6.

I had a busy day today. I finally got to meet up with Cara again, and I was glad to check up on her to make sure she was okay. The presbytery driver took me to pick up Cara so I could see where she was living. Shem and Lucy have a very nice house and I think that Cara will do very well there. I think that she will learn a bit more Kiswahili than me because Shem’s children teach her new words at supper every night. After we got Cara we went back to the complex to pick up David and then headed to the nursery to pick up baby trees to plant. We got over a hundred and some passion fruit plants as well. Then we went back to the complex again to pick up Edwin Mwirabua. We passed him on the road to the school and turned around to head back to the market area to wait for him. After we had the reverend, we went to the school he was the chairman of called Kalewa it is a mixed secondary day school. This means that it is not separated into boys and girls like most schools are, a high school, and there are no facilities for the students to board there. Edwin showed us the math textbooks that Rev. Dr. Matt Stith donated to the school.
I told Edwin that I brought greetings from Bob Edwards at the Minot church and said that he was anxious to speak with him. Apparently the Minot church has donated a lot to the school, I think in computers, but the problem now is that there is nowhere for the computers to be used so they are building a room. Right now the room I was shown was a foundation about three bricks high and some dirt, the computers are locked up in a closet. To me this seems a bit backwards, but hakuna matata. They are doing things te Kenyan way. After some sodas and “biscuits” (round cookies that tasted a lot like animal crackers), we greeted all of the students and everyone gathered to plant trees. Someone had already dug the holes and the forester insisted on shoveling the dirt so really there was not a lot to do, and this is not a surprise. I planted one tree and one passion fruit plant at the school and then we moved on to Gianchuku to meet with the women there who have the reforestation project that Sharon was telling me about. We had lunch at the school there and I have to say, that was the best food I have ever had here! The women sang for us and so did the students. Edwin decided that my Kenyan name should be Makena, which means one who is always happy. The ladies and the students all started calling me by that name and everyone laughed because when ever they said it I smiled. One of the ladies there really took a liking to me and I found out she had a daughter named Makena. I’m not certain what her name was so in Kenyan tradition I will just call her “Momma Makena.” Momma Makena and I planted a tree together and she was by far the most spirited singer in the group. The ladies were singing in “mother tongue” so I did not understand, but when Momma Makena was leading the ladies we were told that they were singing about us and how they loved us so much they would carry us on their backs even when they were working in the shamba. She called herself my mother and I think that of all the women I have met so far, she is probably the one with whom I would be able to identify with the most. We are both cheerful, sing loud, dance a lot, and command attention. The ladies were so wonderful I really hope I get to see them again. I hope that when my mother comes here she will be able to see them as well and check on the trees I have planted.

After Gianchuku, we went to David’s mother’s house to see the nursery that the women have there. It was so much larger than I anticipated. They have a small amount of space but hundreds and hundreds of trees that they have started. David’s mother Edith is the most darling woman I have ever seen. She is about 4 ft. tall and just amazing. She has worked so hard for so long and there is such love in her eyes. Esther was also there throughout the day. You can really tell the family resemblance between David, Dunston, Esther, and their mother. They all have the same nose and are very short compared to the other Kenyans. We talked a bit about deforestation and how it is becoming a big problem in Kenya due to lack of firewood and building supplies. Though no one said it but me, I think that this is such an important project for economic, environmental, and spiritual reasons. The women work together with what ever they have and are ensuring that God’s creation is taken care of. They are right on the side of the mountain and surrounded by hills carpeted in tea and coffee. I wish the pictures I have could do the color justice, but they cannot. We don’t have that bright green at home. I’m not sure if it is because the sun is so much closer here on the equator, or the elevation, but the green is green.

I didn’t really get a chance to ask more questions today. However, I did learn a bit about coffee and tea harvesting. Cara and I decided that when we go to visit Joyce the Youth Secretary at her dress making shop we will try to employ her to make us some dresses. I think it will be a lot of fun! If it works, I will wear it when I give presentations about my trip around the presbytery or at least bring it along.

For the traditional insect portion of my daily essay I will share that today I was bitten many times by a very angry ant. It hurt, I squished him. I thought there was a thorn in my sock for a long time but it was just the angry red ant.

I shared my thoughts about hanging underwear outside with Cara, she told me that hers are already washed by the house girl and outside for all to see at Shem's polka dot house. I need to remember to take a picture. The house really has polka dots it is so cute!

Tonight I made spaghetti. I cooked down my tomatoes with a green pepper and some salt for the sauce. It was quite good. I’m not sure what I am going to do with that cabbage…

Tomorrow I am going to meet David for the service at the Chogoria church shared with the boarding school.