This morning we went up to Cheppema early for the school's opening ceremony. I think I mentioned before that the Kenyan flag flies while school is in session. So, this is the ceremony where they raise the flag.
The kids stood in a sort of chorus formation... they sang songs and clapped their hands. Then a few boys went to the pole to raise the flag. After the flag was raised, everyone headed to the church for some morning worship. I really enjoyed listening to the kids and teachers worship God and give testimonies. The music those kids made with their voices... I will never forget that sound!
The dancing was pretty amazing as well. The ceremony/worship ended with prayer and the students headed off to class.
The team started on the clinic's records, trying to fill in the missing data and update as much as possible. Other members of the team were instructing the teachers and other Hope Center workers on how to use the computers. Since all the computers were being used, I didn't really have anything to do. So, I walked around for a while and started taking pictures.
I was actually really glad to have the time to enjoy Kenya's nature. It was a great time to talk to God about what He was teaching me through this trip. It had been a gut-wrenching and awe-inspiring week for me already and I needed some time to debrief the happenings with The Big Man Upstairs.
I played with the kids again during recess. I really would have thought I would be TIRED at this point... but the exhaustion never came. Those kids were just so excited about everything, it rubbed off on me!
After the first recess, I went into the grade 8 classroom to watch Gilbert teach. He was talking about the United Nations... in Grade 8!!!!! I don't think I learned about that until... actually, I don't really think I ever LEARNED it... It might have been taught, but I don't think I was paying attention. Either way, I'm sure that I didn't hear that in grade 8!
After the school broke for recess again, i had chai with some of the teachers in their small office again, but this time I drug Terry along with me. Terry and I chatted with the teachers while we drank. We our hosts left, Terry and I stayed for a while to finish our tea and had a look at the sample final tests the students take. The scores on that test determine whether or not the students make it to highschool... and let me tell ya, I never would have gotten there, much less to college. That test is HARD. And there were questions about three different religions, including Christianity.
Lunch was much the same today, except that we were provided with SODA!!!! I can't tell you how excited I was to see Coke... and I won't drink that in America... LOL!
After lunch, I started feeling extremely tired and sick. I took some medicine for a headache and layed down for a while.
I got up to do worship with the kids for VBS, but I made sure to sit down during the rest of VBS. I still felt a little weak.
When I started feeling better, I played a game of chase with one of the younger boys. He enjoyed it immensely, and so did I. I haven't been that free in a really long time.
We left shortly after my game and had dinner back at our 'residence'. Since some of the highschool, college and driving school boys had come home for the weekend (you have to go to school to get a license in Kenya), they joined us for dinner. I sat with one of them and had a wonderful conversation. He taught me some more Swahili and told me about his schooling experience.
When we headed back to the main cabin for our de-brief, Rick sent me back to my room. At this point I was really sick, I was shivering under a blanket in a warm room. I didn't argue, I headed back to my cabin and climbed into bed. I was feeling nauseous, hot and cold and weak.
After an hour or so, Pam came to my bedside and took my temperature... 101.2. I rarely get fevers, so I don't really know what is normal for me... but the fever itself is unusal. Pam had me take some medicine and I went back to sleep.
Pam and Rick and some others were having a meeting downstairs in my cabin, but I was OUT! Before they left, Pam checked on me again... and told me that if I got any sicker to talk to Natacha. Well, bad news for Natacha... I got physically ill later in the night.
Fitful night of sleep, but I still got some...
The next morning was better... but that is for the next post.
-Britt
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