Blanket Drop

Last Thursday was the blanket drop. i havent been able to blog about it because i think i am still processing what we saw and all that happened.... It was a super intense night for all of us.

Geoffrey from Oasis of Hope met us at the compound at about midnight and we took 3 cars full of a few of us from the team and about 50 blankets. Basically we drove to town in order to find street kids and "drop" blankets on them. Our hope was to not wake anyone and just think of the joy the kids would have when they woke up in the morning warm and with a blanket protecting them.

We drove throughout Kitale and surprisingly, we had to actually look hard to find kids, it was a good thing because it meant that there was either less kids sleeping on the street or that they were hidden and protected from the dangerous of the night life in Kitale.

The first spot we stopped there was a line of little bodies huddled together on the porch of a store, they were covered in trash, bags, clothes, anything that could keep them warm. As i placed a blanket on top of the first boy i was overwhelmed with so many emotions, just thinking and not even being able to imagine what sleeping like that every night would be like. Especially on freezing nights when the rain is pouring and it is impossible to stay dry and warm. Stuff like this probably never even crosses peoples minds back home. Trying to picture that happening to you? the idea seems so crazy and far-fetched.

We continued to drive around and get out and walk back behind buildings and through alleys looking for people to lay blankets on. seeing the way these kids live just terrified me. i didnt even know what to think. We found a lot of adults too that we were able to give blankets to. So many were so drunk or high though that it was scary to approach them. Some were yelling at us and just so messed up.

Many of the men still working in town like as pikki-pikki drivers followed us around trying to get things for themselves, it was just the craziest situation to see what went on at night. Some of the kids were woken up by just the noise and the looks on their faces when they saw us i will never forget. They were completely terrified and i couldnt help but think of the horrible things that they have been woken up to before and to think that this time it was a bunch of white people putting blankets on them....they probably thought they were dreaming.

We saw such young kids, maybe even like 4 and 5 years old, sleeping on their own or with a few other young kids.

We saw a young girl, about 14, by herself with a huge group of older guys, i dont even want to imagine the horrible things that goes on when she is with them.

We saw a boy chasing after our car, as fast as he could, just so that he could get a blanket. Who knows how long he ran and followed our car for, all for something so simple, something that we dont even think is a luxury to have.

We saw a mother of a boy we know that goes to Oasis, who was so messed up and had completely lost it. She had created a fire to keep herself warm and didnt even know that it was burning her legs form underneath her.

The images and the thoughts will stay with me forever, i cant help but just think "Why?"

Why do these kids live like they do and i live like i do?

Why does God allow them to suffer and live such difficult and unfair lives?

Is there even anything we can do to change their situation?

I have so many questions that ill never be able to answer.

I can only remember the incredible power that lies in the Hands of God and i can only remember that he has FULL control of each of our lives and knows exactly what he is doing and why he is doing it. I know the love he has for these kids is more than we can ever imagine.

My prayer has been that God will simply allow these kids to feel His presence in their lives and feel His comfort and loving hand when they go to bed each night and when they wake up. I pray that we were able to show them even fraction of the love that God has for us through those blankets. I pray that they know they are loved, that they would stay protected, and that God would lead their lives. I pray that they would meet people like Geoffrey who could help transform the way they are living, by getting off the streets and going to places like Oasis where they could experience the love God has for them through the Center and the amazing things it does for street kids. I pray that God would always remind me of what i saw, and that like one of the girls said, He would break my heart for what breaks His.

MALARIA......

Sunday we went to church at Oasis and i was definitely not feeling well, Chris was convinced that i had Malaria but i didnt believe him.....He said he would take me to the hospital to get tested and i was a little freaked out since the test involves a finger prick and i dont do so well with needles.....

Monday we went to the hospital and sure enough i had Malaria. This week i have been resting a lot and trying to get better. I went to Oasis for a little bit each day but even a half hour was enough to wear me out. Today, Thursday, i feel a lot better finally. I spent the day at Oasis and this afternoon im going back to Discover.

We have spent the last few nights having dinner at different houses. Moses and Margaret had us over on Monday night, they are from Deliverence Church (where we brought the cow a few weeks ago). Tuesday we went to Jeffrey and Olivia's house (They run Oasis of Hope). And last night, Wednesday, we had dinner at the Girls Oasis House. This is where some of the older girls live, who have been taken in by Oasis and who now go to real schools. It was SO FUN. we had a major dance party and had a wonderful meal made by the house mom. Ive had so much Kenyan food this week. We got to just talk to and pray over the girls and they were so excited to have us there.

Im still having way too much fun with all the people on the team, its gonna be hard to leave early and miss out the the two weeks they will still have here. And I dont even want to think about saying goodbye to the kids.....

More Oasis

Here are just some pictures from Oasis....

Njoki

Korode

Sammy

Sammy, Lucy, Me and Cyril

I love Cyril

Discover

I have also been going to Discover to Recover every afternoon, doing the Remedials and also the Bible Class.

Orina
The Bible Class

Baby Class

We got caught in a rainstorm on the way home

Outside of Discover
On Saturday we went back to Discover the Recover with the entire team for the day to play with the kids who live in the house there.

Juliette, she is one of the Rwandans living with us for the summer

Lilian

Oasis

This past week i spent a lot of time at Oasis of Hope with the First Graders. They definitely suck all of the energy out of you, but they are so incredibly cute that i am falling in love with them. We have been doing a lot of crafts and outside games to keep them busy.

Ester

this is Njoki

Korode

Cyril and Korode

4th of July

Sunday we went to a small church in Shimo for their service. It was super small with chairs set up in someones backyard. It felt so much like the River and it was nice to go to a small church and be able to talk to and get to know the people. I loved it cause it reminded me of home (:

It POURS everyday starting at about 3 since it is winter here. We had been in town after church and got stuck running through the rain to run our errands. When it rains everyone takes cover and stops their day. We got the strangest looks and so many stares not only because it was a group of white Mzungus, but because we were also running through the rain. We finally go a ride home but were absolutely soaked from head to toe. We got warmed up and Chris cooked hamburgers and we also had watermelon for the 4th. No fireworks this year but it was a fun night.

Today i went to Oasis again in the morning and taught Grade 1 with Melissa. SO crazy. The kids speak little or no English at all so it was so hard to try and teach them the math that we were supposed to. "Yamaza!" and "Kuchini!" turned out the be the most helpful phrases i have ever learned...."be quiet!" and "sit down!". We still had a ton of fun though, they are so adorable.

After i headed over to Discover to Recover and did the Remedials and taught the CRE (Christian Religion Education) class. We read a bible story and put on a puppet show about being Children of God, the kids thought that the puppets were the greatest things in the entire world. We ended with a memory verse and, of course, it started pouring rain. Our piki-piki drivers werent able to come in the rain so we waited for a taxi, the rain is absolutely crazy. Almost time for dinner and im exhausted. Pray for the rest of the week, for renewed energy and patience, and health...ive kind of sick for most of the trip.

Missing you all at home! <3

Oasis of Hope and Discover to Recover

Thursday was the first day where we actually started what we will be doing for the rest of the summer. Before we have just been touring around and seeing all the different options we have of where we can work.

So, we sort of have a lot of time on our hands at night so we started a weird tradition. "Tent-time" is what we call it, i dont think i can explain but here are some Tent-Time pictures....

I started at Oasis of Hope which is the center for street kids, its kind of like a "practice school" to try and get them used to the idea of real school so that they will go and get off the streets and stop sniffing glue, which is what they use for drugs. I taught a math class for 2nd graders and just hung out and played with them (: I took TONS of pictures of the kids......

some of my favorite kids

so cute

i was teaching them how to wink

they finally figured it out (:

In the afternoons i will be heading over to a place called Discover to Recover which is the school for kids affected by HIV in some way, either they are positive or their parents are and cant take care of them or they were kicked out of other schools because of it. Im going to be helping with tutoring the kids who are struggling and also teaching the Bible class. its so much fun though, they LOVE having white people there to just love them and be with them.