Sorry for the Delay!

What a week! Geeeeeezzz looouuiiissse!

I tell you what everybody, Africa is simply a swell place. I cannot get over what a great experience this is already becoming for me. I guess I’ll start from last weekend!

The girls came and stayed in our guest house on Saturday night, and it was really awesome to hang out with some friends from back home. I have gotten some good friends here of course, but familiar faces were very nice to see.

On Sunday, we went to an all Kiswahili Mass. Boy, that was different. For the most part, I can follow the Mass parts, but the sermon. What a sermon is was. For 45 minutes I listened to a deep-lunged priest in a language that I didn’t have even the slightest chance to understand. There were no breaths, and, from what I could tell, all the words ran together. It was… an experience to say the least. Haha

On Monday, I finally relented to my ever building cough/cold and I took the day off. I got some antibiotics and I slept. Virtually, all day. I watched Heavyweights that day too. It was good.

Tuesday, we met with Sister Mary who is the headmistress of the private primary school of St. Benedict’s across the street. We talk about what she might need, and she expressed deep gratitude for our offer. We have since been installed into the teaching positions for Computer Studies, Physical Education, and Art.

This is Dan. He's a pirate.

Wednesday was awesome for one reason that I will state momentarily. First on that day we went into Mathare to Street Children and were just sitting down for tea when Dan walks in and says, “I’m going to Tigoni, and I want Tim and Harris to come!” So we went. I finally met Fr. Lawrence  who had sent the initial invitation to us to come and volunteer here. He is the Prior in the monastic community at Tigoni. Then after milling about for quite awhile we left and went to the Village Market and ate pizza. It was the pizza that was cause for much rejoicing. I was craving pizza that week, and on that day I delivered for my taste buds.

Thursday, we went to soccer with kids in the morning, and then in the afternoon at Street Children we monitored a study session. TIME FOR A DIGRESSION! There is a teachers’ strike going on in Kenya. Apparently 15 years ago the teacher’s union and the government had agreed on a pay increase that was recorded in contract. This year was the time for the pay raise, and the government reneged. So, none of the public schools are in session. Let me restate. None of the teachers are in the schools. The headmasters and many children are actually occupying the school buildings, but nothing is being taught. Street Children decided to not send their kids to school(which the organization pays for) because of the possible chaotic dangers that would arise. The Kenyan schools offer exams the second week of school and those exams determine how the children advance for the next year. The first week is for studying for those exams. Unfortunately, because of the lost time, when school goes back in session the exams will start immediately. If the children are not prepared, it could be devastating for most academic aspirations of the kids. BACK TO MY POST. Thursday afternoon and all Friday, we helped the kids study.

Friday, when we returned from Street Children we celebrated Member’s Day as Kenyans refer to every Friday evening. So we had some friends over and played cards and drank beer.

Saturday, the girls invited me to the convent to watch two sisters take their first vows to the community. It was a huge affair full with a 2 hour Mass, massive feast, and dancing for entertainment. Then the girls came back with me to the Amani Center, and we invited some friends over and everybody was best friends by the end of the evening.

[I have a video of part of the above mentioned ceremony that I wanted to put here, but Google is being lame.]

Sunday, we decided to go to the English Mass which actually still has a fair amount of Kiswahili in it, but the homily is in English. That was a good thing. Then I took the girls into downtown Nairobi, and as they had a hankering for Italian we found a nice little restaurant and ate well. I spoke with another American gentleman there who happened to be a Redskins fan, and he told some good places to look on the internet for the game. I dropped the girls off at the railways station and sent them on their merry way. I went back to Amani and read all evening.

Today was my first day teaching at the primary school. Wow. I walked in and I was immediately swarmed by roughly 75 little kids. They all wanted to shake my hand, give me a high five, or fist pound me, and I had to respond to every single one. The only thing going through my head was if all of these kids turned on me, how many would I be able to take out before the mountain of 9 and 10 year olds simply overtook me by a swarm. Finally the bell rang and they ran to their classrooms. I was tasked this morning of teaching kids how to draw. I, personally, am an awful artist, but to teach a trade may yet be different than doing the trade itself. I found that I might actually be able to direct their talents in a number of different ways. By the end of the class, I had begun thinking about numerous possibilities. Then I had a half hour break, and I went then to P.E. Henry had some trouble with his 25 or so 3rd graders, but with the help of another teacher, I and my 65 6^th and  7^th graders got along quite well. We did some calisthenics and then I taught them how to play red light/green light. All in all it was a good experience, and it seemed as though I was gaining respect from some of the other teachers as well.

-Harris

General notes: 

I’ve currently fallen in love with the Barsoom Collection which is an 11 book series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I’ve finished three entire books in the last four days.

Yesterday was Henry’s birthday and he’s now 51 years old.

Our last team member from St. John’s showed up on Friday. His name is Mike McCarty, and I think Kate and Caitlin have taken to him quite well. ;)

My address is posted below on a previous blog post. I have discovered that some companies will not deliver boxes to a P.O. box. I have learned, however, that there is a FedEx store somewhere in town. I will find the address for that place soon enough, but keep in mind that anything you send to me there I will have to carry back with me from downtown Nairobi on a small matatu! Be reasonable!

Here's a picture of our pet stray cat that was similarly adopted by the volunteers that came last year as well!