Hello all!

Since the kids are not in school right now (they are on "holiday"), they have way too much free time and are a bit bored during the day. School begins on September 1 so we decided to purchase some games to keep them entertained until then. Steph, Antony and I took a matatu (which was blaring rap music...my ear drums were not happy) to Karen, a more developed town 15 minutes away from Ngong where Steph and I purchased Twister, Memory, Battleship, 3 Barbie dolls, and plastic bowling pins and 2 plastic bowling balls. We also purchased a razor so Antony can shave the children's heads himself to avoid taking the kids to a barber where it costs 20 KSH per child to cut their hair. After we returned to the orphanage the children clung to us, eagerly awaiting the surprises hidden within the bags we carried. We first showed them how to bowl. We pushed all of the desks to the edges of the room to create the alley. After we played a demo round to show them the object of the game, they each took turns to bowl and the room exploded with laughter, cheers and claps. They loved it. Antony kept score on the chalkboard. When a child would bowl a strike, all of the kids would yell so loud to congratulate their friend. It was thrilling to watch them have so much fun. Even though the games that we bought will not help the orphanage in the long run, it made them smile and laugh today, which for now keeps their little minds occupied so they are not thinking about other things. I often will see a child sitting off to the side staring off into space and I just have to wonder what he or she is thinking about. These kids have seen things that their little eyes should never have been exposed to, and have been treated in ways that no human should ever be treated. I'm glad we were able to ease the pain, even if it is only temporary.

Afterwards we met our friends Alison and Melanie and hopped in a taxi to Nairobi. Tonight we are staying with Mama Monica and then will be picked up tomorrow morning for the safari. Steph and I are SO EXCITED to have a hot shower tonight!! It's going to be amazing. When we first stayed at Mama Monica's last weekend, I didn't think much of her house, but now it seems like a 5-star hotel. It's all relative.

Alison and Melanie told us about their morning at the hospital. They witnessed a delivery for the first time here in Kenya. They said the woman laid on a rubber mat on a mattress, received no medication, and when her water didn't break, a nurse manually broke it for her creating a nice little mess on the floor and walls (was that too much information?). As the child's head was crowning, the nurse's cell phone rang. I guess the miracle of birth is no big deal, because yes, the nurse took off her glove and answered the phone. After giving birth, the woman stood up and walked to the ward where she waited for 2 hours and then walked home with her baby. A little different from the States??

Today I feel a bit more accustomed to the culture and my surroundings. However, even though we only worked 4 days at the orphanage, I am glad to have a break and get away from Ngong to have some fun with our friends on the safari. I think it will be good to be refreshed when we start a new week on Monday. It has been a lot to take in for one week.

Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers. I can truly feel the support from home, even from across the Atlantic Ocean.

Love you all,
Kristin