Tuesday

With our team and some Kenyans who came to the worksite today we were a total of 22 crammed into our Matatu (a van really, but referred to as a "bus" in Kenya) for the return trip to Kitale. The one saving grace of such travel is not just the amazement of fitting, but the secret joy that we were all of sufficiently diminshed size to permit such travel. We were a little later than normal and Daniel was lighting Tiki torches as we pulled into the driveway raising speculation about who would be voted off the island by the tribal council.

It was a bright morning when we left the compound, headed through the outskirts of Kitale and to our Johabeto project. The orphans that had joined us on Monday had slept at the sight and were there to greet us when we arrived. Some of the men had started to draw water from the well for making concrete.

The children joined our prayer circle and Bill Pollock led in prayer, but not before the Kenyans led us in a praise song (in English). All participated in the singing and there was a traditional clapping at the end, those wearing their workgloves clapped puffs of dust. Then everyone silently went to their "posts," focused on the tasks ahead and eager to work they went to those places where the work had ended yesterday.

By the end of today the interior walls of the 2nd building were neary complete (1/2 are done and the remainder are over half way complete. The entire ringbeam has been formed around the 2nd building, the footers dug for the kitchen and dining hall and the concrete poured (although not complete) for the footers.

There is a new lamb, born two days ago that now romps through the worksite. Probably more pictures have been taken of this animal than anything else these past two days. The Kenyan family that owns him have named him "Sunday" since he was born on Sunday and Muzungos (a word meaning "foreigner" but ascribed primarily to "whites') have been so predominate in the area.

The orphans have been joined by nearby children for soccer. If you send up a rocket balloon, they appear out of seemingly nowhere. Our sight is surrounded by corn stalks, fully grown. I have wanted to call them "children of the corn," but that sounds so derogatory. They are mostly just curious and hopeful that these strange looking people (who work in shorts) will have some special treat to extract from their backpacks. The orphans showed their ingenuity in retrieving an aerobee flying disk from the roof of building two and others shot helicopters over the buildings and cornfields that they had been given.

Jeff and Adam became true Obwanakuba (boss kings) today as they graciously received royal Kenyan apparel from Faith (one of Martin and Ruth's 3 daughters). Irene (another daughter) joined us and filled in bricks attired in her dress. We are amazed that the Kenyan women who sometimes join us in the work finely attired in suits or dresses and in these they carry bricks or mortar.

We are pleased with the progress and look forward to the next day and a half.

Bruce