Our first days--Melanie Hardacker

I can't believe we left home 5 days ago. In some ways it seems like ages ago and in some ways I still feel like we just got here.

We spent the first day in Nairobi visiting the Kibera slum. It is the largest slum in Africa and possibly the world. We have heard varying numbers but somewhere between 1 and 2 million people live there. It was a fascinating and slightly frightening experience but one filled with hope as we visited a church there that has created programs to help women learn to sew, created a library and homework help time for the children and other programs I am forgetting. The problems are big but our God is bigger and there are godly people there doing his work.

To fully contrast the experience we left the slum and drove to a mall not far away where we ate burgers at the food court (they have waiters in the food court here) and bought supplies at a store similar to a super target but on a much smaller scale. We also changed our money. There is a 74 schillings to 1 dollar exchange rate so we are all feeling quite rich walking around with 1000 bills in our pockets. ha ha.

Yesterday we drove out to Kitui. We are staying in a very nice guest house with beautiful grounds run by a forestry research something or other. You can imagine how much more beautiful it would be with a little rain. We are experiencing first hand the consequences of the drought and realizing how much we use water and take it for granted. Although we are supposed to have water each night they turned it off last night before we went to bed and we didn't get it back on this morning. We did have a barrel which allowed us to flush our toilets but otherwise it was a water free morning for us as we got ready for church. Tonight we do have water and are all trying to get in a shower in case we don't get it again tomorrow.

Today we worshipped at 2 different churches, Christian preached and we shared a song and greetings. At the first church Isabelle tried to go to the Sunday school but was a little overwhelmed. As we stood outside afterward about 30 or more children surrounded us all looking at her and wanting to touch her or hold her. She held tight and we smiled and shook hands (they all want to greet and shake hands). Eventually the teachers shooed them all away and they started to walk home. Isabelle got down and wanted to follow them. She was overwhelmed by so much attention but wanted to play and interact with them. She did make one friend at an event we went to on Saturday after we arrived named Grace. We saw Grace again today at the second church and Isabelle had Grace following her around. Grace is excited to introduce Isabelle to all her friends and taught her how to greet everyone with a handshake.

We also have enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Mwende's family as they have opened their home to us and fed us all our meals while we have been here and will continue to be here. We have met so many nice people from the Anglican church. I had an interesting conversation about the Anglican church, Kenya, America and democracy.

Mwende has our week filled to the brim and while I can't even remember all we are doing over the next few days I know we are all falling soundly to sleep each night. I think the jet lag is just about worn off and it is hard to believe that as I write this before bed you all are just eating lunch. I believe tomorrow we will be meeting people from the Village to Village initiative that the Arch Bishop got started in this area, and doing something with women's ministry, Tuesday we begin the building project and the children's ministry. I know Friday is a walk up a huge hill to put up a cross that has been taken down by people who think its presence will weaken their witchcraft and follow that with an evangelistic crusade. We are all just living in God's presence and taking in each new experience excited to see what the Lord is doing here in Kenya.