Godanna entertaining our 'sisters' and some friends in our house. We are teaching them how to play Duch Blitz!!!
I still can't get over how amazing each and every sunset is!
Judy!!! This pic is for you! Next time instead of going to Jamaica to watch birdies, you should come here! I will try to get pics of the really bright blue ones, and the long legged yellow eyed ones! There are many crazy birds here!
On one of our morning walks we got to see some baboons. We (when I say ‘we’ I am talking about my roommate and myself) survived our weeklong home stay. It was a great time to just be, to immerse ourselves in the Gabbra people's way of life. A very hospitable, down to earth, tough as nails, humorous bunch of people they are and it was great to be a part of their lives for those few days. We went to stay at a village made up of one family, about 6 huts, that is several km out from Kalacha. We went, unsure of what was to come, and returned hot, red, and dusty but smiling (sort of like a wet tomatoe rolled in sand! a happy one!)
So what did we do… well the first day we sat, had chai, sat, had more chai, changed sitting position, slept some, rested after having some more chai. Changing form a ‘do, do, do, do’ society to a very relaxed pace of life was a bit hard at first, I couldn't help my mind that started to envision how to make a kite, then I began to teach myself how to juggle as well as tried to teach the kids how to play tic tac toe! Not all of the days were that slow, we did get to help with gathering firewood (from very far away), drawing water from the well, and hauling water back to the village, herding goats to the water hole 3km away, helping out at milking time, making mindazis (little doughnut like crunchies) and washing clothes. I think the milking time was the most fun! The mama goats are kept apart from the baby goats… and two times a day the little “molay” get to nurse for a short time as the women milk the other side of the goat. Since I couldn’t get any milk out of the goats I was the ‘molay’ traffic control - I was to catch and then return them to the ‘mona’ (pen made out of thorns). The little goats are pretty frantic for milk, so it is a time of organized chaos!
So what did we do… well the first day we sat, had chai, sat, had more chai, changed sitting position, slept some, rested after having some more chai. Changing form a ‘do, do, do, do’ society to a very relaxed pace of life was a bit hard at first, I couldn't help my mind that started to envision how to make a kite, then I began to teach myself how to juggle as well as tried to teach the kids how to play tic tac toe! Not all of the days were that slow, we did get to help with gathering firewood (from very far away), drawing water from the well, and hauling water back to the village, herding goats to the water hole 3km away, helping out at milking time, making mindazis (little doughnut like crunchies) and washing clothes. I think the milking time was the most fun! The mama goats are kept apart from the baby goats… and two times a day the little “molay” get to nurse for a short time as the women milk the other side of the goat. Since I couldn’t get any milk out of the goats I was the ‘molay’ traffic control - I was to catch and then return them to the ‘mona’ (pen made out of thorns). The little goats are pretty frantic for milk, so it is a time of organized chaos!
Now we are back.
I think I am starting to get into the pattern of their lives, it is relaxing, it is nice to just be with people. Now that we are ‘home’ again we get to spend more time with our ‘family’ (Abo Issaco, Iyo Bewkay, plus our sisters Sabdio and Gillo- the two that are too young to go to school) in the evening, watching the sun set and the stars come out, drinking chai, trying to tell about what we have been up to with hand motions and much laughter!!! We can still only say or understand a few words, but communication is not only about words! And I have already become very attached to little Sabdio, who is about 4, she has the most beautiful smile, the brightest laughter and such a shy way of trying to get our attention (she is in one of the last pics). She is too shy to talk to us if we ask her things, but she sure smiles… one day I will be able to talk to her, to tell her stories, to listen to her stories! I am very excited for that day!
There is alot going on here in Kalacha. There is a medical team here for 1 week to do as many eye surgeries as they can in a short time. They have allready been able to heal a little girl who has been blind since birth! Amazing! The MP is visiting for a few days, he also slaughtered a cow as a celebration for the medical team. A Kenyan pastor and his family have moved up here to live and work with the Gabbra people, with a vision of going on to where there has been no witness. And our national team members, Paul and Salome are heading down to the nearest town (Marsabit) to have their baby that is due June 1-ish. We pray that all goes well for them.
