What does Melissa dancing look like?

Bless that little Australian, Elf, the nurse that was working with us for four months, has posted pictures and videos since she's been home. Praise the Lord, because for me to post videos are crazy. I'm still working on it, but in the meantime, you can check out Elf's blog,
www.sister-elf.blogspot.com. Also, if you haven't, check out Shayla's blog, because she's still here and may give some good insight. www.shaylatoafrica.blogspot.com. And yes, we all love Blogger, apparently. Both girls, and another one from Germany, Eva, have worked with me at my project, but are not SIM. They are with a different mission agency, and live on the other side of Kibera. But they are like my sisters, and I wouldn't want to work without them! Keep checking these sites, too, and between three of us, we'll keep you well-informed.
Badai! Later!

Thanksgiving. And Thanksgiving...and Thanksgiving

Have no fear, my American friends. Here on the little Rose Avenue compound, I had Thanksgiving. Three times. On Wednesday was my first American Thanksgiving (which is not my first Thanksgiving here, thanks to my Canadian housemates) and it was simple, just us girls in the house. Only two out of 5 of us are American, but one imparticular (not me) likes to cook. We didn't have turkey, and like the first Thanksgiving here, the power went out and we had dinner by candlelight. A Kenyan Thanksgiving tradition. But what really made it Thanksgiving was the pumpkin pie. Then Thursday, while you at home were slicing your turkey and baking your pies, I had a Kenyan meal that my friend from work came over to cook for us. My feast was pork with ugali and chipati. Not your typical holiday meal, but maybe I'll try the same meal for Thanksgiving 2008. I know you all are worried about if I got any turkey at all...or mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Well, on Friday, my whole compound had a complete, official Thanksgiving meal. Considering not even half the attendees were American, we had a fine Thanksgiving meal with the biggest turkey I've seen in my life! I stuffed myself like a good American glutton on all the fixin's, including more pumpkin pie. Oh, but no cranberry sauce.
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Mrenda by lantern

I took a trip upcountry a week ago with some people from work. We had a long bus ride from Nairobi to western Kenya, near Lake Victoria. Over bumpy and broken roads, we traveled for way too long. The economy seats on airplanes have more space. From sitting next to the window, my hair was caked with smog and dust, which caused my hair to be stiffer than Aquanet could make it! But oh, once we got there, it was a whole new Kenya. It was quiet. It was dark. It was clean air. It was wonderful! I spent Friday night, Saturday, and Monday morning there. I skipped Sunday because I was sick all day in bed, which makes for fun times when it's raining out and the outhouse is more than a few yards away. Despite that, seeing upcountry was well worth it. No electricity, so we had our dinners by the glow of a lantern, which included mrenda, a most vile vegetable. It has the consistency of what runs out of children's noses, and I for one, could barely keep it down. Think slimy spinach. Even though I have a Luhya name, Mbone, I cannot nor will not ever eat mrenda again. Sorry to my faithful western brethren, but some things I physically cannot do. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of mrenda , but I did get some shots of the compound, the path to the spring to fetch water, and my friend's father's house with his niece in the forefront, in that order (if all goes well).

Kenyan Ten

I'm not sure if it's the altitude, or the Kenyan food, or the Equator's gravitational pull, but there is the Kenyan Ten. Here, anyone who comes gains ten pounds, and I am more than victim. Sure, you can blame it on the chai, which is part milk, part water, part sugar. Sure, blame it on the carbohydrate diet full of chipati and ugali. But I'm not so convinced. After all, I walk ten miles a day. But whatever it is, I've had to retire a few skirts since I've been here, and when I buy more, look for elastic waist or wrap skirts, the icon of missionary fashion (see Shayla's blog, www.shaylatoafrica.blogspot.com, Signs, Phrases, Isms, and Comic Relief).