Farewell Kenya ; See you again we pray one day

We spent the last 13 days in Kenya catching up and saying goodbye to many friends we had met…

Whtycliff!

Joseph, Rachael, Princess (4) and baby Peace (1month). We met Joseph at the Viral conference right at the beginning of the trip. They have a heart for Christchurch after news of the earthquake 5 years ago.
John and Jesse dropped them in the dark in Githurai - about 20km out of Nairobi - Night driving in Nairobi can be quite a challenge!

The dear Mugera family farewelled us with a beautiful meal outside and we didn't say goodbye til midnight! - Note even Emily was still awake!... She made a new friend that night - Mugai who was keen to have a lock of her hair - He was happy to swap some of his own - super cute - May be there will be cows given for a dowry in the future!

Jessica and Alan were our neighbours at the apartments - Americans who have worked in Africa for several years but new to Kenya. Alan was a FANTASTIC baker, mmmm snickerdoodles and Jessica grew up in a pizza restaurant so treated us to gourmet pizzas with Italian wine to finish...  wonderful evening.

Emily's friend Imane - and her Mum, Neby and house help Emily

We also had Teacher's Beatrice and Florence come to our house for afternoon tea - They are so lovely! Photos are on my Kenyan Sim card! Will retrieve back in NZ

Our second to last day in Kenya was yet another adventure into the outskirts of Nairobi to where Monicah and her family live in Mlolongo. Dear Monicah travelled 4 hours once a week to clean our apartment for us. (30km). She drew us a map to get us to just past the airport. We took a slight wrong turn but eventually met up with the man in the red scarf on the motorbike and followed him for another 1/2 hr over these dusty potholed tracks to her wonderful home. She and her husband had been building it together as money allows.

Pictured with us are John and Emmanuel ;Monicah's boys and a neighbour's boy Fredrick whom she often feeds and looks after as his family can't aford to go to school.

Emily and I enjoying our cups of tea :)

It's a work in progress.... and Monicah proud of her garden - This plant is called sukuma wiki, like kale - doesn't it grow high!

And of course a special goodbye with Daniel "Bigfoot" and his wife Jacqui

Special news this week was the birth of baby Kara... to our wonderful friends Joseph and Alice...She is tiny at 1.8kg and born by CSec at 34 weeks.... after an incredibly rough pregnancy. We were able to visit Alice just before she gave birth in hospital and pray for them. We are praying for this gorgeous family who are planning to move to NZ in January.

We spent the rest of our time visiting Beacon of Hope (Worthy of it's own post...see further notes below)...and malls and markets picking up last minute souvenirs... including Westgate (site of terrorist attack 2012) and eating icecream:) Oh and lots of swimming too!

 ‘Beacon of Hope’ is one of Nairobi Chapel’s frontline social justice ministries. This is ministry that has been set up by Jane Wathome to serve those who are victims of HIV/Aids in Ongata Rongai, an outlying suburb of Nairobi. John visited this ministry in 2007, and it is awe inspiring to see how this ministry has grown and developed since then. From a small medical centre, and rudimentary day care centre/school Beacon of Hope now includes a fully equipped Medical Centre and testing laboratory, a dental clinic, offices for administration, social services staff, a kindergarten and primary for up to 400 children, a youth resource centre, a vocational training centre (plumbing, electrical hairdressing, beauty, computing) and a conference centre and accommodation to help fund the project. Nothing stays still for long in Nairobi!!

Tutaonana Kenya! (see you again!)