Well, it has been a challenging 24 hours....we arrived at Scott Bible College here in Machakos yesterday, where we are staying in the dorms for 3 weeks.   Not your typical US dormitory.
  Many of you know that I pick campgrounds based on the bathrooms...this would not have made the cut.  Well, maybe for a weekend of camping.  The countryside is beautiful, and the air is cleaner than Nairobi.  There is still frequently a distinct smell of wood burning.  They also burn their trash (piles dotted along the road and in the village).  I think the smoky air is really bothering Ted's eyes.

View along the road to the village.  Quite clear today - apparently often overcast.

A man clearing a piece of land with an ax by himself.

We walked to the village this afternoon, after a long day of sessions.  It was nice to be out and the children of the village flocked around us!  Precious and very friendly.  One 13 year old girl walked back to the college with us, teaching us Swahili along the way.  I may need to talk with her every day!

The kids especially loved being with Anna - held hands and touched her hair.

Anna and I met one of the veggie ladies at the gate - her name is Rose and she was knitting a beautiful wool sweater.  When we go back for avocados tomorrow, I will see if I can get a photo.  You may be wondering if wool sweaters are necessary here?  The answer is yes - it is quite cool.  They provide heavy woolen blankets for our beds, and 1 or 2 are necessary at night!  It was in the mid 50's last night.  There is no heat, but it is quite cozy under the blankets.

Dining hall - we are learning new foods!

Women will do laundry for a small fee, and lay it out on the grass to dry.

  2 days and still wet!

This is the bus we traveled here on - the luggage rides on top.

 At any rate, we are settling into life here.  I am learning to like chai - a type of tea with milk that they commonly have at teatime in the morning and afternoon.  The kids have hot chocolate at teatime.   There is no American (i.e., brewed) coffee. :(   The food consists of a lot of potatoes and thin stew, plus carrots and peas or cabbage.  They also have a lot of bread, and there is usually some fruit, too.  Oh, and they aren't big on chocolate, either.  We have loved a type of crepe that they make, called chapati, and we tried mandazi today, which are a form of donut.  I need to start taking photos of food!

I will leave you with a story that surely embodies many of the ironies of East Africa:  while finishing dinner, the electricity went out.  We all tried to collect our families and stumbled outside where it was nearly dark.  (The sun goes down about 6:30.)   Some people had a flashlight in their pockets, while others used the lights from their cellphones.  Once back at the dorm, the youth and some adults congregated in the meeting room.  A large group played cards with headlamps and flashlights, a group of kids watched a movie on a laptop, several people worked on laptops, and a few people were chatting.  All this was off the grid - I found it very ironic.  What did we do?  After the kids played, I helped the girls shower with flashlights and Rick payed some bills to the US via the USB modem!  We are still somewhat living in 2 worlds! 


We are learning to appreciate the difficulty of life here with few resources (even though we are obviously not living under the full weight of that burden).  The people are so joyful and inquisitive, and I am looking forward to getting to know them better!  Ease and comfort may accompany a certain amount of wealth, but a joyful and contended heart is from the Lord.


Love,
Sarah
Psalm 37: 16
Psalm 105:1-2