Hooray !!! I am back online !! We lost our internet last evening. Soooo..I am covering Thursday and Friday together.
Thursday began cloudy but the sun decided to come out in full force by mid morning. I am enjoying the weather.
I believe I mentioned earlier that one of the neighbors had a death in the family. The mourning continues and I am awake early hearing the sound of wailing.
We packed up coloring books, candy and cosmetics (for the teachers) to deliver to the girl`s school we had been at previous. When we had stopped earlier we did not have the presents and we promised to return. The girls were in class so we waited until lunch at 1:00. They remembered us and had fun handing out the gifts.
We wanted to go to another slum area. You can not just decide to go to one and walk around ! Especially if you are as white as us !! Sabina has a contact in the slum Huruma so we were able to go. Kennedy (Sabina`s wonderful son) drove us and we met a sweet sister in the Lord at the large church inside the slum. It was a beautiful church ! One that the people had built ever so slowly. How slow ?? 10 cents at a time was donated by many people in the slum. As we went inside, someone was playing the keyboard. It was a huge place and I would have loved to have been in a service there ! Esther is a believer who has a group of women who she looks after. They make some of the jewelry that we sell in our ministry. Esther hopped into the car with us and Kennedy drove as far as the road would allow. The road we were on was dirt and full of huge pot holes and ruts. The slum is an entire city inside. Children everywhere.Mountains of trash. All sorts of shops...hair salons, butcher, vegetable and fruit, etc. We parked the car and began to walk to one of the houses. We had to go through an iron type entrance and down a narrow path. The door to this space was material. The house space was 8 by 6. As we began to enter, the ladies who all are believers and love God...were crammed inside. One held an infant. Several were working with beads. I was surprised to see a small tv ! They all had to share their money in order to go and buy a tv. The room held a wooden couch which was used to sit on and also used as a bed at night. Actually, it was decorated with pink and pretty colors. I sensed the presence of the HS as soon as we walked in ~ The momma to the baby handed her little one to me so I had the honor of holding her for awhile. Luz had taken a fancy dress and shoes that used to be her little girl`s to share with someone. Once she laid eyes on this baby, she knew this was where her gift was going. The mother was thrilled ! She quickly put the clothes on the baby right over her old ones. It was a beautiful sight and we all ahhhhhhhed. We watched as we were showed how the paper magazine beads are rolled and folded for the jewelry. I loved being in that room with everyone. Guess how many of us were in that 8 by 6 space ??? 17 ladies all joined in love, joy and Him ~
As we left, we handed candy out to the many children following after us. Rows and rows as far as the eye could see....metal roofs, plywood and trash. This was home for thousands. I was never afraid and felt a warm peace as we ministered in this place. My heart is heavy for the people of Huruma ~
The evening was coming close to an end when our special names were given to us by Sabina. I was looking forward to this moment. My African kikuyo name is Wanjiku...meaning cool and hardworking. I love it !!
We giggled like school girls after the announcement of each name...what fun ~
Thursday...day 9
Today begins our "holiday" for 2 days as a time of resting and refreshment. Whew ~ So much to process. It takes a big emotional toll after many days. Yes...the same wailing this morning started my day. We are leaving for the high country, a 4 hour drive in order to go to safari. Our driver, Kim arrived and we loaded our suitcases for our time away. It was a pretty drive leaving the city. We passed large pineapple fields full of fruit and some workers. Pineapples were being sold along the road as we went. I saw several mud houses with thatched roofs along with a chestnut farm. I had to laugh when I saw the sign for "Hotel Starbucks." Mango and banana trees were plentiful also. Then it happened...we crossed the Equator ! A large sign announced that we just crossed over.
We arrived at the Kirimara Springs Hotel where we will stay for 2 nights. We have a lovely view of Mt.Kenya. Tomorrow we will drive through the Mt.Kenya National Reserve to see all the animals. It will be a fun day for sure ! I will be sleeping under my mosquito net tonight..dreaming of zebras, lions, giraffes.....
Sweet dream everyone,
debi
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