Live.Laugh.Love.

Hello Everyone!!!

I just want to say that I miss every single one of you and I can’t wait to see you all soon!! Only a little over a month to go! I have been having a wonderful time both at the hospital and at our host family (who are incredible). We have been witness to shocking things at the hospital where we are working and our brains are still trying to process everything.

I first wanted to explain the title of the previous post because right after I left I realized that I never even explained it! haha I was referencing a comment I had made last Saturday at the host family’s home. Most of the people that live here in Kenya actually are Seventh Day Adventists and their day of rest is on Saturdays from 6:00pm on Friday the night before until 6:00pm on Saturday and you are supposed to use that time to pray and reflect on the previous week and thank God for everything that has been given to you. The children are not really supposed to play with things and be crazy and wild and they are supposed to be quiet and think of God the whole day…which can lead to a long day. So Cate and I, not knowing prior that they weren’t supposed to play with anything, brought out the volleyball for us and the kids to play with and Oliver, one of the older sons said that they weren’t allowed to play with it. And I said “Well God made volleyball!” Trying to make a statement that God made everything on this earth including volleyball so we can think of God while playing. haha But he didn’t really go for that too much, but this last weekend they became a little more loose and we broke out the ball which they absolutely love!!!! I can’t wait for you all to see pictures of these children…they are the most precious things on this planet.

The explanation for this post’s title is one of the treats that are extremely common here and is sold EVERYWHERE is sugarcane. Our host family grows it along with pretty much everything else, and I look forward to it and ask for it every chance I get. It looks just like bamboo and you peel back the hard shell/coating and suck on the juice in the middle…it is wonderful! haha

Well I just wanted to mainly say Hi and I really don’t have anything new to say. We are hoping to visit Tabaka next weekend which is where all the soapstone is carved and made, Kisii is famous for their soapstone carvings so I can’t wait to bring some home. Then the next weekend we are hoping to go to one of the Tea factories here. Tea is everywhere is Kenya, and it is mostly grown where we are.

The time here is going by quickly, which is good and bad because I can’t wait to get home and see all of you but it is also going to be really hard to leave this incredible family who has taken us in as one of their own. They have already invited us to come back and visit and stay with them in the future!

I love and miss you all deeply!!

Ashley