Updates!

There is a 94% chance that this will never actually be posted-- the computer I'm using was probably born in the 1980s, but I wanted to give you guys an update on my life in Kenya.

My homestay family is awesome. No young children, but my host sister (Brenda, or Kinya) is 18 years old and we have been spending a lot of time together. My host mom's name is Lucy and she has truly taken me in as one of her own. Last night, she came home from her church fellowship meeting and said she had a gift for "her girls." She pulled out matching sandals for me, Brenda, and Mo-- beautiful shoes with beaded flowers! Lucy laughed hysterically as we slipped the sandals onto our feet. "A mom knows her daughters' sizes!" she exclaimed. She also asked me to inform my real mom that my African mom says I don't eat enough. Sound about right, Mom? Lucy and Joshua (my host father) are both teachers, so their home is actually inside the gates of a girls' boarding school compound here in Meru. I'm eager to interact with some of the girls over the course of my week with the family.

Yesterday (Sunday) was a mixture of bustling activity and lots of down time. We attended church in the morning, and I was surprised at the technological advances used in the service. Now, I'm not exactly a frequent church attendee, but I can say that this service was more joyful and upbeat than anything I have experienced in the past. Many of the songs were in Swahili, but the readings and hymns were displayed on a large projector in the front of the church, so it was easy to clap and sing along. We were also given the chance to introduce ourselves to the congregation. As usual, everyone was kind and welcoming.

After church, Brenda took me and Mo on a brief walk around the property near the family's home. I just have one conclusion about this walk: Kenyans know how to grow some HUGE vegetables. Seriously, I have a photo of my head next to some cabbage, and it's hard to determine which one is bigger. I have an abnormally large head, so that's saying something. We also saw cows grazing on a basketball and volleyball court-- probably a sight I will never experience again. Don't worry, I took pictures. After our walk, we introduced Brenda to the joys of Uno... I STILL REIGN SUPREME AS THE UNO CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. Later in the afternoon, Joshua drove us out to the family farm, where we picked fresh papayas and avocados.

The food has been very good and very traditional... lots of beans, maize, rice, and fruit, including the papayas we picked with our own hands. There's a good chance that I will take up gardening upon my return to the United States. "Sophie's Produce Market" sounds like a plausible business endeavor, right?

The only difficult part of our homestay has been the water situation. There's a water shortage happening right now, so that means no flushing toilets, no showers/baths, and no sink water. Last night, Brenda and Mo helped me wash my hair using a bucket of water and a pitcher. It was moderately uncomfortable, but I can't complain about the bonding experience that resulted. :)

All in all, I am doing well. I suffered a brief bout of homesickness this weekend, but I think I can combat that by staying busy during the week. Also, it's impossible to be sad when I have access to Kenyan sitcoms like "Mother-in-Law" and "Teresa," which is actually a Spanish soap opera with English dubbing. Funny for all the wrong reasons. It was nice to be reunited with our group this morning, and I'm pretty sure that I am incapable of feeling any negative emotions when I am near Loyd (my fellow group members know what I'm talking about)! Today will keep us extremely occupied, with a few hours at BLISS and a trip to a local orphanage planned. As always, I love and miss you all, and thank you for following me/putting up with my pathetic attempts at humor!