Day 2

Nairobi, Kenya

Team leaves for orphanage tour. Babysitter is not here yet, so I stay. I think (“ Maybe I will read or rest”)

Or…..

Alice needs to go to the Doctor. He says he can see her NOW. Babysitter arrives. I will go with Alice. (“maybe I will read or work on pictures while I wait at doctor’s office.”)

Alice: “Kerry could you drive, I’m not feeling well.”

Kerry: “I guess; should I get my license?”

Alice: “No, it’ll be ok.

Call to Tom. “WHAT? Your driving where? Take your license.”

(“OMG, we are in Nairobi, so much for my plan to learn to drive in 3 months or so in the much slower paced town of Nakuru. It’s Friday of course. Busier day of traffic, even though all days of traffic in Nairobi is CRAZY. Well, here we go, no lessons, no country roads, just masses of people and cars and matatus to swerve between.”)

We arrive at hospital. Parking lot is similar to elementary car pool line on steroids. Cars are parked on each side of me in 1 lane of spots and cars are parked parallel behind the parked cars. One line of traffic is driving between this garbled mess.

Alice: “I’ll jump out here. Go up and around and left and you’ll see a parking lot. Give the man your ticket and he’ll give you another. You’ll see it around the corner.”

I see nothing now but a jumbled mess of cars. I pull forward, I find "up and around and left and parking lot", Parking Lot Closed! Awesome. What now? I will just circle. I don’t know where I am so I can’t get out of parking lot. 5 very slow circles. I’m calling Tom now, what am I supposed to do. He says Edwin is close. He will come to help. A man knocks on my window. I’m nervous about opening it, I’m holding up the circle of traffic. He asks me if I need help; if I would like his parking spot? I say yes, so he gets a van parked parallel to move up, he moves his car and lets me back into his spot. (Did I mention back in? It couldn’t be as easy as pulling into a spot in this jam of traffic. J)

The van pulls back in front of me and I wait hoping I didn’t just trap my self in perfectly to this spot to be robbed. But the man was just a gift from God, who gave me his spot. We joke about praying for parking spots close at Wal Mart. I always think that’s lame, but today I have no doubt God had that man give me his spot. I think, what now. I look down, Alice has left her phone in the car, she has no idea where I am parked and I have no idea where her doctor’s office is. Edwin arrives! He gets out and talks to the guy blocking me in. Their conversation is in Swahili-this day is great motivation for me to speed up my learning of Swahili. Edwin finds out that the man will be there to move when we come out of the doctor, so we set off to find Alice in the hospital. Edwin finds out from the reception where his office is and we head to the elevators. We get on first; we are going to 5^th floor. Other people get on. Edwin nudges me to tell me we must get off. I’m confused but I do. I then ask why. He says. “Too much Weight! This was definitely the highlight of the day getting told to get off the elevator because I weighed too much! I’m loving it. Seriously, it’s getting hysterical. How funny is that. Can you imagine if that happened to us in America, we would be completely humiliated and freaking out about it, but trust me it was just too funny for words. Day 2 in Kenya, get off the elevator your too fat! J Love it!

I managed to drive us several other spots to pick up prescriptions. So driving lessons complete. Nakuru will be like the difference of New York City and West Texas farm roads now. One obstacle accomplished!

7-10-2010

Thoughts from Kerry:

(my posts will be written like what I would have said had I been talking to you about my day, if you know me you will follow easy, if not you will get to know me and the way my mind processes these new experiences; I hope you will read these as I was telling you the story in person, and my excitement and jumping thoughts never leave room for correct grammar when story telling, so for those writers out there, I apologize and hopefully you can get through it and come to know my heart)

Day 1- Nairobi, Kenya

We’re stuck in traffic on our way home from the orphanage.

It’s hot.

The bus is not moving.

Helem is on my mind. The Lord has connected my heart to him for some reason. He is 14. I thought about him so often after we left last year. He stood out to me. I don’t know why. I wanted to take him with me desperately. I found out today his parents are both dead. He has an uncle who he sometimes spends holidays with.

Candy and Stacy are on my mind.

They sought me out today: I talked to them: sports, where we live, but ran out of things to say. When does Kerry run out of things to say?

The poverty is intense on the way back from the orphanage.

I see a mom give a coin to a man for an ear of corn for her child to eat; they are on a busy corner. The mother is doing something with a bucket; they probably are there all day. What does that child do all day to entertain herself? The child is smiling at me, a huge beautiful sweet smile. Mom looks and laughs, I wonder what the child said to her.

Sydney and Raegan are with Alice.

I want them with me.

Are they ok? Did they eat lunch? They’re across town but it seems like a great distance when I’m stuck in this traffic in a strange crowded city. There’s no getting anywhere fast. Ugggh! Frustrating! I’m not comfortable at this point unless they’re with me. I hope that feeling relaxes.

I’m glad their not on the hot bus!

Why did I not ask Candy and Tracey about their relationship with the Lord? I must be bolder.

Tony (orphanage director) shared how some of the adult workers aren’t so impressed with our teams coming, but he is thankful for each new person who comes to love and bless the children. To show them there are people who care about their future. He says he has learned to take time listen to each person God brings you in contact with. You may learn more from one hour with a person than a week with another. I’m thinking about that now. We only have hours with these children when we visit. No time to waste not having words. I pray I use my minutes more wisely next time.