Sundays Are For Church Services And Family Dinners

Can you imagine anything better as the very first thing you see on a Sunday morning? This kid has no idea how much our van-full of adults loved this look. I wanted to call him Goose all day, but I didn't think he'd appreciate a Top Gun reference.

We would never let a large group of adults filling the van stop us from packing it to the brim with kids too. It was an "everyone hold a kid" type of Sunday morning. Here's Kevin with Julius and Sarah with Victor (and Frank in the background.)

We were a steady stream of kids and Americans charging toward the empty rows at the front of the church, but when they sent all of the kids to Sunday School, the adults moved closer together. All the better to make jokes during service. I know I've mentioned that I have known Steve's family for 20 years, and that we have been coming on various teams to Kenya for 12 of those years, but when we made the exact same joke at the same time during church, we were both surprised. He told me I'm not allowed to sit by him in churches anymore, since I just distract him with jokes the whole time.

We typically wind-up sitting next to each other in services because he is teaching and I am singing and I need to follow his cues for the service. The first time we were in a Kenyan church together, in 2003, there was a demon-possessed guy in the service as well. Thankfully, today, there was not.

Two Sundays ago, Sammy's mom mentioned that I sing so the pastor said I should be prepared to sing this Sunday. When we arrived and she was out of town, I thought I was off the hook. They even began to talk about the offering, which is usually the last part of the service. But, as the woman invited people up to collect the offering, she said, "Also, Samantha's friend, you should be ready to sing for us." She read a Bible verse and then brought me to the front. I introduced myself and explained that, as we offered our money to God, we should also offer our hearts and lives. And then sang "All I Am" by Phil Wickham.

As soon as we arrive home after church, it is a frenzy of hunger. The kids jump out of the van and head straight out back to get a plate of food. And the adults follow. Really, it's nearly 1:30 at this point--it's lunchtime. This was the last day that Sammy's family and friends would be in town, so we crowded in really close to eat, laugh, and play together.

It was almost as though the littles understood what was happening, they all took turns sitting with their new friends. Here's Toni with Dinah and Kevin with Moses. (Moses loved Kevin.)

Eventually, Sammy announced that it was time for haircuts and one-by-one kids made their way to the backyard to take their turn with the shaver. Once the majority of the kids are back there, it's much more fun to sit back there with them...even if the wind blows the freshly cut hair all over your face.

Moses waited his turn by sitting in my lap and drooling all over my arm. But he's really cute, so I didn't really mind.

When haircuts were finished, wounds were cleaned, and instructions for the morning were given (the team was to leave, with Jabal, first thing in the morning) we went home. We were invited to dinner at Ben and Christine's house, so the team spent an hour or so napping, packing, and dyeing my hair.

Dinner at the Tanguli's was delicious, as always. Christine makes boiled potatoes and then fries them (I convinced Sammy to steal one in her jacket pocket and at it on the car ride home)...and she always makes a ton of chapati and and giant bowl of guacamole--it's more enough for 25 people, even if we're only a team of 10. They also have a small cat that runs around their house, it crawled up in my lap and fell asleep while we were all talking. I could have fallen asleep too, it was very cozy.

We were all so tired (and very full!) when we came home and we knew Monday would be an early morning, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity for one final game of Five Crowns. (Duh.)

It Was The Freakin' Weekend, Baby, And We Definitely Had Us Some Fun

My final tasks before Sammy and her entourage arrived in Kitale were to take the car to be washed and stock the kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables. Oh, and hang some mosquito nets. I wish I had more adequately documented that process because it was quite a spectacle, I'm sure. It involved pink duct tape, masking tape, twine and a whole bunch of climbing. I'm certain you can imagine the hilarity of me wedging myself between a bunk bed and a row of shelves to get to the corner to tape up the corner of the net, which would have already fallen by the time I made it down and back up the other side. I'll take a photo of the twined and twisted technique...it's not pretty, but it did the trick!

Anyway, back to the car wash. I didn't want to go alone, for multiple reasons: I didn't know where it was, I wasn't sure if they'd charge me more since I don't know the typical rates, and I had heard it could take up to an hour...so I brought along a few of the older house boys, fresh out of school and so excited for adventures.

Here's the car wash. It's pretty much one guy with a power hose and a hand towel. It took nearly two hours, but that car (inside and out) was sparkling!

Augustus, Manu, and Pascal. None of them were particularly excited about taking this picture. Also, none of them knew how to throw this frisbee.

About an hour in, one of the school kids, Noah, and his mom walked by on their way to the hospital. Noah's mom stopped in the shop to buy a few things and Noah sat with us telling us about how he wants to "study a lot, grow big, get a car, and drive his mom and other people all around." He's absolutely adorable.

They were on their way to the hospital because, though Noah was diagnosed with epilepsy years ago, his medicine has recently stopped working and he has been suffering from frequent seizures and some paralysis on his right side. He was admitted to the hospital for more tests. So far, everything has come back normal, and they are working to find a new medicine to help lower the frequency of the seizures.

We left the car wash (one of the boys immediately rolled down the window--aaaaall the streaks happening right away!) and drove to town for lots of little things: bananas, passion fruit, avocados, assorted vegetables for 'stirfry', and three different stops--all unsuccessful--for mangoes.

And then, back to the kid's house! Dropped off the boys and went back to my house for a few hours of silence before the house was full.

Around 5:30, the van pulled in and everyone unloaded. They had been traveling for about 9 hours in a cramped van (including a stop at the hospital to pick up Jabal who had just been released after a successful surgery to remove the tumor in his foot!) but all were in such great moods!

They unloaded bags and freshened up a bit before loading in our van and heading to the kids house. Walking in to a home of 37 kids as the first thing you do in a brand new country...that's pretty brave! And this crew jumped right in: holding kids, swinging them around, dancing, singing, chasing, carrying, trying their best to translate (or sign!) what they were trying to say...it was so fun to watch!

Manu got up on top of the van to get a good shot of all of the action, but it was too dark to really see the goings-on.

About an hour later, we went for dinner in town. Ruby Deli (duh!) and then home. Sammy had assumed they'd be ready for bed around 9 since it had been such a long day of travel, but these guys were up until almost midnight! They're really giving it all they've got. (Truth be told, their bedtimes are getting earlier every night as the days are catching up to them. Tonight, it was 7:45 for some of them!)

Sunday morning is always, always, always an adventure. And trying to take 19 kids in a van that already has 7 adults stuffed in is no exception! We ran the usual routine of changing and dressing kids, grabbing shoes and sending them out to the car. Sammy just kept loading until finally one sat on my armrest and another facing me at my feet...then we decided we were full.

It was once we got to church that we realized we had loaded 19 kids in to about 6 seats in the car. The ushers arranged their own little section for the kids when we walked in (late) to church.

After service, they were holding an album release party for a woman in the choir, so we got up to leave a little early. (You can't hold the attention of that many kids--or my attention, really--for more than two hours...even though this week's guest preacher from Cameroon was really great!)

We were two steps from the back door and the pastor (who's giving announcements) yells (in to the mic), "Samantha! Where are you going?! Bring your visitors up to say hello to us!" And we all have to walk back up (the entire length of the church) to the stage. Sammy's mom took the microphone from Pastor Winnie and introduced us to the church. When she got to me, she said, "Allison is a singer. She should sing for you!" And the pastor said, "Okay! Now?!" To which I shook my head and said, "Next week!" So, there's definitely going to be something to share about on Sunday afternoon!

We shoved 26 of us back in to the van and made it in time for lunch at the center...and a few after lunch piggy back rides, of course.

Suzie goes crazy for piggy back rides. It was the only way to keep her inside once the rain started. On Sunday, she showed her gratitude for the piggy back ride by licking my neck during the picture.

With the rain came our departure. We went back to our house for naps and a quick change out of church clothes...but would never miss an opportunity for Sunday Night Chapati, so a few hours later, we were back in that familiar living room.

I pulled out two lipsticks that have been in my purse (unused) since I arrived and set to work making everyone laugh by putting lipstick on the boys. Of course, everyone wanted a turn!

Manu found a neck pillow and used it as hair. The other boys had to try! And Linah's coloring is perfect for bright red lips! ;)

 

 

We began to say our goodbyes and get in the car as the rain started again. And we could hear some cheering and hollering and scuffling in the house. I came back to find this: a load of kids holding on to Sammy's hands--they didn't want her to leave. That's how loved she is by these kids.

With a team in town, you know there's a full schedule. So I have quite a bit to tell you about. I'm hoping to post two a day until I catch up with myself, but that maybe setting myself up for failure...so, for now, I'll just say that the catch-up is coming soon.

Takin' It To The Chief

Tuesday morning, when Suzie fell asleep in my lap, I knew it was going to be a great day. She crawled up on my lap, snuggled in and started drooling. I have such fond memories of my mom rubbing my back when I was sick, or letting me cuddle up when I was sad. To give these moments to kids without parents, is so special.

A little over an hour later, Sammy came in to ask if we'd like to go to the Chief's Office to get the proper paperwork for Victor's transfer to Precious Kids Center. Sarah and I jumped at the chance to watch this process.

We picked up Victor's mom, Phoebe, and then drove to the local Chief's Office.

Side note: Phoebe, Victor's mom, is a single mom who works full time to support her family. This often leaves Victor at home alone. The situation became even more complicated when Victor was diagnosed with a rare (and incredibly severe) form of epilepsy, but his mom could not afford the medicine to keep it under control. Victor is a healthy and happy child...Phoebe is a good mother in a tough situation.

On Monday afternoon, when Sammy went over to talk to Phoebe about bringing Victor to the Center, where he would receive round-the-clock care, proper nutrition, and the necessary medicine--and Sammy made it clear that she is more than welcome to visit Victor at any time--his mom was excited to help make Victor's transition as smooth as possible.

Alright, where were we? We picked up Phoebe and drove to the local Chief's Office. Here's the outside of the building:


And here's what it looks like inside. (I took a sneaky shot so I wouldn't make Sammy look unprofessional.)

The Chief writes a letter saying the mother has given permission for Sammy to take care of the child, so that, in case of emergency, no parent could come back and say Sammy kidnapped the child.

To celebrate the occasion, here is a photo of Sammy, Victor and Victor's mom:

Also, this adorable little man waiting his turn (presumably).

With Victor's mom on her way back home, and Victor's papers in-hand, we went back to the center for lunch.

Check out Moses' killer outfit: overalls AND a stripey shirt? Also, that shirt had buttons along the shoulder. Really doing it Mose.

Maureen brought me a bead to put back on the end of her braid. Honestly, one of the more difficult things I've done since being here...but I finally got it!

After lunch, my taxi driving friend Dan picked us up and drove us out to visit a new church (and future children's home) in Kipsongo (the local slum). I have been looking for a church to partner with as I launch this women's ministry in hopes that I would not be the face or the sole support for that community, but instead be able to point them to a local church.

This church is beautiful and the property has so much potential for growth!

Pastor Enoch and his wife will live here with 25 children, who will move in once the building is complete (the bathroom, kitchen, and bunk beds still need to be built). He teaches each weekend and said to me, "I don't know if you've heard of Saddleback Church, but I like to teach messages from their pastor Rick Warren."

As he gave us a tour of the property, I asked a little about his life story. He told me that he grew up in Kitale and that he was a street kid. He ended up in prison, which is where he accepted Jesus and began his path toward becoming a pastor. He has a huge heart for kids who are living in the slums, whose stories could look very much like his own. He really is in the perfect role for his gifts and heart. I am really looking forward to watching this church, home, and community develop.

While we were visiting the church, there was a huge rainstorm. I love the sound of rain on a tin roof, but it makes it nearly impossible to carry on a conversation. Our taxi returned and brought us home, where we changed in to dry clothes and made a delicious dinner which we ate while blogging and watching Never Been Kissed.

See, I told you that a day that begins with a napping Suzie is destined to be a really good day!

P.S. Obama arrives tomorrow. Should be wonderfully chaotic around here. More on that soon!

"Easy" Like Sunday Morning

Having grown up in a small family, (it's just me and my younger brother) I never experienced the chaos of a Sunday morning as I've heard it told from families of five or more children...one child completely ready and sitting in the car while another has barely made it out of bed, always able to find the right shoe but never the left, everyone dressed and ready to walk out the door and someone throws up or runs back in to go to the bathroom or is forgotten at home in the absolute insanity and effort (though nearly always in vain) to get to church on time.

Fortunately, having never experienced this in my own childhood, it makes the experience of preparing a houseful of kids for church on Sunday mornings here hilarious (instead of stirring up unresolved childhood issues.)

This Sunday, I walked back to the bedroom to check on the progress of dressing everyone and saw that there was no adult in the room, just a bunch of children standing in their underwear, unable to reach clothing, or, if they could reach it, unable to dress themselves. (There were two house moms out this weekend at a family funeral, so we all took on a extra role or two.)

I grabbed some outfits for the girls (dresses, obviously the easiest choice...put them on over their heads and sent them to the living room for shoes.) Two down. Sammy joined me (praises!) I dressed one more kid, identified the two that needed new diapers before church, and headed out to hunt for matching shoes for the masses. 

Meanwhile, the six that dressed themselves are standing outside the car chanting "Alice. Alice. Alice." waiting for me to come open the heavy and slightly broken car door. I grab Moses, throw on his high tops (which he points at about ten times with an excited squeal--still thrilled, weeks later, to have shoes to call his own) and carry him outside. I set him down by the car, he immediately falls to his knees and starts crawling, through the dirt, in his church clothes, to get to the car. I turn and exclaim, "Mose!" He stands up and walks the rest of the way to the car. 

I swing the door open and begin to pick up and load small children into the back of the van. Three are immediately asking to sit in the front seat with me and Sammy, but today we've decided to take both Willie AND Suzie with us (upon my request) so they will sit up front and that ends that discussion.

I head back inside to put shoes on Suzie, but can only find one of them. A smaller kid finds the second under the couch, but two older boys think this is the time for a game of "keep away." Finally, one small girl grabs the shoe, rushes between the boys and hands it to me. I get the shoe on Suzie, walk her out and put her in the car.

We load Willie in to the front seat, in-between Suzie and the driver's seat and Sammy goes back inside to check for anyone we've left. In the meantime, Willie (who's now two people deep in the front seat) decides he's not going to church anymore and wants to get out. I climb out, unload Suzie (who grabs the steering wheel for dear life as if to say, "Are you kidding me? You always leave me behind...there's no way on earth I'm letting you do that today! Not after you undressed, redressed and loaded me in here. Uh-uh. Not happening.") So Willie climbs over her and out of the car. Sammy comes out the front door and asks what Willie's doing...he changes his mind and we go through that whole process again, trying to undo what he's just done by getting out of the car.

I put Suzie on my lap and close my door. Manu closes the sliding door and, just like that, we're off to church.

Tired yet? 

Yeah, this is all BEFORE the service.

We arrive, I unload Suzie (taking special care to hold her hand since she's a runner.) Willie slides out of the front seat, slams in to me and I almost topple over, still taking care to hold Suzie's hand so we both nearly fall over. Sammy comes around to the passenger side to count the kids as they exit the van, to ensure that we bring home everyone we brought to church. 

Nineteen. She finishes counting and says, "Where's Willie?" And for a minute we all think, "How in the world did we lose a kid within 45 seconds of arriving?!" One of the bigger kids runs ahead and shouts, "He's here!" He'd run straight from the car and in to the church. Alright.

They find us some seats, we file in and I am considerably more ready for a nap than a two hour service...but we've only just begun. I plop Suzie on my lap and we settle in.

They dismiss the kids for Sunday School--even Willie heads out--and we're left with three adults and only two kids...granted, restless kids: Suzie and Moses, but still, only two. 

I dug some dental floss out of my purse to keep Suzie occupied (she loves to wrap and re-wrap her fingers and toes with strings) and Moses walked three steps away from Sammy and then back to her for about half an hour. At one point, Suzie fell asleep.

She woke up and we brought Moses over to hang out, thinking they might entertain each other.

Obviously, he needed a little more entertaining than Suzie could provide.

The speaker, mercifully, broke in to song halfway through his message, giving Suzie a dance break...wriggling out some of the pent-up energy she'd been forced to hold in for the first hour.

We eventually moved to the back of the room and let Suzie run back and forth between me and Sammy, (honestly, the greatest...I wish I had it on video.) while Moses crawled back and forth between Sammy and Sarah. We had a great tag-team thing going on while the greeters and ushers just watched in amazement.

We loaded up all nineteen kids and began to drive home...only stopping once for Sammy to get out and move one crying child who was being squished by the bigger kids.

When we arrived back at the center, we were wiped out. We quickly ate lunch and headed home to relax. After a short nap, we took a trip to Kipsongo (a nearby slum) to check in on the progress of a few kids Sammy's been keeping an eye on. While we were there, it began to rain, but we still had to buy vegetables for this week's meals. So, we parked the car as close as we could to the market and, in the pouring rain, ran in to buy vegetables from my friend Rosemary. Success!

On the way back to the house, we found a large group of street boys walking back from a soccer game they'd been invited to join. Look at those sweet faces.

We dropped the vegetables, put on some warm, dry, comfy clothes and headed to Sunday dinner at the kids house. A bunch of cooped-up kids on a rainy night?! We were in for a treat!

When dinner ended in a giant tickle fight, (Alright, I started it, but was knocked off the couch by the five or six kids who retaliated.) Sammy asked one of the big kids to put on a movie. Instead, he turned on some house music. The house erupted in a giant dance party!

These two were stepped on in the madness, but recovered pretty quickly.

When the dance party wound down, the night ended with a viewing of 101 Dalmatians. Once the room was settled, we figured it was okay for us to leave.

We arrived home to a fresh batch of no-bake cookies (peanut butter, chocolate, oatmeal cookies!) which was the perfect ending to a memorable (and absolutely hilarious) day!

I Can Picture It Like It Was Yesterday

Today was a very full day! We had planned to meet the team for church at 10am, so headed to the kids house first to pick up the three that we were taking along with us!

As Sammy made sure those three were dressed and ready to go, Moses and I danced to the songs playing on the TV. The DVD kept skipping, so it was like our own version of freeze dancing...he would stop and point at the TV every time the music stopped--and then grab my hands and bounce again as soon as it turned back on. Kid's got moves!  

Allan was so excited to wear his new outfit and head to church.

Can you tell from that huge smile?!

A few of the team members had asked about Lillian, since she was at school when they came by to paint, so she was another who came with us today. And Sam is a fan favorite around here--especially of Dr. Rob and his family--so there was no doubt that he'd be the third. (The van is not always this full of boxes--just transporting some things this morning!)

We visited the church that is part of Gilgal Secondary School today: Ephraim Family Church. The praise team was amazing! Such joy and passion--they sang and danced and excited the crowd to do the same!

Dr. Rob got up to introduce the team and, before, told us that he knows a bit about singing and dancing too--he did a fantastic Elvis impression!

Lillian was quiet through most of service, but I did notice that her foot was tapping to the music--I think she really did enjoy herself.

After service, Ben and Christine had a whole lunch prepared for our team: chicken, potatoes, chapati, guacamole--it was delicious! Even enough for seconds! We ate and talked and shared stories about the growth we've seen in the schools, children's center, and churches in the decade that many of us have been friends with them. 

From there, we loaded up in the vans and headed over to Discover to Recover (a centre for children infected with or effected by HIV/AIDS.) I used to visit this home each week, and spend a few hours playing and laughing with the kids. Some of my very favorite photos from my time in Kenya are from this place. Also, my favorite kid in the whole of Kitale (Benja) lives here. Needless to say, I was looking forward to seeing them again!

When we pulled in, I began to see all of these big kids come out of the house and in to the yard. I looked around and, for a brief moment, didn't recognize anyone...and got a little timid. I wondered if, after five years of being away, all of the kids I knew and loved had moved away...or maybe they were there, but thought I had abandoned them and wouldn't be as warm or welcoming as I had hoped.

And then I saw Benja. I pointed at him from the window of the van and he smiled his crooked little old man smirk of a smile. And I watched as several other kids pointed at him and laughed--just as they'd always done--knowing that I was about to attack him with hugs and kisses and take more pictures than anyone needs of one child in a single afternoon. 

I took another scan around the crowd, and the faces changed. They were no longer strangers, but now simply older versions of the small children I knew years ago. I got out of the car and began to walk toward them, with the rest of the team, and a few came walking up with huge grins. And, without skipping a beat, I said, "Hi Churchill! Hi Derrick! Hi Meshack!" Though they were still a bit standoffish, I knew they were just as cautiously excited to see me as I was to see them after all this time.

We brought out bags of lollipops and I began to take pictures...

{Churchill...though with a Kenyan accent it sounds like Chachi, so that's what we've called him for years}

{Benja! Who has lost all of his baby teeth--and has learned so much English--since I saw him last. Thankfully, he still has that same tiny waist and big fat belly that he's had since I met him as a four-year old.}

{Meshack}

The group was a little bit nervous to fully engage at first, so it felt kinda like a Jr High dance: team on one side and Centre kids on the other...each just as interested in interacting with the other, but sort of unsure as to how to break the ice.

Becky, from the team, came to the rescue! She brought out bags of fake glasses and noses, balloons, necklaces, bouncy balls, and whistles...and the kids (and adults!) ate them up!

{Get out of here, Benja...so cute!}

{A crowd of Groucho's!}

{Even Stonic agreed to play along!}

{Can't stop embarrassing this kid...I just love his guts!}

{They chased down this rooster for the photo...}

{Stonic blew up balloons, repaired broken glasses, tightened bracelets, translated for the smaller kids, passed out candies, and smiled the whole time--he was a real champ today!}

{Betty stood by my side for most of the afternoon}

At one point, I pulled Derrick and Benja aside and we all hung out near one of the vans. I was asking if they remember all of the fun things we'd done together all those years ago: trips to Sister Freda's, getting milkshakes in town, and swimming at the Kitale Club. Benja shook his head at the first two, but then perked up and got a huge smile on his face as he nodded in fond memory of the days we spent swimming.

The boys were so excited to sit in the van. They climbed in and happily sat in the seats, looking around, for about ten minutes. And then they found a pair of binoculars. Denis, kindly (and very trustingly!) offered to let them take the binoculars out of the van. And just like magic, every kid that had been happily playing with other gifts earlier, ran over to have a turn. One boy said, excitedly, "Wow! Everything that is very far over there looks like it is just right here!" Another asked if these were glasses that could help you see the planets. They were definitely a hit!

{Derrick and Benja}

Teams have been coming to Discover to Recover for years. In that time, many people have returned and continued to build relationships with these children. Today, these two boys listed several friends and asked about their lives. "How is Torie? Bre? Chris? Matt? Dinah?" As I gave updates on each friend, they said, "When can we expect them to return? We will be praying that God will bring them here very soon!"

With the new ball that was gifted by the team, we walked over to the field next door and watched (in a giant clump) as the older boys kicked it around. The younger kids crowded around and asked about the weather in America, played with my hair, mocked my high-pitched Swahili, and posed for a few dozen pictures.

I knew it was nearly time to leave, so I walked back over to the van and found this little joker hanging out on the fence. Honestly, this kid is so sassy and I still totally love him.

As I was leaving, Derrick ran inside and came back with three photos. One of them was a picture of us from 2009. Thinking about it, tonight, I realized that this kid has lived at this centre for most of his life. I've seen the small box that holds all of his belongings and I know that items are easily misplaced or worn in the shuffle of a crowded house...especially through a move. 

And somehow, this picture looks brand new--no wrinkles, folds or tears. What a treasure it must be to him, a boy without parents, one of nearly 30 kids in a house. It's irreplaceable. It's documentation of his childhood, of so many moments of laughter, a reminder that he is, has been, and will be, so loved and valued. 

There is no way that he could know the treasure it would be for me to see that he has kept this photo all of these years...the memories it would bring back--of that day, of that season--and the amount of love and value I would feel from this small boy, holding this picture, six years later.

And he has no idea that I have this exact same picture framed in my home...six years later.