Last Sunday, we attended the 7 am Mass here at Gekano which Fr. David had.  It was the shortest Mass yet that we have attended at Gekano – only 1 hour and 10 minutes!  The gate guard didn’t get the gate unlocked for the girls to get to the church so they along with the Sisters arrived late.  Because it is rare for Mass to start on time unless the celebrant is Fr David, the guard, not knowing Fr. David had the Mass, probably thought he had lots of time to unlock the gate.  We made sure we got there on time and took the long way around which the girls are not allowed to do.  There weren’t many people in church when Mass started and as the opening song was sung people were scurrying into the church including the girls and the Sisters.   

On Monday we, along with Fr. David and Kaleb, drove to Tabaka which is about a 1 ½ hour drive from the Mission house.  Tabaka is known for soapstone which is a metamorphic rock consisting mostly of talc.  It is mined and carved by hand to make various items such as plates, animals, bowls, vases, statues, chess sets, etc., which may or may not be decorated with designs.  This natural stone is also a good alternative for countertops as it does not burn, stain, etc.  The stone can have various colors ranging from a peachy pink, greys, purple and a cream color.  We were able to watch some men and women carving and sanding various pieces while the objects were immersed in water making it easier to carve and sand.  Once the stone dries, it stays in its solid form and it is then that color may be added with paints.  Some of the objects have very intricate details which is done with a small kisu (knife).  Over the years that Fr. David has been in Kenya – he is starting his 6^th year – he has taken guests to the same shop called Mama’s Curio Shop.  Mama is usually pretty good about giving a deal or throwing an extra piece in to the mix – she does like to barter some!  Once someone decides on the items they want, Mama takes them to the workers who then apply a shiny wax cream which makes the colors more vibrant before packing them up.  We went there so Kaleb could see a different part of the area and also to pick out a few souvenirs.  When purchasing any pieces, one must remember that soapstone is very heavy and will put you at your baggage weight limit very fast.  It was a beautiful day for a drive and nice to get away. 

On Tuesday, Kathy did some house cleaning, made mandazi and chapati while Wes and Janet went to check on the heifers and the recently born calf.  They also sprayed the heifers that they had not yet had a chance to.  In the afternoon, we put together the final lists for toilets, sinks, fixtures, etc. for the new house.  The tile has been ordered so once that arrives, the guys can start to lay the tile provided the painters are done with the cleaning and priming. 

On Wednesday, we were planning to have a Water with Blessings training at Karantini but were not able to.  There were protests that were planned for in and around Kisii on Wednesday and to get Lilian and Emma home, we have to take some major roads that would probably have been blocked.  The protests actually started the Friday before – protests that caught people off guard.  Tires were burned in the city streets and canisters of tear gas were used to break up the demonstrations.  As stated above, the protests this past Wednesday were planned and schools in Kisii were called off.  There are several reasons for the protests with the main reason to protest the high cost of living and newly imposed taxes on petroleum products, salaried workers and businesses.  A quote from one of the protestors in an article said, “If one has money, it is okay to be taxed.  We have nothing.”  That is a sentiment felt by many people.  The protesting has also been stirred up by the man who lost the election last August and in the political mix there is also the issue of the different tribes of these two men – the current President and the one who lost last August.  The word is that there will be protests every Wednesday for the foreseeable future.  If that is the case, we will have to rethink our plans for Water with Blessings.  Wednesdays are a day we always go out whether it be for a training, follow ups, home visits, deliver blanket or water drums, etc. Lilian also has her school schedule worked around being able to go out with us for WWB on Wednesdays.  Being out here in the bush has its advantages and if we didn’t read the news or if Rogers didn’t tell us what the word out on the street is, we wouldn’t know that there are protests happening. The protests are taking place not just around here – they are happening in numerous cities and villages around Kenya.

On Thursday, we held the WWB training that was scheduled for Wednesday.  This was the first training since we have come to Kenya where all the mamas were 35 years of age and under with most of them in their 20’s.  That also meant a lot of little ones – it was almost a 1:1 ratio!  We along with Kaleb got in some babysitting which is always fun.  When it came time for the women to put their buckets together, the mamas got out their cloths, wrapped it around their little ones, and then strapped them to their back.  The little ones didn’t mind at all and a number of them fell asleep as their mama assembled the bucket and colored the stickers.  We did go through a lot of biskuti (cookies) and tom-toms to help keep some of them quiet.  Most, if not all of the mamas, breastfed their baby one or more times during the training – we have never seen a baby drinking from a bottle here!  Breastfeeding is such a natural thing and obviously a healthy one – we can’t say we have ever seen a malnourished little one.  Yes, the children are exposed to other diseases due to contaminated water and not always the best living conditions but they appear to be well fed.   

The Fab 4 (Osongo, Brighton, Angie, and Jasmine) continue coming to the door almost every day for their “sweeties” though one day Osongo tried four different times to get a “sweetie”!  They have taken a liking to Kaleb and can actually remember his name which is great as they are just starting to remember Wes’s name and as for Kathy, it is just too hard of a name to say or remember.  When Kaleb leaves at the end of July they are going to be sad.  Kaleb keeps busy – he attends Mission activities with us such as WWB follow ups, trainings, Mission Saturday, etc. but he has also been able to go out with the seminarians here as mentioned in last week’s blog.  He continues to make pastoral visits and serves at funerals with the Kenyan seminarians.  He also joins the priests – not Fr. David – and other seminarians in football (soccer) games that take place almost every other day. 

The weather last week was very pleasant with temps in the mid to upper 70’s.  A couple of the night time temps got down in the mid 50’s which for people here was cold.  We do wish we could get some rain – this week we didn’t get any measurable precipitation.

Shamba update:  The workers continue to smooth the ceilings and walls as well as clean up the cement splatters.  Once the spatters are cleaned up, they will paint the window panes inside and out.  The tiles were finally ordered this week as well as the sinks, toilets, mirrors, etc.  The tiles will be shipped from Nairobi by truck whereas we will pick up the sinks, toilets, mirrors, etc. when we take Kaleb to Nairobi at the end of July when he returns to Rome.  Once the tiling is done, the glass in the windows will be installed as well as wiring, plumbing, and cabinetry.  The cabinets will be made on site to ensure in the space allowed. 

Please know that we keep you in our prayers and ask that you keep us, the Mission, and those we serve in yours.  Mungu Akubariki!

See photos from this week in the album section by clicking on the link below.  Note:  If unable to view the photos using the link below, you can still view them by going to St. Joseph’s Parish website and scrolling down to the section titled Kenya Mission – photo album.  The website:  www.stjparish.com

https://stjparish.com/photoalbums/kenya-7-16-23