Sunburns and Pregancy

Well it has been a couple of days since I have written so I need to catch you up on some things! Sunday was very relaxing. We went to the international church at Rosslyn, which is the private school the kids go to. Then we went swimming in the pool that is there at the school. I put sunscreen on, but of course it didn't matter. I got burned and instead of looking like an especially white, white-person I look like a red, white-person! Oh well, maybe I will get some color :)

Yesterday though was a good day. I was not sure what I was going to be doing at the center because my orientation ended on Friday in the education department, but I was glad to hear that Leann and I would be following Isabella, a CHE worker, to one of the centers for a community training meeting. We walked to Juja road and caught a mutatu to the Babadogo center. Once getting off the mutatu we walked for awhile and I took in all the sights, sounds, and smells. Babadogo is one of the newer centers and it is noticeably different than Area 1 in Mathare. Missions of Hope has been in Area 1 for awhile and you can tell that the area is much cleaner. But in Babadogo, trash is piled high...everywhere! And the smell is terrible. I really wish I had a better camera, but this little girl is walking through piles of trash. I thought I took more pictures, but I guess not. It is something you have to experience in real life anyway...

So we finally made it to the Babadogo center and walked in as Robert, another CHE worker, was teaching the group about diarrhea. Once he was done, Leann and I performed a skit that Isabella had asked us to do. It was on the misconceptions people have about breastfeeding. I played the pregnant mother! It was a little awkward talking about breastfeeding, but I learned a lot about how nutritional it is. The women have been told that formula is better for babies, but it is so expensive here and the CHE workers want to correct the misconceptions. I really enjoyed getting to know the CHE group at Babadogo. They all want to see change in the community and express their concern and dedication by how much they are doing already. Leann, Tahia, and I will be returning there in Thursday to do a community clean-up day where we go around cleaning out trash from the trenches. The things that need to be done in that area are so overwhelming, but we have to start somewhere! Here is picture of the group at Babadogo surrounding their tomato, spinach, and sukuma plants.

Today Leann, Tahia, and I prepared for a presentation on nutrition that we will present to the children at Joska tomorrow. I am looking forward to that and I really enjoyed learning about nutrition as we worked on the powerpoint. Nutrition interests me, and I'm thinking it might be something I pursue in the future...we will see!

Well I was reading in Ecclesiastes 4 this morning and I was immediately encouraged to work harder when I read the first verse. It says, "I saw the tears of the oppressed - and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors - and they have no comforter" (4:1b). This verse gives me motivation to keep working even when the task is not desirable (like cleaning out the trenches). There is no one to be the voice of the poor and oppressed. They have no comforter because we do not go to the dirty and scary places of the world spreading God's Light through our words and actions. I have relished in the opportunity to serve so frequently! Keep teaching me God!