11 Weeks

I'm down to 11 weeks until I'm back in America. Which is a sad reality because today I finally felt completely comfortable with what I'm doing.  The walk to school, picking up the kids, taking them home, making porridge, and teaching.  It's such a relief to finally feel like this could be my home for the next 3 months.  This morning Isaac greeted me with such a big smile, obviously glad to see me feeling better.  Elizabeth was equally as glad to see me today as well.  As Isaac and I went to pick up the kids, he went on and on about how worried he was about my condition.  I'm so lucky to have been placed somewhere so great.  

I had lots of accomplishments today.  Isaac taught me to carry a bucket of water on my head, I didn't spill any porridge, I taught the baby class the alphabet all the way to the letter G, and one of the childrens' fathers wanted to make me his fourth wife.  (Polygamy is part of the Maasai culture.)  Elizabeth taught me how to make a delicious vegetable stew this afternoon, everything from peeling and cleaning the vegetables to how to serve it.  The kids finally really took to me today, Clara is my girl!! She loves when I just hold her, which of course makes my heart melt and I love every minute of it.  Njayo spends the whole play time pulling at my arms until I pick her up and spin her around a bunch of times.  I chased Junior the entire walk home today, every time I caught up to him, I picked him up and threw him over my shoulder until he screamed for me to let him run again. I'm finally learning the proper way to greet people and respond to greetings so it's making the village much more pleasant, being able to actually communicate a bit.  

A few people have asked me how they can help or donate to I&E/Hill Crest, and I'll look into finding a way to make this happen!  I love that people are wanting to help and I can't tell you enough how much it would mean to Isaac and Elizabeth.  Isaac told me today that Clara and Junior's mother got robbed at her grocery store and is out a lot of money.  He said that if he gets a call to do some work, if he makes $5,000tsh, he will take it to Maama Clara because there are people suffering worse than him.  This was about 15 minutes after he told me he couldn't afford flour to bring to the home visits... "I have big holes in my pocket right now."  Of course I got the flour and soap to bring to the families, but it's such a bummer he can't have more.  

I officially love the kids.  I'm so upset I've just got one more week with these kids and Isaac and Elizabeth, but I'm going to try to work something out so I can maybe go to Hill Crest on Fridays.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!  Time to go get dressed, we're all going to club Via Via tonight which I'm excited about, but it'll be an experience I'm sure :)