Caring for Kenya

We headed back over to the orphanage this afternoon and literally just got to play and hang out with the kids for three hours.  The list of activities was endless but some highlights were tag (definitely got my daily workout in to say the least), volleyball (I taught several of the girls how to bump, set, spike), soccer (which consisted mostly of heading the ball), basketball (which was more about stealing the ball than making the basket), and I think the kids’ personal favorite was pretending Timmy and I were their own personal jungle gyms. 

 

It was amazing after spending this time with the kids how much we were able to learn about each child’s personality.  Abigail, one of the oldest girls, is the guardian.  Anytime anyone falls down or gets upset she is there to pick them up and wipe the dirt off of them.  Faith is so tiny but she has got sass and a hip pop that makes me think we have to be related somehow.  Karen is my little shadow.  I’m not allowed to go anywhere without her by my side.  Hope is our little drama queen.  She fake cried to get my sympathy and to get a ball back from one of the boys.  After two times I caught onto her sneaky games.  Prudence has one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen.  Michael found a rope today and tied himself in as many knots as possible just so we would have to find a way to get him out.  Steven is the lover of the group.  He’ll come up and just put your arms around him and be completely content with just that.  Lucky gets rowdy with the boys but he is also very sensitive.  Caleb is literally a ball of energy.  After playing tag with him for about ten minutes I had broken a serious sweat.

 

I could go on about every child but I (1) would never stop writing because they have honestly rocked my world and (2) I still have so much to learn about them.  I do hope, however, that some of these descriptions can portray to you the connections we have made with these children in only a matter of the first four hours with them.  They are truly remarkable.

After we left the site we went back to Dave’s home where he cooked broccoli and an amazing stew for dinner.    I was fading fast so it was a quick visit and now we are back in our room.  The last time I slept under a mosquito net was when I was ten and convinced that it made me more like a princess.  I’ve gotta say…it was a lot more fun then.  We have church with the children at 10am and are going to a Father’s Day breakfast before that so Kwaheri for now!  Thank you so much for your love and support.

For the kids,

Ali