July 11

Today we woke up at 5:45am, got dressed and went downstairs. The children started trickling in and doing their chores. Once they were done with their chores they got in line and sang songs and prayed in preparation for breakfast.
We watched as they sang in Swahili but also in English! Children from 3-8, know two languages in this third world country!
Breakfast consists of a Porridge, it tastes like cream of wheat without any sweetener, the children love it because it may be one of only two meals they receive in a day, here at Mbewau, when they go home they usually do not get dinner.
Today I was very tired, my body was still adjusting to the time change. I was assigned to the baby class with Whitney. When we went in the teacher had a schedule and so we helped her. The children learned about water and where you get water from and what you hold water in.
Then the teacher drew in each child's book a pitcher for them to color, there were probably 30 students!
Once this was done it was time to take them to the bathroom, the teacher then turned to me and said "I am going to take Chai" which means tea for those of you that don't know, and left me by myself with 20 little girls while the boys were in the bathroom with Whitney! The girls immediately jumped up to come and touch me and wouldn't sit down! Lol! Hapano (spl?) means No! It was my most used word today!
The teacher returned shortly and we started to play games like Simon Says, although they didn't quite get the concept but had fun trying!
It had been raining in the morning so we weren't going to take them outside however at this point the sun had come out so we decided to take them outside to run around until lunch. They were so full of energy! They got on the swings and ran around!
At lunch time they all got in a line and sang "march march march, march like a soldier!" it was so cute.
Lunch was Yunagi and beans. Yunagi is a cornmeal mixture that reminded me of dumplings like from Chicken and Dumplings. Yunagi itself has no flavor, but it soaks up what you eat it with. It was good!
After eating I was so tired that I had to come take a nap.
I fell asleep at 2 and was out until 3, and feeling much better.
As soon as I woke up I got ready, I knew already that we were going home with a couple of the children to film and take pictures and do a small documentary for REAL4Christ.
At 3:54 we began on our journey, we walked down a rocky dirt road thru the village and thru a windy short cut in what I can only describe as the jungle! As we were walking we would pass women carrying water on their head and babies no their backs, men in bicycles and motorcycles, and children! Lot's of children!
We had three teams and we were all going to different homes, when we finally arrived at our destination it had been 45 minutes!! And all I could think was these children make this walk morning and evening every day with no chaperone!! Barefeet!!
As we walked up nothing could truly prepare me for what i was about to see. Samu lives in a mud hut, barely the size of a closet. Her mother hadn't know we were coming and she wasn't there, she was working on the farm which was far away. However Samu's sister was there and told us her story. Samu's father passed away a few years back and she was the youngest of 7 children. They have a farm and they live off of what they grow. They also have goats.
As we left, I couldn't help but think, this child not only knows a foreign language, but walks 2 miles (that is how long it ended up being) there and back every day by herself and without shoes! My children's lives are light years away from these children who live in mud huts!!
Coming back from that you take a different perspective of life in general.
I hope to continue to learn to be thankful and use the blessings I have been given to help those who are not as blessed.

Be blessed!!
Rach