day 2

Habari?! (hello/how are you?)

After a day in Amsterdam, two long flights, and one puddle jumper flight, we arrived safely yesterday -- including all of our bags!  It took a while to get our visas and passports stamped, but it eventually happened.

There is so much I want to say already, but for much of it I think I will save until I get back on US soil so I can upload pictures for you.  I will also have more time to write about my experiences as well.

Here are a few highlights so far!

One highlight was playing football -- American soccer -- yesterday.  These kids play hard core!  I'm talking head kicks, fancy kicks, and long kicks on a rough uneven terrain...and many don't wear shoes.  I only hit the ball once and accidentally blocked it twice, but they were excited to have me play, since it is rare for any girls to be on the field with them. According to them I played very well.  I kind of felt like an idiot with my playing skills being next to zero, but it was great!  I can't wait for Tuesday to play again! (And, Keen sandals are SO comfortable playing soccer and running around in.  Not sure of I'll ever wear tennis shoes again.  Sigh, now I have two sandals I love.)

Last night we had a game night for the kids here at Christ's hope.  The kids range from age 6, I think, to around 18.  It was really fun watching the younger ones trying to figure out puzzles and older ones teaching us Swahili numbers as we counted.  You have to realize that these are not spoiled American kids who "need" the latest X-box game.  Teenagers were playing dominoes and Chutes and Ladders and absolutely loving it!  Africans really take joy in what they have and are very welcoming.

One thing I should point out is that even though the majority of these children we are staying near are  orphans (or escaped an abusive home life) it is not an orphanage.  Christ's Hope offers them housing, some meals, helps with their homework, and signs any school related papers.  They also teach them life skills (cooking, laundry, etc.), the Bible, and abstinence to not only live a Christian life but to lessen the chance of AIDS.  I forgot the statistic, but the rate that HIV is contracted is unbelievably high!  Most of that is due to sex, a lot of it is also unsanitary factors at hospitals.  Supposedly needles are reused and in between people they simply rinse it off under the water -- which, at least for Mzungu (white persons) -- is not safe.

Today we took it pretty easy, as they observe the Sabbath as a day of rest.  Two of us went down to the market -- and that was an experience in itself!  Church was also very different.  But I will save those stories for another time.

Tomorrow the plan is to plan for our first Care Point (a place where other kids go for after school care) on Tuesday and then tutor the kids their with math and English.

Tutaonama! (goodbye)