Full Swing Ahead!

Things are going well and are in full swing at the City of Hope. I am falling more and more in love with the country every day. The last few weeks I have been concentrating on making relationships with the people in the area. Mwita and I have been visiting people in their homes and taking walks around the area on Sunday afternoons. This Sunday, we were two miles from home when it began to rain. It was cold, wet and muddy, but all we could do was laugh and say, "this is Africa"! Stories like these add to the experience.

This past week I have really just been taking in the sights and sounds of the area. As I look out my window I see the beautiful pink, orange sunset and I hear the crickets chirping and the birds calling to one another. I never, ever get tired of hearing the children play and sing. It is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. I have become wonderful friends with the lady who does our laundry, Mary. I love sitting with her and listening to her tell stories. The funny thing- she speaks no English, somehow though I can understand her Swahili. I understand her stories, her instructions, her needs. Somehow we communicate. Mary is a mother of at least seven children, though one has died. She was brought from her home in Kenya when she was about thirteen years old. She was taken to become a wife, the problem is, she is not the only wife. Mary has had a tough life, it’s written on her face with wrinkles, but she still holds an astounding amount of joy. She is beautiful in her own right and I love her dearly. Her story is just one of the many that has made me fall in love with the people of Ntagacha. I am beginning to know the village and the people. I cannot walk far without hearing my name called through the bushes or from inside a house. I love that very fact. They know me and I know them. Whenever I walk past a certain house, a little girl by the name of Lily runs out to greet me. I look forward to passing that house whenever the opportunity arises. It’s one of my favorite things and she is one of my favorite people.
Several times a week, Mwita and I have been getting up to take the children running and then walking them to school. It’s so fun to be a big sister to fifty beautiful children. Football, or soccer, is such a big deal round here. We play on a muddy rocky field without shoes, but it is so fun! Sometimes our construction workers, or fundees, will take time off and play with the older boys in the orphanage. It’s so fun to see them working together. This truly is a City of Hope! It is a city of unity, growth and beauty. I never get tired of waking up to see the hustle and bustle. Every part is so important, from the watchmen, to the gatekeeper, the cement mixer to the plumber and even the cooks and teachers. Without each part this vision would not be possible. When I sit down and think about where I am and what opportunity I am having, I feel so blessed.
Thank you for making this possible for me. You are helping to bring hope to a place where there was no hope and bringing change to a community in need. Thanks for being a part of the vision and for helping me to do so as well. Be blessed immensely!