So I'm going to copy and paste my email so I don't have to type more.. haha
Well, since my last email, so much has happened. I like how I was like "well I have nothing to say.." then later that day, we had the craziest adventure. Larissa went to Kabira to do the basketball thing so Bethany and I went to see the movie Blood Diamond and get a few things at the store. Larissa texted us and said she would meet us around 5..well not learning our lesson with Kenya time, we get everything and are sitting on the curb at 5pm. We find two rocks and just sit down and eat some popcorn we got from some guy on the road. We looked like homeless people sitting on rocks eating popcorn out of a plastic bag haha. We were right by the matatu station too so everyone was walking around us. We soon made two friends, two boys who live in Kabira were waiting on their aunt to get off work. We gave them suckers and they sat with us and we told them stories. We also sang songs and they taught us jokes in Swahili. Around 7pm, Larissa finally came for us with the FBI guy in his truck. We were slightly annoyed but found out it wasn't either of their faults. On our way back we got a flat tire so we pulled over at a gas station and they started fixing it. At this time it started to rain pretty hard, which means one thing..mud. Since everything is made of dirt here, when it rains, big red mud is everywhere. We called the orphanage and said we were hurrying and would try to make it by 8 or 8:30. They get mad and worried when we are back late so we were trying to hurry. We finally get on our way and make it to Ngong..well the road from Ngong to the orphanage is through the forest, and very muddy and full of potholes. It's very dangerous to go through that forest at night, there are robbers and 'thugs'. We make it about halfway and we slid into a ditch. One of our tires was stuck so we all get out, wearing flip flops mind you, and push, but it makes it worse and the whole tail end slides in the ditch. We are standing in like 3 ft of mud, our shoes weigh 20 pounds, and it is raining. Again, what can you do but laugh. We called the orphanage and Mary the director flipped out and was mad at us, but we couldn't control any of the situation since the roads are crap and we were ready to go at 5pm but time management is AWFUL here. Otieno, the fbi guy, then got really serious and said we needed to get out of the forest. He pulled out a gun, cocked it, and said lets go...so we started trekking through the mud back toward the road. We got to the road and he called someone. 20 minutes later a huge Army truck came, and 6 guys jumped out with huge guns. We were scared because we didn't know if they were there to help or to kill us. No one thinks of letting the white people know what's happening. Well, we climbed into the huge truck and sat there while they tried to get the truck out. It took about 2 hours and during this time we made friends with a few of the guys who turns out was the Kenya police. At one point they started driving us away and we freaked out but they were just turning around haha. I just wish they would say hey this is what we are doing. The ride in the army truck back to the orphanage was quite thrilling. We were bouncing and sliding and flying everywhere. We pulled up at the orphanage, covered in mud. They weren't too mad, just concerned, but everything turned out fine. They got the truck free too. It has been raining the past 4 days. Bethany left yesterday, it was so so sad. We had a cake for her and got the kids to make a book of letters for her. We are in Nairobi today for a meeting for a fundraiser we are doing and to eat dinner with Bethany and the other volunteers. We are going to a restaurant called Carnivore which is like that place in Dallas where it's a meat buffet. We are pretty excited. I might be a vegetarian now though because I watched them kill the chickens the other day. It was so disgusting. The kids offered me a cooked chicken leg...I refused..usually I eat their porridge or food when they offer because I feel bad that we eat different food from them, but this was a literal chicken leg..toe nails and all....I almost puked on the plate...We are extremely dirty today and feel bad going to a meeting smelling so bad. It is hard to wash clothes when there is no sunshine. I found a shirt that I hadn't worn yet and it smelled like home and it made me happy. The slovenian guy is growing on us. He has become like a brother sort of...I say sort of because he still makes his comments. He has a good heart though and makes us laugh. The older kids should be leaving by next week..they have missed so much school. It is all because of school fees. I wish I had so much money to give away so they could go to school and have everything they need and want. We are going to start visiting those that are at school in the next few weeks. One thing we have realized is that public restrooms do not have toilet paper. There is no soap usually either. Jen you would be so grossed out haha.
I actually need to ask something important now. We are doing a fundraiser at the end of February for school fees and things needed for school. We are doing a campfire and inviting directors of tourist companies, volunteers all over Kenya, and anyone who will pay. We are making it an over night thing and having entertainment and food. We need help with money for the refreshments and transportation.. around $300 we have figured. So we need your help. Ben if you can ask around, announce it at church, we need it soon too. Even like $5 here or there could amount to something big. I know that's a lot to ask, but the campfire is going to make a lot of profit for them. We just don't want them to pay anything so that they can make a profit. If you want to help out, send the money to my mom and she can put it in Larissa's account. Or we can have it wired from UBC. Thanks!!!
OH! One last story. Today when we left the orphanage for Nairobi we got Joseph to drive us and we went the back way through Massai land to get to the main road due to mud. As we were driving, some Massai kids were walking on the side of the road going to school. They were slightly scared as we drove up and then our car started to slide, there was a fence beside them so they had no where to go. They pressed up against the fence and our car was like 2 feet away from them. As we slid by, the car sprayed them all with mud..it was the funniest and saddest moment ever. There faces were priceless. We felt so bad, but it was so funny. Luckily it wasn't wet mud, just clumps of it. They were so shocked though hahaha. We couldn't stop laughing, Joseph was like oh sorry!
OK lots of love from Kenya,
Meg
