Wazungu wa Zulu.

Say that 10 times fast! That is what Zulu has been calling Daisy and I lately, it means white people of Zulu Youth Group basically. Everytime we say it the whole group cracks up laughing haha. 

Friday was a fun day of work with the youth group! We treated the group by bringing chocolate and bananas for our Friday feasts! We put the chocolate in the bananas, wrapped them in foil, and roasted them on top of our kiln while we were making charcoal. They LOVED them, and were so confused while we were making them. It is really fun to treat them and enjoy meals with them, although I do feel kind of guilty some times…especially because Msiox stated that he could feed 5 guys lunch for the same amount of money of the chocolate bar…

After our feast and doing a burn with them, we went to a welders in Kibera who invited us to work with them in their shop for a bit. They taught us how to saw, weld, hammer, sand metal etc. It was pretty neat - although I was a little concerned for my eyes and ears. It drew lots of stares at their shop…I don't think a mzungu has ever worked at a shop in Kibera. 

At the end of the day, we went to a field outside of Kibera to watch Zulu play a football match! I wore my football jersey and warmed up with them. Unfortunatley they lost 0-1, but it was really fun to see them all play. Football is taken very seriously here!

For dinner, Edith took Daisy and I to an Ethiopian restaurant. It was okay…I definitely like Kenya food better. It was pretty spicy, and their version of a chapati was fermented so it had a sour taste. I pretty much avoided the meat, which was probably a good move, since Daisy was sick the next day. 

Saturday I went up to Njabini to visit Flying Kites - an orphanage for 26 children that my friend Colleen volunteered at in January. Besides being a much welcomed opportunity to get out of the city and enjoy rural Kenya, FK is truly an amazing place. They believe that these kids are not just orphans, they are children, and deserve the same childhood that the average American kid receives. They deserve field trips, computer lessons, and food other than ugali and sukuma every night. I could tell they receive a lot of love, because they gave love so freely. One kid, named Benson (with beautiful, giraffe-like eyelashes),  who Colleen fell in love with and sponsors now, immediately took my hand when I arrived, and gave me a tour of the whole place. They all were so willing to hold my hand, give me hugs, talk to me, even though they had never met me before. 

The muddy road that leads up to FK.

Benson and I

The volunteers were all very nice as well - and were making a brownie pudding dessert as I got there. It tasted sooo good, and made me a little homesick (Oma I can't wait for your chocolate chip cookies). That night, I just hung out with the kids and volunteers, ate dinner with them, and relaxed. They had a family meeting where all of the kids shared what they were grateful for and what made them happy and sad, and welcomed me with dance and song! 

I slept in a little cabin of sorts separate from the orphanage. It was a good thing that there were 5 thick wool blankets on the bed - because it got very cold at night since we were up in the mountains (around 8,000 ft). The stars were the best stars I have seen since being in Yellowstone last summer. The entire sky was covered with them,and it was a crystal clear night. It was such a good reminder of how indescribable God is, who made those stars and knows each of their names. It was nice to have my own room for night, be alone, and spend some solid time with God. Since there was no electricity or heat, I sort of felt like I was camping all alone.

For breakfast, the volunteers made pancakes and French toast - definitely a step above the usual bread and jam! I went to church with the kids, and as soon as I walked in they started translating from Kikuyu (a tribal language) into English. Like usual, I had to introduce myself in front of the whole church. 

When we were walking back to the house, it was really cool to just talk to the kids. The matrons went to a different church, so it was just me with 20 kids, walking together up a muddy road, holding hands, and having fun. We had lunch, and hung out until I had to leave. It was sad to leave, although good to be back home with my host family. Only 3 weeks left here in Kenya! I can tell I am going to miss it a lot!