Rest for the weary...

Today (Saturday) was the first rest day from the work we've been doing building the peace center, and it was awesome to not lift the sand sifter for a full 24 hours. The workcampers from Kiamosi, who we went though our Alternative To Violence training at the beginning of the trip, came in last night and shared dinner and dancing with us. They're working on improving moral at a Quaker hospital about 40 km away, by improving the staff quarters with roof repairs and fresh paint. With the American and African campers, we had about 20 people staying at the center last night. Today we drove the old land rovers over to the local tropical forest reserve, and saw a bunch of Monkeys and birds, but sadly no snakes. I have yet to see one here, though one of the long term staffers hasn't seen one in the two and a half years he's been here, so I don't feel left out.

Riding on the top of a Land Rover though the forests around here is right out of a movie: except in the movies I don't think the land rover has taken 20 years of abuse from Kenyan roads and might fall apart any minute. Lastly we drove over to an orphanage, where the permanent staffers visit every Saturday to play games and read to the children. Before the afternoon storms moved in we had an intense game of soccer, and I showed them how uncoordinated a Muzungu can be.

The situation at the orphanage was different then I expected. All the children in this orphanage have families, but they're unable to take care of them. So the children live at the orphanage, but their families will sometimes visit from time to time. You can contrast that with the child, at age 11 or 12, who was left at the permanent staffers building last Wednesday. They have no idea who he is yet, and since he hasn't spoken yet they're really in the dark as to what to do with him. He's been living with them in the meantime trying to adjust, but hopefully they can find him a permanent home. The work is really inspiring; people here are really changing the world for the better a small amount ever day.

On a good health note, so far malaria free! Sadly it's not the case for all the work campers, and Eli was admitted to the local hospital with an intense fever and all the other signs of malaria. Hopefully he'll be recovered by the middle of the week.

(The picture of the soccer game at the top was taken at the orphanage)