Catching up further.
Tuesday we went to another slum near Nairobi and continued our door to door distribution of food and offers to pray.  We were in much smaller groups.  It was me, another teammate, and our guide/interpreter.  Our guide, Martin (a local Keyan evangelist), told Brian and me that his wife had just had their 5th child.  His wife had required a C-Section last Friday.  On Tuesday the hospital was ready to discharge the wife and baby.  The only problem was that Martin owed the hospital 16,000 shillings (about $188 in US) in order to pay the bill.  The hospital won't release mother and baby until the bill is paid in full.  He had not seen the new baby yet.  He had 6,000 shillings saved and was expecting assistance from some family members, but was still way short of paying the bill.  Every day the wife and baby stay in the hospital they are charged an additional 950 shillings.  So every day the bill just gets bigger.  I heard today, Friday, that Martin still hasn't been able to raise the money and the wife and baby are still being held at the hospital.  Several of us are pitching together some shillings to see if we can't help.  It's so shocking and foreign that a hospital would hold the patient hostage till they get paid!
We are spending hours on the bus every day going to and from the slums.  By Wednesday night my emotions hit overload and I missed dinner because I was sitting in the chapel on campus crying.  Wednesday was an okay day.  Another day spent in the same slums we were in on Tuesday.  On Wednesday, however, we were in larger groups and were guided by some of the members of the local church.  I was with a different Brian from our team, another team member named Micah, and about 6 ladies from the church.  At 1 point as we left one alley I was the last one back on the street and 3 local gentlemen (in their 20's I'm guessing) said to me that they had been following us and wanted to know why we were there in the slum and what were we doing.  They did this in an extremely friendly, curious manner - not threatening at all.  The most outspoken one of them greeted me calling me his "sister" and all 3 of them shook my hand and were most interested in what we were doing.  As I started to talk with them I noticed that the rest of my group had continued walking up the street.  I called out for Brian and he and the rest of the group turned around and joined me.  The next thing I knew 3 other people showed up.  It was like the pied piper!  We're chatting up a storm with these people, they are all so friendly and considerate.  I'm not moving my focus from those directly in front of me so I didn't realize how large the group had grown.  The next thing I know Brian says to me "Kathy, we have to leave.  The guide says the crowd has grown too large and she doesn't think it's safe for us anymore.  We have to leave now!"  But I didn't want to leave!  I was having the best time!  I never, ever felt threatened or in fear.  I was just hangin out with my brothers in the street, hugging and talking.  But I left anyway.  It turns out that the crowd had grown to about 30 people while I was not paying attention!  No wonder the church ladies wanted to move on!  I think that was the best time and feeling I've had here, except for playing with the kids we encounter.  I was quite proud of my mob creation!
After learning of my emotional meltdown in the chapel on Wednesday night our fearless leader, Pastor Ralph, talked to my roommate (when he couldn't find me), and suggested that I take Thursday off and stay on campus.  Tuesday night I had come down with a scratchy throat and by Wednesday all this mucus had settled in my chest.  Ralph told me that everyone hits a wall eventually where there is simply not enough energy and emotion left.  I didn't really want to stay home on Thursday.  I didn't want to be thought of as weak or not a team player.  And I didn't come all the way over here to sit on campus.  Two of our team members have had similar bugs and stayed on campus Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.  I figured a good night's sleep on Wednesday would help and I'd be right as rain.  Nope.  Didn't get a good night's sleep but still thought I was capable of going out on Thursday.  That was until I saw Ralph from across campus and knew that he wanted to talk to me.  You need to realize that Ralph is this kind, gentle, caring Grandpa kind of guy.  There is nothing about him that is threatening or unkind.  But the moment I saw him I started to cry and I knew I was in no condition to try to go out in the slums again.  I must add a side note here.  We have a team of around 17 that are here to be going out in the public and handing out food and praying with people.  But after the first day many of them decided that "that wasn't for them" and they wanted to get out of going into the slums.  That left a few of us who were willing to go carrying the load.  That was part of the reason I think I was so emotionally shot by Wednesday.  And there were team members who were taking the easy route which got really hard for me to swallow.  I've never liked door to door knocking and such.  But I came here to Kenya to fulfill God's plan for whatever He wanted me to do, regardless of whether it was hard or outside of my comfort zone.  And I've really enjoyed most of that time in the slums talking with people.
So Thursday I 'stayed back' on campus.  It turned out that the team never did go into the slums so I didn't miss much.  However, I was so blessed by staying on campus and relaxing, doing laundry for myself and a couple of my teammates.  I had some fabulous conversations with the head of housekeeping named Simon.  We've decided to become facebook friends!  I also got to Skype with Kevin and the boys whom I hadn't seen or spoken to since I left town a week ago.  I also spent a few minutes Skyping with my Mom.  I had spent some time on Skype with her before, but without her being able to hear my side of the conversation.  Charades was the only form of communication.  I also grabbed a nap in the afternoon.  I was a completely different person by the time the team arrived back on campus.  I finally realized that I had experienced almost no down time for myself and that had created a problem.
Today is Friday.  I can't believe the week has moved so fast.  We went to an orphanage today and did crafts and played with the kids.  One woman runs this orphanage with 60 children in it.  We got there around lunch time and the only thing she had left to feed them was chopped up kale and carrots.  One of our guys ran to a local market and bought some rice and beans and flour so that the kids could have something more to eat.  These are children who have been abandoned and end up there.  The simple things like jumping rope, playing with balloons, and kicking a soccer ball lit up their little faces!
I didn't sleep too well last night.  I don't think I've mentioned that the campus we are staying on has a round the clock guard service and is complete chainlink fenced in with barbed wire across the top.  We were also told, on the first night, that we should not leave the dorm building after midnight because they release guard dogs to partrol the grounds all night.  They would attack if they saw us.  I know I've mentioned the nearby wild animals.  Soooooo, last night the hyenas were very close to our fence line making lots of noise and the dogs were barking up a storm at the hyenas!  This combination does not make for a restful night's sleep.  I'm hoping for better tonight. 
Today after we left the orphanage we went to a local mall for lunch.  We've done this every day.  Today there were some people with trinkets for sale set up at 1 end of the mall.  I went in with a teammate and we shopped around.  I eventually got sucked in by a very slick fellow and purchased a soapstone vase.  I found out later that he sold a soapstone plate to one of my teammates for 1/3rd of what he charged me.  I was really mad.  We eventually went back and several of us confronted him and although he wasn't willing to refund me any of my money he was willing to let me take more merchandise.  So I picked out this beautiful soapstone plate.  I was more satisfied.  Not completely mind you, but better.  I decided to cut my losses and move on.
When we returned back on campus Rachael, my new adopted daughter (and teammate), and I wanted to walk to the bookstore/giftshop to shop.  I had my backpack on.  I'm carrying my new plate and vase.  As we were walking down the path I wasn't paying close enough attention and didn't see a broken concrete slab in the walkway (which I've noticed a number of times before!).  The missing piece of slap created a hole about 2 feet deep.  So here I was "lalalalalalala ..." Whoops!  I stepped right in the hole.  Down I went.  I fell foward and fell flat on that plate I had just got.  CRACK!  I also smacked my head on the sidewalk.  I scratched up my right leg pretty good, turned my left hand knuckles into hamburger, and gave myself some good bruises.  I cried.  Not over the pain or embarassment of falling on my head.  I cried over the plate.  I got the crying out of my sytem and quickly started cracking jokes at my own expense.  I'm sore and will be more sore tomorrow, but I've emotionally moved on.  I can glue the plate back together and the crack (it broke nicely in 2 pieces) will hardly be noticable.  And I have a great story to go with it!
After Rachel and I finished visiting the giftshop we came back to the dorm and several of the team were up on the 3rd floor singing and playing guitar.  Rachael and I joined them for about an hour of impromptu jamming out.  It was a great time.
Tomorrow breakfast is at 6:30 and we leave at 7:30 for Kiebara - the second largest slum in the world.  We have been told that there are approximately 1 million people living in an area of approximately 1 square mile.  After spending a few hours in Kiebara we will go play with some more kids and end the evening with a concert event back in the slum where we spent Tuesday and Wednesday.  Sunday morning we leave at 7 to fly out to the safari.
This has been such an incredible experience.  I know that I will come back.  I've been told, by Simon of housekeeping, that now that I have been here I am his Kenyan sister and those of us who come always come back.  I've adopted or been adoptloving it.ed by several locals.  I'm
I'm sorry that I haven't posted any pictures.  I've been working so hard to get caught up that pictures have been last on the priority list.  Maybe tomorrow night.
For now it's late (10:45 pm) and I need to go to bed.  Lots of activity on the schedule for tomorrow.  I can hear the hyenas howling outside the window.  It's such a strange sound and sensation.  The safari will be even more amped up!  Oh Boy!
My love to you all,
Kathy