roger and Jane
For more videos and photos of New Delhi, go to our photo/video page :
http://www.rogerandjane.shutterfly.com/
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Last Week in Africa
Dear Family & Friends,
We're unpacked and sorting through our memories. We thank all of you for enthusiasticly following our trip and responding with such support that we felt loved all the way across the ocean! Here are our notes on the last week of our trip for those of you who are die hards and wish to "read to the end."
Tanzania: After almost eight hours of bone rattling, dusty rough roads which skirted the north, west & south sides of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Dr. Elaine Tan and us arrived in Moshi. The director of the Rafiki Moshi village, Deb, was there to greet us. We made a quick stop to get some groceries in a tiny market and pulled up to a "drive through" banana market. In 15 minutes,we were settling into a vacant ROS home. The Mamas and kids waited with huge smiles to eat some delicious plantain stew & visit with us. We watched the sunset over Mt. K, showered, slept well and were up the next day to watch the sunrise over Mt. K. It was Majestic. Rog headed out with Tim, ROS (long term missionaries), to do maintenance and repair jobs. Jane was quickly put to work in the library & cutting out felt board Bible story characters...sure wish Rog's mom was there...she'd love doing that! As soon as the kids arrived at school, Jane was back to teaching. This village is a bud about to blossom. It's buildings were just finished within the last year and now they are rounding up the Mamas & orphans to fill them. It is time consuming as first they must gain the trust of the locals, then verify the death of both parents, and do a complete physical on the child before they bring him/her home to the village. They now have 7 adorable cherubs and 3 more "hopefuls." All the staff are eager to open their arms and hearts to many more! Seventeen girls, ages 17-22, attend a day school there working toward their 8th grade certificate. They also spend an hour a day making cards & weaving both using banana tree leaves...an income earning skill. They were a delightful and curious bunch who hammered us with questions. The snail question came up again so we did an internet search & found out the French eat about 5 lbs.of boiled snails a year. The girls were shocked especially when we told them many northern Africans eat them, too! Twelve of the girls live together in a house close by and we could hear them singing hymns beautifully each night. Mabel, ROS, just recently took over the child care position which included medical care. She was thrilled to have Dr. E there as she has no medical background and very few meds. Dr. E went straight to work doing completephysicals on all the kids, mamas & day students. She emptied a suitcase full of meds she'd brought & made 2 trips to town to get more & check out the local hospital--which was the one Dr. Bob Jensen founded. Jane subbed for Mabel's four year old class so she could spend time learning from Dr.E. Jane also helped organize & label the meds...everything from asprin to HIV test. She saved the list because you never know when or where it'll be valuable info!! Rog & Tim worked on the water pump, lights, fans, moving furniture & measuring for future needs. One of the national teachers, Mr. Kwaker agreed to escort Jane to the neighboring government school. He had taught there years ago and proudly told me it was the first school around and was started by missionaries inthe 1890's.It had educated some of the first free government officials! The children were at recess when we arrived & some of the teachers were checking out the goods a local boy had for sale and other teachers were working their shamba--garden plot provided for their use. (They would take what they harvested home for dinner.) The head master warmly welcomed me and paraded me around his school saying, "Take pictures!" Then he took me into his office which was piled high with papers. We discussed assessments and retention...so similar to the states. Then he told me to stay there while he assembled the students. After just a few minutes, he came for me and introduced me to his 250+ k-8 students. Mr.Kwaker translated as I told them a bit about me & USA schools. Again I was encouraged to "Take pictures" of the students & then the staff. After the kids went back to class, we visited a first grade and another class where a nun was teaching religion. As the head master, Mr. K & I exited the school and walked down the lane the head master talked to me about bridging Africa to America. What a thrilling dream we both shared. The five days in Tanzania filled up quickly. We dined in town on Chinese food & the ROS fried hamburgers & fries & served choc. chip cookies for us so we felt at home. Dr. E spent the extra $ to fly back to Nairobi...but we rode the bus to fill our memory banks with views of Africa: Maasi villages & herds, small town markets, huge dust devils, termite mountains, acacia tress, stick & scrap metal homes, unfinished"retirement" home, busses (one advertising: Arrive Alive!), pick-ups loaded with people and hundreds of walkers who smiled and waved to us.
Kimanthi: It pains us to write about Kimanthi but he has been a big part of this trip. He is almost five and is one of Mama Rose's sons (Kenya RafikiVillage). He had his first seizure in Aug & was taken to the best hospital in Nairobi. Many tests showed nothing & drs said probably it was a reaction to some bacterial infection. About 4 months later, another seizure and more tests. 3rd one was about 1 month later around the firstof March. They became more frequent and lasted longer. Four times in one week, he was examined by a top neurosurgeon... twice with Dr. E with him. Finally they admitted him. He wasn't swallowing & was barely concious. His diagnosis was slow growing encephalitis. His prognosis is poor. Decisions will be very tough. Bring him back to the village or to a care facilty? How long? What will his future needs be and can the village meet them? We have several pictures of Kimanthi smiling and playing. We also carried his limp body to bed and tried to get liquids down him several times. My mind says why...my heart relies on faith.
Home to Kenya: We came "home" to the Wageni (Swahili for guest house). Funny how quickly you can claim a spot. Yeen again treated us to dinner after we'd showered the red dust off. We then went to mingle with the kids: Jane read aloud stories and Rog orienting kids using maps. At 7, we joined the ROS, Hegels & Dr. E for desserts. We were overwhelmed with the heartfelt thank you we heard from each person. We were humbled to say the least. We felt the thanks totally belonged to those who were thanking us. These Godly committed people who we were leaving behind to continue pouring their energies and love into raising the 80+ orgphans and 30+ day students and all the nationals who were employed there. It was an evening we will not forget. Sunday we caught the bus with Mama Naomi & sons to the Anglican Church of East Africa right down town Mwiki. The boys went to Sunday School in a metal shed that used to be the church. We went to the "new" church-entering as two entusiastic members were both shouting their own personal praises into microphones...simultaneously. Then the real singing began. Many songs were the same as DUMC...but with African soul and dance. Our feet were tapping the dirt floors as the next 30+ minutes we sang with our whole bodies. Mama Naomi's boys sang, then another children's choir performed. We were pleased to recognize Mrs. Minea, teacher for the 4 yr old Rafiki kids, as she took the podium. Her husband is the paster & since it was Mothering Union Sunday, she preached about the impact mothers have on their families. We left after 2 hours though church was still going. We packed up our suitcases & then went to spend the last few hours with the kids. As they gathered at their dining tables, we said good bye to each...and yes Jane was crying. We were leaving behind much, taking lots and so looking forward to our grandbabies. Emotions were swirling in our minds as a group gathered again to pray for us and ask for a safe journey.We have been so blessed.
Mission Diet: On the lighter side...literally. Many of you have heard Jane talk about advertising a new diet she describes as "The Mission Diet: just go to a third world country to help, you'll lose weight!" Now she can say, "It works!!" The scales verify that she lost 9 lbs. in 7 weeks! (Rog refuses to be a part of this experiment.) That's not bad for having had many choc. chip cookies & popcorn. She was also delighted to have Coke Light readily available!! She encourages all of you to save the money you'd spend on "diet food &/or programs" and try the "Mission Diet" instead!!
We're unpacked and sorting through our memories. We thank all of you for enthusiasticly following our trip and responding with such support that we felt loved all the way across the ocean! Here are our notes on the last week of our trip for those of you who are die hards and wish to "read to the end."
Tanzania: After almost eight hours of bone rattling, dusty rough roads which skirted the north, west & south sides of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Dr. Elaine Tan and us arrived in Moshi. The director of the Rafiki Moshi village, Deb, was there to greet us. We made a quick stop to get some groceries in a tiny market and pulled up to a "drive through" banana market. In 15 minutes,we were settling into a vacant ROS home. The Mamas and kids waited with huge smiles to eat some delicious plantain stew & visit with us. We watched the sunset over Mt. K, showered, slept well and were up the next day to watch the sunrise over Mt. K. It was Majestic. Rog headed out with Tim, ROS (long term missionaries), to do maintenance and repair jobs. Jane was quickly put to work in the library & cutting out felt board Bible story characters...sure wish Rog's mom was there...she'd love doing that! As soon as the kids arrived at school, Jane was back to teaching. This village is a bud about to blossom. It's buildings were just finished within the last year and now they are rounding up the Mamas & orphans to fill them. It is time consuming as first they must gain the trust of the locals, then verify the death of both parents, and do a complete physical on the child before they bring him/her home to the village. They now have 7 adorable cherubs and 3 more "hopefuls." All the staff are eager to open their arms and hearts to many more! Seventeen girls, ages 17-22, attend a day school there working toward their 8th grade certificate. They also spend an hour a day making cards & weaving both using banana tree leaves...an income earning skill. They were a delightful and curious bunch who hammered us with questions. The snail question came up again so we did an internet search & found out the French eat about 5 lbs.of boiled snails a year. The girls were shocked especially when we told them many northern Africans eat them, too! Twelve of the girls live together in a house close by and we could hear them singing hymns beautifully each night. Mabel, ROS, just recently took over the child care position which included medical care. She was thrilled to have Dr. E there as she has no medical background and very few meds. Dr. E went straight to work doing completephysicals on all the kids, mamas & day students. She emptied a suitcase full of meds she'd brought & made 2 trips to town to get more & check out the local hospital--which was the one Dr. Bob Jensen founded. Jane subbed for Mabel's four year old class so she could spend time learning from Dr.E. Jane also helped organize & label the meds...everything from asprin to HIV test. She saved the list because you never know when or where it'll be valuable info!! Rog & Tim worked on the water pump, lights, fans, moving furniture & measuring for future needs. One of the national teachers, Mr. Kwaker agreed to escort Jane to the neighboring government school. He had taught there years ago and proudly told me it was the first school around and was started by missionaries inthe 1890's.It had educated some of the first free government officials! The children were at recess when we arrived & some of the teachers were checking out the goods a local boy had for sale and other teachers were working their shamba--garden plot provided for their use. (They would take what they harvested home for dinner.) The head master warmly welcomed me and paraded me around his school saying, "Take pictures!" Then he took me into his office which was piled high with papers. We discussed assessments and retention...so similar to the states. Then he told me to stay there while he assembled the students. After just a few minutes, he came for me and introduced me to his 250+ k-8 students. Mr.Kwaker translated as I told them a bit about me & USA schools. Again I was encouraged to "Take pictures" of the students & then the staff. After the kids went back to class, we visited a first grade and another class where a nun was teaching religion. As the head master, Mr. K & I exited the school and walked down the lane the head master talked to me about bridging Africa to America. What a thrilling dream we both shared. The five days in Tanzania filled up quickly. We dined in town on Chinese food & the ROS fried hamburgers & fries & served choc. chip cookies for us so we felt at home. Dr. E spent the extra $ to fly back to Nairobi...but we rode the bus to fill our memory banks with views of Africa: Maasi villages & herds, small town markets, huge dust devils, termite mountains, acacia tress, stick & scrap metal homes, unfinished"retirement" home, busses (one advertising: Arrive Alive!), pick-ups loaded with people and hundreds of walkers who smiled and waved to us.
Kimanthi: It pains us to write about Kimanthi but he has been a big part of this trip. He is almost five and is one of Mama Rose's sons (Kenya RafikiVillage). He had his first seizure in Aug & was taken to the best hospital in Nairobi. Many tests showed nothing & drs said probably it was a reaction to some bacterial infection. About 4 months later, another seizure and more tests. 3rd one was about 1 month later around the firstof March. They became more frequent and lasted longer. Four times in one week, he was examined by a top neurosurgeon... twice with Dr. E with him. Finally they admitted him. He wasn't swallowing & was barely concious. His diagnosis was slow growing encephalitis. His prognosis is poor. Decisions will be very tough. Bring him back to the village or to a care facilty? How long? What will his future needs be and can the village meet them? We have several pictures of Kimanthi smiling and playing. We also carried his limp body to bed and tried to get liquids down him several times. My mind says why...my heart relies on faith.
Home to Kenya: We came "home" to the Wageni (Swahili for guest house). Funny how quickly you can claim a spot. Yeen again treated us to dinner after we'd showered the red dust off. We then went to mingle with the kids: Jane read aloud stories and Rog orienting kids using maps. At 7, we joined the ROS, Hegels & Dr. E for desserts. We were overwhelmed with the heartfelt thank you we heard from each person. We were humbled to say the least. We felt the thanks totally belonged to those who were thanking us. These Godly committed people who we were leaving behind to continue pouring their energies and love into raising the 80+ orgphans and 30+ day students and all the nationals who were employed there. It was an evening we will not forget. Sunday we caught the bus with Mama Naomi & sons to the Anglican Church of East Africa right down town Mwiki. The boys went to Sunday School in a metal shed that used to be the church. We went to the "new" church-entering as two entusiastic members were both shouting their own personal praises into microphones...simultaneously. Then the real singing began. Many songs were the same as DUMC...but with African soul and dance. Our feet were tapping the dirt floors as the next 30+ minutes we sang with our whole bodies. Mama Naomi's boys sang, then another children's choir performed. We were pleased to recognize Mrs. Minea, teacher for the 4 yr old Rafiki kids, as she took the podium. Her husband is the paster & since it was Mothering Union Sunday, she preached about the impact mothers have on their families. We left after 2 hours though church was still going. We packed up our suitcases & then went to spend the last few hours with the kids. As they gathered at their dining tables, we said good bye to each...and yes Jane was crying. We were leaving behind much, taking lots and so looking forward to our grandbabies. Emotions were swirling in our minds as a group gathered again to pray for us and ask for a safe journey.We have been so blessed.
Mission Diet: On the lighter side...literally. Many of you have heard Jane talk about advertising a new diet she describes as "The Mission Diet: just go to a third world country to help, you'll lose weight!" Now she can say, "It works!!" The scales verify that she lost 9 lbs. in 7 weeks! (Rog refuses to be a part of this experiment.) That's not bad for having had many choc. chip cookies & popcorn. She was also delighted to have Coke Light readily available!! She encourages all of you to save the money you'd spend on "diet food &/or programs" and try the "Mission Diet" instead!!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
We're back!
What an experience! The trip was everything we dreamed of, and more!
We are back in Michigan... but not for long! We're headed to Pittsburgh to see Jake, Sarah, Elin and "new-grandbaby-bump". Then to Florida to see Bekah, Jacob and Reagan. Then to Redbird Missions with the church.
April is going to be a busy month for us!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
African Inland Church
We rode the bus with Mama Mary's family of girls to church in Mwiki on Sunday. The church was started in fi
eld in the 1990s and now is in a nice building at the same location. The service was almost entirely in Kiswahili so it was difficult to follow what was going on but we were able to follow along in the hymnal and actually sing some of the words even though we didn't know what those words meant. Probably the best part forus was the choir. They started moving as soon as the music began and their movements reminded us of the Supremes. Their voices blended well together, we enjoyed that! When the kids were dismissed to go to Sunday School we went with them and got to be the honored guests for all of the kids. We told them a bit about ourselves then answered their questions for about 45 minutes. Some interesting questions included: "Who puts presents under the Christmas tree on Jesus' birthday?" , "How long did it take Noah to build the Ark?", and "Do you eat snails in the U.S.?" Ahhh...kids!
Mt. Kilmanjaro
We are now (Tuesday) at Rafiki Village in Tanzania. We are staying in a beautiful new home that is intended for lon
g term missionaries-- its great with us that we get to stay here. Dr. Elaine Tan (70 years young) traveled with us from Kenya today by bus. She is a good sport and weathered the trip well even though the road was rough and it took longer than expected to get here. She is here to set up a pharmacy and check the health of the orphans and community students here in Tanzania. The view to the north is Mt. Kilmanjaro. Amazing. It extends into the clouds and is 19,300 ft. The power went out for a bit and we could see stars really well for a while. Almost was a shame that power came back on again because security lights spoil the sight. We had plantain stew for dinner and met the Mamas and their families. Also met the ROS, the cooks, and even a couple of guards. The plantain tasted much like potatoes!
We rode the bus with Mama Mary's family of girls to church in Mwiki on Sunday. The church was started in fi
eld in the 1990s and now is in a nice building at the same location. The service was almost entirely in Kiswahili so it was difficult to follow what was going on but we were able to follow along in the hymnal and actually sing some of the words even though we didn't know what those words meant. Probably the best part forus was the choir. They started moving as soon as the music began and their movements reminded us of the Supremes. Their voices blended well together, we enjoyed that! When the kids were dismissed to go to Sunday School we went with them and got to be the honored guests for all of the kids. We told them a bit about ourselves then answered their questions for about 45 minutes. Some interesting questions included: "Who puts presents under the Christmas tree on Jesus' birthday?" , "How long did it take Noah to build the Ark?", and "Do you eat snails in the U.S.?" Ahhh...kids!Mt. Kilmanjaro
We are now (Tuesday) at Rafiki Village in Tanzania. We are staying in a beautiful new home that is intended for lon
g term missionaries-- its great with us that we get to stay here. Dr. Elaine Tan (70 years young) traveled with us from Kenya today by bus. She is a good sport and weathered the trip well even though the road was rough and it took longer than expected to get here. She is here to set up a pharmacy and check the health of the orphans and community students here in Tanzania. The view to the north is Mt. Kilmanjaro. Amazing. It extends into the clouds and is 19,300 ft. The power went out for a bit and we could see stars really well for a while. Almost was a shame that power came back on again because security lights spoil the sight. We had plantain stew for dinner and met the Mamas and their families. Also met the ROS, the cooks, and even a couple of guards. The plantain tasted much like potatoes!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Last Update...
Jambo All!
Hope this finds all of you well and Spring on it's way! With just one week left--and a full one--this may be the last email many of you get from us while we are in Africa. We'll be leaving Kenya on Tuesday morning headed for the Rafiki village in Moshi, Tanzania. It's about a 12 hour trip mostly due to the fact that we have to go around Mt. Kilmanjaro. We'll be traveling by bus with Dr. Elaine and who knows what we'll be doing there. I'm sure we'll spend some time admiring the mountains & maybe even do a little hiking. So we'll just wrap up the last ten days happenings:
Home Office Visit: Last weekend was filled as a team from the Rafiki Florida home office washere for three days. They come about every 6 months or so to check on everyone and give recommendations as well as learn needs. We were especially honored to visit with Rosemary Jensen, the founder of Rafiki, and her husband, Dr. Bob. Rosemary, almost 80 yrs old. They had many meetings with the Kenya church heads so she could show them the bible lessons that Rafiki has developed and encourage them to use the plans, free of charge,in their many (about 800?) church schools. She also offered free teacher training to them. What an exciting concept to think these lesson plans could reach millions of children! Rosemary also visited with Her Excellency Mama Kenyatta (who has leased this land to them--it use to be one of her homes--her husband was the first president of Kenya). Jane was busy serving tea and homemade the cookies (about 12 doz. chocolatechip/raisin/oatmeal) which we made for all the guest as they arrived. We also worked on preparing and serving several meals to the home staff. Rog got to use the homemade charcoal and homemade grill to cook chicken, sausage & hamburgers. We also prepared meatloaf, lettuce salad, applecrisp, spaghetti pie, Waldorf salad, corn on the cob, watermelon & pineapple...besides washing dishes. Thank goodness for Jackie who was hired to help us. We were very busy but much appreciated--especially by Yeen-lan who delivered 18 beautiful roses to us.
High Standards: We look around here and can't help but compare the higher quality and standards that Rafiki village has compared to the neighboring areas. At first you think, why not lower the standards and be able to take in moreorphans? But then you listen as those who work here tell us that the rest of Kenya's standards can not hope to improve if not given an example. Won't the Kenyans learn most by example things like clean water, proper nutrition, solid education besides strong faith, will improve their lives? We saw this concept working at the orphanage we visited a couple weeks ago. Because of the good care they get there, 80% of there orphans are adopted by Kenyans--that's up from 1% when they started!! We noted that this same concept is applied in Habitat for Humanity philosophy --build a new but modest home in a run down area--and soon the neighbors start noticing ways they can fix up and improve their homes. We visited a home we helped Habitat build ten years earlier in a terribly run down part of Ypsilanti and were thrilled to see not only the Habitat home still looking great,but also most of the neighborhood too!! The children raised here will hopefully be the leaders who will help improve the lives of many Kenyans. That is the dream of Rafiki and why home office keeps looking for ways to improve the village. The mustard seed concept at work.
Cooking & Learning from Jackie: Jackie is a Kenyan who lives up country (a term they use for place they were raised) about an 8 hrs drive from here. Her sister, Bevin lives close and works here all the time. She was thrilled to have a job for two weeks to help with all the prep and clean up of the home office visit. About 70% don't have jobs. As we worked, we talked. She told me though she was 26 years old, she could not think about marriage because she could not support herself let alone children and she could not count on a husband to support them. She said, "Those who cook in Kenya, are usually hungry." It would also be hard to find a man willing to take a test to check for diseases. While my heart was breaking for her, she spoke of herstrong faith in God saying these troubles would only make her stronger andhelp her become more pure--like steel becomes after it's been heated.
Subbing in the 2 & 3 year old class: Three mornings found us subbing with the nine youngest children here. Though we did have lesson plans, just soothing the tears, toilet runs and listening to their stories filled lots of the time. We did manage to get the bible lesson, read a short story, have them "color", have a bit of activity time and end each day with a prayer--(their
prayer of thanks for us!) We did love how they sang and recited their verses. We think it was in English. It was also a hoot watching each one individually show us how they danced. There was lots of hopping, jumping and clapping. Rog especially got a kick out of when Jane tried to show them how to move. Should an American show an African how to dance??? Atleast not Jane!
Museums: We "skipped school" and went to the National Museum and the National Archives-both in Nairobi. What great places to learn about and appreciate not only Kenya but all of Africa. The Archives was mostly the private collection of a former Ambassador which was donated to Kenya after his death. He had collected most of the items right after the Europeans colonized several countries and were destroying many items/customs they considered uncivilized. Most items were very rare. A personal guide walked us around explaining and answering our questions. We also had a personal guide for the National Museum. It had a large collection of the Leaky finds--all found in Africa--one 18 million years old! Many animals of Africa were on display. Over 25 large cases of birds alone found in Kenya! We especially liked the exhibit comparing items from long ago to items today. Baby bottles made of gourds! We ate lunch and shopped at Amani ya Juu (higher peace) which was a training project in sewing & marketing for African women affected by wars and ethnic conflicts. Again, Yeen-lan had steered us to a wonderful ministry!
British: After seeing some of what the British destroyed, we asked our Kenyan guide how the Kenyans felt about the British. He said most realize Kenya would not have the education system, roads or railroads if not for them. He thought Kenya was more modern and had a higher standard of living than most African countries because of the British. So the good came with the bad. We asked our Kenyan driver the same question and he said most Kenyans have a short memory and feel the British are their friends. He also explained that Kenyans are quite easy going, don't hold grudges and it takes a lot to get them mad. That sure is true when it comes to driving! American's would be blaring their horns and swearing lots if they had to drive around here!!
Kiswahili Lesson: While teaching the Primary 2 class last week Rog had a 45 minute session to teach Kiswahili. Knowing nothing about the language he turned the table on the kids and invited them to teach him some words. They were very patient and pronounced carefully then spelled the words for him. Henow knows a few kiswahili words: kaka (boy), kiti (chair), baba (father),kitabu (book), mama (mother), wanafunzi (student), mwanimu (teacher),simba(lion),dawati (desk), dirisha (dirisha), yatima (orphan), chakula (food), gari (car), paka (cat), mtoto (baby) and lala (sleep).
Weather: It continues to be in the low 80's most days with just two nights of short rains. At night it may get down in the low 70's so the Mama's make sure the kids wear warm P.J.'s. We had to chuckle when David hugged us goodnight wearing fleece footy PJ's with a turtle neck fleece sweatshirt under it. Sleep warmly! And have we mentioned how the guards wear full mask beanie caps at night? Add the bow and arrow they carry and it gives you quite a scare when you see one in the dark!
Wow! Until we sit down and write, we often don't think about how much happens but we want to store the memories so this long update is the way we are keeping the memories in a much safer place than our brains! As I said, who knows if we'll get another email out so until we see or talk to you... Thanks for all the support and emails. We are so much richer for it.
Roger and Jane
Hope this finds all of you well and Spring on it's way! With just one week left--and a full one--this may be the last email many of you get from us while we are in Africa. We'll be leaving Kenya on Tuesday morning headed for the Rafiki village in Moshi, Tanzania. It's about a 12 hour trip mostly due to the fact that we have to go around Mt. Kilmanjaro. We'll be traveling by bus with Dr. Elaine and who knows what we'll be doing there. I'm sure we'll spend some time admiring the mountains & maybe even do a little hiking. So we'll just wrap up the last ten days happenings:
Home Office Visit: Last weekend was filled as a team from the Rafiki Florida home office washere for three days. They come about every 6 months or so to check on everyone and give recommendations as well as learn needs. We were especially honored to visit with Rosemary Jensen, the founder of Rafiki, and her husband, Dr. Bob. Rosemary, almost 80 yrs old. They had many meetings with the Kenya church heads so she could show them the bible lessons that Rafiki has developed and encourage them to use the plans, free of charge,in their many (about 800?) church schools. She also offered free teacher training to them. What an exciting concept to think these lesson plans could reach millions of children! Rosemary also visited with Her Excellency Mama Kenyatta (who has leased this land to them--it use to be one of her homes--her husband was the first president of Kenya). Jane was busy serving tea and homemade the cookies (about 12 doz. chocolatechip/raisin/oatmeal) which we made for all the guest as they arrived. We also worked on preparing and serving several meals to the home staff. Rog got to use the homemade charcoal and homemade grill to cook chicken, sausage & hamburgers. We also prepared meatloaf, lettuce salad, applecrisp, spaghetti pie, Waldorf salad, corn on the cob, watermelon & pineapple...besides washing dishes. Thank goodness for Jackie who was hired to help us. We were very busy but much appreciated--especially by Yeen-lan who delivered 18 beautiful roses to us.
High Standards: We look around here and can't help but compare the higher quality and standards that Rafiki village has compared to the neighboring areas. At first you think, why not lower the standards and be able to take in moreorphans? But then you listen as those who work here tell us that the rest of Kenya's standards can not hope to improve if not given an example. Won't the Kenyans learn most by example things like clean water, proper nutrition, solid education besides strong faith, will improve their lives? We saw this concept working at the orphanage we visited a couple weeks ago. Because of the good care they get there, 80% of there orphans are adopted by Kenyans--that's up from 1% when they started!! We noted that this same concept is applied in Habitat for Humanity philosophy --build a new but modest home in a run down area--and soon the neighbors start noticing ways they can fix up and improve their homes. We visited a home we helped Habitat build ten years earlier in a terribly run down part of Ypsilanti and were thrilled to see not only the Habitat home still looking great,but also most of the neighborhood too!! The children raised here will hopefully be the leaders who will help improve the lives of many Kenyans. That is the dream of Rafiki and why home office keeps looking for ways to improve the village. The mustard seed concept at work.
Cooking & Learning from Jackie: Jackie is a Kenyan who lives up country (a term they use for place they were raised) about an 8 hrs drive from here. Her sister, Bevin lives close and works here all the time. She was thrilled to have a job for two weeks to help with all the prep and clean up of the home office visit. About 70% don't have jobs. As we worked, we talked. She told me though she was 26 years old, she could not think about marriage because she could not support herself let alone children and she could not count on a husband to support them. She said, "Those who cook in Kenya, are usually hungry." It would also be hard to find a man willing to take a test to check for diseases. While my heart was breaking for her, she spoke of herstrong faith in God saying these troubles would only make her stronger andhelp her become more pure--like steel becomes after it's been heated.
Subbing in the 2 & 3 year old class: Three mornings found us subbing with the nine youngest children here. Though we did have lesson plans, just soothing the tears, toilet runs and listening to their stories filled lots of the time. We did manage to get the bible lesson, read a short story, have them "color", have a bit of activity time and end each day with a prayer--(their
prayer of thanks for us!) We did love how they sang and recited their verses. We think it was in English. It was also a hoot watching each one individually show us how they danced. There was lots of hopping, jumping and clapping. Rog especially got a kick out of when Jane tried to show them how to move. Should an American show an African how to dance??? Atleast not Jane!Museums: We "skipped school" and went to the National Museum and the National Archives-both in Nairobi. What great places to learn about and appreciate not only Kenya but all of Africa. The Archives was mostly the private collection of a former Ambassador which was donated to Kenya after his death. He had collected most of the items right after the Europeans colonized several countries and were destroying many items/customs they considered uncivilized. Most items were very rare. A personal guide walked us around explaining and answering our questions. We also had a personal guide for the National Museum. It had a large collection of the Leaky finds--all found in Africa--one 18 million years old! Many animals of Africa were on display. Over 25 large cases of birds alone found in Kenya! We especially liked the exhibit comparing items from long ago to items today. Baby bottles made of gourds! We ate lunch and shopped at Amani ya Juu (higher peace) which was a training project in sewing & marketing for African women affected by wars and ethnic conflicts. Again, Yeen-lan had steered us to a wonderful ministry!
British: After seeing some of what the British destroyed, we asked our Kenyan guide how the Kenyans felt about the British. He said most realize Kenya would not have the education system, roads or railroads if not for them. He thought Kenya was more modern and had a higher standard of living than most African countries because of the British. So the good came with the bad. We asked our Kenyan driver the same question and he said most Kenyans have a short memory and feel the British are their friends. He also explained that Kenyans are quite easy going, don't hold grudges and it takes a lot to get them mad. That sure is true when it comes to driving! American's would be blaring their horns and swearing lots if they had to drive around here!!
Kiswahili Lesson: While teaching the Primary 2 class last week Rog had a 45 minute session to teach Kiswahili. Knowing nothing about the language he turned the table on the kids and invited them to teach him some words. They were very patient and pronounced carefully then spelled the words for him. Henow knows a few kiswahili words: kaka (boy), kiti (chair), baba (father),kitabu (book), mama (mother), wanafunzi (student), mwanimu (teacher),simba(lion),dawati (desk), dirisha (dirisha), yatima (orphan), chakula (food), gari (car), paka (cat), mtoto (baby) and lala (sleep).
Weather: It continues to be in the low 80's most days with just two nights of short rains. At night it may get down in the low 70's so the Mama's make sure the kids wear warm P.J.'s. We had to chuckle when David hugged us goodnight wearing fleece footy PJ's with a turtle neck fleece sweatshirt under it. Sleep warmly! And have we mentioned how the guards wear full mask beanie caps at night? Add the bow and arrow they carry and it gives you quite a scare when you see one in the dark!
Wow! Until we sit down and write, we often don't think about how much happens but we want to store the memories so this long update is the way we are keeping the memories in a much safer place than our brains! As I said, who knows if we'll get another email out so until we see or talk to you... Thanks for all the support and emails. We are so much richer for it.
Roger and Jane
Friday, March 6, 2009
Update, March 6th
Hi All,
Today is a special day --our granddaughter, Reagan's first birthday!
We sure have thought about her lots today.
Another week has flown by and though we didn't do any traveling around--there's always something happening around here! Here's just a few things that made us smile:
Listening to 2 1/2 year old Hannah pray "God Bless all the babies." (she's the youngest baby here!)
Being awaken most mornings by our daily visiting black, ibis squawking and dancing. We've named them Jeckel and Heckel.
Learning how to make charcoal by starting an old tree stump on fire then covering it with a mound of dirt and occasionally watering it. Its moldered for several days. Uncover and presto, you have charcoal.
Eating white scrabbled eggs. . . yolks are white
Making kids crack up when we call them honey . . .
Listening to the way the kids pronounce words and put sentences together which incorporates their kiswahili language with a British accent
Learning the difference between black hair (can't be braided) and brown hair (can be braided)--and to think we thought they were the same
After reading a story aloud to the first graders, they say in unison, Thank you and May God Bless You Mrs. Boyce
Having our own 'Erkle' (Andrew) who loves to get us laughing. We even showed him how to wear his pants hiked up to truly fit the role.
Noting Roger's appetite, Mama Mary told us that in her tribe there's a saying--He who eats a lot knows how to find food.
Having picked out my watermelon seeds and left them in my dish, the young girl next to me asked me, "Are you going to eat them?" When I said no, her eyes lit up. I asked if she wanted them and her quick reply was "Yes, they are so sweet." She quickly dumped them on top of her ugali and gobbled them down.
And finally--here's the recipe (as best as I understood) for what's called"African Food" and is the staple for some tribes located in central Kenya: Boil potatoes and mash them. Cook in vegetable oil: green corn (similar to field corn before its dried), peas (about twice the size of USA peas) and pumpkin leaves. Stir into mashed potatoes and cooked a bit longer. Stores for 3 - 4 days without refrigeration. Good for breakfast-even without heating--especially good if milk is poured on top.(Maybe we'll be able to sell pumpkins and their leaves next fall if we can convince the local restaurants to add African Food to their menus!)
Well, closing shop for the night. Hope all is well with you and keep intouch. We feel a long ways from home!
God Bless,Roger and Jane
Today is a special day --our granddaughter, Reagan's first birthday!
Another week has flown by and though we didn't do any traveling around--there's always something happening around here! Here's just a few things that made us smile:
Listening to 2 1/2 year old Hannah pray "God Bless all the babies." (she's the youngest baby here!)
Being awaken most mornings by our daily visiting black, ibis squawking and dancing. We've named them Jeckel and Heckel.
Learning how to make charcoal by starting an old tree stump on fire then covering it with a mound of dirt and occasionally watering it. Its moldered for several days. Uncover and presto, you have charcoal.
Eating white scrabbled eggs. . . yolks are white
Making kids crack up when we call them honey . . .
Listening to the way the kids pronounce words and put sentences together which incorporates their kiswahili language with a British accent
Learning the difference between black hair (can't be braided) and brown hair (can be braided)--and to think we thought they were the same
After reading a story aloud to the first graders, they say in unison, Thank you and May God Bless You Mrs. Boyce
Having our own 'Erkle' (Andrew) who loves to get us laughing. We even showed him how to wear his pants hiked up to truly fit the role.
Noting Roger's appetite, Mama Mary told us that in her tribe there's a saying--He who eats a lot knows how to find food.
Having picked out my watermelon seeds and left them in my dish, the young girl next to me asked me, "Are you going to eat them?" When I said no, her eyes lit up. I asked if she wanted them and her quick reply was "Yes, they are so sweet." She quickly dumped them on top of her ugali and gobbled them down.
And finally--here's the recipe (as best as I understood) for what's called"African Food" and is the staple for some tribes located in central Kenya: Boil potatoes and mash them. Cook in vegetable oil: green corn (similar to field corn before its dried), peas (about twice the size of USA peas) and pumpkin leaves. Stir into mashed potatoes and cooked a bit longer. Stores for 3 - 4 days without refrigeration. Good for breakfast-even without heating--especially good if milk is poured on top.(Maybe we'll be able to sell pumpkins and their leaves next fall if we can convince the local restaurants to add African Food to their menus!)
Well, closing shop for the night. Hope all is well with you and keep intouch. We feel a long ways from home!
God Bless,Roger and Jane
Monday, March 2, 2009
More photos are up!
Our Safari Photos and Maasai Village Photos are up.... here's just a few, go to http://www.rogerandjane.shutterfly.com/ to see the rest!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Eventful Weekend
Sunday
Kibera Slums of Nairobi
From rags to riches. Never has that been more true to us than from our Saturday experience at the lush tea farm where we feasted on rich foods to our Sunday experience, where we picked our way through sticky, slimy, smelly trash where over one million live in one acre. Our guides were Reagan and Bossman each about 18 years old and both had grown up in this slum. They now attend the same church as Yeen-lan and she had set up this most heart wrenching experience for us.
How can one describe this slum? Bits and pieces of sticks, cement, metal, mud and plastic piled together to make so many tiny huts--each home to several adults and many children or a store front selling whatever they could scrounge up. A long ditch dug along the sides of the alleys filled with crud. Small charcoal fires in the middle where pots boiled and food--what little we saw--was
being cooked. Lines of people standing in line with plastic cooking oil containers--waiting to pay for some water. On top of a large mound of plastic bags and other trash sat two small buildings--the bathrooms for those who got a key when they paid their rent. Since it was too dangerous to go out at night, if you needed to relieve yourself, you went in a plastic bag and added it to the mound in the morning. That explained the mound of plastic bags. Yes, I said rent. Each hut paid between $12 to $30 a month to live there. That did include electricity for some and for those who pirated electricity, they could expect to have their homes torched. Reagan took us into his mother's home. She was ill with malaria so only peeked around a curtain from her bed to say "Karibu"--welcome. Three small couches lined the walls each covered with very clean, white sheets that his mother had embroidered flowers on. The only bedroom & this livingroom was about 12' x 6'. The walls were made of sticks covered with mud but curtains covered most of it. 
No windows only a door that you needed to crouch down in order to enter. In one corner sat a small TV and a single light bulb hung from a wire. I asked if most homes had a TV and Bossman said yes. It made me sad to think that the TV showed them a world so different than theirs. And every where there were children--laughing, playing, running to touch us and say "How are you?" "How are you?" How ironic that they wanted to know how we were? Mud piles, empty bottles, broken glass, pieces of string, plastic bags and sticks were their toys. So many children. I saw the faces of some of the orphans here at Rafiki in some of their faces and knew that this is where they'd lived if not for Rafiki Orphange. Reagan told us that most families here could not afford the $700 a year that it cost to send a child to school. And so the cycle will continue. It amazed me to see how clean most the adults looked. They also smiled many greeting our guides. I asked Bossman how many children most women had and he smiled and said, "If they are working, two or three. If they are not they have more time for love making and have very many." He also told me birth control pills we available free but most feel having babies made them more of desirable woman. Both boys talked about their family tribe in what they called the 'upcountry'. I asked why they and other didn't move back there. They said, no jobs and there you would get old very fast. When they got old, about 40 or so, they would go to the up country to live. They explained that most people who live in Kibera would not want to move away. They were close to shops, Nairobi and family and many friends. It was home to them. Reagan joked with Rog asking if he would like to trade homes with him--then he could go to school at U of M. He and Bossman were lucky ones. They had found sponsors to help them pay for schooling--though right now they'd run out of money so were trying to find more sponsors. Bossman said either the youth go to school or became thieves. Those who turn bad bullied others into joining them so their gang was stronger. We did hear church hymns being sung, the salvation army marched through and also they were holding an outside service and Reagan proudly showed us the medical center that was run by his church, the Baptist Church of Nairobi. We thanked our guides and then went to the Baptist Church meeting up with Yeen-lan.
I'm sure you know what we prayed for.
Saturday
Kiambethu Tea Farm
We went to a tea farm on Saturday. We weren't sure why but everyone told us it was a great trip and we should go. So we just took their advice. We were surprised how quickly the city changed to rural country side just to the north and we passed through several small towns along the way. Small towns and rural scenery was a welcome change from the urban crowds of Nairobi. The road was good as we gained altitude to about 7200' above sea level. We had been advised to bring a jacket as it can be chilly there but it was sunny and very nice there. The owner of the tea farm and his wife met us in the yard and invited us to take a walk around their garden (it was beautiful with lots of huge blossoms), then we stopped by their porch for a drink. Soon we were inside the house sipping tea and listening to stories about the history of the family and the tea
farm. Fiona's grandfather had come to this very place and started growing coffee in 1906. He had 350 wooded acres that he eventually cleared. The coffee did not do well because it is too cool there due to the altitude she started growing tea for the local Indian population (they had come to build railroads and were big tea drinkers). The fields looked like huge patchwork quilts laid out on the 
hillsides with many shades of green alternating across the field in fairly regular patterns. We next went on a short walk through a wooded area that had never been cleared for growing tea. Our guide told about the native plants there and he said that the vine growing in spirals around a tree would be spiraling the opposite way if we were north of the equator. I would like to ask Barry if that sounds like accurate information. Soon we were walking past geese,calves, donkeys, and ducks in their farm yard. Lunchtime! A great meal followed with homemade butter, rolls, and soup.Then salad, maize (white corn) and cheese, potatoes, green beans,carrots,swiss steak, followed by fruit and homemade ice cream. Back out to the porch to watch colobus monkeys climb around on the roof of the out buildings and visit with two other couples (from Maryland and Minnesota). It was so pretty there that we hated to go.
Friday
Baseball in Kenya
On Friday I had the 6th grade class for PE class. Their teacher had asked me to teach them baseball. It was a small class and all of them are from Mwiki (the community outside our compound). The oldest orphans here arein 5th grade. I started by asking them if anyone had ever heard of baseball. Not one student raised his hand. So I just started at the beginning...they were very attentive and somewhat interested so with a whiffle bat and a hard sponge ball and old tires for bases (home plate was set up under an acacia tree for shade) we played. Everyone including their teacher ran the bases and swung the bat several times at pitches I threw to them. Surprisingly there were many hits and we all had a good time. They asked if I could come back and show them some more. It was a treat to hear them cheer for their teacher when she came across home plate!
My Wife is a Slave Driver
Actually she has a way with putting her foot in her mouth at times (don't we all?) Jane was apologizing to one of the National(Kenyan) teachers for returning a student to class later than planned and she said "what can I say? I guess I'm just a slave driver!" After thinking about that reply she felt like crawling into a hole.
Kibera Slums of Nairobi
From rags to riches. Never has that been more true to us than from our Saturday experience at the lush tea farm where we feasted on rich foods to our Sunday experience, where we picked our way through sticky, slimy, smelly trash where over one million live in one acre. Our guides were Reagan and Bossman each about 18 years old and both had grown up in this slum. They now attend the same church as Yeen-lan and she had set up this most heart wrenching experience for us.
How can one describe this slum? Bits and pieces of sticks, cement, metal, mud and plastic piled together to make so many tiny huts--each home to several adults and many children or a store front selling whatever they could scrounge up. A long ditch dug along the sides of the alleys filled with crud. Small charcoal fires in the middle where pots boiled and food--what little we saw--was
being cooked. Lines of people standing in line with plastic cooking oil containers--waiting to pay for some water. On top of a large mound of plastic bags and other trash sat two small buildings--the bathrooms for those who got a key when they paid their rent. Since it was too dangerous to go out at night, if you needed to relieve yourself, you went in a plastic bag and added it to the mound in the morning. That explained the mound of plastic bags. Yes, I said rent. Each hut paid between $12 to $30 a month to live there. That did include electricity for some and for those who pirated electricity, they could expect to have their homes torched. Reagan took us into his mother's home. She was ill with malaria so only peeked around a curtain from her bed to say "Karibu"--welcome. Three small couches lined the walls each covered with very clean, white sheets that his mother had embroidered flowers on. The only bedroom & this livingroom was about 12' x 6'. The walls were made of sticks covered with mud but curtains covered most of it. No windows only a door that you needed to crouch down in order to enter. In one corner sat a small TV and a single light bulb hung from a wire. I asked if most homes had a TV and Bossman said yes. It made me sad to think that the TV showed them a world so different than theirs. And every where there were children--laughing, playing, running to touch us and say "How are you?" "How are you?" How ironic that they wanted to know how we were? Mud piles, empty bottles, broken glass, pieces of string, plastic bags and sticks were their toys. So many children. I saw the faces of some of the orphans here at Rafiki in some of their faces and knew that this is where they'd lived if not for Rafiki Orphange. Reagan told us that most families here could not afford the $700 a year that it cost to send a child to school. And so the cycle will continue. It amazed me to see how clean most the adults looked. They also smiled many greeting our guides. I asked Bossman how many children most women had and he smiled and said, "If they are working, two or three. If they are not they have more time for love making and have very many." He also told me birth control pills we available free but most feel having babies made them more of desirable woman. Both boys talked about their family tribe in what they called the 'upcountry'. I asked why they and other didn't move back there. They said, no jobs and there you would get old very fast. When they got old, about 40 or so, they would go to the up country to live. They explained that most people who live in Kibera would not want to move away. They were close to shops, Nairobi and family and many friends. It was home to them. Reagan joked with Rog asking if he would like to trade homes with him--then he could go to school at U of M. He and Bossman were lucky ones. They had found sponsors to help them pay for schooling--though right now they'd run out of money so were trying to find more sponsors. Bossman said either the youth go to school or became thieves. Those who turn bad bullied others into joining them so their gang was stronger. We did hear church hymns being sung, the salvation army marched through and also they were holding an outside service and Reagan proudly showed us the medical center that was run by his church, the Baptist Church of Nairobi. We thanked our guides and then went to the Baptist Church meeting up with Yeen-lan.I'm sure you know what we prayed for.
Saturday
Kiambethu Tea Farm
We went to a tea farm on Saturday. We weren't sure why but everyone told us it was a great trip and we should go. So we just took their advice. We were surprised how quickly the city changed to rural country side just to the north and we passed through several small towns along the way. Small towns and rural scenery was a welcome change from the urban crowds of Nairobi. The road was good as we gained altitude to about 7200' above sea level. We had been advised to bring a jacket as it can be chilly there but it was sunny and very nice there. The owner of the tea farm and his wife met us in the yard and invited us to take a walk around their garden (it was beautiful with lots of huge blossoms), then we stopped by their porch for a drink. Soon we were inside the house sipping tea and listening to stories about the history of the family and the tea
Friday
Baseball in Kenya
On Friday I had the 6th grade class for PE class. Their teacher had asked me to teach them baseball. It was a small class and all of them are from Mwiki (the community outside our compound). The oldest orphans here arein 5th grade. I started by asking them if anyone had ever heard of baseball. Not one student raised his hand. So I just started at the beginning...they were very attentive and somewhat interested so with a whiffle bat and a hard sponge ball and old tires for bases (home plate was set up under an acacia tree for shade) we played. Everyone including their teacher ran the bases and swung the bat several times at pitches I threw to them. Surprisingly there were many hits and we all had a good time. They asked if I could come back and show them some more. It was a treat to hear them cheer for their teacher when she came across home plate!
My Wife is a Slave Driver
Actually she has a way with putting her foot in her mouth at times (don't we all?) Jane was apologizing to one of the National(Kenyan) teachers for returning a student to class later than planned and she said "what can I say? I guess I'm just a slave driver!" After thinking about that reply she felt like crawling into a hole.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)