Amazing Children

I am in love with the 24 children at HOREC! Who couldn't love them? They are all so amazing and smart and beautiful. I am sorry for not updating my blog sooner. The days have gone by so fast. I don't even know where to begin . . .

We arrived at the orphanage on Saturday afternoon after getting settled into the Sportsview Hotel in Nairobi. My eyes filled with tears as we were greeted by waving and dancing kids. Agnes was playing the drums while her older sister, Alice, led the others in song. We moved into the newly constructed dining hall for the performance of a lifetime. They sang and danced and played the drums for us. It was AMAZING! After the performance, they each introduced themselves and quoted their favorite bible verse. The kids told us they didn't sleep the night they found out we were coming. They were especially happy to see Marty again - she was there in January, too. There was a note on their blackboard that counted down the days to Marty and it read "0 days to Marty!" It was so cute!

On Sunday, we joined Rev Stanley and his wife at the Spring Valley Church. Spring Valley is a slum area. He told us how the people of Spring Valley were thrown out like garbage by the government. He said he personally buried 418 children who died of starvation/malnutrition. He started a school and meal program a few years ago and they have not lost a child to starvation since. Buana Yasifiwe (Praise God in Swahili)! We joined the children of Spring Valley for Sunday school. This little girl came up to me and crawled into my lap. Her nose was running, her eyes were watering and she was coughing, but I could not put her down. She kept stroking my arm and burying her head in my chest. She just wanted to be held. We sang and we danced with the kids as they played the keyboard and drums. I felt so alive with all of those children. They recited Proverbs 10:1 for us by heart. They were all so smart and well behaved. It was absolutely amazing. The HOREC children joined us for the main service - this is a rare experience for them so it was wonderful that we could make it happen. I ran to the van to greet them with CJ. My heart was just so filled up when I saw them. They were introduced in the service (as were all of us - twice!) and then they got up and sang for the congregation. They didn't even seem afraid or nervous about doing this. Meanwhile, some of us were nervous to just get up and say "I am _____."

After church, we went to a hotel with a swimming pool and had lunch (french fries, ugali, potatoes, boiled goat and BBQ goat). It was really good. The kids enjoyed swimming. The girls were embarrassed to put on their "swimming costumes" and were giggling in the changing room and covering themselves up. It was sad to see the other kids get out of the pool when the HOREC kids got in because they were from the "other side of the tracks" so to speak. We joked that it was because Robb Bourdon and Joe Lynch had gotten into the pool. Who wants to swim with murangi (white people), right? ha ha After swimming, they enjoyed putting my sunscreen on. Their skin was so dry from the chlorine in the pool. My sunscreen was white and very thick. The little boys enjoyed making pictures and designs on their arms with it!

What a super weekend! My heart is so full from these AMAZING CHILDREN!