“Habari yako! Karibu! Habari? Eh? Hakuna Kiswahili!” The mama chuckled as she welcomed us into her home. I chuckled too. I knew she was asking how the student with me was doing, I saw the blank empty face, and knew “Hakuna Kiswahili” was a declaration that this teen at my side did not know Kiswahili. It’s true, she doesn’t. Term break is the best! It … Continue reading Desert Rains
That weird crunching sound was back. It didn’t sound good- but I needed to get groceries for the camping trip I was leading the next weekend, and had plans with these two senior girls of mine to spend the day off campus at the mall where the grocery store is located. The three of us had a lovely time, but by the time I’d gotten … Continue reading Donkey’s & Dhows
Meet “THE BEAST” No no no… not THAT Beast: Though you must confess, my doggo was a pretty cute puppy… but what I’m talking about is this one: This is my car. Well, truck really, and this specific truck, my 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser has served me well. It has big tires that can climb steep inclines, even when it’s been raining and the mud … Continue reading THE BEAST
It was your typical senior store day… well typical if you’re a normal patron seeking the joy of special food being offered a few times a term. For the class of 2026, this was their third senior store which meant the students are slowly gaining independence in execution. Last night, I’d spent my two-hour time slot smashing burgers into patties. K was running the store … Continue reading I Fought a Monkey and Won.
You might think that Sunday School happens on Sunday- but here in Marsabit, you would be wrong. A 10 hour drive north from RVA, I’m up visiting some friends for our long “Mid-Term” weekend. Each Saturday, three of their four children walk the 5 minutes to a local church to join for a time of worship. If you are envisioning children standing in rows, humming … Continue reading Orendere
Pole sana! That is kiswahili for “I am very sorry!” that it took so long to finish my tale of our incredible Avatar themed event… (if you’re not sure what I’m talking about, go find “The Big Event: Preparation” to hear of all that went into making this night a huge success!!!) The day was pulled off without a hitch. All morning parents and students … Continue reading The Big Event: Execution
Monday July 14th I emerged for graduation to watch the class of 2025 walk across the stage with pride, coming in a little late and leaving a little early to man my merchandise booth on behalf of the class of 2026. I didn’t even get time to stop for pictures with any of my favorite grads. Bummer. After a celebratory lunch I headed back to … Continue reading The Long End: The End
I woke up early once more on Saturday July 12th, repeating the previous Saturdays to-do list from class party, and then some: -Roll out the Grills-Get meat from the cafo-Set out condiments-Make sure ordering systems are a go-Do we have all the meat out and thawed?-Make sure all students are reporting for shifts-Are the merchandise sellers out and prepared?-Are the cash boxes counted?-Is the ice-cream … Continue reading The Long End: Day 9
The next morning, I struggled to get out of bed exhausted already from the previous two days shenanigans, but I was roused by an exciting thought: Sunday July 6th. TODAY IS THE DAY! Today is the day Rachael comes. My sweet friend who was my duplex neighbor for two years returned for a short trip to clean out her things, some to the community, the … Continue reading The Long End: Days 3-8
I slept fitfully, fully aware of the impending alarm that I feared I would not wake up to. We’d had a meeting early in the week and had laid out the parameters they were given to work within: -They were not allowed to delay the seniors past 5:10am so there wouldn’t be a chance they’d miss their train-They were not to use unauthorized school equipment-They … Continue reading The Long End: Day 2
Faithful Footsteps 