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 The Americans, who were staying on the floor above us, woke us at 5.30 as
they were leaving. They had mistakenly thought that they had needed into the office beside
the boys’ room. Tiredness was becoming more of a problem. After an egg and PB
Sandwich breakfast, we visited the Nyumbani centre for babies with AIDS. We played with
the children, again providing respite and support for the workers. I pushed the roundabout
for quite some time, before a young boy pulled me to his
cottage and asked me to read him a story. I read "Tillie’s Teddy" to him,
only to be joined by an older girl, who falteringly joined in, reading it through another
twice, with a little help. The "Lion King" video was shown for the kids, but
Becky (14 months and now HIV-) decided that she would rather that I pushed her round the
complex on a bike. She cried every time I tried to stop. Meanwhile, the rest of the team
had got involved in cleaning and building work. |
 
 
 
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On the way home, we saw some baboons and warthogs by the side of
the road.  After lunch, we returned to SCREAM, where we
helped with some gardening work. I unexpectedly dug up an old chain link fence and some
barbed wire. We wrestled with it for some time, before having to cut it (with pliers) and
bury some of it, rather than disturb the surrounding plants. Emmanuel treated us to some
sugar cane and we were visited by Zoë and Rachel from Tearfund. I helped Fred with the
computer again, while some of the others had warm showers at SCREAM. They then treated us
to marmalade sandwiches and chai – tea made with warm milk and lots of sugar, drunk
by nearly all Kenyans. |
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| There was, by now, a running joke about the plain at the end of the
road. The plain was part of Nairobi National Park and the locals said that we could see
all kinds of animals there, just the other side of the fence. Unfortunately, despite
looking almost every day, at the recommended times of just after sunrise and just before
sunset, we still hardly saw a thing. However, this evening, there were three distant
ostriches and some possible impalas. |
After dinner, we returned to SCREAM for the Bible study, and more
songs and games. The boys had been practising for the next day’s talent show, so recited memory verses, performed a skit
and danced. Steve and Fred sang to a CD called "Favorite Songs of All" by
Phillips, Craig and Dean. The first song, "I Want to be Just Like You", was
about a dad who sings about his little boy, "Lord, I want to be just like you /
‘Cause he wants to be just like me / I want to be a holy example / For his innocent
eyes to see / Help me be a living Bible, Lord / That my little boy might read / I want to
be just like you / ‘Cause he wants to be just like me". The second song,
"Midnight Oil", was about a mamma setting an example, as she burned the midnight
oil in prayer for her children. |
| Back at the office, I set up the internet for others to use, before
taking an early night. |
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