Because it is always good to be home.

Home at last. It is always good to get home after being gone for five weeks. I have spent the last few days recovering from the trip and spending time with Andrew and Luke.

I recieved an e-mail from Daniel last night and he says they have found a house for the Street Girls and will have three girls off the street in the next month. If you would like to keep up with what is happening in Kenya you can follow Daniel's blogs at dlipparelli.blogspot.com. Larry has also posted some pictures and blogs about Kenya at convictionsofthingsnotseen.blogspot.com. He also has a flicker account where you can see the picutres from our trip.

In the next few days I will post more pictures and tell more stories from my trip.

Because it is the Soweto Slums

We got to visit one of the slums yesterday in Nairobi. TI has a project feeding children in a school there. For many of these children this is the only meal they will recieve.

I also had the honor of being there when TI started their project helping women start a micro business. They are making paper bead necklaces to sell in Nairobi, as well as ship them to Reno. Robert came and taught the ladies how to make the beads and we spent all day around a table practicing making the beads. It was the best day for me! I really feel that my heart is to help women and be with them. These women are mostly widows with young children. One is HIV positive, one a prostitute, one out of the home because her husband beat her. All poor. Poor meaning they having NO money at all and NO job or hope for one. What they do is dig through the dump hoping to find food for their family for that day and maybe something to sell. That is it!!

Now they have hope. Not many people know how to make the paper beads. They have not arrived in Nairobi yet so the market is very good. Daniel and Robert talked to them about keeping the secret on how to make the beads and how important it is for them to learn to save their profit and how to also budget for more supplies. TI bought the first set of supplies and now they must figure out how to get them again when they run out. I sat most of the day trying to master the process. I must admit that Robert spent most of the day correcting what I had done and encouraging me to try again. He said I was improving but I know it was only slowly!! The women worked all day and they were doing a great job. Most caught on quickly. They are excited and now have hope. Robert said to them "In one day your life has changed". It is true. Their lives have changed. What an honor for me to be part of it!!

Because it's Market Day in Webuye

The other day when we were in Webuye they had market day! Market day is usually once a week in a community and that is where you can buy what ever you need for the next week. People come and sale everything from fruits and vegetables to underwear.

People put out plastic and than their goods sit on them. It is a giant flee market. I could go and buy material to make a dress, than pick up some soap, some used shirts and trousers, jewelry, eggs, a chicken, wash basin, some rope and some potatoes for dinner.


It is a wonderful place and I am always overwhelmed.
I love to walk through it looking for a bargain, enjoying the vendors yelling prices and items in Swahili over a cheap amplifier, and watching the ladies work and care for their babies. It is very much a part of this culture and something I always enjoy.

Because it is an Oasis

We went to visit a place called Oasis of Hope today. This place is a drop in center for street children. Instead of begging for food on the streets they can come to Oasis for two meals a day.

In order to receive the meals they have to leave their glue outside the gates and they have to attend the school there. The school teaches the basics and only lasts a few hours. The have a choice everyday whether to come or not. When Transformed International sees street children who are asking for food they tell them to go to Oasis of Hope and they will get two meals a day. But many of the street children don't go. They prefer to stay on the street, sniff glue, and not have any structure in their lives. The director of Oasis of Hope told me that the street is addictive. It is a sad thing. But the good thing is there are 50 to 75 children a day who show up at Oasis of Hope.

They are successful in educating the children and helping them get off the glue. When they have proven themselves they can go to a group home where there is one mother per 6 to 8 children and they begin to attend regular schools. Oasis of Hope is a great program that is meeting the basic needs of these children. They feed them and give them a place to go where they know someone cares for them.

Because it is hard to understand!

There are many things in Kenya I don’t understand. Why does the Matatus wait forever for people to load up but as soon as the last person has their foot partly in the door they take off? Why don’t bikes and cars stop for pedestrians? Why do they shove the daily paper in your face and not say anything to you until you buy the paper or tell them no? Why don’t Kenyan’s look you in the eye when they shake your hand? And the list could go on and on. But one thing I am struggling with is why do Kenyans have their children go to boarding schools? Granted most are in the 8^th grade when they go but still. They condition their children to feel it is a privilege to get to go to boarding school and the children are excited to go. Or are they? Those of you who know me, know how protective of my kids I have been. I home schooled them through high school and would have ripped anyone a new one if they hurt my kids’ feelings. Today was a unique experience. Through a group in Canada, Transformed supports 40 deaf children. We went an hour drive to Webuye where there is a deaf school. We were to meet a man there who was bringing some of the children to the school to pay the school fees. Today is the day that most children report back to school in Kenya. The Transformed social worker had also found another child who was deaf and he was coming to the school for the first time. They met us in town and journeyed with us to Webuye. This boy is about 12 and has never been to school and has only communicated with his aunt and cousins. I am unsure what happened to his parents. He knows no sign language. Here he is with five white people and a woman he has met a few times going away from home the first time to a strange place with strange people and has no way to express himself. We stop first at the market to get the supplies he will need for school. He is only coming with the clothes on his back! For school one needs a uniform, extra clothing, socks, underwear, a mattress, soap and two rolls of toilet paper. Why two rolls I don’t know because they are there for three months!! All of it goes into a blue metal box with a lock on it. The one we found at the market had a marijuana leaf stenciled on it?!?!?!?! Now this boy seemed to be excited and unfrightened. All day long I kept looking at him wondering what he was thinking. Was he excited to have all the new things in his own blue box? This is probably more than he has ever owned. Did he understand he was going somewhere where everyone else was like him? Was he excited to know that he would be able to learn to communicate? And read? And Write? When two boys took him with all his stuff to his room he was smiling and swinging his arms. Yes, he was happy! But why wasn’t he scared? He had to be! We watched from afar as he got his lunch and than walked slowly trying to figure out what to do next. He followed the other children reluctantly, not being able to ask them what to do next or where to go. When some one in our group looked into the lunchroom he was crying. My heart breaks for this little guy. I understand that he is getting an opportunity that will help him grow in many ways. I understand he has been isolated his whole life. I understand this was a good thing. But who would let their child go to a strange place, with strangers and not even know where to sit for lunch.

Because it was so interesting

One of my favorite parts about going to Kisii was being able to see how the soapstone is produced and carved! Because the home parties are really my heart it was great to be there with Robert and also to be able to talk to him about all the other crafts and to get our next shipment ready. Now I can answer all the questions you have when I have a party.

It is amazing what goes into the soapstone. It has to be mined by hand and than hauled up out of the hole.

It must be cut into pieces that can be carved.

It is crudely carved and than sanded and washed.

To make one item it may take days for one person to complete the process. In Kisii this is what they mainly do. Everywhere there are shops trying to sell their products. After the elections and political unrest the tourism is down so there is no outlet to sale the soapstone. Robert has bought some land and built a structure on it. He plans to have soapstone carved at this location and to hire widows to do the carvings. This would allow them to support themselves. We would in turn use this as our main source of soapstone products.

I also discovered while there that the Kisii women make baskets out of “wimby”. The wimby is used to make bread but the stalks are used to make the baskets. This is the only place in Kenya the baskets are made. They are woven so tightly that water will not leak through them. His mother gave me a basket as a gift when I left. I have ordered more baskets to be made and sent to me so I can sell them. I am very excited about them!

I loved being with Robert and his family. Learning about this beautiful little village they live in and feeling so welcome.

Pictures are coming. Thanks Faith for posting my pictures for me!!!

Because it is Kenya

The power has flickered on and off for the past few days and the internet at the house has been off all weekend. It hasn’t rained for a while so some are running out of water. But . . it rained tonight which gave us another day of water and I guess “they” flick the switch tomorrow at 8:30 am and it restarts the internet. All the luxuries of Kenya and I whine when I don’t have them for a few days.

It is interesting to long to be somewhere for two years and than feel homesick when I get over here. I am not sure why I have missed home the last few days but I have. Maybe it was the long trip to Kisii. Seems to have taken a lot out of me. We have been very busy since we have gotten here and I am tired. This is our last full week in Kitale before we head to Nairobi and than to Paris for a few days. Transformed International got an intern from the UK this past weekend so that has added some additional interest to the mix. Tim is a welcome addition and has fit into the mix quit well. I am enjoying him being here and wish more interns had been here during our visit. It is so fun to meet new people.

With our last week here we have made the plans for the week and it will be busy as well. Not only are we seeing more projects but we are having a worship night here on Tuesday night and a huge BBQ on Thursday night. Sigh . . . maybe I am just getting old.

Preachers, Poultry, Potions, and Puke

You will never know what it is like to travel on public transportation in a third world until you have experienced yourself!!

I will attempt to give you a picture of the last three days on public transportation. I truly have no idea how far anything is in this country. It doesn’t matter how far it is because it will always take you a long time to get there no matter what. Our journey the last three days has also taken us on a Piai Pia (three seater “thing” that is run by a scooter, a truck that has seats in the back, a bus, boda boda (bike), matatu (mini van that they can put 26 people in but should only have 14) and a taxi (nothing like our taxi’s).

We started in Kitale with no problems. In Eldoret Robert had bought our seats ahead of time knowing they would want to charge us more when they saw we were white. Sure enough the conductor (man who takes the money and gets people to ride his matatu) wanted more money and an argument started until Robert produced his receipt for what he had paid. This did not make the conductor or the driver very happy. Now as soon as they are full they take off. Robert says Matatu means “always room for one more”. We would think the van was full but not Kenyans they pick up people along the way so now you are squished, people are sitting on laps and standing up and when you think they could not add another they do. It is crazy and really one of my favorite parts of Kenya. Maybe because it is just so unreal!! The roads are unbelievable here and make my neck all uptight. There are huge potholes in the roads and I wonder how the vehicles can stay together. Some people fill the potholes with dirt and ask for money from the drivers for doing it. AND the drivers give them money.

On one of our Matatu drives they overloaded it and a man sat on the floor. It was a long ride and doesn’t help when things are crowded. At one point I smelled an odor I couldn’t quite place. I looked at Meredith and said, what is that odor. She said, I think someone threw up. Meredith and I are hanging our head out the widow trying not to smell it and also trying not to laugh because it is so unbelievable. We are thinking that one of Roberts children who is traveling with us has gotten sick especially after Larry asks us to pass back the wet wipes. At one point, Larry taps us on the back and says, “put you feet up it is coming your way” which of course makes us giggle even more. We did not know until our journey was over that it was the man that was sitting on the floor was the one who threw up and he threw up on Daniel’s foot. If we had known I am sure we would have been uncontrollable teenagers!!

Now a bus ride is a whole different experience. We get our own seats and it appears we will not pick up people. But I am wrong. We do pick up people and they share seats (not mine!) and stand in the aisles. And why is it that the people who get on and stand in the aisles have chickens with them? If we go by a police check they all duck so the police won’t see them. What a country! And the good thing about the bus is you get entertainment. We had a preacher part of our trip.

He stood in front of the bus and went through the motions of the traditional church. He greeted us, (like we had a choice to be there), he prayed (people actually bowed their heads while he prayed), he had us greet one another (no joke, people shook their neighbors hands), he gave a sermon (at one point stopping to tell us white people that he was preaching), and he took a collection (in a “Cars” gift bag). After he was done he prayed with some people in the back of the bus and got off on his stop. He wore a pin that said, “Great Evangelist Crusade – Pastor- Jesus Lives. After he got off a man selling herbs (potions) started in. His voice was loud and shrill and so annoying. When he came around to see if people wanted to buy them Larry told him how annoying he was!!!

Larry says a good ride on public transportation in Kenya is when you have half a seat and no ones children on your lap. It is true!

Because it is Kisii

We went to a small town called Kisii that last few days. Robert wanted us to visit his family for a couple of days and we have been planning on doing this for a while. He was so excited to have us come to his home and we were a bit anxious about it knowing we would be staying in a village with a Kenyan family. His parents don't speak English and very little Swahili so we knew that language would also be a challenge. They also so have no electricity or running water so we would get the "real" experience. But who could pass up the opportunity to go. Not us!!! So off we went to stay two nights with them. It took all day to get there but we arrived while it was still light. His family(parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins) were thrilled to see us. We felt so welcomed and so comfortable in their home, it was amazing.

Kisii is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It has rolling hills all planted with coffee, tea, and maze and things grow without fertilizer. I couldn't believe how many shades of green there. I could look for miles and see grass and metal roofs dotting the landscape and it is so peaceful. If I lived in Kisii I would spend all my time sitting and looking. I would never get anything done and I would never read because the landscape is so amazing.

One day while I was taking an African bath (a bucket of water and a cup) the rain began to fall on the metal roof of the shower room and I thought, "I can't believe I am here!!" I was so thrilled to think I got to be staying in a village experiencing what I was experiencing. It is such a privilege to have this opportunity. The privilege that most will never get. And I was filled with such gratitude for the chance to be here.

We have been traveling for three days!!

We have been gone for three days visiting Kisi and Robert’s family. Robert is the man who helps us get all the products we need for our shipments to the United States. He is a wonderful and generous man and has asked us for several years to visit with his family when we return to Kenya. We finally made that trip this year and it was wonderful. I have a lot of stories to tell so will post them over the next few days!! It was a great adventure!!

Children's Home

Because it is hopeless

Street girls?!?!? Hmmm . . . . So much to say. My favorite day so far here has been the day we sat with the street girls. We always go to town and they always greet us. There is one who carries a baby on her back and sales jewelry she has made. She always finds us and talks with us. Each time I see her I want to buy everything she has!!!! There are the ones who yell Daniel and Meredith’s names from across the street and hurry over to visit. They don’t ask for anything, they only want to greet us. One is pregnant, most are high on glue. On this day we went and sat on the steps that overlook the slums. As we sit there the girls begin to come over and greet us. They bring their babies for us to hold. Most of them sit close enough to hold our hands or touch us and it is a friendly conversation one would have with friends in a park. Transformed International will be starting a ministry this year to begin rehabilitating some of these street girls. They will come off the street, get off glue, and learn a trade. TI has the money already to begin this program and is only waiting for the right land to buy to build on. The street girls know nothing of this project. The idea behind visiting the street girls on a regular basis is to build a relationship with them so when the time comes TI will accomplish two things. They will know which girls will be successful in the program and the girls will trust them because they have build a relationship with TI. These girls have nothing!! They have no hope! They beg and prostitute for money to feed themselves and their babies. It is very hard to explain in an e-mail who these young women are. One must see them, hear them and touch them to truly understand. They are the essence of poverty and hopelessness.

Because it is the right thing to do.

The last two days we have met with Kenyans who are taking care of children in need. There aren't many Kenyans who are doing this so it is exciting to see it when it does happen. Daniel Juma lives in this same neighborhood as Daniel in a more Kenyan style home. He has many (in the 20's) children he is caring for who are orphans. When we arrived the children came to greet us and Daniel Juma welcomed us into his home. He had chai waiting along with peanuts and this yummy sweet bread. Daniel has one main person who sponsors his work with others helping. He is amazing and very wise. He has several small businesses that also help support his work and his family.

We also met Walter and his wife in Soy. This is a project that mainly helps deaf children. Where this man found all these deaf children I will never know. Now he lives a mile or so from the main road in Soy in a VERY Kenyan setting. They bath and get their water from the river and live in mud huts. I don't know how he makes it from month to month but he also has several small businesses. Someone sponsors all the deaf children to go to school and school was out so we were able to see all the children. We visited for the day as Anne did some evaluations of other children who want to be in the program and Larry took pictures to send to the sponsor. Daniel helps a Canadian friend with this project.

I had been dishearten at the lack of Kenyan's helping their own people since I got here and of the government being so corrupt and wasteful. I am now encouraged there are people here in Kenya who are willing to care for those in need. Walter and his wife have nothing but they care for these children with great joy in their mud hut in the village. Daniel Juma and his wife are amazing. They are blessed to care for these children and happily take more into their home. So wonderful. They do this all because it is the right thing to do.

Because it is amazing . .

Today we went and took food to the Grandma with her 35 grandchildren. If you don’t know the story, this grandma is caring for 35 of her grand children, as all of their parents have died of aids. Once a month TI takes food out to them. But the TI team must shop for the food first. The first stop was the grocery store to buy sugar and a few other products like soap. After that we went to the store that carries the bulk maize and beans. At this point we have to wait for our driver with a truck to come pick us up and load the beans and maize onto the truck. Although Ann our social worker has talked with the driver in the morning and many times throughout the day letting him know our time frame we wait for an hour for him to arrive. It is not a bad thing to wait on the street for an hour. It is better than going to the movies!! So much is going on I am continually entertained. Someone some how steals two bags of fertilizer without the store workers realizing it. The owner of the store tells the workers he will not pay them their wage if they don’t find it. For some reason this does not faze the workers. They sit down in front of the store on other bags of fertilizer and apparently discuss it. Than a fairly nice small station wagon pulls up and other workers begin to load the back of it up with bags of maize, fertilizer and beans. As they put each bag in the back, the car sinks lower and lower. Before long the car is so low it looks like it may be sitting on the back tires. There is no way this can be good for the car, in more than on way. Our driver finally arrives and Meredith and I stand up in the back of the truck as we drive to the gas station to get kerosene for the home. Both of us standing in the back of truck seems to cause a commotion with the boda boda (bicycle taxi’s) drivers. They are pointing and talking. As we drive away from them Meredith rebukes them in Swahili telling they are talking bad. They laugh hysterically!!!!! I am thinking as we drive to pick up Daniel and Larry, Larry will tell me how dangerous it is for me to be riding in the back of the truck standing up but I am so surprised when we turn the corner and he takes out his camera and takes our picture and tells us how cute we look in the truck!!! They jump in telling us about all the people they met and talked to as they waited for us. It is never, never boring here.

We have to drive a short distance on a dirt road to deliver the food. The grandma does not know that we are coming and we hear screams from the children as we drive up. The grandma now has five houses for her children and an acre of land to plant crops. But by American standards she has nothing!! I mean it, nothing!! But she is happy and grateful to see us. She is all smiles and the children crowd around to shake our hands and great us!! What an honor to be in her presence after all the stories we have heard. It was amazing!! When she found out we were Daniel’s parents she was so happy!! She gave us a speech about what a wonderful job we have done raising Daniel and about how much he has helped her. It was so sweet.

It is truly amazing to be here and see all that is being done. What a blessing!!

Because it is Kenya shopping for groceries takes all day

Because it is Kenya shopping for groceries takes all day. Our first day in Kenya it was shopping day for our weekly groceries. We sat at breakfast and made up the plan for the week and the menu. In Kenya you have to go to many stores to get the food for the week. There is the supermarket, the outdoor market, the “White” people store and the butcher. I was so excited to be back in Kenya and couldn’t wait until we got to do the walk in town. It is so beautiful here. The sky is fantastic and goes on forever. The birds make the most amazing noises. And the scenery is unbelievable. The hustle and bustle of the small town of Kitale is wonderful. I just love it here. Daniel had just come back to Kenya after being gone for five weeks so everyone on our way and in town wanted to greet him. It seems as if the whole town knows Meredith and Daniel. The businessmen, the boda boda drivers, the street kids and the locals walking on the streets. EVERYONE knows them.

After not being in Kenya for two years nothing has changed in this town. Maybe a new business here and there or a new restaurant but all remains the same. It has the same feeling as before but I have a different perspective. For the first time I feel there is some hope for some of the people. After working in the United States with Transformed International and seeing from that side what we are able to do, I get here and see the work being done.

The street girls here are very sad to me. It breaks my heart to see them. They are so lost. Some have babies strapped to their backs and some are pregnant. There is no hope and the only way to live is to prostitute and sniff glue. Transformed International is planning on starting a street girl project. They have the money and are looking for land to buy to build a house on it. It is really exciting as they could help all the street girls in Kitale in a matter of years. So thrilling!

We will see what God will do.

Because it is Reno

Because it is RENO we wake the morning we are leaving to Kenya and it is snowing! Only in Reno after it has been 80 degrees. We get to airport and get checked in and wait for our plane to leave at 9:00am. At 8:45 my phone rings saying my plane is cancelled. What a weird feeling to be waiting in the airport to leave at your gate and getting a phone call saying that your flight has been cancelled. Sure enough, everyone else’s phone begins to ring! The flight was indeed cancelled because our plane would not land due to the wind. We were rebooked on another flight at 11:00 getting into San Francisco to connect to our flight leaving to Paris. It as close but we make it without any problems.

Has anyone ever flown Air France? Well, I don’t know if it is the airline our just our plane but this plane was horrible. Dirty to the point that where the lights are located above us it was full of dust and cobwebs with one light out and the wires hanging. The plane was in terrible repair and Larry and I just looked at each other and laughed! We were so looking forward to our plane ride with the individual screens where you could choose your movie and the great service. They did play movies but you didn’t get to choose and they were on the screens in the aisles. Gosh!! We arrived in Paris for our 9-hour layover. It was long and we hadn’t slept much. One hour before our plane loaded I found these great chairs where you could stretch out and take a nap. I had spend 8 hours in this airport, exhausted and wanting to nap only to find the chairs an hour before we left. We had to hop to Amsterdam and than to Kenya. Air France will no longer fly to Kenya until the political situation in Kenya stabilizes. We flew Kenya Air, again looking forward to the movies. BUT . . on this plan the “entertainment” system was down so there were no movies, music or even your overhead light.

Dan was waiting for us at the airport; we took a taxi to the stage to get a bus to Kitale and arrived in Kitale 48 hours after we left Reno. It was good to be here and to settle in for 12 hours of sleep!

Daniel Leaving and Getting Ready

Daniel leaves on Tuesday and we leave the next Tuesday. We will be meeting him in Nairobi after landing in San Francisco, Paris, London and lastly in Kenya. Daniel will fly out of Dallas and head to Canada for a week before leaving the same day that Larry and I leave to Kenya. It has been two years since we have been to Kenya and have never seen any of the Transformed International projects. It is exciting after working so hard in the United States to support those projects to finally be able to see them. I am anxious to meet the children in the orphange, to see the grandma and her 35 grandchildren and to visit the children and widows in Soweto Slums. We may even be there when the widows start their new project in making the paper beads!! So many adventures await us!! It will be sad to leave Luke and Andrew this year as we have never made a trip without them. But they have their own return trips planned and I will rejoice for them when it is their turn.