I’m home

June 22nd, 2009 by Karen Overstake

Hujambo,

Well, I’m sorry I was unable to update my journal like I had hoped. We were in a rural area and not able to get to an internet cafe as often as we would have liked. I think I ended off on my birthday in Nairobi and we were heading to the Karen Blixen Museum. It was amazing. Karen (the town) is in a more afluent neighborhood with mansions and plantations with green lush backgrounds. From Karen you can get a very clear view of the Ngong hills. The museum is the plantation where Karen Blixen lived and where the movie Out of Africa was filmed (exterior only). We were not able to take pictures from the inside but took lots of the grounds. I got to touch the pants that Robert Redford wore in the movie. OK, I know……..but I thought it was exciting. LOL

After there we went to the Giraffe Center. They are the biggest giraffes I’ve ever seen. You can go right up to them on a second story building and feed them from your hand. I put a piece of giraffe food (dried pellets) in my mouth and got one to kiss me.

We heading back to Githanje where we were working and went back to work Monday morning. The El Shaddai orphanage where we worked is very small and dirty and houses about 140 children. We washed lots and lots of clothes by hand and help with the cooking duties. We had an arts and crafts and fun night with the kids and they went nuts. They had so much fun. The pull at my skin because they think that the more they pull they’ll see black. I stood out like a sore thumb. I am a mzunga (white person) and they are just in awe of us. For some I am the first white person they have ever seen.

The children were all so lovely and polite and shy and funny……..for being in the conditions they are in they are very happy. They don’t know differently.

The workers were just so glad to have us there. What would take the women all day to do (washing clothes) we would have finished in 4 hours. They bend over all day long so it is back breaking work.

I can’t say enough about the Kenyans. They are kind, God fearing people. They treated us like royalty.

The next weekend we went to Nakuru to visit the Sister church of Teresa’s church in Phoenix. He Pastor is a big supported of this church and although he has never met the Pastor (Pastor Joseph) he sent Teresa on their behalf to send gifts and donation money. Nakuru is a far cry from Githanje. Nakura means dusty and Nakuru is dry, dusty and dirty. We were clearly in the slums. The political unrest from last year still shows devestating signs. People have lost their homes or boarded up their tiny businesses. It’s very sad. But, the church, which is just about 4 years old, seems to be a light in the dark for this neighborhood.

Pastor Joseph put us up with a host family right across the road from the church. Joseph, his wife Susan and there 5 boys. The home was occupied by 9 people but was comfortable. We got up early and went to church services and since they had been planning our arrival for about 2 months they pulled out all the stops. The mens choir sang, the womens choir, the youth choir and the youth dancers danced their traditional dance for us. They presented us with certificates too. They were so thankful for our visit.

That night we stayed one more night in Nakura at a small lodge where we met some of the other volunteers who were finishing up there safari. We joined them the next day and took a 4 hour tour of Nakuru Lake. This was my mini safari. Although there are lions there we did not get to see one this day. The day before we had stopped by there to look at the lake. We were rushed back into our vehicle because a lion was fast approaching. Apparently one killed a guard about 3 years ago so whenever they get too close the have to chase them back.

There are no elephants at the lake but it is the worlds largest population of pink flamingos. I know, I said the same thing……What???? The lake looked pink there were so many of them. We saw Wart Hogs, Zebras, Rhinos, Giraffes, Gazzelles, Johnsons, Water Buffalo and one Black Rhino. We didn’t get too close to him though. Their very mean and will charge the vehicles.

We headed back to Githanje and got in late because of the rush hour traffic we ran into in Nairobi. One thing I will not miss is the traffic. It’s insane. And during rush hour there are so many people and vehicles. It took us 1 hour to drive about 3 city blocks. We got home after dark.

This was our last weekend at program and our original plan was to stay in Nairobi for our last view days but George and Lillian would have none of that. They insisted we stay with them. We absolutely loved them. They are our new African family. I will remember them for the rest of my life and hope that I’ll see them again soon. We said our goodbyes to the everyone at the orphanage and they were so sad to see us go.

There is so much more to tell……….so much that I can’t put into words. I cried when I left and was sad when I came home. It was the most amazing experience of my life and I will never, ever forget it.

Karen