It is definitely a village

Well the weekend was great. Saturday Studio at the school, good turn out for 3 hours of studio time, a little rest at Pedro Arrupe and then Anne Wangari arrived from Dadaab and we spent the evening into Sunday together. Off to mass the Nyumbani Home with Sr. Mary and Anne while Margaret stayed home and had time to her self. I have to say, if mass was like it is at Nyumbani every where, I think church would be filled regardless of your faith tradition. The kids make the mass. The kids take part, they dance, they sing and it is all about them. What a great mass and it was nice to see all the kids and also old friends like Loite who is from the DC area and hosts these KEST (Kenyan Education Service Trips) and dear friends of mine, the Vicas Family, will be going on one in August with there kids. After Mass, hung out at Pedro Arrupe and then went and took the art exhibit down and then to dinner. It was a nice Sunday.

Today, Monday, started at 6:15am on a road trip to Katui which is where the Nyumbani Village is located. The village house 663 aids orphan children and 64 grandparents that care for these kids, either as their maternal grandparents or newly connected. This place is great. Homes made of brick that interlocks, schools that are amazing, a clinic, a guest house, agriculture, sustainability, you name it and it was there. I was so impressed. As a Nyumbani Board Member, my feeling of pride for this organization just grew ten fold. Sr. Mary Owens is also a rock star for leading this to the place it is today.

The model is grandparents, and kids in a home and 4 homes in a block. It is wonderful. I believe there are 16 blocks. The melia trees are amazing and they are the what in the future will sustain the village. The melia is like a mahogany that can be harvested for hard wood furniture. There are a 100 acres of it and it is growing well. The farms and the livestock were also so well cared for and the areas so clean, Nickolas was also wonderful as he has major oversight of the village and the grandmothers and the children were great. They speak little to no english but it all works out. The school again, was over the top.

We promptly left the village at 1pm to return to Nairobi to teach our 4:15 classes and we got back with time to spare. When you are on a schedule with Sr. Mary, you are sure it will be kept.

Teaching was low key and rewarding and at 6:15 off to dinner with Anne. The three of us reflected on our day and then went home. I am exhausted and am about to fall asleep but if I did not get this out, I might loose sight of some of the details.

Be well and we appreciate you being on this journey with us.

Charles and Margaret