Getting mobbed for stickers
Learning how to do carpentry and make a living.
These industrious moms bead walking sticks that are very intricate in design.
Where's Waldo? This crowd of kids was very eager to see and touch these crazy white people from far away
Eating bananas at our home visit. (Me, Zac, and Lori)
The 2 sisters and John (Compassion staff)
At Nyabisindu Center (RW-332) we were greeted like Hollywood stars. The whole village and possibly the next 2 had all come to see us. After the normal custom of singing and dancing we were taken to a room intricately decorated just for us. We did the introductions and they told us about the project. We were then shown 2 model classrooms, one English and the other Bible. The children in the rooms were very happy to sing and show us their work. While in the Bible room me and mom started handing out stickers. Since these kids were the model students they were not out with the others getting stickers and stuff. Boy were they all beaming when we left. Once inside the church, the staff had a little surprise. 2 of the sponsors had a kid that went to that project. Tim Hodgson and Michelle Bachini were the 2 lucky winners. It was so emotional to see them greet each other and talk with heads bent soaking up every word. Seeing this interacting, all of us couldn't wait to met our kids on Fri. Before we left this project there was one more thing we were all dying to do....SHOP! The staff had told us before that we could buy handmade stuff from the moms that were at this project. Well once they told us were to go, we cleaned out their supply of handmade items. Literally there was not much but a thread left in that little shop of theirs.
After shopping we were taken to the house visits. Our family lived just up the road from the project. We were greeted by 2 sisters. They told us that their mother had been waiting all day for us to come, but then had to go back to work. We were so sad to hear that, but the girls did an awesome job of hosting us. In fact after introductions they brought out 2 hands of bananas for us to eat. We found out that the house was being rented for $10 US. It was a 3-room cement house with no land or electricity. The father of the family had run off to Kenya some 5 or so yrs before. The mother was putting 3 kids thru primary school and one thru college. We asked to see a picture or letter from the girls sponsor. She emerged from one of the adjoining rooms holding a tattered letter and picture. The letter had been written some years ago and the picture look about the same. Their only decoration in the house was a sheet of stickers pinned to the wall. We figured that that had been sent by the sponsor. The girl told us of how she had been very ill and in the hospital. But because of Compassion and her sponsor she had been treated by the doctors and had recovered. The girls then asked to pray for us. After a very thoughtful and earnest prayer by the oldest sister, we then in turn prayed for them. Then it was picture time outside the house and goodbyes. On our walk back to the project I saw some killer ants marching across the street. That was about the only bug/animal I saw the whole time.
Just one more note.... here are our wonderful bus drivers Savier (left) and Peter(right). We had so much fun trying to communicate with them. Thankfully a big smile goes a long way...
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