Friday, December 10, 2021:  We’ve Arrived!

We arrived safely in Kenya 32 hours after our departure from Williston. Leaving was bittersweet as it was not easy to say our good-byes to our sons at the airport but we also looked forward to starting our journey here at the Mission with Fr. David Morman serving the orphans.  We arrived around 10 pm Kenya time with 10 total bags and we almost got through customs and security without a hitch except for the water filters!  Kathy spent around an hour in the Kenyan Customs and Border Control and came to realize what Fr. David has meant when he talks about things moving on Kenya time!  After getting done with Customs, Fr. David and Rogers Osero were there to greet us and take us to the Flora Hostel (picture above from gardens at Flora Hostel).  Our heads hit the pillow around 2 am but who was tired – it was 5 pm back home!  On Wednesday, Fr. David and Rogers took us to get our phone situation taken care of though it is not yet finalized…another story for another day.  We also went to the Consolata Language Center where we will learn Swahili starting in January.  The Consolatas are a religious community of priests and brothers.  The people were very welcoming and the grounds are beautiful – a very serene and peaceful place away from the hustle and bustle of the city we will be in for three months (pop. of Nairobi is almost 5 million).  While visiting with Fr Samwell, the director, we found out that we will be attending school with three other Americans who are Maryknoll Missionaries…how nice to have some company to share this experience with!  On Thursday we drove the approximately 180 miles back to the Mission house taking around 5.5 hours.  The drive to Kisii takes one through many types of landscapes including the Great Rift Valley.  The Rift Valley is a vast geographical and geological feature that starts in Jordan in the Middle-East and runs as far south to central Mozambique in East Africa.  It has stunning views and the bonus is we were able to see it on a clear day!   Upon our arrival at the Mission, three of the Sisters of the Congregation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were ready to greet us.  Our days since arriving have been spent unpacking and trying to get settled in, laundry by hand along with a little cleaning as well as attending Mass with the girls at the boarding school.  Tomorrow (Saturday), we will be seeing many of the orphans as it is Mission Saturday where the students bring their report cards for review, get their monthly ration of maize along with a small stipend.  The pictures posted in the Album section are of sights along the way from Nairobi to the Mission house.