can’t outrun a Kenyan!

hujambo!

i hope everyone is doing well. things are going good here. the days are slowly by slowly getting easier. the past couple of days have kept me busy with little time to think of homesickness. grace (aka mama phillip, aka mum …the woman who runs bethesda) has been out often, so it’s been the girls and me. try keeping up with 13 children…who speak little english in the midst of black outs and everything else!

today after baby school, i decided i wanted a coke…really bad. i was willing to walk to town to get one. so i put my big girl panties on & started walking. each time it’s not as bad. i’ve learned how to handle harassers politely, and can now even pull a joke out of it, get a laugh, & then be left alone. i think my street cred points are increasing big time (; i was, however, proposed to by about a 60 year old man to which i respectfully declined. haha… i went to maguna andu where all the prices are marked, so that i don’t get the muzungo price, to get paper for the girls to color on and extra spoons. (they’re less than 10 cents in US dollars, but somehow there isn’t enough here & the girls are sharing at dinner…if they’re not eating with their hands.) it is amazing how much people, especially the girls and the babies at baby school, can eat here. the quality and price of the food they eat is cheap, but they sure can put it back! i’m sure that when it’s harvesting season and there is food available, they eat as much as they can. we’re lucky at the home because many locals will bring what they can spare from their shamba for the girls. i’m not used to eating in large portions & my stomach can barely take it, but until i clean my plate, they say, “eat! eat!” so, i may come back from africa increased in width! what a thought! haha but, if i can get away with it, i usually divide out the rest of my food for the girls. my favorite foods so far are chapati & secumaweeki…don’t quote me on that spelling.

today, there kept coming loud banging from the shed. i figured it was the goats, & janet kept say, “obama, obama.” since she doesn’t speak much english, i assumed it wasn’t. but..nope! apparently our male goat’s name is obama! haha people here love obama, and usually ask me about him.

well it’s bed time for me! i usually end up the day  exhausted, covered in dirt & dinner & spit up & tears…but it’s all worth it to tuck in every sweet girl & get a goodnight kiss & an, “i love you.”