This is why I love Kenya.

When I was at Karabisha weekend a while ago I was told by some full time missionaries that there is a place nearby me that has children with physical disabilities. So I looked into it and it is an A.I.C. church that has a children’s center for these children to live at during the school year because then they are right near the school. (otherwise they wouldn’t be able to make the commute from their homes to a school because it is too far) So I gave the place, Kampi Ya Samaki Children’s Centre, a call and arranged to go this weekend. Kampi Ya Samaki is the name of the town, also known as Lake Baringo. Samaki means fish, so I think it is something like place of fish. Anyway, me and Jennifer set out at 6:30am for the bus to pick us up that would take us about an hour away to Marigat, and from there it is only a half hour or so from Kampi Ya Samaki. So we piled on the bus, already packed, and this is the size of a city bus minus the personal space we are used too. As we drive we pick up anybody and everybody on the way, including whatever they are bringing with them. This could be big bags of grain, buckets of fruit, jugs of milk, etc. you just rest your feet on it and carry on. I bought some peanuts rolled in a little newspaper that a vendor came on the bus with at a stop for less than 5 cents to save for later. We arrived at Marigat at the matatu station and began to wait for the one matatu to fill up with people so we could go. Meanwhile we talked to the driver and someone else who was the drivers brother, I think, who was young like us and worked on the boats at Lake Baringo. He told us we should come by the lake and we could see hippos and crocodiles! After talking to many people, as usual, this guy from the lake came back and introduced us to a man and then they said “twende” which means “lets go.” Questioningly, we followed, and they explained they are leaving now and the man is a teacher at the school the kids from the center attend. So we took the ride. They drove us right to the church, which the matatu wouldn’t have done, so that was nice and we met some people from the center and they said they would come back at 3pm for us. (okay, whatever you want to do, I think to myself, but remember you don’t even know us??) So we met the secretary and I think the chief of the town, maybe the church? Who knows. Either way they were expecting us and excited for us to come. So we got to meet the children and see the place. The kids ranged from having no leg, to leg braces, to damaging burns, to a limp, etc. The place is very small, two dorms, a tiny “kitchen”, a really small office, a workshop where someone makes shoes and braces, and they were building a small dining area to eat and study in. A hospital that I am somewhat familiar with comes from about 8 hours away three times a year to do evaluations and treatments, sometimes bringing them back to the hospital for surgery or prosthetics. So these kids are fortunate to have those types of supplies, but they don’t have any sort of therapy or anyone who does therapy consistently for them. Most of the kids also are considered shameful in their families as well, so they can’t get the help they need at home. Me and Jennifer colored with them on the patio and played string games for a little bit. We were treated to some sodas, and then two people took us to Lake Baringo. It is a short walk in the hot sun. Kampi Ya Samaki is down in the valley, where the cactuses are many, the dirt is dusty, and shade is scarce. There are trees with really sharp things on them; they’ll poke right through your shoes if you step on it. The trees are scattered, the cactus is used as a fence, and as usual, so many goats. The lake is really large with a blue mountain backdrop and an island big enough to have a community and a school in the middle. We got into a big canoe like motor boat and slowly set out into the brown water. There some little naked kids bathing on the shore, as well as many mothers washing clothes. Within five minutes we saw the hippos in the distance, and as we got closer an occasional crocodile head would pop up. The water was shallow, you couldn’t tell, so the hippos were just walking along. (and I thought they could swim!) We could see there huge heads as they traveling in a big group. We watched them for awhile, and then we must have gotten too close, because the big started coming after us! So we quickly moved on. We spent a little more time on the lake, and then went back to the center-all the while baking in the burning sun. We were welcomed to come sit on plastic furniture under a roof, a pile of wheelchairs and crutches in the corner, the kids scattered, smoke from the kitchen rising. One person came around with the usual pitcher of water to pour over our hands before we ate. They gave us lunch: rice, chapati, and stew. They welcomed us to come back again, over and over, and thanked us so many times for coming. We left there around 3:15, took the absolutely impossibly bumpy road back to Marigat. (on that road a big bus came piled high on top with who knows what, packed with people, looking like it was going to tip over at any second on the bumps that were over a foot deep, and the sign on the front said :God is Able. I thought, “yeah, I know God is but I am not sure you are!”) At Marigat we bought a watermelon slice and some crackers, and waited in a matatu. Soon we were shifted to a big bus, all the while being bargained for to ride in a certain matatu. We of course talked to many people, especially the people who met us on the way there and now acted like we were long time friends. We got to ride in the front with driver, and warded off vendors trying to sell us peanuts, crackers, sweets, tomatoes, honey, etc. It took about two hours to get back, once again because we stop to pick up anyone who waves. But we made it back by 7pm…just in time to enjoy a Korean dinner. As usual.