Yet another baby!

Couldn't resist putting this one on!

Only 1 day old! Just so cute

Beautiful tree - flame I think but they call the African Tulip the Flame tree! There are HEAPS of beautiful jacarandas now in bloom too - all the beauty of home here!

FIWAGOH ... the swim ,,, the end

Well am back now in the relative safety of the compound just out of Nairobi, but hear there have been some bombings in town and that Kenya is warring with Somalia. Maybe that was why when I got on the Matatu to come home today, we drove to a police station and they searched our bags and patted us down. The ride to Nairobi was enjoyable as I slept most of the way to avoid looking at the very close range of other vehicles to ours as we drove along and also vehicles coming from the opposite direction as we pass! I was "lucky" to get the front seat. Had a wonderful time at the orphanage - here are some final shots of the kids and also the wonderful walk to the "hot springs" where I proceeded to swim in the pelican and flamingo infested waters. Only a cold shower when I got back but it was better than no shower. Enjoyed my hot one this afternoon after arriving back "home". Enjoy the pics and captions.

The children having worship before starting class. The older ones take the younger classes each morning. It is a very good idea and the kids love it.

Fruit bought with donation - bananas, avocado, pineapple, mangoes. The kids were SOOO happy to have this as feeding 180 kids gets a bit expensive and you can't always give them these treats

I cut up a whole box of avocadoes

Florence (Mum) cutting the 30 pineapples into pieces

Benson (Dad) cutting the sugar cane - their favourite "sweet"

All the 180 plates are served individually for the children to come and collect so they are everywhere when they are dishing up. They had 3 buns and a piece of each of the fruit plus a whole mango which they eat skin and all.

Lining up for the sugar cane. They just love it.

Enjoying their supper

Washing water basin!

My Sabbath School Class on Sabbath morning. We sang new songs I had been teaching them - the electricity was off all day so no data projector so they just had to use the computer.

David came from America with 4 suitcases and 140 pairs of shoes - would you believe there were 5 pair that didn't fit any of the children. They were donated by soles4souls. Great idea.

The happy faces of the children waiting to try some of the shoes on

My journey to the lake begins - with 103 children + 4 seniors

There were many beautiful yellow billed pelicans there

The children always want their photo with you. And had two holding my hands for the whole 4 hours walking there and back! If one dropped my hand another one quickly grabbed it.

The "black" hole the shoe went down had to reach in and fish out - yuk!

The boys having fun on the way, thought about seeing if I could jump it but thought naa, I would fall in and make a real fool of myself!

We had to negotiate herds of goats, sheep, cows and donkeys. Lucky they are used to people although I saw the children scatter at one stage when a bull must have become annoyed with them and they aren't small bulls!

Yes that's the boys swimming in the "hot springs"

Please note the colour of the water!

Yuk squelch slimy (which I know is poo) under my feet, do I really have to do this?

I said I would go in so here goes!

Yep can still feel the slime - but I'm under

Yeah I did it!

Had to show them how to swim - breast stroke only as I wasn't puting my face in that water!

Glad to be out and dry myself off (could still feel the slime though)

The children had a great time

And look, you can wash in it!

The slime makers!

Beautiful sunset over the lake - my last night.

FIWAGOH Part 2

Went to town today after revising the English Exam with the Grade 7's - got to do Grade 6 on Monday but am going to have a look at the work beforehand as some are a little difficult sometimes to know the right answer!
Was given some money to buy the Orphanage needed supplies so with $300 went to town - got enough flour to make 4 lots of buns (combined with other flour they have here), 1 bag of rice for $45 - which will barely do them 2 meals, sanitary pads for the girls, and lots of special fruit like pineapples, mangoes, bananas, avocados and sugar cane as when you are feeding 180 children all these things get expensive, even thought mangoes are 25c each and bananas 5c! I couldn't help myself and bought them some stainless steel bowls, tweezers, gloves and disinfectant and a heap of lozengers and cough lollies for the clinic here as they don't have much there and had never had the tweezers before and didn't know what to use them for! Also feed some street kids - see pics.

Getting the "bale" of flour to add to the whole flour they have here to make the bunds. Takes one of these to make enough buns for one meal for the children. Sabbath they have fruit and buns for their lunch, which they enjoy. Tomorrow they will have a special day with the extra ones we bought.

Loading the bag of rice and flour to the car.

As a special treat we bought 80 bananas at 5c each, for the younger children, but misclaculated and so had to get another 25 from the kitchen.

Happy girl with her banana.

One of the HIV children who are given special meals of fresh fruit each day and vegetable soup with lentils and beans and raw food as well, and they are very healthy.

My little friend who has a boil under his ear the size of a huge egg, took him to the hospital this morning and they gave him an injection and antibiotics and they said when the boil comes up they will lance it. He was tired so I fed him his bowl of vege soup - he is eating a chipati here - and he then fell asleep. He is so gorgeous.

Girls and boys who came for a walk to the lake with me last night.

The lake with the mountains in the background. This is in the famous RIFT Valley.

Some yellow billed stalks on the lake - the flamingos and pelicans will be there early in the morning.

Main street of Nukuru with people marching for something. I too cross the road amidst the chaos of cars, matatus, taxis and people.

One of the street kids who ask "Pastor Benson" for something to eat. We took them around to a lady who had porridge for sale and we had 9 to feed by the time we got there so I paid 90 shillings for their porridge (90 cents) and bought them a packet of local donuts to share.

Enjoying their hot millet porridge 10 cents a cup and reaching for a donut from Benson! What can you do but at least give them one meal. Would love to set up something here to feed them at least one meal a day and counsel them and just generally help. There are about 1,500 living on the streets, no family, no home, girls too with babies - so sad to see.

FIWAGOH Mission and Orphanage

This is the second orphanage I have come to - very different to the first - but still only cold water for
washing (and no showers) - but I am getting used to it now! Have been helping at the scool with supervising exams, teaching some English - reviewing exams, marking papers. Hope to get for a walk down to the lake later this afternoon after supper. We only have two meals a day here one at 8.00 am and one at 3.30 pm - surviving so far LOL so will go after that. Taking worship each night with the children, showed them the powerpoint of PNG last night - lots of laughs and amazement at some of the photos and my talk. probably take worship most nights I am here and for the teachers each morning as well. There are 180 children here so lots of noise but all is good and a beautiful place. Enjoy ...

The view from the classroom overlooking the lake - just beautiful. I think my camera is packing it in or something as those black dots keep appearing, epecially when I zoom in to anything - not happy!

View towards the other side of the lake with the childrens rooms and main house in the foreground

My class doing their exams

You need one BIG pot when you are cooking for 180 kids - and the two meals a day are BIG meals.

Serving out the lunch

Maize and Beans together with lots of veges - Succertersh

The school from the outside. This will be the teachers housing when they build the new school

Yep washing is all done by hand. The "matrons" only do the smaller boys' washing - everyone else does their own

View from the playground to the lake - flamingos and pelicans are quite often on the lake