Feeling Blessed

Today was so amazing! We left the hotel in Nairobi at 7:30am to meet mom at the airport. (She got her lost bag.) Our taxi driver was so funny! We got to the airport and we met a Kenyan man and an American woman with two children. Come to find out, she was originally from Oregon, around Gladstone area, and she knew exactly where Aunt Julie went to church! They live close to Migori and they were on their way back home from the US.

We also met a Mennonite family from Kentucky, but they were serving in Kenya for two years. (They’ve been in Kisumu for 2.5 years.) We talked with them for quite a while, and then we went on our flight to Kisumu.

Interestingly enough, our flight on JamboJet didn’t have row 13 because of superstition!

We arrived in Kisumu at 10:10am and our matatu didn’t get there for 50 minutes which I was fine with. The driver, Boiye, had Christian music playing, both English and Kiswahili!! It was so awesome especially because I knew most of the Kiswahili songs!

We stopped in Rongo for food. That is the town that Titus Omega and James Nandwa go to university, but we were not able to see them. We went to this restaurant that was upstairs in a building. The others only ordered samosas, but I got ugali beef stew and also a passion fruit Fanta. I ordered in Kiswahili and the girl thought it was so funny!

We went to a supermarket across the street and got some water and food. While the others were shopping, Aunt Julie and I went outside and got to talk to some little kids.

We stopped at Lake Victoria and saw the fishing boats and also prayed with a Catholic lady. The drive was absolutely beautiful! I was planning on listening to music on my earbuds, but I didn’t end up doing that because I was enjoying myself so much!

We got to Huruma Dolor around 3:20pm. When we first arrived, I didn’t see many children. We got out of the vehicle and greeted Elphas, Bro. Peter, Alice, and Cosmas. It was so nice to be in the presence of my Kenyan family once again.

I went over to the secondary school to find Linel, and a huge group of girls just started running to me and there was a huge group hug! My heart was so full in that moment!

Juliet Ann was so friendly and I got to talk with her a little more than usual and I also have spent a lot of time with Lilian Adhiambo. I gave Linel her gift and all the other girls were oohing and ahhing at the Adidas shoes. 😆

I was talking with Esther and I heard singing, so I went over to the secondary school and some girls were singing and it was so beautiful! I got to sing “Milele” and “Hatua kwa Hatua” with a few of them which will make it easier when I teach them all.

For dinner we had ugali, kuku, sukuma wiki, chapati, ndizi, viazi, and chai. Oh my goodness, it was so delicious! Last time I was here in April, the cooks son, Babu, would kick and bite me. Tonight he wanted me to pick him up, so I did. He just put his arms around my neck, and leaned on my shoulder. It was such a special moment!🤎

We (Aunt Julie, Kendra, and I) talked with Denis for quite a while. He is a very helpful person at Huruma Dolor. We will sure miss him when he leaves. We went to the workshop where all the PCB supplies are being stored and then we came back to the house to get ready for bed, Bro. Peter then came and asked if we would have devotions with them and all of the children.

I am feeling so extremely blessed.🤎

-Vanessa Brooke