Kitui part 1--Melanie Hardacker

Is it Tuesday? I have lost all track of time here in Kenya. We are adopting the Kenya way and just living for the moment and enjoying the events we are part of. Our days are so packed full it is hard to process each night everything we are doing.

Yesterday we started by delivering the 13 computers we brought to the Arch Bishop Nzimbi Secondary School. They were so excited to receive them and learn "Information Technology". Although school is on vacation this month the students came in for the presentation and to thank us. We were asked to introduce ourselves to this group of high school students. When it was Jake's turn he said he was in "form 2", which is their 10th grade equivalent, and they started laughing. Jake thought he must have said it wrong but we learned afterward that they all thought he was so big he must be older and was just joking with them.

It was facinating to meet these kids afterward and talk with them. They are very knowledgable of the world to the point I feel I might have to study up when I get home. The Arch Bishop encourages them to work hard, do well and have big dreams. Many want to go on to University, some to America. I think we all are wondering how to help make their dreams come true.

Afterward we did a little tourist action when we visited a big rock. Nzambani National rock, see if you can find it on the internet. The area legend is that if you walk around the rock 7 times you will change gender. Well I imaged a big rock I could walk around but in fact it is more like a very, very, very large rock on top of a very large hill. After a short hike we got to a staircase they have constructed on the side of this hill to get to the top. It is about 10 flights of terror walking up these metal stairs. I was not the only one afraid of heights but we all conqured our fear and made it to the top. I truly never would have even put a foot on the first step in the US but somehow I felt I needed to experience everything and forced my legs to keep moving as I hyperventelated all the way up. My brave husband carried isabelle in the backpack all the way up the stairs with the two of them admiring the view as they went. Once we got there the view was amazing and it was definately worth they climb. we got a great photograph of our team up there but you will have to wait til we get back for photos because they seem to be tricky to upload with our connection.

As we learn to live like Kenyans we went to bed last night with only buckets of water but no running water and woke up with no water or electricity. Apparently the electricity will just randomly be turned off throughout the whole region some days from about 6am to 6pm.

Today we spent ministering at the church. In the morning the men went and to help work on laying bricks for a building they are working on. They had just gotten a couple courses of bricks before we came. We had sent the money ahead and they were able to get supplies and make up bricks (they make their own bricks, they don't run out and buy them. they didn't understand that we don't make our own bricks.) The building will hold offices for the church as well as a storage area where they can store food for times of need.

While the men were busy working the women were getting a portable generator going so we could watch a dvd we brought with the women. It was the story of Jesus told from the point of view of Mary Magdelon (I know I am spelling that wrong). Although the women knew the story they have never seen it in that way and they found it to be very powerful.

After the dvd the children arrived for their lunch and we went next door to the Nzimbi residence for our lunch (did I mention the church is next door to the Arch Bishop? Great commute. Apparently it had originally been their family home and then his father built the new home and turned this into a chapel. something like that.)

Today was our first official childrens program day although we met them on sunday afternoon and managed to make up some stuff on the fly. Finally today we had a plan. We brought a bunch of puppets and did the story of creation. The kids LOVED it. Apparently they had never seen anything like that. We explained and then passed out the salvation bracelets made by the kids at our church and then did some crafts. We also brought balls which they played with outside. One of the kids commented that she wished the sun would never go down today. While we felt like we were doing something so simple the leaders have told us they are inspired by how excited the kids are by what we are doing. We are leaving the puppets and balls we brought and they are excited to be able to use them in the future.

I believe we are doing basically the same thing tomorrow only in reverse with children first and laying brick in the afternoon for the men. I believe the women are either doing some door to door ministry or going to visit a motorcycle ministry in the area or both. It will be a surprise for all of us (maybe if I am going to write this I should pay better attention when they tell us at dinner.)

So far everything is going great. We are learning so much about Kenya from our wonderful drivers. Nobody has gotten sick. We are enjoying the food (except Isabelle but she doesn't like what we make at home either so it is really no different for her). Their are very few bugs and while it is warm the humidity is low and so it is comfortable.

7 days down, 10 more to go. And loving every minute of it.