27.07.2011 All day at MBO

Although the plan was to get up at 6:30 and be on the path to Mbaka Oromo by 7:30, my lack of sleep thought otherwise.  I don't think I closed my eyes until after 2, so 41/2 hours of sleep just wasn't enough.  No matter, it was still in the low 70s at 8 when we left.

We got maybe 300 yards into the Maseno University campus before we saw Benson - a former student at MBO, now attending tailoring classes in Sereba - the town across the street.  He asked us to walk him to class, so we did.  He refers to it as "college" and I'm not sure if that's what he was told when he enrolled, and/or they refer to any specialty schooling as "college."  No matter, he was glad for the company and asked about our family as we walked.  He beamed with pride as we entered the non-descript tailor shop with his two wzungo friends from America.  3 women sat in front and one man in back.  We greeted them all... even Kevin has gotten comfortable enough to say "Habari."  We stayed for only a few minutes to talk to his mwalimu (teacher), encouraged him to work hard, and returned to the path.  Benson has several disabilities working against him, but he always has managed to persevere.  His hope is that one day he will become a tailor.  I told him I'd like him to make me a shirt when he's ready.  He smiled as we disappeared from sight.

Back on the path again, we encountered Mr. Washington, owner of the local hardware store.  We've known him for 6 years, and he's always been fair in dealing with us.  He was happy to see me, and glad to meet Kevin.  We stepped into his shop and I introduced Kevin to Katherine... one of Mr. Washington's 4 wives.  We talked for a bit, then back to the path.  Again.


The remainder of the trip was uninterupted.  Much like my walks with Jim, Kevin and I talked the entire way.  Most of it was about the events since we arrived in Kenya.  We takled about Kiswahili, the children from the orphanage in Nakuru, and Vincent, our driver.  We talked about how we were spending our remaining days in Kenya, and we talked about the weather.  It was close to 10:30 now, and the sun was rising quickly. 

We arrived at MBO soon after, and stopped to see Momma Helen.  We came with sweets for her - cadbury chocolates.  She was delighted.  She showed me the corn that she had grown with the 500ksh Andrea gave her in February.  She wanted us to, "Thank her for me, and tell her I did not waste the money, look!"  The corn covered a 10sq ft area, and was piled 2 feet high.  Not bad for a woman in her late 60's.

We coninued on to the school.  Exams were last week, so the courtyard was empty.  There was nobody in sight, except for Samuel, busy working in his "office."  He was cutting down the cornstalks after having harvested all the corn.  He worked in long pants and a short sleeved shirt.  No shoes.  He swung his panga (machete) at the stalks as he walked through the field.  He cleared a 100sq ft area in no time.  Did I mention it was already 90 degrees? 

We went to the steps of the administration block, and gather our thoughts.  Kevin and I inspected each of the classrooms noting any damage or badly worn spots in need of repair.  There was a lot to write.  We took notes on each room, and photographed them as well.  One of the students came by and was watching us from a distance.  We called him over... Kevin recognized him as one of the boys that climbed the hill with them in February.  He remembered Keving too.  His little sister joined him later, and Kevin gave each of them some hard candy.  Their smiles spoke volumes.  They each opened one piece and immediately began enjoying it.
 

We moved up to the clinic again and took some notes on the rain-eroded areas, and plotted a solution.  Kevin like the idea of sisterns and was ready with thoughts on where they could be placed so that they wouldn't detract from the beauty of the clinic itself.  We headed back down to the school, and sat in the shade eating our peanut butter sandwiches (I had jelly on mine). 
 
 

We returned to Samuel who stopped working as we approached.  When I left him in February, I asked him to keep an eye on things.  He always was part of any construction being done at the school, and never asked to be paid, so I know he would be able to tell me if something wasn't right.


We talked for over an hour, and the conversation was very enlightening.  He told me some things that I suspected, but there were some surprizes.  I was greatful for the trust I had put in him.  He walked us out, and returned to his cornfield as we began our walk back.

The sun was still beating down on us as we walked.  Despite the later hour, it was still 95 degrees.  I asked Kevin to look at the thermometer attached to my pack, and a heavy sigh said it all.  We walked briskly, and most of the way was uphill... it took us closer to two hours to walk the 5 miles, and we were exhausted when we arrived back at the guest house.

  

A quick nap, then we went to the Green Park Restaruant in Sereba across the street.  the food is always good, and ridiculously inexpensive.  The owner knows us and again, we've never been cheated there.  Two plates of fried kuku (chicken) rice and skumawiki (kale) along with two sodas cost 420ksh... the equivalent of $5.

We walked back to the guest again under very cloudy skies.  It began sprinkling lightly while we were eating, and we could see lightening in the distance as the clouds built up against the hills.

Nakuru has all the makings of a great place to work next, and the Bail's have a wonderful organization in place that we could help.  It's closer to Nairobi and Masai Mara, and the nurses would certainly enjoy working with the children.  Seems like a no brainer to me.  We'll see.  Let's see how far we get with the clinic.  One meeting at a time, and the first will be with Hilda tomorrow morning.

Wish me luck.  Tutaoanana

26.07.2011 Nakuru... a must see

Our day didn't start as early as I would have liked, but that's what happens when you plan things last minute... you know, like a trip to the other side of the world. Joseph’s wife Molly, (they’re the owners of Springs of Hope Orphanage in Nakuru) was kind enough to make some time to see us this afternoon. The Mbaka Oromo Choir was also performing there, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to see them both. Well, it would have been. But I'm way ahead of myself.
We left Maseno at 8:30am. It’s a 4 hour drive to Nakuru, and the plan was to meet Molly after lunch. The road to Nakuru was definitely memorable. When people found out we were going there, their first reaction was, “Oh. The diversion.” Well, ladies and gentlemen, a “diversion” is simply a detour, but this is Kenya. Here’s the road we started on, the other picture was of the “diversion.” 12 Kilomters of bad road.
 

I think I may have ground the crowns off my teeth. The scenery was beautiful, and repeatedly tried to keep my mind off the rattling of everything in the vehicle. I kept expecting pieces of the car to fall off, and imagined that this what it must feel like in the space shuttle as you enter earths atmosphere. We stopped for gas, and the girl that was filling the fuel asked me, “How is your underbonnet?” Being the linguistic magician that I am, I had her repeat it 3 times thinking that I would be able to figure out what she was saying. Oh, thinking it would help, I got closer to her each time I asked. It didn’t help. It was then that I realized she wasn’t even talking to me, and a “bonnet” was a hood… “under,” “bonnet”… yeah, engine. Duh.

We got back on the road and proceeded through several towns. It was interesting that each one seemed to have their own produce to sell. The first town we came through was potatoes. They were stacked in bright white buckets, but they looked like prayer stones you’d see in the Bahamas. The rose over a foot out of the bucket, with one vertical potato perched on top of the rest. The next town was carrots. It was the brightest orange color I’d ever seen. They looked like they fell out of Bugs Bunny’s hands. Every time the car would reduce speed to go over a speed bump someone would run up to the car asking us to buy some. They were packed in fours and wrapped in plastic… they looked fabulous, but I didn’t want to add the act of chewing to grinding of my teeth. The next town was Kerecho. It was beautiful… then I learned why-this is where all the Kenyan tea comes from. The plantations were beautiful. Houses dotted the skyline with the bright green plants everywhere. It was harvesting time, so acres upon acres were scattered with little dots that were the cultivators picking leaves.
 
 

We then approached Nakuru. Wow. It was a stark contrast from Kissumu. The roofs of the houses weren’t the standard grey steel. These were white or blue or green or red… it was striking to see them against all the green vegetation. The city itself seems quite spread out and is very clean – it’s all relative, though. As we drove in, Kevin sat up in the back and said, “Woah, where are we.” I said, “We’re in Nakuru.” He responded with, “The last think I remember was tea leaves.” A two hour nap through rough roads… and he’s sleeping now as I type this.

I was texting with Molly as we drove into town and the plans changed slightly. She was now going to join us for lunch. She said “we” in the text, so I didn’t know what to expect. We parked the car and headed for the Café Guava. I was going to her text that said, “I should have worn a carnation so you can pick me out of the crowd.” Rather than being funny, however, it was almost necessary. We walked in, and already seated at different tables were 6 white people (2 men, 4 women). As it turns out, the restaurant is owned by an Australian, and everyone comes there because they cook western food. Kevin was happy to be able to order a pizza. It took 30 minutes to prepare (as stated on the menu), so we ordered before Molly arrived. In she came smiling with 2 people in tow… Daniel, the Kenyan man that manages the orphanage, and Kate a girl from London that happened to have crossed paths with Molly the day before. It didn’t take long to see that Molly and Daniel were regulars. Molly said, “I’ll have the usual,” and although I couldn’t hear what Daniel ordered, Molly statement said it all, “You always get that!” The exchange between each of them was constant through our visit. It’s obvious that she likes the people she works with very much. Our food came intermittently, and the conversation was non-stop. Having lunch with Molly is like eating outside with the mayor. People kept coming in to say hello, and she gave time and attention to everyone that did. We talked about the orphanage and about Building Futures and about Jim. Kate was very engaging despite not really being affiliated with anyone. She just came over to Kenya to visit a friend and all these little chance encounters began. It wasn’t until she went outside for a smoke that Molly told me she was only 19! I’m definitely not saying that in a derogatory way. Jim and I used to talk about people like her. Her confidence in the way she carried herself and the way she spoke put her well into her twenties. It wasn’t until then that I’d also realized that Kevin could only eat 4 of the 8 slices of pizza. He said it was delicious, and blamed it on the milkshake he started with. “I’m still embarrassed,” he said.

We left the restaurant to see the sewing shop that Springs of Hope owns. When we got to the car, there was a clamp on the front tire. They have these guys in yellow coats that wander the street and are the equivalent of a traveling parking meter. You pay them and they give you a ticket to put on your dashboard. There wasn’t anyone around when we arrived, so we didn’t think there was a charge. We were wrong. I gave Vincent the money to pay the fine, but it was taking too long to have the boot removed, so we decided to go with Molly to the shop and come back for Vincent before we go to the orphanage. The shop was a nice sized open space in town. There was a mural on the left wall, bags displayed on the right, and two handmade shelves displayed additional bags and material. They have their own name, and they use this shop to teach women to sew. They then sell the merchandise through hotels at Masai Mara (and anybody else interested. Their hope is that this shop will be a stop for tourists that come through. They make bags and clothing, and their quite pretty. She told me that they had fitted Jim for a shirt and they still had the material. After a few minutes I said, “I’d really like to have one.” Then she started to read my mind. Before I could finish the sentence, she pulled out the material that Jim had picked out. “I think that would be really nice,” she added. I agreed. They’re going to mail it to me, and I can’t wait to get it.


Kevin has been much more talkative today. He’s seems to be much more comfortable. At one point during lunch, Vincent said, “Thank you.” Kevin, without hesitating said, “You know, they say ‘asante’ not “Thank you.” They both laughed. He continued, “Stick with me, I’ll have you speaking Kiswahili in no time.” Even in Kenya, he’s funny.

We headed back for Vincent who had successfully had the boot removed. Off we went. We travelled outside of the town itself, then up into the hills. This place stuck out. Springs of Hope really personifies everything about the property. They care for 36 children ranging in age from 2 to 12. These are boys and girls that are complete orphans or were abandoned. At least one is HIV positive. Many have suffered from physical and sexual abuse. This place, however, gives them security and an unconditional love that they’ve never known. The building itself is built into a hill and is quite striking. Two masai greeted us as we pulled into the guarded gate. We parked the vehicle and proceeded to be introduced to everyone. Anyone that knows me realizes how dangerous that can be. I am horrible with names. Thankfully, they were repeated a lot, so I was able to muddle through… I took some notes, too. We walked up 6 steep steps that led to the main house. Young girls were sitting talking as we approached the front door. We were met with smiles and handshakes. We walked past a veranda with two round wooden tables with 4 chairs at each one. I’d say they were wicker, but the branches were too thick. It was a beautiful place to sit and do anything. The main room was large with two large tables in one section, and large comfortable furniture in the other. The kitchen lies behind the main room with a large windowless opening that allows them to make plates for all the children and hand them through to each one. That “great” room separates the girls section from the boys. They are identical except for the decorations - several bedrooms with a large bathroom at the end of each hall. The children were just waking up from a nap, so they were all still in their rooms. In back of the building are four tiered levels that continue up the hill. The first is home to 2 very large tortoises that roam freely. The next holds a fountain. The next is a grassy space with plantings, but the top level is the best. A gazebo with chairs sits next to a swing set! With a slide! Kevin, Molly and I leaned against the fence and talked about children and their plans. The view was breath-taking. You could see Nakuru and the lake unobstructed. They own four additional acres across from the school, and they’re trying to decide how best to use it. She also explained why they hired 2 Masai as guards. They are more reliable, “and nobody screws with the Masai.” The children’s security is incredibly important.
 

We made our way back down the stairs, past 4 smaller connected rooms. One’s an office, one previously held the sewing project, one’s store room… and I can’t remember what the fourth was. We went back into the main house where all the children were playing or watching TV. Kevin and I hadn’t passed the doorway before every single one of these children came to embrace us. Literally. The smallest ones grabbed our legs and the bigger ones grabbed us around the waist. They hugged us we had been looking for us for days and they suddenly found us. Kevin said, “For mom, this would have been ‘game over.’” There’s no question that Ann, Katie and Karen could have stayed here for days. They giggled as I said “cuja, cuja” (come, come) and “nakupenda san” (I love you very much). Kevin took a knee so the smaller ones could get the same attention. When he stood up, he had one of them in his arms. Every time he knelt to return them to the ground, he came up with another one. His smile went from ear to ear. “Who’s next?” he repeated.
 
 


Dave and Terry Paddock gave us boxes and boxes of donated items from friends of theirs. The orphanage was the beneficiary of dozens of boxes of crayons, lots of pencils and pens, flash cards, and coloring books. Molly was very appreciative. We also brought some of the 5k t-shirts. Like everyone else, she smiled when she saw Jim’s image in the heart on the logo. We sat and had chai with Molly, Kate, Daniel and Dennis (another Masai that works there). Dennis knows our friend Isaac very well, and he was in the Masai village when I was there with my family in February. Kevin was actually the first to say, “He was there when we were there.” Oddly enough, I knew what he meant and agreed. We joked and told stories about an hour. Then Kevin noticed it was 5:15 and the choir was to perform at 5. “Kenyan time is different,” I said. Daniel and Dennis laughed out loud and slapped me on the back. “Five could mean 5:30 or even 6pm.” When I finished saying that, the look on Kevin’s face was clear. “I think it’s more important that we stay here. We’ve seen the choir before, and although it would be nice to see them perform, I thing this is where we should be.” “I think so, too,” he replied. He and Kate were hitting it off quite well. They both appreciated each other’s humor, and seemed to carry on conversations effortlessly. I was glad someone was there closer to his age. I think it made it that much more enjoyable.
 
 

I can’t say enough about the children and how they are treated… how they are loved. You can’t see the scars that these children wear, because you can’t get past their smiles. Their innocence seems remarkable intact despite their circumstances. I would encourage you to look into their organization. http://www.springsofhopekenya.com Like Jim and I, they’re not the best at asking for donations, but I’m happy to ask for them. It’s a very worthwhile cause, and I guarantee that someday we’ll be working on something together. Also like Jim and I, the website is in need of a little updating, but everything you need to know about them is there. Molly had to go home but invited us to stay for dinner before returning to Maseno. We obliged, and were treated to rice, cabbage, skumawiki, and meatballs. At this point I must tell you that Kate cut the cabbage, and it wouldn’t have been as good if she hadn’t.
We ate with the children, then had to push off. Kate walked us out to the car and I said, “I have to get a picture of you before we go.” She complained that there’s never been a good picture of her. I said, “Go stand over there by the wall.” Until I looked at the pictures before posting them on the blog, I hadn’t realized that I had her stand in front of the sign for the men’s bathroom. Brilliant.


The skyline during the ride home doesn’t look as ominous as these pics. It was a beautiful sunset.
 
Now I’m exhausted. It’s 2am and we have to get up at 6 to be on the path to Mbaka Oromo by 7. I spoke with Karen on the phone an hour ago, and it got me jazzed up so I thought I’d write until I got tired. Well, I got tired.

See you all tomorrow.

Nakupenda sana.



I'm not sure OSHA would approve



Yellow car!  That's 2-0, Karen

This is our Masai friend Dennis

This is our new friend Kate

25/07/2011 Mbaka Oromo PS/Clinc

The day started out earlier… we were out the door at 7:30. Our driver was a little late, so we sat out front and watched traffic go by for 10 minutes, talking about the day ahead. There was a strong breeze accompanying thick ominous clouds. Kevin was actually wearing a sweatshirt, and for the first time ever – I had a jacket on. Who would have thought that 74 degrees would feel this cold?

We drove to Layla Station to meet up with headmaster William Kabbis. He, too, was running on Kenyan time, so we were delayed another 15 minutes while we exchanged stories. He’s been ill since our last visit… ulcers, malaria and pneumonia all in the span of 5 months. I hurried them (yes, his wife Priscilla was there) along, and exited his home to find that Vincent’s car battery had died. It took another 10 minutes to find another car battery for a jump. And yes, it was just a battery. They didn’t have cables at first. The plan was to rest a tire iron across the positive ends, and a metal rod across the negative. Kevin took a giant step backwards as we watched this disaster unfold. Thankfully, someone emerged from another home with wires. Although they didn’t appear to be heavy enough to do the job, they did. One person had to hold the ends tightly against the heads of the batteries, but it worked… and nobody was injured.

We made it to Chulembo at 8:30. The bus was supposed to pick up the choir at 8, but it ws nowhere in sight. Smiles fell across everyone’s faces when they saw us in the back seat. When Kevin emerged from the vehicle, applause broke out! It was wonderful to watch. We walked up and greeted the 76 students as they waited shivering in the cold wind. It was a typical elementary school scene… boys on one side, girls on the other, but keep in mind that some of the students are in their late teens. Duties at home often prevent them from going to school. This is much more prevalent among the girls, but boys fall victim to it as well. It would be another hour and a half before we continued on to the school. Kevin played with the boys while we waited. The girls would watch him until he raised his gaze their way, then they would giggle and turn away. I don’t think he had a clue. The local butcher shop got a delivery of meat, so that was a learning experience for him. A motorcycle pulled up with an icebox on the back (minus the ice). It was bungee chorded closed with 4 cow legs (hooves and all) under the chord atop the box. The butcher emerged, removed the legs, opened the box, and began removing a slaughtered cow. He hung the pieces on a hook in large locker so that patrons could see what they were buying. No window on the box, and no refrigeration. I asked him how long it would take before all the meat was sold… usually not more than two days. Usually! Yikes. Kevin stopped watching when he began weighing the cow’s innards. I won’t post that picture.
 

  


Despite the bus not arriving yet, we really needed to get things done at the school so we headed out. Despite exams ending last week, and most teachers going to Nakuru with the choir, there were still over 200 students there. No classes, but there they were in their uniforms playing with each other. We emerged from the car and greeted the remaining teachers while William called the students for assembly. William spoke of our return trip before asking me to speak. I wasn’t aware that Kevin was snapping pictures while I talked. It probably helped that he was busy, and didn’t give him an opportunity to think that he might have to say a few words, too. He dodged that bullet.
 

The chairman of the school board, Lawrence, arrived and he joined us as we walked to the clinic. Kevin and I photographed and cataloged the rooms so that we would have that information when we went to see Hilda Ayieko, the regional Health Minister, later in the week. We then inspected the building top to bottom. I showed Kevin the difference between a good foundation crack and a bad one, and we proceeded to go through each of the 16 rooms carefully. We then went outside and inspected the foundation for signs of erosion. We decided that 2 cisterns should be place at the ends of the building, and gutters installed to catch the rainfall and prevent further damage to the soil against the outer walls. After we finished, we stopped my Jim’s monument to say “hello.” The once flowered wreaths were reduced to dry dark petals. I could tell that additional things were brought to the site, but these are poor people, and flowers are not easy to come by. I removed the dead leaves and petals and slapped the monument on the shoulder as if it were Jim’s. Emotions snuck up on me quickly, so we continued back to the administration office in silence.

Here's a picture of Kevin between John (left) and Lawrence (right)

Once there, we returned to talk about the clinic and scheduled a Clinic Committee meeting for Friday. William’s predecessor, John Ogongo, arrived and he and Lawrence began an engaging conversation about his community service. It then turned into questions about college, courses of study and government “support.” That led to questions about assistance on this side, and thus began the history lesson. It started with Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya’s first president) and carried on straight through to the current regime. It was quite interesting, actually. Once we finished our scalding chai, we went back out to play with the children and visit with some families. One in particular was a very poor family. The grandmother was raising 6 grandchildren and caring for her mentally ill husband. We brought the two younger girls (Susan and Emmah) and the youngest boy (Danton) presents from Andrea and Karen. The sun had returned to the sky, and the temperature had risen to 90. We removed our jackets and sweatshirts before walking to their house. Susan was sitting outside on the steps of her classroom. I took her hand and asked her to take me to see her sister. She held it loosely as we walked. Susan is always more guarded with her smiles, but the other two were beaming when we arrived. We handed them their gifts, and nothing could stop the smiles. Sadly, when I took off my jacket, I had left my camera in the car. Their grandmother informed me that the girls wanted to sing a song for us. It was beautiful. Susan did most of the singing while Emmah mouthed the words. She mentioned Karen and Andrea by name as she swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the song. Her soft voice hung in the air. After many thanks from both sides, we went back to the car, grabbed the cameras and returned to find the girls already dressed in their new outfits and Danton playing with his ball and the watercolors. I snapped some quick photos of everyone. Susan would smile, but as soon as I grabbed the camera she would stop and shy away. I managed to get some of her anyway. They’re both adorable.
 

 
We then stopped at Samuel’s for a quick lesson in Kenyan agriculture. Kevin marveled at the size of his avocados, and his corn stalks were at least 9 feet high. The corn itself was the size of my forearm. Samuel’s a great farmer… I’ve never seen crops like his.


We then set off for Kisumu for a kuku (chicken) lunch with Vincent and our friend Fina. We had a great conversation reminiscing about our times with Jim, our families, and what we’ve been doing for the past 5 months. The chicken was delicious, and it made it hard to stay awake during the ride home. Before that, though, and after we dropped Fina off at work, I took Kevin back to the Kibuye Market. It usually less crowded on weekdays, and wanted to show him what it looked like. Thankfully it wasn’t jammed with people… we walked leisurely as I pointed out all the different shops and items for sale. We bought three oranges and a carpenter tried to sell us a stool on the way out. Kevin said he understood how intimidating that place could be if it were packed.
This is two pictures of the market.
 

Back in the car, and we headed home. We passed by the new airport that they continue to build. Already 1 year later than they expected and not even close to being finished. It’s the Kenyan version of the “Big Dig” in Boston. The shoulders of the road were busy with people walking, or working. One of the hardest jobs that I see are the guys pictured here. They make little stones out of big stones. All day long, they take a rock the size of a watermelon and break it into stones the size of strawberries… while sitting on a hot rock under a 90 degree sun. All this for about 200 ksh per day (the equivalent of $2.50). There’s no minimum wage here.  And nothing says, "Third world poverty" like a cell tower in the skyline!
 

We got back to our room and Kevin immediately wanted to hop on facebook to check in on friends. I changed into shorts and sat on the bed patiently waiting for the computer. Once in my hands, I hopped on Skype and managed to talk to Andrea and Karen in Toledo. It was great to see and hear them. After that conversation, I started this blog entry. I’ve fallen asleep 4 times, with the heat coming off the computer waking me. I’ve been trying to upload pictures, and some have gone smoothly, others were problematic, but at least it will give you a taste of what we see.

Tomorrow it’s off to Nakur to see Springs of Hope orphanage and the choir sing in the national competition.

Lala salama (sleep peacefully)

PS Before I forget, for those of you who wish to see our lavish lifestyle, here's a picture of our room, and next to it is the critter for the day... the only other resident at the guest house so far! Kevin caught this guy outside trying to leave without paying his bill... and he had his twin brother with him.


 

24/07/2011 Kisumu and back

I woke up this morning at 4am after 5 hours of sleep.  It took me another hour to fall back sleep, but thankfully I did.  Kevin never moved.  Not until 9:30 when I woke him up... that's 30 minutes shy of 12 hours of sleep for those of you keeping score at home.  Vincent picked us up at 10:15, and off we went.
He was in a different car this time... a silver Mitsubishi. This one's a little bit bigger than yesterday's, and the trunk stays shut. That's a plus.  It would have come in handy yesterday - every time we hit a bump, the trunk would fly open and Job (yes, like the old testament... how'e you like to have that name) would start screaming at him.

I contacted Noel Shinali (she's a college student working on her Masters in Community Health Development) and she met us at Tusky's (a local restaruant that doubles as a walmart).  I took Kevin through the store while we waited for her to arrive.  In the first isle they had generators, excercise equipment security fencing, saws, drills, crackers, milk and refrigerated dog food.  Nice.  The store's about the size of walmart, minus the organizaiton.  I think you get the idea.

We sat at Tusky's for the next several hours talking about Mbaka Oromo Primary School - orphan feeding program, health screenings, dispensary, clinic, supplies.  Kevin listened intently, and made comments where appropriate.  He would ask questions intermittently, too.  I was quite proud of how he handled himself today.  Most of the discussion centered around the welfare of the children at the elementary school, and how best to meet their needs.  We took a lot of notes, and set up appointments for later in the week.  Noel will be our feet on the ground after we return - she'll be responsible for the clinic project.  Job and Samuel will have oversight on construction.  I'll see Samuel tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to it.  I'll have more time to spend with him on this trip, while Kevin works with the children.

We broke up the conversation with a trip to the Masai Market.  I can't tell you what we picked out because it would ruin the surprize.  I think we got enough to make everyone happy.  Some pretty cool stuff during this round.  Haglling, like always, was being done at a fevered pitch.

We finished buying things and headed to Kiboko Point for lunch... lunch a 3!  The retaurant was close, and always guarantees good food and nice scenery.  We were seated immediately.  Kevin got terryaki chicken wings, I got pepper chicken with vegetable rice, Noel got tilapia and vegetables, and Vincent got chicken marsala.  A trip to Kiboko Point is not complete without ice cream, so Noel and I obliged and Kevin got a chocolate shake. Delicious.  Noel asked Kevin questionsd gave him things to be aware of as he worked with children.  It was a nice interchange.

We left and dropped Noel off at the market.  This is the Kenyan equivalent of a flea market and a farmer's market combined.  Thousands of people selling their wares and thousands more buying them.  I've been there several times and it's a marvelous experience.  The colors and the smells are worth the trip.  Bright fruits and grains sit in burlap sacks against the contrasting earthtones beneath them.  Women cook chicken or tilapia on grills, others roast corn on the cob or make popcorn.  When we got out of the car, however, I got a bad vibe.  I've never had it her before, so I thougtht I better listen.  We said our goodbyes to Noel and I told Kevin, "Change of plans, get back in the car."  I explained to him the reasoning for it, and he was fine.  I think he fell asleep in the car during the 40 minute ride back to Maseno. 

We unpacked, and Kevin hopped on Facebook while I got the gifts ready for tomorrow's visit to Mbaka Oromo Primary School.  Ann packed special items for her and Karen's friends from the last trip - Susan and Emmmah, and thier little brother Danton.  As I placed the items from the plastic bag into the gift bag, I reallized that Danton's was gone.  The only thing that remained was a Star Wars blanket and a purple ball that bounces 75 feet in the air.

Karen called, and I forgot to tell her about Danton's gifts.  I'll try to find some things to add to the bag later.  Someone must have taken it between Dubai and Nairobi. Back to Karen... she's on her way to Toledo with Ann, LB and Mrs Ingram.  It was so nice of them to come with both of them for this trip.  It's an 8 hour drive, and I'm sure the doctors visits going to be stressfull.  We continue to hope for some answers.  Despite one syncope episode, karen had a great day at the tournament hitting 3 triples (and I don't know what else) and playing great defense.  She got the MVP for both the games they played yesterday.  She rocks.

Kevin's already fallen asleep, on pace to get another 12 hours of sleep.  He zonked after about 6:30, and we're being picked up tomorrow at 7:30. Bevore he closed his eyes, he let out a he let out a heavy sigh and said, "I feel like I'm old."  Nice.  I hope he sleeps with one eye open.  Anyhow, the Mbaka Oromo choir is leaving for Nakuru tomorrow for the state competitions.  Kevin and I will travel to Nakuru on Tuesday to see Springs of Hope Orphanage and hopefully catch the choir performing.
Because I am old, I'm turning in, too.  I do have some pictures to add, but my battery's almost dead, so they'll have to wait until tomorrow.  TTFN

23/07/2011 9:45Eastern Kenya Time

We've made it to Maseno safely, and dry!  While I sit here typing, a heavy rain is falling outside.  It's keeping it cool which is wonderful.  We're both exhausted, and a cool breeze can only help us sleep better.  There apparently were many stories about a drought in Somalia and Kenya.  If there's one in Kenya, it's not in Western Kenya.  As we watched the clouds forming in the distance, he said, "We have had enough rain, we don't need anymore!" 

The flight from Dubai was ok... I asked to get exit rows for our flight to Nairobi - non were available.  When I asked for an upgrade to business class, the dude just laughed and handed me back my passports.  My "Silver" status doesn't afford me the perks I thought it did.  We got on the plane, and went to our seats. 29J and 29K.  We got on before everyone else, and it was discouraging to walk past empty business class and exit row seats before we got to ours.  We thought they'd fill up, but two of them apparently didn't!  A British guy comes up to me and says, "I belive you're in my seat.  I pulled out my stub, and they both said 29J.  Fortunatley I was already in the seat, but better yet, just as I pulled out the ticket, a stewardess says, "Mr Jablonski, Mr. Jablonski, would you mind moving to these seats?"  Business class, baby!  We weren't sitting next to each other, but it was much more comfortable.  The food was great - and had carpaccio with crab for an appetizer, and lamb for dinner.  Don't get me started with the desserts.  I would get up periodically to check on Kevin, and he was asleep every time.  That's a good thing.  We got off the plane and he said, "You know, I think I'm ok with economy, Dad."  That was nice of him.  The problem is, I don't think I am!  Every time a steward or stewardess walked by, all I could think of was Karen smiling on our last trip.  It was a wonderful memory.

We called Ann when we landed in Nairobi, and again from Kisumu while we ate dinner.  She's with Karen at a softball tournament in Saratoga.  I'll have to type faster so I can call them to say goodnight.  I'ts already 10:15pm.

Kevin's sleeping soundly now, and I'm ready to turn in also.  We are exhausted, and the 40 minute ride on Busia Road in absolute darkness didn't help.  We're getting picked up tomorrow at 10 and heading back into Kisumu to meet some friends and talk about the dispensary supplies that are still being itmeized.

Thunder's rolling in now, lighnings a couple seconds ahead of it, but it's still close.  Kevin just rolled over and said, "Thanks for bringing me Dad."  "Thanks for coming with me Kev."  The mosquito nets are fluttering a little, so it looks like we'll have a breeze to keep us and the rain company through the night. Tutaonana

Kenya, July, 2011 - Me and Kev

You know it's going to be a good trip when you have stories to tell before you leave the country.

 JetBlue has a partnership with Emirates, so we were able to check our bags straight through to Nairobi. I know what you're thinking. I'll let you know if they get there.  We get on the plane and find our seats.  The stewardess comes over to us to ask if we're over 18 and know that we're sitting in an exit row.  I say yes grinnning, and Kevin smiles and nods.  As she walks away, I turn to Kevin and say, "You know, she wasn't checking my age..."  He responded, "I'm never shaving again."  He makes me laugh.



This trip was thrown together rather quickly. Andrea, Kevin and I finally committed to the trip last week, and I sent our passports (mine & Kevin's) to NYC to get our travel visas (it's just easier -or so I thought).  Well, I was supposed to recieve our passports in the mail on Monday. Then I was supposed to recieve the passports on Wednesday.  Then I was informed that they'd be overnighting them to us today. Yeah, that doesn't work.  Long story short, they had a courier bring us our passports this morning.  We got off of our JetBlue flight in JFK, walked towards the Emirates departure desk, stepped outside to a non-descript Dodge mini-van, signed for reciept of 1 manilla envelope, tore open said envelope, removed our passports and checked into our flight.  Holy shnikies that was close.  But it all worked out.

So we get to the Emirates desk, and I ask if there are any exit row seats for our 12 hour flight.  He calls the supervisor who's standing 30 feet away.  I see her nod "yes," so I mouth "thank you."  BUT, she doesn't hang up.  She keeps talking on the phone to the agent at the desk.  Then I hear him say, "He was born in 1993."  She smiles and walks over to us. "I saw you (motioning to me) and then I saw him, and you didn't look old enough to have a son that old.  You are over 15 right? (motioning to Kevin)."  Kevin just shook his head as I smiled.  "Did I mention I have a daughter who's 20?" - I was thinking it, but I never vocalized it.  Here's another one I kept to myself - "My wife stole me from  my crib."  I chalked it up to the possibility that the supervisor wasn't wearing her contacts.

We're sitting outside our gate now, Kevin's tied into his iPod.  He's gotten quiet, so I know he's thinking about Andrea, Karen and Katie.  So am I.  I can feel them all with us, though... eith every step we take. 

See you in 12 hours.

02.25.2011 Final thoughts... after the traveling finally ended...

Well, we landed in Keekorok after a much smoother flight.  It didn't matter, though.  Although she waited until we got on the bus to take us to Jomo Kenyatta Airport, Karen still passed out.  It was a longer one, which obviously stresses us out more than the shorter ones.  She lay across the seat, with her head against Casey's hip.  Again, everyone was eager to help, but wait for us to ask for it.
It took a while for her to come to, but once she did, she was fine.
We made it to the airport in short time, and after we got all the bags inside, most of the group went next door for something to eat and drink, Tamye and Kevin stayed behind with the bags, and I went to Unit One to see if Kevin's bag was still there. 
I had a much easier time.  The Duty Officer was much nicer, and 10 minutes after talking to her, I was wheeling Kevin's suitcase to him.  He was excited to see it, but didn't show any interest in opening it.  He's a good kid. We continue to be amazed at how easy it was for him to deal with not having his clothes when he cam eto visit a third world country.  I'm not sure the rest of us would have faired as well.

Everyone came together at 9pm, and we got our tickets, went through immigration, and immediately headed for the Emirates Lounge.  Yikes, the one in Nairobi is different than the one in JFK... and the one in Dubais for that matter... we should have expected that, though. 

Karen set up a Facebook page for Rich while the boys slept on leather lounge chairs.  I tried to do more blogging - still unsuccessfully.  It seemed like forever before we finally boarded the plane.  The inside of the plane was nicer than the lounge was.  It was a quick 8 hours to Dubais, then another 14 back to JFK.  The plane ride lasted forever.  Everyone slept a little, but I wish I would have slept more.

We landed in JFK, and proceeded to the JetBlue counter for our flights home.  We checked our bags in and were all set.  Rich's family wasn't so lucky.  While Andrea waited with Jack (who was feelig nauseous), Rich, Tamye and Casey got worked over by the ticket agent.  They had a reservation, but they didn't have seats.  It took quite some time, but miraculously, seats appeared.  We headed for the terminal, grabbed a quick bite to eat, then went to our gate and waited.

We got on the plane a little later than scheduled, but we were happy to be on our way.  Or so we thought.  No sooner did the plane take off, but it turned around and landed right away.  I was asleep, but Andrea was among the many passengers that smelled something similar to an overheating curling iron.

As we landed, the runway was full of fire euqipment.  It was incredible to see, and somewhat unnerving to experience.  We sat on the plane for far too long before finally being told we could leave.  They said they were bringing another plane for us.  They did.  2 1/2 hours later.  We landed in Rochester at 1:30am, and didn't make it home until 2.  But we're all home, and we're all safe.

Being able to share in this trip with my family was just short of miraculous.  Although we weren't able to share this journey with Jim, he was with us every step of the way.  I'm glad that our friends felt him, too.  Although they didn't get the opportunity to shake his hand, they, too, met him in every child's smile and every adults hug. 

It's not easy to leave all that you know behind and travel to a 3rd world country, yet they all did it.  That may say something about me, but I think it says more about them.  My family and friends are what made this trip that much more special, and I can't thank them enough for being there with me through it all.

This journey continues...