Kenya

pamgreen — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:30:00 GMT

Wow. What a different world here. Not that I expected anything other than this. But its amazing to see how others live and share in another culture for a bit. Gives me a whole new perspective on my life back home. We arrived her Saturday evening in a small village outside of Nairobi called Gathiga. We are staying with a wonderful family and they have accomodated Dean and I with a room of our own which is a very generous gift. We go daily to the childrens home called Hope Home which consists of street kids and orphans and there is another home down the road which is for the children that are HIV positive that have also been abandoned in the streets or orphaned. It is a difficult thing to see and heartbreaking...yet the fact they have a bed and three meals a day is a blessing. You want to take all the children home but it seems like adopting is virtually impossible and they have relatives here which makes it even more impossible. There are a few babies there...one that was left in a filed by his mother and they named him Moses. I want to take him back with us. His smile is captivating and all he wants is to be held and loved....as do all the other children. Dean is loving all the new friendships and having a blast playing with the children which seem to be enthralled with Dean. They play with the sheep and pigs all day and roll around being boys together despite the language barrier. We walk about 30 to 40 minutes thru the dirt roads to the home and walk back or get a ride with the boys from the home we stay at. The kids have nothing...and school supplies and clothes and toys and anything is appreciated. I hope when i get back to be able to send help in lots of ways. 70 dollars pays the teacher for an entire month and 250 pays for the school for one child with their uniform and books etc. The food we eat is mostly potatoes and rice and beans mixed with certain vegetables...meat is expensive so they dont eat it often. Today is a Christmas party at the home for the kids and any family and the other home will be there too. They killed a cow and two sheep yesterday at the Gathiga home for the party...I did not go to the home yesterday. I could not bear to see the killings. They also cook in pots over fire either on the ground or in a fire pot with coal. They also have Kenyan tea after every meal which is mixed with part milk and part water. yum..( : The oven is rarely used. Well...I best go..we are getting ready to go to the Christmas party..( :

Preparing for our Safari

pamgreen — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:00:00 GMT

We leave in three days for our adventure in Kenya Africa. I cant tell you how excited we are about going and spending our Christmas and New years (even my birthday!) there at the orphanage and with the Kenyan people. For so long Christmas...as beautiful and full of love as it can be...lacks a little something. I feel Santa Claus and toys and gifts and lights and trees seem to fill our time and diminish our pocketbook and stress us out. Isn't Christmas supposed to be about the simple joy of the season. About Jesus's birthday? About love and family and appreciating our blessings and sharing? Seems to me its about stuff. (at least where children are concerned) This year I wanted our holidays to be about giving and not to each other....but to people that truly need our time and attention and love. I hope and pray Dean takes something so important away from this experience. I watch the children including the 6 and 7 year olds play with Ipads and phones and wiis and they seem to be in a state of hypnosis. They focus less on communication and more on a false world full of fake creatures and constant fighting...I have become very disheartened. We need to step away from the electronics and go back to the basics. Maybe this trip will help my son keep his focus on reality and what matters most..giving, loving, sharing, and being in the moment. Living life and not watching it go by. Please pray for our safety and guidance on our journey...or as the Kenyans say...our Safari.

Pam and Dean's Journey in Kenya

Kenya

Preparing for our Safari