Here is an update from Ashley written and posted on her facebook Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 12:29am
We arrived in Kenya early Tuesday morning after having to change flights. Heathrow airport in London had shut down due to weather, so we had to go through Paris. We should have, but didn't leave to go see the Eiffel Tower as the people in the airport said we did not have enough time. We did get a Paris stamp, yay! (and it was Ashley's first in her passport.) We left Paris around 9 pm for Kenya. When we arrived our luggage did not show up with us. Dr. Shaw let us stay at Brackenhurst and rest up before we met up with the team in Misiri at Christlike Academy where we will be doing most of our work.
The men (Daniel Brown, Matt Baird, and Dr. Raney) had accomplished a lot but not as much as they had hoped. The walls of the school were blue in most rooms and black in others and the teachers wanted them to be cream. This was quite a task if you can imagine. By the time we arrived, most rooms were primed and some had one coat of paint. The boys (Cameron Harper and Josh Williams) are doing the woodwork, building tables/desks and forms (benches) for the students. We spent the afternoon planning and there are about 60 tables that need to be made and just as many benches. It is quite a task but it can be done. They have finished the bookcases as well as the storage area for food.
By the end of the week we had 4 rooms completed with a chalkboard and verses on the walls. There are 20ish tables waiting to be sanded and 10 benches as well. The bookcases have been sanded. The outside railings, doors, and window frames are painted bright blue (and the potties). I think we have done well with what we have to work with. We have spent at least one day at the lumberyard picking out and waiting for wood to be cut. All the screws are flathead and that is difficult for us to use. The boards that we do use are not measured perfectly it might be 3in on one end and end up being 5in on the other, but we make due. We have gone through 15 or more rollers as some just fall apart while in use. We have also had issues with the paint, as 'water-based glossy' means 'gas-based glossy' and the fumes are horrible which slows us down as we take many breaks.
The first day we arrived Kelsey got to drive us back to Brackenhurst from the slums. It was quite an experience with a video on facebook already. IT is very difficult to drive on the left of the road and be on the right side of the car. Having all men backseat drivers did not help and we had the WORST roads possible. The only problem was the ALMOST flipping of the car, ALMOST. It did not flip but no one will let me forget it either. I have gotten better I think but it is still nerve-racking. Dr. Shaw has encouraged me to obtain an International License so that I will not be driving illegally anymore. We will see.
Ashley has been very good with the children who attend Christlike and can fit at least four on her lap at one time if not more. The children are great and stay out of the way for the most part. Kelsey did have to use a stern voice a few times, but we think they have learned. Ashley is doing the sawing for the boys because she can cut the straightest line and we need the best we can get. She also has designed a logo for Christlike Academy and Christlike for Kenya, assisted with the verses on the wall (and one on the floor), and is making posters of numbers, days of the week, manners, and classroom rules for the classes.
The week has been good, but long. We have seen many friends and had fellowship and swallowship (aka ate) with them. The first night Ashley met my friend Besann who I assist with school fees, I think they like each other! We also saw Kiki, Liz, and Rosemary. We have eaten with Shaddrack, his wife, and 5-day-old baby, Ezra. The mzee Kamau assisted us a little with the painting, making sure we did it correctly, as well as our Kiswahili. The mzee is Shaddrack and Liz's father. We have seen many familiar faces, but not everyone yet. Everyone likes chapatti. Ashley and I learned how to make chapatti with the help of Liz and Besann when we all had dinner at her house. They are amazing cooks, we had beef stew, chapatti, avocado, cabbage, and mashed potatoes, and mafunda (a green orange). It was the best Kenyan meal ever!!!!!
Saturday we were tourists. Our group (minus Daniel because he was not feeling well) went to Nairobi town. We saw orphaned elephants and learned about them, went to downtown Nairobi to change money, travelled to the Twiga Center, Kazuri, a Safari walk, and ended the evening with a great meal at the Carnivore.
We had a great time. Ashley and I kissed giraffes at the twiga center once the crowd left. They are gorgeous animals. We also saw some warthogs hanging around there. The tour of the Kazuri Bead and Pottery Factory is always amazing. The materials are natural and from the area and the work they do by hand is mind blowing. They have awesome stuff. We also went on a safari walk where we saw the animals of Africa. Our group was lucky enough (with a tip or two) to see the leopard and lions up close (with a chain fence in between) and to pet the cheetah. The leopard got mad at Kelsey and jumped up at her on the fence, kinda scary but no harm done. The cheetah was nice, just an oversized house cat. The boys (Cameron and Josh) got to help at feeding time, feeding the lions and some other animals. They said it was the highlight of their trip (next to my first drive).
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