streets, slums, home, hills and rehab...

wow... its been a long week... i was hoping to update this sooner but wow... Ive been busy and at times theres been no internet access...
I will write as much as I can now, But in a few minutes ( well a few minutes ago) I am leaving for Joseph Kang'ethe Rehabilitation street kid centre.

Ive been having fun at the house... playing with the two girls, they wore outfits I had bought for them to church on sunday.. they looked so beautiful and they were so proud of themselves.. church was so funny.. I had 4 options of what I wanted to do for church... but... The girls had been saying to me since I'd arrived "wow Aunty I love sunday school, I will show you on sunday!" so I figured there really was only 1 option and went to sunday school with them. I love those girls a lot and them really come out of their shell since ive been here - lotsa of hugs and kisses.. its good. haha so I went to sunday school with them - its huge sunday school with its own marquee tent thing.. about... id say.. over 100 children.. haha so anyway I was made to sit near the front between the two girls - i probably ruined a few childrens sunday school by blocking their view.. Esther who is 10 went up on the stage and infront of everyone introduced her friend Rachel - as if they hadnt noticed me.. haha.. but it was very sweet and she was so confident.. everyone here was so amazed and proud that she did that for me.
The younger girl Sarah has really improved on her english.. shes 7 we peel potatos togther most days and also enjoy our walks together to go and get fresh milk from a family with a cow nearby. We both enjoy chatting and love her singing as we go - i love getting milk with her - its one of my favourite things to do here!!

Tuesday I went to the streets - the streets where they rescued the 2 girls im in the house with now - it was so painful and horrible to think that this is where they were just a few months ago - 7 and 10 yr old girls - its not right. Ive been so looking forward to going to the streets but its was hard, very very hard.. every single child had a bottle of glue that they were sniffing, but it was good to talk to them and pray with them. We sung when we got there with the kids. they loved it and the sound was beautiful.. ive never seen girls on the street before and I found that the hardest thing, in Uganda i never saw street girls andf there were many there, so many! even pregnant girls.. that was very hard to see.. I prayed with them all for good health and that they would know that they were never alone, no matter how lonely they felt God is with them. I prayed for a guy who had a broken arm and many other issues... one girl took me to one side and looked deep into my eyes and sang me a song about the love of Jesus.. it was beautiful.. especially as she was so young but had tragically lost her husband. She had been so scared even to come over to me and yet stood there looking at me and singing her heart out... it was just beautiful and amazing yet sad and heartbreaking.

On monday I went to the rehad centre again - we go there 3 times a week, I was in a maths class (of 5 kids) and had to intoduce myself... one boy came up and said to me he was from uganda - we spoke luganda for a bit and now its my mission that when I get to uganda Im going to try and track his family - pray I get the information I need to do this - Im getting this info today.. wow... he should not be in that place and needs his family back... it makes sense for me to try to look while im there - there is NO other way.

There is so much more I wasnted to talk about but now im very late.. so i will update you soon. the power was off lots of yesturday so It was sweet just falling asleep on the sofa with the 2 girls. But Im looking forward to today - tomorrow I have to wake up at 5!!!! its been 6 most days but I dont know how im gnna cope with 5! we are travelling upcountry to a remote village to do a day of empowerment at a school - im teaching life skills to teenage girls - pray that goes well.... (and travel sickness! mannnnnnnn 5 o clock!!!)

Thanks for checking and I hope to hear from some of you sometime - hope that was a good enough update! get back to you all asap!!

With love, Rachel :)

I am ACTUALLY in Kenya - wow!

WOW! HELLO! :) hope you are all fine and good and lovely. I definately am. I am doing well and im happy and excited for the weeks that lie ahead.
I do not know how much time I have to write!! eeek! I have JUST got a sim card and have been able to contact the girl- bex who arrived here the day before me, she is staying close to the offices where I am now so will be meeting me very soon! wow! what a suprise and adventure!

These last two days ive been resting and working and playing with the 2 rescued girls at my "home". The place is in ngong hills which are around an hour from the offices and an hour from central nairobi - ngong is soooooooooooo cold! unbelievable eh!!?? so so cold, especially at night. right now im in hot centre of town so its ok - im thawing out!!

On my first day I met everyone, there is currently 8 of us in the house, tomorrow I believe there will be 10 as more of lydiah and hedwynn (the directors of the charity) 's children are coming. here in the house there is lydiah, hedwynn, their son josiah, their nephew and neice Mary and Jimmy and the 2 girls... that makes...7... oh and me!! 8!!

Yesturday I helped the girls peel potatos by hand for dinner, it took a long time! home grown potatos from the ngong hills. we cleared the green house (...plastic sheets and sticks!).. of spare leaves and fed the chickens.. then before dinner I sifted rice by hand to get the stones out,... it was worth it dinner was good - oh and the day before I cooked nearly 10 chapatis! it was hard to do - and was VERY hot! but I think i did ok - and was very (christian version of..) proud of myself.

Right... well then today came! my first day at the offices...I met the team again and then went with 3 other team members to the government rehabilitation centre for street kids - these kids are not there by choice, they get put there once they have been arrested and cannot get out unless parents collect them. the team goes there to talk, sing, play and teach the kids. was good but hard.. as the new kids have to tell their stories to the team of how they got there and how to get back... one child who I heard today came to nairobi for what he thought was a day trip, his friends convinced him that he could come and see the tall building and the city, then they said they would take him back, but they didnt they ditched him and went back to their home village which is over 7 hours away - he was stuck in naorobi with no money to get back, no phone, no numbers to call, he didnt even know where his village was or the direction to go in to get there, so then he was arrested. The team will work on how to contact his school and family in his home village and try and get the parents to find him and collect him - the government will not allow the team to take him back.

My friend from England has just arrived at the offices - hallalujah! another person who cannot speak swahili! haha...

Well, I hope to hear from any of you soon! take care and lots of love... il update with what I am doing as soon as possible.

Asante! (thankyou!) bye :)

rockwivrach@hotmail.com