Day 1 and 2

It's wonderful to have them here, they're having great fun. Everyone has been welcoming and so generous. Sunday we spent the day at Elizabeth's house, she made a great lunch after church. The kids were introduced at church to much applause, then we headed to her house for the rest of the day. They rode bikes, played with Jack and Emma, searched for Easter eggs and Easter baskets. We all send a big thank you to Elizabeth and Brandon for a great day. They got a World Atlas from Timmy's Liz's parents, maps of the US and photo albums from Brandon's mom. It was such a fun day to have everyone together.I loved seeing them all wrestle with Jack and Officer Tim!

Monday we went to the AIDS Vaccine Research Lab on the UW campus, where they got to do an experiment, they extracted DNA from a strawberry and mango.We then went to Wal-Mart to do some quick shopping, they all needed belts, they couldn't keep their pants up! One of the employees came and started speaking Swahili to them, he was from Kenya! It's like being an American somewhere in the world and recognizing another American. We all know each other!Then to UW Children's Hospital for a tour and a meeting with the CEO of the hospital. They had great gifts for the kids and again a warm welcome.

Today they have physical exams at the Pediatric Infectious Disease Clinic then on to Blessed Sacrament to spend the afternoon in an American school.So many memories being made, they love cereal with warm milk! shower gel and sleeping in. Think it's so cold here, it's been in the 40's and yesterday they actually saw a few snow flurries! Looking forward to warmer weather.

They're here!!!!

They arrived this afternoon at O'Hare. There outside now playing soccer with some new American friends, Elijah Sara and Tatiana. It's so fun to see. They're excited exhausted and a little bit overwhelmed. They don't like applesauce!
More tomorrow night, pictures I promise.
My heart is full.

On Their Way!

As I write this they are somewhere between Nairobi and London. Half the orphanage was on the school bus to take them to the airport! Protus said that John had to check in this morning and make sure it really was happening, even they know in Kenya nothing is for certain.
Protus (the director of the orphanage) was in touch with British Airways today. They are a sponsor of the Home, and the pilot for the flight had been to Nyumbani. So, they were making sure the kids and Uncle Joseph were well taken care of. Maybe even an upgrade!
They have a 5 hour layover in London, then on to Chicago.
This time tomorrow night they will be asleep in my house.
I'll post pictures of their arrival tomorrow night.

Thoughts Before They Arrive

Getting the house ready, making plans, putting everything in place. It is overwhelmingly heartening how welcoming everyone has been. This trip wouldn't have happened without all the people who so generously gave. I am especially grateful to the children of Blessed Sacrament School here in Madison. They collected money, clothes, toiletries for the boys. American kids helping Kenyan kids. I will cherish the afternoon they all meet.

As I get ready, I think about when I first met the boys in 2003. It was the day after I arrived. I went into Cottage D to give them a message. They laughed at my stumbling efforts to speak Swahili, but encouraged me just the same. The 6 boys and I quickly became inseparable. John, George, Brian and the 3 Samuels. The death of each Samuel scarred my heart and soul, each was so brave and suffered so much. For me they became the symbol of the world's disregard.

This trip is my way of making it up to the surviving 3, I can show them that they do matter, the world does care.

3 Excited Boys and One Lucky Uncle Joseph!

They even have visas!!! (Sorry I couldn't rotate the picture!) George on the left, John in the middle and Brian

The USA Through Other Eyes.

Here's the trip report for Nicholas. He arrived at O'Hare Airport in Chicago the Sunday before Thanksgiving. The first thing he said when I saw him was "thank you." He really couldn't believe that this long time dream had come true. The Customs Officers were welcoming and friendly to him- he said it was just a great start to his adventure. What a difference hospitality makes!

I met him with a winter coat and walked out into cold windy Chicago. That night it snowed, I woke him up and took him outside at 4:30 in the morning and we walked around the block while the snow fell. He really thought it was the oddest thing he had ever seen. After his month here and about 50" of snow he thought it was the most annoying thing he had ever seen!

He did lots of presentations, met lots of people, got to sit in Obama's seat in Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting room, walk through Times Square at 2:30 in the morning, see the Statue of Liberty. He sat down to Thanksgiving dinner with my family, played with Jack and Emma, discussed politics with Tim. He shopped for his family and even ate at McDonalds.

Things he found amazing: how accurate our weather forecasts are. "They say it's going to start snowing at 10 and it does!." The I pass, how good our roads are and how big the expressways are, computers in every exam room in the clinic where I work, rooms in our houses that we don't use, no internet cafes because everyone has access either at home, work or the library. Coming from a place where if the rains don't come people starve to death he was totally floored that we spray our vegetables in the produce section of the grocery store. Everything is on time.. in the Dc metro it even tells you that the next train will arrive in 2 minutes and it does! He found Americans friendly, welcoming, and pretty much clueless about Africa. He found the kids just like Kenyan kids, and loved spending time with them. Wake up in the morning and the newspaper is on your porch! (though who knows how long that will last!)

So fun to see my world through his eyes, as I saw his world.

More details next week about the kids' trip.

Finally, Some News

I know it has been a very very long time since there was an update. My only excuse was that there was nothing good to say. There are no plans for me to go back, it seems lost in the bureaucracy. I'm working on writing the paper that details the project and the results. Once that is done and sent out perhaps it will fire it up again. I love being here with my family, but when I think about the work it makes me so sad that nobody is carrying it on. I'd love to go back for a quick 3 months and get it off the ground. You never know what life is going to bring so who knows, it may still happen.

Now the good news (hopefully there are still some readers out there!) Three of the boys from Cottage D, John George, and Brian got their visas, I raised enough money(thank you again to all who contributed) for their airfare, and they and one of the uncles from the cottages, Joseph, are coming for a visit!!!! They arrive in Chicago on April 11th. We will be in Madison for a few days, they will have physical exams at UW Children's Hospital, head to Sumner Iowa for 2 days to visit Jim Cross. He's another volunteer who loves those boys as much as I do. Then to Chicago to visit the kids at St. Christina school (my elementary school alma mater) who also contributed to the trip. Then we drive out to DC, to visit the Nyumbani American Board members and maybe even an Obama! Really, no kidding! .

I promise to keep you updated on the plans.

A few other things: I'm hopefully starting a new job in the HIV clinic at UW. A much better fit for me.

My niece sent 4 more blankets over to the daycare, where they were so happy to get them.

The day care is now up to 90 children and they have applied for US AID funding. We're hopeful.

Nicholas Makau from Lea Toto and the Village was here for one month, arrived late November, left the Sunday before Christmas. We pretty much buried him in snow and froze him to death! Here's a picture and I will post more info about his trip and the boys' next week. Really.

Nyumbani good bye

This is from Sammy's funeral at Nyumbani. The kids are all so sad, but at least he has a name on a marker. So many kids in Africa don't, they're just a statistic. I look at his name though and it breaks my heart. I really can't believe all the Samuels in Cottage D are gone. And in this country we're arguing about lipstick?

Saying Goodbye

Sammy died Wednesday afternoon. He was in the sickroom with one of the Kenyan nurses and Sr. Julie, an American volunteer. He suffered for months, unable to move, to eat, really communicate. Because they couldn't maintain his nutritional status he lost most of his weight. Because he couldn't move he developed pressure sores on his body when his skin started breaking down. They don't have the fancy beds or cushions we have here that help with that. They tried to protect his body by ptting stuffed animals people had given the kids under the pressure points. Wasn't very comfortable and didn't work. He would cry when Mum Terry came to the sickroom, he just really wanted to be back in the cottage with the other kids.
When the other kids came home from school they were told he had died, and they came to the sickroom to say goodbye. All this brings back such painful memories for me of Ken.
This is my most favorite memory of Sammy:
One day I took him and Brian down to Karen to have "coke and chips (fries). We had a great afternoon just watching all the activity in the village and stopping at the little stores and markets. They were great company. As we headed back up the 3 big hills to Nyumbani we saw some of the older Nyumbani boys walking home from school. Like any little boys anywhere Brian and Sammy wanted to walk with the big boys. I sent them on ahead, watching them running and fooling around and just being boys. It was so fun, and I was so thankful for this glimpse of normal childhood. Suddenly Sammy came running back down the hill to me. He reached out and took my hand and held my hand all the way back to Nyumbani. Sometimes even big boys aren't enough to make you forget a friend.

Sammy K

Yet Another Child

Sammy died this afternoon at Nyumbani. He was 12. He suffered for 8 months. I rubbed his back everynight I was there until he fell asleep. I slept on the floor next to his bed when he was sick. I will always be grateful for those memories and that chance to take care of him. I will write more tomorrow and post his picture. I will have more details, so you can't forget either.

Way Overdue Update

As usual sorry for the long silence. I keep thinking I will have news to report about going back, it's hard to write month after month that there's no news on that front. We have been in email contact but no decisions have been made, no "see you in a month" messages. It's long and involved but briefly here's the hang up: they have committed the money, "they" being PEPFAR. The money is granted and comes into the country through PEPFAR, is administered through US AID by an organization called AED (Academy for Educational Development). International aid is the land of acronyms! AED's role is to provide technical, administrative support and oversight for PEPFAR funded projects. It has been decided that I need to be partnered with another organization for all that support, so I'm not out there by myself wildly spending the US government's money (we all know nobody ever does that!). The hang up is figuring out who I should partner with and what that agreement will look like. In the meantime the infection rate continues to rise and kids who need the information my project provides aren't getting it. A lesson here maybe?
Family news: Emma is thriving! She is really fun, awake a lot and letting us know she's a force to be reckoned with. Jack is the best big brother, she's just kind of flowed into all our lives and now it's like she was always here.
Officer Tim and Liz had a beautiful wonderful wedding. The highlights included the couple on their friends' shoulders dancing to the Ring of Fire, the groomsmen getting their gifts - handcuffs with their names engraved on them! Tim and Jack walking down the aisle together, hand in hand, Jack holding on to his ring pillow, my first glimpse of my beautiful new daughter in law. Our family is truly blessed.
And the sad news, Sammy continues to deteriorate, the last few days he's had fevers, is sleeping more. It's hard to know for sure from here what's happening but we may be nearing the end. The fact that this will be the 3rd Cottage D Samuel I lose is more than I can bear. I will keep you posted. That I promise.

Meet Emma Kate

She is so alert, always looking around checking out the world. Jack is quite taken with her, he will be a very good big brother.

We all pray that every child born into the world is born into such love, opportunity and good health.

She's Here!!

Emma Kate was born at 4:33am on June 10th. Tim and I were there when she was born. It is such a blessing to see your daughter bring a child into the world with such grace and humor. All are safe and sound. She weighed 8lbs 4ozs, with lots of dark hair!

Home, But NO Baby!!

Took over 28 hours but made it home on Saturday night. My new granddaughter, however, decided to stay put! I was glad to not miss her birth but we're all ready now, especially Elizabeth. Here are the promised pictures: The streets of Lamu, still my most favorite place on earth, sitting in the town center, listening to the political discussions (not that I can understand them!) saying jambo (hello) to the kids and drinking coke!

Next is kids from the day care, Jukumu Letu, wrapped in love and blankets from My Two Grandmas. Note the quality of the work! Thank you Liz and Tom and Sandy for your hard work and generosity. The kids are already sleeping under them at nap time.

Last is Sammy K, a shadow of his former self. The face of futility and lost potential. Not to mention pain and suffering.