From Texas to Kenya: Local Love

Everyone finally slept for more than five hours! What a relief to finally wake up to the beauty of Naomi's Village, though we got a sneak peak when we arrived at midnight the night before. Avery, Josh, Ryan, Zach and Anna all seemed eager to race through the two hundred yards of gray gravel that separates the Guesthouse from the NV campus. Did they notice the field full of enormous stunningly beautiful banana trees? Or even the patches of huge cabbages, lettuces, green peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes in the garden? Did the towering stalks of maze & sugarcane catch their attention? NOPE! Our children were single minded: they ran to play with the 56 babies, toddlers, preschoolers, & elementary school aged children who call Naomi's Village home. They had crossed the Atlantic ocean, traveled 14 hours - 450 kilometers/324 miles - in a matatu and finally gotten a good night's sleep all for the joy of playing! Oh, to be a child again and see this place through their eyes.....eyes full of faith!

The day was full of unspoken introductions on the soccer field to new friends. The universal language of soccer. Next, David, Ryan, and John joined "old friends" Paul, Dennis, & Willie on the swing sets. Most of the children all descended upon the baby room once they learned the lay of the land while the adults sat through "orientation" - very important "Dos and Dont's". Impressively, Avery and all the boys knew each of the five babies' name by the end of their first hour together. However, once all the babies were down for the evening, our team of kiddos sat in the courtyard under the blanket of a charcoal sky watching "FROZEN" & singing every word to every song! How universal is that movie and that song, "Let it Go"!? LOL! Even the 20 year old intern, Daniel of UNT & TVC Denton, broke out in song along with Kris.

On Saturday morning, Candace, Dana, Lexie, "Big" John, and Kris all accompanied our children and NV kids to Naomi's home, a local widow who had two young children. Her land required cleaning and burning of trash, the kitchen was swept, the dishes were cleaned, and the boys, along with Anna and Avery used a "slasher" (a bladed, blunt, yard tool) to clear the brush and weeds. It was a really rewarding endeavor and we adults got to know some of the kids better.

The afternoon was filled with shopping and playtime in Kijabe, a missionary station established more than one hundred years ago on the side of the mountain. All involved may require a chiropractic treatment after enduring the boulder - sized craters that littered the road. Colobus monkeys, donkeys, and chickens walked along with us as we traveled to Kijabe to visited Rift Valley Academy. What a beautiful place for our children to rip line & play. Avery even sees herself moving to Kenya, living in Kijabe, going to RVA and loving it! Shopping for handcrafted artisan pieces completely energized the local economy. Great prices for beautiful items made our shopping experience fruitful. Zach and Josh both got mazes and shields made from animal hides. A hand carved sheath with dagger was the highlight of Johnny & David's purchases. While Ryan bought a beaded the jewelry set for a friend, he also acquired a lovely lion painting set in a stunning frame! Avery was lucky enough to get a masai blanket. Anna saved most of her money for another shopping day.

The day ended with a s'mores bash! 40 kids and little sticky, chocolate covered fingers were the perfect ending to a sweet day.