Today we got up around 6:45am so we could leave with Ernie (the builder for Naomi’s Village) at 7:45. I took a very cold shower this morning. Ernie picked us up by the Moffat Bible College sign and we headed to Nairobi. We first stopped in a little town at a lumber yard. Then when we made it to Nairobi we went to the Market (a shopping mall) so Aly could get her phone fixed and Ernie could get some banking figured out. While there we had some doorman’s coffee.
Around 11:30am we headed back down the mountain to Maai Mahiu where we stopped at to Comfort God’s Children, which is where many disable children get help and their mothers are given a job of sewing. There I met a lady who is actually from Hastings, NE.
After visiting there for a bit, we went to Naomi’s Village and picked up Mary who was going to help us get chickens to cook for supper. We headed down to the IDP Camp to get the chickens from Joseph and Doreen who have started a poultry project. While there Stacy wanted to be held for quite some time. I soon became tired of holding her and set her down and she went to Aly. Then another little girl came and sat on the ground by me and began doing a hand clap game with me, which lead to counting to 120 and saying ABC’s. Soon 2 more girls came and joined, there was also another little guy who wouldn't let go of my knee. All of us girls began playing another hand clap game that seemed similar to “down by the banks” but with numbers and letters in it. Hopefully, I can learn the song that goes with it soon! After a few games of this, it was time to go. I can’t explain leaving these children; it is just so very hard.
We headed back to the camp, where Mary told us we had to wait for the water to boil before we could slaughter the chickens. It didn’t take too long for the water to begin to boil and David and Mary and 2 other women began to chop the heads of the chickens. Once this was done the chickens were dipped in the boiling water so it was easier to pluck their feathers. Mary, after dipping a chicken told us to “come, come” and so we began plucking the feathers. It didn’t take long and all the chickens were slaughtered and plucked. Then David began to clean out all the insides and cut up the chickens. After this was done Mary brought Aly and I the knives (they only had two very large, very dull knives) and we began peeling potatoes. They soon told us we were too slow and took the knives back and finished. Everything was put back into the pot and cooked, yes it was the same pot we dipped the chickens in but with different water, not clean by any means. Oh yes, the chicken legs, feet and all were cooked in the pot. After cooking for some time it was finally time to eat. We had to wait because there weren’t any plates left and we didn’t eat from a clean plate either. The food was pretty good, the chicken was a lot tougher and definitely not my favorite, but the potatoes were excellent.
After dinner while the women were cleaning up, Terri came over and talked with us. She said we were being too quite, I told her we were taking it all in. She told us her story of how she was from El doret but had to move down here 3 years ago because of the clashes. Her father is no longer living and she lives with her mother at the IDP Camp. She is considered the breadwinner of the family because she is the only one able to work. She shared her dreams with us to be married and hopefully someday got to school to study nutrition and work in a hospital.
While cooking we met Monica, who is almost done with her degree and will soon work for Cure. The phrased that are heard down here most often are “life is hard, but God is good.” God has already begun to work here and I can’t wait for him to do more in these people’s lives.
Please pray that I would find what God is calling me to do here, and that I am able to recover quickly from jet lag. Also pray that God would continue to fill me up as it is getting a bit difficult to be away from my family.
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