More September Highlights

One Sunday evening, a few of us youth biked down to Lake Victoria to watch the sunset...

Out at Rosemary's for Language Class...

When the children decide that the Rav needs to be washed...

Sweet little children that melt your heart...

Loyce

 Our favorite holiday:  CHICKEN BUTCHERING!!!  The day that everyone anticipates, and enjoys immensely :)   ok, ok, so I seemed to be the only one in the compound who wasn't dreading it.  Maybe because I am new and naive, or maybe because it really isn't so bad, or maybe because it's a fun morning of talking and laughter and singing and good times, or just maybe because butchering chickens is fun.  Just try not to breathe too deeply, and next time be sure you are in line bright and early so you can have the honored job of chopping off the squawking heads.

I got up a bit before 5:00 so that I could watch the lunar eclipse.  So beautiful! It was the perfect day to get up a little extra early anyway, since chicken butchering started at 6:00 for most of us .We headed down to Jake's where we slaughtered around 200 chickens.  Later around 10:00, we had a delicious compound brunch together.

Chopping off their heads...

Skinning and gutting...

Cleaning

Supper at the Yacht Club...

KRISTIAN :)

My co-teacher, Charity...

September Highlights

Kenya and America have a lot of differences, but one thing that doesn't seem to vary too much is how time flies!

Already October?  How can that even be possible?  It seems unbelievable that we have already been in school for over a month...

Here are a few highlights from the past month:

Bible Studies on Wednesday afternoons...

Chai and Nyoyo after Bible Study

Eunice, Benter, and Joyce :) 

Helping Ellie plant corn in the shamba

 Spending time at Rosemary's dala...

Deep talks while we work...

Some of William and Rosemary's family, plus some neighbor children..
Love all the fun memories with these guys :) 

Rosemary's boys taught me how to milk their cows...

Visiting Rosemary's family...

Keeping Sylvia & Jerolin busy with stickers at a clothing sale...

Babysitting: 

Ayla and Mahlon

Logan, Jamie, and Brad

Ayla and Sierra

Kristian

. . . And many other fun times that I don't have pictures of . . . Good times playing volleyball on Friday nights with the youth . . . Talking with native friends at church . . . Spending time with the sewing ladies on Monday afternoons . . .So many bright spots!

. . . When you are zooming down the road, pictures tend to be a bit blurry . . . but this picture still makes me happy. . . Hope it can make your day happier too. . .  :) 

Yay for my Youthgroup :)

Just for the record, I have a really incredible youth group here... :) Which is a good thing, because it's pretty hard to match up to my awesome Bethany/Rawley Springs Youth Group in VIRGINIA!!!! :)  Tonight we had another great volleyball game out in the lane ... since I don't have any pictures other than these, I will post a few shots from our youth trip several Mondays ago.  We headed out to a native's home where we spent the morning helping shell corn from his shamba.  After a delicious lunch, we played volleyball out under the blazing, hot sun.  

Dishon

A big welcome to Clarissa!! We're so glad to have you here in Kenya.  Farewell, Marcellus and Eric... We're not glad that you're NOT here in Kenya.  We miss y'all!

I don't know what I would do without these girls!! They're just as impressive as they look :) 

Rachel & Charity (my co-teacher)

Rachel & Janette

Charity & Rachel

Oriti Uru!!!

Jacob, Levi, Caleb, and Jonathan

The twins :) 

Recently, the compound has been strangely quiet without all of these little men marching around, pretending to be fierce Masai’s (a tribe of people here in Kenya)… Last week, the Many Weavers headed back to America.  I am SO GLAD that I had the chance to learn to know them, even though we definitely didn’t get to spend enough time together before they left. 

My favorite memories are from the week that I was “mom” to this gang.  Marlin and Darla (and baby Christopher) headed off to spend a few days in Uganda.  Babysitting this band of boys(AND EMILY) was just THE BEST.  :)  So yeah, there were some scraped knees, prickers to surgically remove from small feet, tears, arguments, dozens of counseling sessions, cleaning, laundry, meals, and moments of chaos… but… there were also moments of laughter, fun conversations, working together in the kitchen, little giggles, bouncy youngsters, stories, singing, bedtime prayers filled with childish innocence and charm, ... and questions...so many questions! :)  What fun to be surrounded by a bunch of brothers again!    

Seriously, even their grins are identical!! :)

In Kenya, ice cream is such a big deal that we have to pose for pictures before we can sit down and truly enjoy it!! Thanks, Micah, for paying for it... It was a treat!  :) 

Our BIG talks after the little boys were all in bed...fun memories :) 

This is a picture with the children the last Sunday that they were here.  It was hard for the church ppl at Lela to see them go.  Watching some of the ladies cry almost made me start sobbing too.

Christopher is included on THIS picture :) :) :) 

 And... last of all, I "borrowed" a picture (Darla, did you copyright it?? ;} I will now beg for permission) so that I could also include a picture of Marlin and Darla.  Oriti!!  Miss y'all!! 

Marlin & Darla, Eric, Emily, Zach, Josh, Jonathan & Caleb, Jacob, Levi, Christopher :)