Banana gifts and Dolly Parton

This...

is Mama Lois! She is one of our two sewing teachers in the new-ish sewing project I’ve been managing. She was hired at the beginning of our sewing project in March to help the other ladies learn some skills and techniques that they would need to start producing beautiful hand-crafted products (more on that later). Mama Lois is a tough teacher, but she is also very silly and fun and out-spoken (not the norm for Kenyan women). I love her.

Okay, I’m not going to pretend that this happened today or even in the past week, because it was actually just a day or two before I went to Mombasa... in the beginning of May. Oops. I wrote this a few weeks ago, but decided to post it now, after hearing Mama Lois’ new ringtone this morning and giving me another reason to love her: Mama Say a Prayer by Dolly Parton, my most admired living lady! Anyway, before my trip, Mama Lois brought us all bananas that she grew herself in her own garden.

I love gifts like this. The bananas were delicious and even more sweet knowing what a sacrifice it surely was for her to give away so much of her home-grown fruits.

Market Monday

I’ve decided that Mondays are Mondays wherever in the world you are. Mondays around here are very busy and very unpredictable. But I actually really enjoy the meetings, getting back into a routine after the weekend, seeing people who hadn’t been around the few days before, etc. It’s nice. One of my favorite things about Mondays, though, is that it’s Market Day! Every Monday morning, our baby house cook, Christine, goes to the vegetable market in town and brings back a huge sackful of beautiful fruits and vegetables. Gigantic carrots, bunches of kale, pretty mangoes, potatoes right out of the ground. It’s beautiful and all locally grown. Kenya has awesome produce. 

This morning, I spent some time on the kitchen floor, peeling plantains and potatoes with two of the aunties (we may or may not have spent more time singing and laughing and talking than actually working... but really, what’s new?) 

I LOVE Market Mondays. And so the toddlers - who doesn't want extra snacks?!

P.S. Is Deli not the most beautiful girl you've ever seen?

Happy Monday!

Coastin'

Last week, a few friends and I took a short trip to the coast. Two are starting grad school soon, another was going home for a not-so-fun visit, and I just needed a break and a tan (priorities, am I right?) So we decided very last-minute to head to Mombasa for a few days, and we left literally the next day. Our trip was low-key, but still really fun. We stayed in Ukunda, maybe 100 meters from the beach and just a ferry-ride away from Mombasa town. We swam in the Indian Ocean, rode camels on the shore, gave up on having cute hair and just wore top-knots (the humidity over there is brutal... I forgot how much I DON’T miss humidity), toured and shopped around Mombasa town, laid by the pool, got sunburnt, visited friends and their new house, ate a lot of dark chocolate, and did absolutely no work. It was so nice to have a mini-getaway in such a beautiful place with good friends. Unfortunately, I got very few pictures from this trip. I had my camera out for maybe 30 seconds on the beach and got sand in every crevice (and really didn't want it getting stolen or wet on the rainy days), and my phone doesn't take the best photos :( But here are a few:

We flew on a teeny tiny 12-passenger plane

Praise the Lord for beaches

Old Town shopping

Thrift find. Anthopologie rip-off?

Camel ride! Not comfortable, but still really cool

Thank you to everyone who donated money specifically for fun and breaks. Here’s to feeling refreshed!

Elections

Monday is a big day for Kenya -- election day! I don't care for politics in general, and yes, American election season is dreadful, but the potential problems and outcomes of this particular presidential election is much more serious than the typical frustrations of candidate commercials and overly-opinionated political ramblings on social media (which, let's be honest, is pretty terrible).

The last election in 2007 resulted in brutal violence and tribal clashes. It is often mentioned in conversations and referred to as the "burning of Kenya". The way the clashes are talked about here reminds me a lot of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina, how "The Storm", as it's called, is the reference point for every event that has happened since then. It's the same here. There was a lot that went into the post-election violence in '07, and I'll spare you the details here, but it was very real and very scary and could have EASILY resulted in the deaths of many people I love. I shot a video of my sweet friend, Christine, sharing her experiences and what she witnessed as she was running from a terrorist group the morning after the election. The video is refusing to load (which doesn't surprise me at all because it's long... because Christine is so long-winded. I love her.), but I'll just have you know that her awful experience included witnessing a decapitation, a machete circumcision, and lying about her tribe so that SHE and her daughters did not have to endure the same torture... all right in the streets of town. Pretty serious, huh?

I'm not writing this to spark fear or worry in you, but more-so to stress how real and raw things were last time and could potentially be (though unlikely) just days from now. I pray and hope and believe that it will not be the same as the last elections, but I would be naive to think that nothing at all will happen and that elections will be completely peaceful. In fact, there have already been signs of threats and unrest in town. While where I live is pretty removed from town and very safe as far as the building and security goes, it would be irresponsible for me to pass up an opportunity to keep myself (and the Kenyans here who would, for all intensive purposes, be "hiding" me) as safe as possible. My director decided for all the Americans on the team to stay in a guest house in a very safe area of Nairobi. The US Embassy also suggests we migrate to the capital. Though extremely unlikely, if we were required to evacuate the country, we would have to be in Nairobi anyway. So I'm leaving Nakuru and my friends and my babies in about 12 hours to be holed up in a flat for the next few days. All HCO staff will be staying at the baby house for several days (or longer, if things get rough) for their safety. I'm not excited at all about leaving so many people I love, but the several of us that are going are determined to make our "trip" fun! Lots of movies, good food, and maybe even a game or two if we decide to get wild. Ha.

Because of the guest house boarding, transportation, and purchased food, I will be spending much more money this month than what I had anticipated and budgeted for. Anything you are willing to donate for this "evacuation fund" would be so greatly helpful and appreciated! :)

And guys, please please PLEASE pray for this country I love so much. Pray for peaceful elections, for humble and gracious hearts, and for everyone's safety. I have several wonderful friends who could easily be targets for tribalistic violence. Please pray for them. I have a houseful of babies and friends that I'm leaving behind that I love so much, it almost aches my heart. Please pray for them, too. And please pray for me and the others I am traveling with, that our journey is safe and our stay is short.

Sewing project!

This was the first week of our new sewing project at HCO! All of our ladies are single mothers in need. They are learning how to sew and make cute aprons and accessories to sell. 

This week (and the next several weeks) was just about learning the machines and simple sewing techniques. I’m definitely no sewing expert, but I’ll be handling some of the business side of things. 

Plus I’m really excited to get to spend some time with these ladies and get to know them better!

Slow and sweet

Well, I’ve been back for three weeks, and I’ve finally gotten back into routine and normal life. Things around here will be getting VERY busy soon with new guests and volunteers, but these past couple weeks have been slow and sweet:

I can see this view any time I want, and it completes me.

Sleepover Sunday!

Banana muffins! They were wonderful.

Too Faced palette. Lap Dance is maybe the most
beautiful color for an eyeshadow ever created.

Wall decor that will never be put up.

Swim day with friends!

Swim baby!

Swim Julia!

I bring guests to a souvenir shop in town and somehow
 always leave with "gifts" from the owner. Seed necklaces.

And a floor mat.

Haircut day!

Bored.

These huts are in my backyard, and I will explore them one day.

New baby Sandra! She's the smiliest babe.

I have a cactus farm again! A sweet guest surprised me with  these.

This next week will include birthday celebrations, a trip to Nairobi (again), getting to know new friends, and reuniting with old ones. And hopefully lots of iced coffee and better-scheduled picture-choosing and blog-updating. In case I fail on that last part, here is one for good measure.

Probably mid-talking. As usual.

Naks, baby!

You guys! I finally made it to Nakuru! A few things baby-related:

1. Two new babes! Liam and Malaika. They actually came the day I left, but I was in Nairobi and didn’t get to meet them.

2. Job smiles now.

3. Benji has decided he loves me. He’s also decided that he loves photoshoots. Check out that headshot. Baby model.

4. Photoshoots are one of Precious’ new fave things too.

5. Titus is kinda cute now! 

Sometimes. Ha!

6. Jabali has always been cute, but he loves to make an ugly face sometimes. We must be kindred spirits.

His current fave thing is to be sweet and cuddle and say “Auntie? Auntie?! AUNTIE?! I love you.” Then he clicks his tongue like a kiss sound. It makes me die right then and there. It’s also my current fave thing.

7. Deli is walking! She’s still the prettiest and funniest child I’ve ever met. How adorable is this girl?!

8. Blessing is also walking!

And still loves to cry. I just love taking pictures of babies crying for no reason. Does that make me a terrible person?

9. Tobby is still way cute.

10. Andrew is chubby. And Susan joined the HCO staff! She’s sassy and hilarious.

11. MOSES! My very fave babe! He has the beginnings of an afro now and this is still his signature face.

He has the sweetest smile and the most kissable cheeks. And the loudest voice.

I'm so happy to be back!