The comfort of the
words, “Jesus loves the little children; all the children of the world. Red and
yellow, black and white; they are precious in His sight….” must be the same for children all over the world. Despite how some may fret over the political
incorrectness of the skin color descriptors, they really are all inclusive –
and for very young children, they are primary colors; easy for children to
define and something to which they can relate.
Today is the end of my second week in Kenya although it
feels as if I have been here forever. I am accustomed to the jammed, noisy,
dust-filled matatus. I enjoy the very basic foods of ugali, chipati, rice,
potatoes, beans, and sukuma. Tea with milk and sugar is offered everywhere as
is mango juice if one is fortunate. The sounds and smells are also becoming
more comfortable to me, whether they are the crazy sounding birds, the
chiseling of stone outside, the horns on matatus, or the street children across
the way praising God upon their early rising.
But my greatest delight is in the children – and they are
everywhere, and they are absolutely breathtaking, and they are simultaneously
heartbreaking if they are homeless or begging or sitting placidly while flies
cover their faces. But those are not all of the children; just the ones who
pull most strongly on MY heartstrings. I would like to introduce you to a few:
School children
We have visited numerous schools and day cares and without
exception, have found the children to be obedient, respectful, happy, and
hard-working. The two photos below show primary school children at PCEA Emanyatta
Primary school inNgong Hills, sitting at
their desks and the baby class napping on their communal mats. The children are always happy to have
visitors and will perform for us if asked. They each want to shake hands and
know how to say “Hello” and respond with “Fine” when asked how they are. In the
third photo, from the Kids for Christ Day Care Center, you will see a
particularly precious child who was reticient to come too close but always had
her eyes on us.
Street children
Since my previous blog introduced the street children, I
will be brief here except to say that they have grown on me! You will note in
the first photo below that we are enjoying each other’s company after lunch at
the feeding program at Dagaretti Corners. The children love to muss up my hair
and feel its texture and note its color. They also are not hesitant to rub their
fingers over my wrinkles [which are a real oddity here because of the melanin
in African skin]. [As an aside, while the street boys were eating lunch at the Wednesday feeding program., I
was wearing my Obama T-shirt and told them that even THEY could be
like Obama….and that night wrote to Obama and sent photos. I just can’t
understand why I didn’t receive an immediate response from him!!!!!]
Maasai children
It was particularly gratifying for me to accompany Jessica
out into the Rift Valley to the small compound known as Ikiloret where she
oversaw the building of a school room and helps to teach adults. The ride takes
hours and for me was full of tension as we went over rutted and rock-strewn
roads [or so-called roads] often waiting while Maasai herded their cattle or
goats or donkeys out of the way. I couldn’t imagine Jess doing it on the back
of a motorcycle. The scenery was spectacular but the heat was stifling,
especially inside a manyatta or mud hut [but it was interesting….and somewhat
difficult for me as a mother, to see the place where Jess stays when she is
there]. The most unnerving aspect of being in Ikiloret, however was the flies.
They are everywhere and one has to swat continuously. However, the Maasai do
not swat….they live with the flies. The first photo is of one of the beautiful
children with flies all over his face. They are just too adorable for
description. The next photo is of Jessica as “the daughter” with the matriarch
of the village. My heart is warmed by their acceptance of and love for her.
MY children
Most of you remember that Joel and I enjoyed 5 years as
surrogate grandparents to “Buddha” [IbrannahOmwancha] who was born to a Kenyan
mother in Minnesota and then sent to his father in Kenya at the age of 5. We were
devastated yet knew that this was probably the best for Buddha. When we came to
Kenya in 2008, we were able to spend several days with him but found it
unbearably heartbreaking on both sides when we had to part again. Last Saturday
we brought him home with us and then went to church together on Sunday before
his Auntie, with whom he lives, came to pick him up. He is now 11 and like his
“Nyanya Robin” adores little babies, as seen in the next photo. [The baby
belongs to an 16 year old street child who is also across
the lane from us]. We hope to spend more time together. The current plan is
that Buddha and his auntie will come to MN for August, but plans are just that
until they become realities. I no longer hold my breath or wish for the
impossible.
The last photo is of me with Faith, one of my favorite
street children. It was taken Wednesday night after church as we were having
porridge before heading for a matatu trip home. In the evenings it gets chilly
here and Faith had on a long-sleeved shirt which she gave to another orphan who
wore only a tank top. I was deeply moved by her selfless tenderness and so
cocooned her in my sweatshirt. It
exemplifies what I would like to do for all the precious children of the world
– but it is what I KNOW Jesus has already done for all the children of
the world, and for that I am eternally grateful and full of hope!
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