Africa Looks Good on You

The Kenya Diaries (vol. 18)

July 4, 2006
Happy Independence Day, America!

Today we are going to paper mache the giraffe. Since Philip's interests lie in things other than crafts, Andy took him on a one-on-one to Rongai. Andy is also craft-resistant, so they were happy to leave the scene.

So Kevin, Ania, Lucia and I set out to get the job done. What a mess! They all seemed to have fun, though, squishing the goo through their fingers. When we were done, we set it outside to dry. Tomorrow we will paint it.

Andy and Philip returned from Rongai, each sporting a new hat. To complete the new look, Andy shaved off his beard. Handsome!

Lucia said this: There has been a turkey sitting under a bush in the courtyard. We found her there on another day. She is sitting on two eggs. Today we found a baby turkey under her! One of her eggs hatched, but the other one didn't. The baby is so cute!

The girls spent the afternoon dancing to the songs they learned at last year's VBS which was themed Serengeti Trek. The songs are perfect for a summer in Kenya!



For supper I opened a jar of Ragu and made bread sticks. What a treat!

Fr. Ted comes tomorrow! I can't wait to see him and share everything with him! His invitation to come to Kenya has been such a great adventure for us, and we certainly have enjoyed our time. Everyone here has been so wonderful, but they have no idea how far we have come. Fr. Ted knows and understands. A kindred spirit is such a balm for the soul!


July 5, 2006

Kevin's Turn

Fr. Ted comes today! I can't wait!

We all walked to Rongai to e-mail and buy groceries. Daddy let me buy a new hat, too. Mine is just like Daddy's only it is blue and white, not black and white like his. I like it a lot! It cost 150 shillings.

We weren't sure when Fr. Ted would arrive. Mama says travelling in Kenya is not very reliable, so there is no way to tell when he will arrive. We tried to stay busy, but we were always waiting.

Mama said this: As we were walking home from Rongai, I got really dizzy, and felt like I was going to hit the ground. I couldn't walk straight. I went straight to bed as soon as I got home, and the room spun around. I ended up taking a Dramamine to settle my stomach, which made me sleepy. So, I rested.

Fr. Ted finally arrived around 3:30. The first thing I noticed was that he was wearing a hat that sort of looks like my Star Wars hat. He was VERY happy to see us, and I was happy to see him.


Mama said this: It was so great to see Fr. Ted! We all greeted him with hugs and kisses. The kids gave him handfuls of flower petals that they had been picking for a celebratory greeting. He was happy to see us looking healthy, and said he couldn't rest until he saw us with his own eyes. "Africa looks good on all of you," he said. Then he threw the flower petals up in the air and let them fall on us like confetti. There were smiles and laughter all around.

Then Fr. Ted said he had some things for us in his bag, so Philip and Ania helped him carry it inside. Some of the things he brought Daddy and Mama had asked for: different kinds of allergy medicine and two new books for Daddy to read at night,  Tom Sawyer and Huck  Finn. Then he had some surprise gifts from Uncle Perry. A four pack of plastic airplanes and some hair clips for the girls.

We invited Fr. Ted to our house for supper, and Mama made chipati, fried rice, peas and an awesome fruit salad with fresh pineapple, mango and bananas. I helped by cutting the bananas. After supper Fr. Ted played Uno with us while Mama and Daddy washed dishes. Then we watched a slide show of all our adventures up until now. Fr. Ted was so amazed.

Thank you, Jesus, for a great day and for bringing Fr. Ted safely here. Amina!