Dec Update

We had the girls for almost three weeks and although this time went smoother than the last, they are still high maintenance requiring much attention and supervision.  But at least they all got along:) No fighting this time. However, it reminded me of slumber parties when I was younger and the mom would have to come in all night and tell all of us girls to be quiet. These girls were so talkative, loud and full of laughter. I was happy to see them so happy but the quiet we get with the boys was very much welcomed!

Two of the girls

December is a time for preparing for Christmas, however preparations in Kenya are a bit different than back home. Here the big preparation is for the dinner. Almost every household slaughters an animal for the occasion and a couple chickens aren't enough. The closer to Christmas the more expensive the animals become. So in early Dec Mama Mwangi and I walked to the neighbors at the end of the road to buy one of their sheep for our Christmas dinner. The only problem was the sheep didn't want to come home with us. So in the midst of a very muddy road I pulled and Mama Mwangi pushed the sheep all the way home.We were certainly a sight to be seen. Mama Mwangi even fell in the mud! I think it took us about one hour to get the sheep home! But we arrived smiling and full of laughter. We let the sheep graze in our front yard. One day it started pouring rain so we proudly tied it to our front porch until the rain passed. It reminded me of a previous coworker who would tell about how he grew up in a very poor family and his parents were strange, and as an example to show how bad it was he would tell about how they would tie their sheep to the front porch.... ha guess I'm that strange parent!

Our Sheep for Christmas Dinner

We have hung a few Christmas decorations the kids made and today I'm in town trying to buy some real decorations. It's not like in the US where there are Christmas decorations in every store for months prior to Christmas.

Decorations the Kids Made

Despite the simple Christmas we will have here, I do have an Amazing Christmas present arriving on Sunday- and I can't wait!!!

Thanksgiving Kenyan Style

Although Thanksgiving isn't celebrated in Kenya I think it's a great holiday and decided we should celebrate it here.  Why not take a day to be thankful, relax and eat America food!

The kids were excited that they didn't have to do any chores for the day and enjoyed relaxing and playing most of the morning. We started the day with pancakes and then for the first time had spaghetti for lunch, which they thought was great!

For dinner we we didn't have turkey as there isn't a turkey market here, but instead had two of our chickens. One was the big black rooster which was always fighting with the other chickens and the other was a hen that wouldn't lay eggs. So our older boys took on the job/fun of preparing the chickens for dinner. This is a big event! They get super excited to slaughter/prepare the meat for dinner. In their culture they like to slaughter an animal for all big events/occasions. So all of the kids go to the chicken house to catch the chickens and they all help to pluck.  When I was a kid and we had chickens, I thought of it as a chore to have to pluck, but here it is done with joy and of course I don't want to take away their joy, so I just watch :)

Dinner ended up being two chickens, mashed potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese and spinach. Then for desert we had banana covered in warm chocolate fondu! Everyone said they loved it, although Karanja didn't like the mashed potatoes. They consider mashed potatoes as kid/baby food. This is the first thing Karanja has not liked!

I had a second Thanksgiving celebration with some of the Peace Corps volunteers that stay near me. Gabby is a great cook and it was delicious!

Karanja's Big Day Out

Karanja needed to go to the dentist so we made a day of taking him to Nyeri to go to dentist and do shopping just for him. It was only his second time to go to Nyeri (the city about 1 hour from us). He was so excited to go that he couldn't even sleep and would tell everyone "I'm going to Nyeri". Once we arrived he was scared of all of the cars and people and wouldn't let go of my hand. We were walking between two parked cars and the driver of one of them started it's engine and he about jumped out of his skin! He did great at the dentist after he figured out that the dentist chair wasn't going to attack him:)

After the dentist we went to lunch and he was excited to have beef fry, spinach, cabbages, potatoes, french fries, a doughnut (mandazi) and a coke! This kid can eat- but a trip to Nyeri must include a great lunch! Later we ran into a friend who bought him yoghurt and a snack cake.  This kid can eat- but a trip to Nyeri must include good food! Then we did some shopping for him- getting church and play clothes, socks and a pair of shoes. Then he went to the barber and was all smiles.

We were in the grocery store and he pulled me close- I thought he was again afraid of all of the people but instead he said to me with a big smile, "It's my birthday today, it's Nov 20!"  That's right... Karanja never knew his birthday so when he was at my house in July he decided Nov 20 would be his birthday. Birthdays aren't really celebrated here so at the time I didn't think he would remember the date he picked, but sure enough he did! What are the odds- the first time in his life to go to Nyeri for a day just for him happened to be on the first birthday he has ever known:)

Hit the Ground Running

No time for jetlag.... the schools were scheduled to close on Nov 22 but ended up closing early and I had students at my house on Friday!

I landed on Thursday night and then met with four of our university students on Friday in Nairobi before heading to the house. Arriving at the house was fun! It was great to see Mama Mwangi and the students who I hadn't seen in two months. Then when I walked in the kitchen to see what we had to eat, I had unfortunately forgotten our cupboard here is not loaded with food like back home in America... but there were some leftover beans and corn which were waiting for me :) Yep, I'm back!

On Sunday I went to St. Gerald to see how things have been going there. They replaced the Director while I was gone and I was extremely happy to find the new Director is a Brother who is very capable of improving the school and will be great with the kids! That is a significant relief!!

Today is Monday and I'm already at the dentist with 2 of our boys- with 5 fillings and 1 pulled tooth for a total of $190. Thank you everyone who bought bracelets, your money is already being put to use! It is because of each of you that we are able to get these kids taken care of! Also, we do still have more bracelets for sale, just email me at kenyaamini@gmail.com to purchase.

Next up is shopping- need to stock up on food, cleaning supplies and chicken food. Back to carrying everything and trying to get it all on the matatu and then carrying it to the house. Not in America any longer, lots of natural exercise here!

A Remarkable Trip

A huge thank you to everyone I've spent time with over the last two months. I truly appreciate everyone who hosted me in their homes, took me to dinner, bought bracelets, collected backpacks and items for the kids and sent donations!!! Thank you to each and everyone of you for a remarkable trip!

Now to land of opposites where they:
-Prefer to be old and big vs young and thin
-live for today rather than stress about tomorrow
-stroll vs rush
-walk vs drive
-eat fresh food vs processed

I am looking forward to my next 27 hours of travel to prepare for the adjustment!
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Kenya!! :) 

6 FAQ's- Frequently Asked Questions I Receive

Since I've been back home in America there are a few questions I seem to be asked frequently. Below are my responses:

1. "Do you really like it over there?"
My first thought was, "Does my blog not convey my true feelings? I should reread what I've been writing!" The simple answer is, I love it! I go to sleep at night so thankful this is my life. I love listening to the kids giggling themselves to sleep, I love when Ian wakes up singing, I love that Karanja can't stop smiling. I love the feeling of love and reward that I get from spending my days and time with these kids. It's about giving dignity and hope to people who might not have otherwise had it. It might be a simple life that lacks most modern conveniences but it is a life abundant in relationships and joy.

2. "What do you need?"
 Here is a list of what we need:

• Backpacks- If you live in STL I'm collecting backpacks (used or new) to take back with me.
• Student Sponsors- I have 6 students who still need their school fees to be paid so they can go to high school. Sponsor a student at $50/month tax deductible. Or make a one time donation. Go to http://kenyaeducationfund.org/ and click "donate now". Add a note that you heard of them through Sheila Murphy.
• Money towards items for the house. Paypal: kenyaamini@gmail.com

• Dining table and chairs- Still need $700
• Two bunk beds & bedding- $200
• A water tank for rain water harvesting $300
• A solar converter for our solar power $300
• Wish item- Solar water heater $1,500

• Money for dental work- See previous post on Hand Made Kenyan Bracelets

Many people want to send items but we can buy most items in Kenya at a fraction of the cost. Also, shipping and custom fees are extremely expensive. Unless someone is flying over and has extra room in a suitcase I do prefer to buy most things in Kenya.

3. "Are you starting a non-profit?"
Yes, I am working on creating a non-profit. The US IRS projects that it can take between 6-12 months to complete. I'm hopeful that it will be ready before spring. If you want to donate now and receive a tax deduction please do so via Kenya Education Fund, go to http://kenyaeducationfund.org/ and click "donate now". Add a note that you heard of them through Sheila Murphy.

4. "What exactly are you doing??"
I support projects and students at St. Gerald Children's Centre (STG). Also, when the STG children are on school break, STG looks for guardians/families for the orphans to stay with. However, there are typically 10-20 kids with no where else to go and remain at the Centre/orphanage living in the dorms. These remaining kids come stay at my house in a family environment. Additionally, I help to find sponsors for our high school students so they can attend school. Then I monitor the progress of each of these students which includes attending parent-teacher conferences and activities at their school. As the students finish high school I help to advise and support them on transitioning into the next phase of their lives.

5. "Can we come visit?"
YES, please come! I love having visitors and it will be a trip of a lifetime! It's truly an intimate experience with the Kenyan culture that few tourist have the opportunity to experience. Typical visits are 2 week trips which include about 5 days at my house followed by 4-5 days on safari. Total cost including airfare starts at ~$4,000.  If you are interested just message me info@kenyaamini.org.

6. "When are you going back? And will it be hard to go back?"
November 13. I'm definitely enjoying spending time with my family and friends but once Nov 13 comes, I will be ready to head back. I'm really fortunate to be able to split time between both places. 

Our Handmade Kenyan Bracelets!

  

Help us provide dental work for our kids by purchasing our handmade, Kenyan,  wire coiled, beaded bracelets. As described in the post titled "Trip to the Dentist", our kids have never been to the dentist. As a result of some serious toothaches, I started taking them and they have a tremendous amount of dental needs.  In order to meet the needs we are making and selling these handmade Kenyan bracelets!

Bracelets are $20 each including shipping within the US.  Each bracelet comes with a small card describing the cause. They will make great Christmas presents, guys your wives will love them!

To order:
1. Email- Email your order (color, number of bracelets and shipping address) to kenyaamini@gmail.com.
2. Payment-

• Paypal: Kenyaamini@gmail.com
• Check: Sheila Murphy, 301 Murphy Dr, Pacific, MO 63069, USA

3. Shipment- Your bracelets will be shipped after receiving payment.

Colors from left to right: White Multicolor, Red, Red & White, Black, Black & White

Colors: Metallic, Gold & Bronze, Golden, Blue, Blue & Gold

Comments from friends who have already purchased bracelets:

"Love my new bracelet! And my daughter just informed me she needs one so I need to purchase another!" Wendy.

"Love it and got my girls one too!" Jeni.

"Love my bracelet, it's so pretty!" Renee.

"It's comfortable too." Anne.

Thank you!!

Journey Home and Culture Shock

The journey home to St. Louis took about 27 hours. I left Nairobi at 11:30pm (3:30am CST) on Monday and arrived in STL at 7pm CST Tuesday (3am Nairobi). It was an 8 hour flight from Nairobi to Zurich, Switzerland then another 8 hour flight to Newark, NJ and finally 2 hours to St. Louis.

27 hours is a long journey but I have decided it is actually a much needed adjustment period to mentally prepare myself to be back in the US. Going from Endarasha, Kenya to the US is like changing to a completely different world. When I was in the Peace Corps they would tell us the hardest part of the entire service would be adjusting to our home culture. Although I heard this for two years, I couldn't believe it to be true. All I could think about was watching TV, driving my own car, eating American food, taking hot showers... how could life at home and with all of these amenities bring culture shock? But it is so true, you can actually have culture shock when returning to your own home. Through the many trips I've made back and forth it gets easier, probably not culture "shock" but at least culture adjustment.

Although I was looking forward to visiting family and friends, I was sad to leave everyone and truly had to prepare myself for the change of lifestyle. Instead of calling the US "the land of milk and honey" (as most Kenyans think of it) I think of it as "the land of excess and me".  It's not bad, just very different from the life I experience in Kenya. Most of us in the US have way more than we need and we live a life that is centered around ourselves. It is basically the opposite of those I live with in Kenya who go without even basic necessities and live a life of community and faith.

A few things that seem the most different to me:
-Shopping- So many choices at the grocery store can be completely overwhelming. 

-The vehicles here are huge. Everyone is driving massive 4 wheel drive vehicles but rarely/never taking them off the pavement.

-Drive thrus (which I love), my Kenyan friends can't imagine why anyone would eat in their car- ha!


-Empty roads- There aren't many vehicles (and no pedestrians) on these really nice paved roads except maybe at rush hour. In Kenya there are cars, people and animals everywhere.

-TV- I always get excited to come home and watch TV but then once I start watching it, I feel worthless. I'm used to being busy with the kids and visiting with people. Watching TV makes me feel lazy, like I'm wasting life away.

-White people! When I landed in Zurich I stared at all of the white people during my entire layover. Other than a few tourists I really hadn't seen white people in five and a half months. While observing all of the white skin I realized we age much quicker than black people. Note to self- stay out of the sun without sunscreen.

-Money- Every time I buy something, even a sandwich, I'm converting the money into shillings and think about how far it would go in Kenya. "The money for one sandwich would buy me 3 chickens or enough seeds to grow 1,000 cabbages or a uniform for a student."

-Busy, busy, busy. A European guy that sat next to me on one of the flights asked how I can live in Kenya "because they never get anything done".  I explained that once you get used to the culture you really start to appreciate it- slow down, make time for family, friends, neighbors, prayer and church, grow fresh food. What important things is it that everyone is actually getting done in the western world that isn't getting done in Kenya???

-Stress- Somehow the people in the culture who have the most money and material items seem to be the most stressed. And the things people stress about and get frustrated with don't seem as important after working with people who don't have food to eat. But until you have experienced it, it is hard to put it into perspective.

Although very different cultures, neither is perfect (which is why they aren't called heaven).  I am extremely fortunate to be able to live in both worlds and to experience and share the differences. Yes, it's an adjustment but so worth it to do what I love and to also be able to enjoy time with family and friends.

Pics- House Opening Party

The House Opening Party was extremely successful! It rained (which is considered a blessing) the night before and the morning of the party so we were quite blessed:) Despite the rain and mud everyone seemed to be able to make it. We planned for about 150 people but we served over 200 for lunch. Then friends from Nairobi came for the evening party and we ended up with over 60 overnight guests! People were sleeping everywhere! I'm not sure how we managed to feed everyone but no one went hungry.

The priest blessing the house

Thankfully, the mamas were amazingly helpful and we couldn't have done it without them. They arrived on Friday night to start preparing the food. They stayed over night and were up at 4am on Saturday to continue. Lunch was served at 2 and then they cleaned up and then started preparing dinner. They stayed over on Saturday night also. It was truly a community effort to pull off such a party- another thing that I love about Kenya.

Mass

I was welcoming everyone and Njoroge was my translator

The mass

The priest blessed each room

The mamas preparing food

Cutting meat- over 150 lbs! Thanks to Wahome for
donating a goat!

Peeling potatoes from our garden

Cooking tea

Making chapati

Cooking stew

Guests

Children singing a song for us.

Guests

.

Our high school boys

The evening party

Good times

Up Next....

The students have all returned to school. After hosting a total of 24 kids over the last 4 weeks the house now seems really quiet. But that won't last long... this weekend we are having our official House Opening Party and Thanksgiving Mass (this is a must in the Kenyan/Kikuyu culture when you have a new home) at the house!  So this means that we have a mass followed by a meal and celebration for about 150+ of our closest neighbors and friends.

This is quite the undertaking considering we do all of the cooking using charcoal and firewood.. But Kenyans have this party thing down to a science. About 10 of the ladies from our community will come on Friday to start cooking. We will be slaughtering a small bull and preparing over 100 lbs of meat, 75 lbs of rice, loads of potatoes, 40 lbs of wheat flour for chapati and the list continues! The nice thing is that many of the neighbors have offered to bring the vegetables and milk (for tea). We are renting/borrowing chairs, a tent, benches, pans, plates and cups. All of these will be collected on Friday by the donkey and cart that we are hiring-ha!. 

It should be an amazing celebration! I'll be sure to post pictures.

And once the party is over then I  return home to the US on Monday to spend the next couple of months catching up with family and friends!

Back to School They Go

The boys returned to school today...their smiles have disappeared :(

Oh Boy-s!!!

The boys have been with us for the last week and a half and it has been so much fun and so rewarding! They are easy going, fun to be around and usually do chores without being told :) The three small boys have been with us for over three weeks now and we absolutely love having them and I think they love being here! People keep commenting that they look so happy and healthy. Ian often wakes up singing and sings and dances all day, Martin is full of stories and Karanja rarely stops smiling. I am sure I'll be sad when they return to school next week...

And one thing I quickly learned is that all houses need rules- it is best to have them before you need them but often they come as a result of some sort of issue.

Our house rules

A couple of things that are very different than life in America:

-The kids LOVE vegetables. We had about 20 pounds of sweet potatoes from our farm and they ate all of them in a day and a half. They eat them raw, roasted or boiled- it doesn't matter. Also, for dinner we usually have spinach or cabbages and ugali (boiled corn flour) and these kids can't get enough spinach. They each eat a heaping mound on half of the plate and they always want even more!

Huge sweet potatoes!

-When I was young if we didn't eat all of our dinner Dad would tell us we would have to eat it for breakfast... yuck! But they like eating their dinner for breakfast. If we served too much they save it for breakfast and it's one of the first things they ask for in the morning...

-Language- Most of the kids speak Kikiyu, Kiswahili and English. So at any time you can hear any mix of the three. The small boys are still learning English so communication with me is very interesting. I'm sure all of them only hear about half of what I'm saying when I'm giving orders about flushing the toilet, picking up their things, etc.

-The kids are expected to do a lot of work around the house and garden. The first break when we had kids I thought they only needed to clean/work about 2 hours a day and I let them sleep in until 9 am one morning. Mama Mwangi told me they were being lazy and good Kenyan kids need to learn to work! So now we have a time table. The whole house is mopped and cleaned every day (inside and out), then they go to the garden to work for about 3-4 hours and they help prepare all of the meals.

Our daily routine

A favorite duty- harvesting red beans. Once they are dry you pick the whole plant, then you beat them with a stick until the beans come out.

Somethings that are the same:

- It seems every time I go to the bathroom there is someone knocking on the door with an urgent request for me.  How is it that I can be with them for 2 hours and the minute I go to the bathroom they need me? Knock, knock, knock, knock on bathroom door: "Sheila! Sheila! Sheila!"
Me, "What?"
Small child, "Sheila COME!"
Me, "Why???'
Small child, "Chicken!"
Me, "What about the chicken?"
Small child, "Come, Come! Chicken is ummm.... ummm...umm laying"
Me, "Laying? Is it dead??"
Small child, "No, it's laying an egg! Come, you see!"

 -They love playing games. Uno (thanks for sending Aunt Loretta) is a favorite and they try to cut their garden work short to have Uno tournaments. I taught them Sardines (I think that's what you call it) where one person hides and everyone else finds them. When you find them, you hide with them. The last one there is the looser. So imagine how fun its playing that with 10 boys on a 2 acre farm! They loved it!! We would wait in the house while the person hid. When I'd open the door for us to go find the hider you would have thought they were going to find presents on Christmas morning!

-The other day one of the kids said to me, "Sheila, tell Peter to stop polluting".
 Me, "Polluting? What is he polluting?"
"He is polluting my air!" ahh, farting....lol!

Love these kids!!

Girls, Girls, Girls

We have had the St. Gerald girls at the house for nearly the last two weeks and what a difference the girls are from the boys - girls are complex!!! We have 5th-8th grade and high school girls. I had forgotten what life is like during those ages.... bickering, attitudes, not talking to each other - oh it's fun...ha! The weather has been rainy most of the time so we get to spend the days together inside....

But when they are being pleasant we have had some good times. I introduced them to Mac and Cheese which came with mixed reviews. About half said they liked it and the ones who didn't had some very strong opinions about it! One of the girls told me that it tasted like yogurt. I keep teasing them that we are going to have it for lunch every day since I've had to eat their githeri (red beans and corn) every day. Everyone liked American pancakes and most everyone liked the SlimJims. I haven't yet shared my Twix and York's (thanks Anne H.!) as I'm quite selfish about those!

The small boys are with us and are a bundle of joy and energy. Ian our youngest (in an earlier post I talked about how he said he wants to be a mazungu [white person] when he grows up) asked one of the girls whose skin is a light brown what she eats to make her skin look like a mazungu!

We switch mid week, the girls go back to St. G and the boys come - hopefully life gets a little easier :)

Lunch outside when the sun finally came out!

Enjoying pancakes

First time to ever do a puzzle, thank you Boeing friends!

We have beds!!!! 

"Living in the Clouds"

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the clouds? Well, I have been experiencing it for the last few weeks. Despite living right on the equator, it is about 52 degrees, foggy, wet and windy :( This time of year is our winter. Yesterday, I was sitting in my living room drinking my fourth cup of hot chocolate and could see my breath! We are truly living in the clouds!

Because of the weather we are experiencing, the kids will be spending most of their time here indoors. They will be arriving at our house today!! This time we will have about 15 kids for approximately five weeks. So, if anyone has any ideas of indoor games or activities for children please pass them along. I would really appreciate it; Momma Mwungi and I are going to need to keep these kids busy during their stay. 

Our house on a foggy day.

This is how muddy it is from all of the rain!

A Visit To A Student's Home

There is a family of boys at St. Gerald who I knew very well when I lived here in 2005-2007. Their mother died when the boys were very young and their father is an alcoholic and unable to care for them. Years ago, the third boy was permanently expelled from St. Gerald for discipline issues and they sent the oldest brother (in 6th grade) home with him to take care of him.

Once the oldest was ready to attend high school the sponsor that was helping agreed to only pay for one of the two oldest boys (secondary education is not free in Kenya). Since the oldest one was living at home taking care of his younger brother and attending the public school his grades were very low. Therefore, they selected to pay for boarding school for the second brother who had been at St. Gerald for all of his primary school and was performing well.

The oldest one is now in his second year of high school at the local day school. I was told that I needed to go assess the situation, as it is not good. So when the schools closed I had two of the brothers take me to their home. We stopped in Nyeri to get some basic food items which I knew they wouldn't have at home. Then we took the matatu to their house. We arrived at their village and walked down the side of the mountain to their home. It is a traditional wood home with mud floors and surrounded by many green banana trees. I was instantly greeted by a warm, welcoming smile of the boy I hadn't seen in 6 years with feet that hadn't seen shoes in possibly as long. I asked him how school was going and he said not very well as he is often sent home from school because his father cannot afford to pay the school fees. Then he went on to say "and things are difficult".  I asked him, "what is difficult?" and his response was "often there isn't any food". It's hard to explain the emotion I feel when I hear this directly from a child. First it's anger- how can someone allow their child to go without food? How can the neighbors allow this? How can God allow this? Then I question "why was I given so much yet there are kids without food?" And then the answer is as clear as can be "I was given much in order to help those without".

You might ask why he doesn't get a job, but in Kenya jobs are few and jobs for students without a high school certificate/diploma are basically nonexistent. The best they can do is try to have a small garden on the plot they do have to grow something.

As you can see education is very important just to qualify for a job. But even more importantly for our underprivileged children is the safety and meals that are provided in school. When they are in boarding school I know they are at least fed and safe for 9 months of the year.

This boys is one of many that we have in similar situations. If you are interested in sponsoring one of our students for high school or a one time contribution towards their school fees, go to kenyaeducationfund.org and click "donate now". Include a note that it is for Sheila Murphy's kids.

Items to Send

In response to the questions I've received about what people can send- unfortunately shipping is very expensive. If you would like to send anything I suggest sending items that are lightweight. A few of the things that we could use:

-Dental floss
-Deodorant
-Backpacks
-Socks
-Soft-backed books (ages 5-high school)
-Cards (uno)

Craft Items:
-Glue sticks
-Construction paper
-Markers
-Yarn for knitting
-Colored string for friendship bracelets
-Old magazines (making jewelry to sell for our dental fund)

Otherwise it is quite cheap to buy items here, especially clothes. My sister sent $75 and I was able to buy 35 pieces of clothing including many Nike and Adidas jackets & hoodies (there is a big used American/Europe clothing market here).

Address:
Sheila Murphy
PO Box 64
Endarasha 10107 Kenya

Clothes I was able to buy here for $75

Or to make a contribution towards clothes and shoes you can mail a check to:
Sheila Murphy
301 Murphy Dr
Pacific, MO 63069 USA

18 Days Later

The six day midterm break turned into a 17 day holiday for our high school students. The Kenyan teachers are on strike so the schools have been closed. The strike has not been settled but the schools that our students attend are reopening today.

I had thought having the kids for six days would be a good way for me to slowly get used to having kids in the house but I should have known better than having my own plans! 

Despite the additional days it really has been a pleasure to host the kids. They were very helpful and respectful; it was fun to watch them become comfortable in the house and to see their personalities as they danced, joked and just acted silly. We were even surprised by a hidden skill of one of the boys- he is great at knitting (was raised by his grandmother) and knitted a scarf for me in just three days!

It will be nice to have a bit of a break before the one month school holiday in August but I am certainly going to miss the laughing and giggling of the boys late into the night as they were supposed to be sleeping.

Lazy Sunday - kids sleeping on the couches

Intense game of Scrabble

Kariuri washing clothes

5th Trip to the Dentist

Today is our 5th trip to the dentist. It seems like we ended up with 3 root canals, 1 pulled tooth, and maybe 15 cavities for the 3 boys. It's interesting, the dentist never really tells me the total damage. He picks the big issues and works that one and tells us to come back. I try to get a list of exactly what the issues are and how many more return trips but they don't really seem to work that way.... The good news is the boys are out of pain! We still have many more trips to complete all of the work but now we can do it slowly and when they are on school break.

Trip to the dentist

For the root canals the dentist has all of these pins that he is using. They are stuck in the kids mouth and then the dentist sends us for x-rays. This means we have to leave the dentist office and take either a motorbike or a matatu to the hospital to get the x-ray and then return to the dentist for more work. Seems a bit dangerous  to be running around with pins sticking out of their tooth but I guess there really isn't another option.

The downside of the one pulled tooth is that boy wanted to join the army or become a police officer, but a requirement for both army and police is that you must have all of your teeth.... so he will have to choose another career.

I am now working on prevention with the other kids! I am trying to teach them to brush and floss every day and am making sure they have toothbrushes and toothpaste. However, I can't find dental floss here in Nyeri. If you are interested in sending some it would be a great help!

Sheila Murphy
PO Box 64
Endarasha Kenya 10107