"To love. To be loved.
To never forget your own insignificance.
To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you.
To seek joy in the saddest places.
To pursue beauty to its lair.
To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple.
To respect strength, never power.
Above all, to watch.
To try and understand.
To never look away.
And never, never, to forget.” 

― Arundhati Roy

Friends...

It’s interesting living in this place. It’s like I need to learn so many unwritten laws all over again. Especially now that I'm driving in a foreign country with interesting police officers!!

Each day I learn new things that are either culturally different or just new. I am thankful that I can do that.

It is with a very grateful heart that I can say I have friends in this place. People who have my back, when things are easy and when things don’t go to plan. People who are praying for me, genuinely loving me and taking care of me. People who look at me and treat me with such pure joy, despite their own circumstances. I am one very blessed woman. And I hope I can be that for others too...a genuine friend, showing love in all circumstances.

Several times lately people have been giving me gifts- unexpected tokens of love. One orphanage the other day gave me a whole bag of carrots and fresh sukumawiki. Another orphanage sent me home with 20 eggs. People with not much, sharing what they have with me. How special!

And flowers- two different people in the past 3 days have given me roses out of love. It’s things like this that make me realise how lucky and blessed I am.

Even when other things happen that aren’t so nice, I can be thankful for moments like these...!

x Waithera!

New car and important stamps!

So, SO much has hapenned in the past couple of weeks...it's hard to know where to begin??

It is with much joy that I can say I have finally been able to buy a car! Wahoo! This will make getting around to old and new places in Kenya much, MUCH easier! I can't wait to take it out to the orphanage and other places. It will give me up to 3 hours more with the kids which is such a blessing. A few people at my school were able to help me purchase it...(SOOO awesome). They have been such a help to me- negotiating with dealers, getting things fixed and helping with insurance etc. Now the most difficult part will be re-learning how to drive in Nairobi traffic....AGRESSIVE/ almost defensive driving is needed in this place! To avoid the potholes and the matatus who are interesting at driving. ;) I also need to learn all the different roads around town and other places....and also how to avoid traffic police (who will usually require bribes...which I will never pay). Such a great thing to have a bit of freedom now and I won't need to catch as many matatus, taxis or piki piki's

(motorbikes) now!

 

My new car!

 

 

Another exciting thing is that my work permit came through!!! SUCH wonderful news that it happened realitively quickly. I sent the paperwork through to Kenya in March and it was processed by October (7 months!!!). But this process often takes MUCH, MUCH longer. I am now legally allowed to work and live in Kenya until Oct, 2014! Takes a lot of stress off my future now! So great! :) It also means I can now get residence rates in Kenya and will pay much cheaper than if I were still categorised as a tourist!

 

 

A life-changing stamp! :)

 

 

Apart from that...work is going really well. Busy as always, but it's wonderful. The kids are going really well and are looking SO, SO much healthier. I have transferred the 4th months money for food to them and they are going well!

 

Lots of blessings and wonderful new friends in my life. Content and happier to be in His will for me.

 

 

Blessings from here...Would love to hear from all of you!

 

Waithera. x