A goat giving birth, eating camel, feeding giraffes?!

It has been sometime since we have been able to hit up an internet cafe. I have missed writing.

On Friday I witnessed a goat giving birth on a pile of garbage just about two feet from me. No one around me seemed to notice but i was in awe of the process and a little sick to my stomach at the same time. I frequently pass live stock while walking from place to place.

Karen going a little too far
trying to get her proteins in
Carnivore

Saturday was wild. we decided to venture out to an infamous restaurant called Carnivore, in Karen, a town near Nairobi proper. The idea is to delight in exotic meats until you nearly explode...I was unable to do so and stopped after eating a small bite of the uber chewy camel. thinking about it makes me want to throw up. Marc, Karen and Claire tasted the ox balls. I hear they taste like salty eggs. Go figure.

Sunday was amazing. Marc, Claire, Karen and I decided to go to mass to watch our house momma perform in the choir and to learn more about her church. it was a wonderful experience. The pastor gave a sermon on being thankful and that just sums up the whole experience here thus far. I am so thankful that i am able to be here and I am so thankful for everything I have back home waiting for me. the pastor called us up and introduced us to the congregation and then they made us a special tea to show their appreciation. Kenyan's are so hospitable. If someone had one piece of fruit to her name, she would share it with as many people as she could.

Video 1: Dancing with Issac and his school mates

Video 2: At the giraffe park

Marc making friends at the
monkey park

After church we met up with some other volunteers and headed to an elephant orphanage, went to feed giraffes and went to a monkey park where little monkeys jump on you and try to steal food from you. Was a pretty amazing weekend.

Now back to our babies. Three of them are very sick and had to be hospitalized yesterday. While momma Mora was at the hospital with them it was discovered that she too had to be hospitalized. Marc went to be with her at the hospital and it was determined that she had been having an asthma attack. Karen and I stayed back to run the show. The kids are really opening up to us and despite the sadness of their past they are so full of love and faith and joy.

Morra was released back home today but was exhausted. Marc, Karen and I were perfectly capable of holding down the fort and told her to sleep in, something she hasn't done in years. They are very self sufficient children. The children serve themselves food, build fire to cook, hand wash their uniforms and wash their own shoes. Kefa, the youngest and only over year old, feeds himself and navigates up and down stairs. Michael,who is only about six, knows how to wash and hang clothes. It's remarkable.

Marc, Karen and I also met with Momma Morra to explore possible revenue building opportunities for the orphanage. Some ideas were to sell cards or detergent in town and to possibly start a website of the place and have a mechanism to make online donations. It's all up in the air at this moment but we are hoping to have a plan in place prior to our departure. It's our belief that in addition to our short term volunteer project we can enable them to do something great for themselves long term.

Sending you all hugs and kisses. signing off.