Kat and Stephanie Intern Update

Jambo from Kipkaren! Kat and I arrived at the children's home this morning after saying difficult goodbyes to our friends at the Ilula children's home. We were greeted by all of the staff singing and clapping a greeting to us. To enter the grounds, we were handed a pair of scissors and asked to cut a rope that had been wrapped in flowers. We were each given roses and were able to greet everyone individually. Our room is right by the river and has drinkable water in the sink!!! We are so grateful to be here and were amazed at the warm welcome we received. After lunch, Kat went to visit the childrens school and speak with the director. I shadowed at the clinic and learned a lot about the common illnesses in this area and got a wonderful tour. The clinic has an HIV counseling department, an optometry dept, exam rooms, a lab, a maternity room and a dental room! We are excited for the opportunities that we will have in the days to come.

We send our love to everyone at home and will try to update later! :)
Steph and Kat

Kate Kerr Intern - Second Update

Jambo rafikis! It’s almost been three weeks here at Kipkaren and it seems that I wake up and experience something new everyday! Last Wednesday, I got the opportunity to go on some home visits to locals that are HIV positive. We stopped by the home of a man named Joseph and found that he was actually in the hospital at the time. We prayed for him with his family and today we got to go back and visit with him. It was amazing seeing our prayers in action. He told us that he had heard of our visit and appreciated all of our prayers and thoughts and that he had been unsure if he would even make it back home again. It was wonderful seeing him with his family and how much he appreciated the little time that we got to spend with him. I know if we keep praying and even greater things will happen!

Other then that, I’m still blown away by the beauty of my surroundings here. A few of us are planning a hike some weekend and some more long walks to explore even more of this area. I’m learning lots of Swahili and have even planned a devotion for the kids tomorrow night that is about 25% in Swahili! The last few nights have been enjoyed by a fire with the children. School is going really well, I’m enjoying working with the kids and getting a feel for the classroom environment here in Kenya. I’m still getting used to walking down the road and hearing kids yell out, “Hello, Madam Kayte”! Keep watching for updates there are always new memories being made!

Kayte Kerr Intern Update

Hey guys! I made it safely and have been loving every minute of this adventure. The facilities at Kipkaren are more than I ever could have wished for and the welcoming attitude of not only the staff and children but the community as a whole has been extremely overwhelming. I guess I will give you a little overview of what I have been doing over here. On Mondays and Tuesdays I spend the day teaching at Brook of Faith, the private school that the kids from the Children’s Home attend. I work with the baby class on Mondays and then class one, two and three on Tuesdays. It has been a joy watching these children learn and be patient with me since most of them are still working on their English and I’m working on my Swahili. On Wednesdays I go to the clinic and do home visits to people in the surrounding area that are either HIV positive or are suffering from a chronic illness. We visit with them and bring them a little positive encouragement while they share their stories with us. Thursdays and Fridays are spent at the public school in town, Chebaiywa. I teach mathematics to class six and class eight and then in the afternoons I teach CRE (Social Studies with a Christian flair) to class seven. It has been such a blessing being a part of the student’s lives there. They have so much potential and I am just starting to see their personalities come through now that they have gotten over the fact that I will be teaching them and that I’m white! Other than that my days are spent almost completely over at the Children’s Home, spending time with all the kids, learning how to wash clothes by hand, and sing and dance. The food is great and weather lovely. I honestly am having the time of my life and couldn’t ask for a better experience. I will tell you some more details and stories in my next blog…tune in!

Ann Pak is in Nairobi, Kenya :)

June 6, 2009

After 24 hours of being on a plane and layovers in N.Y. and London, I finally arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport late yesterday night. Because of the higher altitude, my head felt heavy and it was a bit hot and humid inside the airport, but nevertheless, I was excited about being in Kenya! I passed through the VISA line without any complications and was ecstatic that both my luggage bags had made it safely to the carousel! :) As I made my way out to the general arrivals area, I saw a kind looking man (George) holding a sign that said "Mayfield Guesthouse" and underneath it in smaller letters "Kiprop/Pak". On my way to the guesthouse, I found myself scratching my left hand where a mosquito had already feasted, and noticed that the driver was on the right side of the car and we were driving on the left lane. I also noticed that the gates of the homes and buildings on the streets had some kind of barbwire, spikes, or shattered glass and quickly was informed by Michelle that homes were often broken into. Because it was dark those were my first impressions of Nairobi :) Today, despite my time conversions and efforts to avoid jetlag, my eyes opened at 3:30 in the morning so I got out my airplane pretzel snack and appeased my growling stomach while awaiting the sun to come up. I have a busy day ahead of me with Michelle and William in Nairobi, and I will be sure to blog/facebook about it when I get a chance! :) But I'm super excited to be here and am enjoying every moment!