So I think everyone was in agreement tonight that today was the best day so far. It was our last day at St. Mary's School. It seemed cooler this morning which made working a bit easier. We continued our rock collection which was a lot of fun. The pile was much larger from when we started yesterday. The hillside in which we were digging looks much different now and fewer rocks by far :) I think we all underestimated the power of the sun's rays being on the equator as most of us got burnt. After lunch we were in for a special treat. The children of the school gathered in the church and we followed along. While there, we heard from the director of the school and the synod bishop about the ways God has blessed them and the plans they have for the future. Then the children came forward and sang some songs for us. SOOO precious! I think we were all moved by their presentation. Then we were able to present to the school all the things we had collected from home (and some things we bought yesterday at the Kenyan version of wal-mart). The children each came forward to get a tube a toothpaste and a toothbrush, followed by the parents who received cross necklaces and/or scarves. Then the coolest part happened- all the parents of the children that were present danced forward singing a song of thanks to us and the whole church (americans included) danced together. It was quite a moving to scene to witness how they expressed their gratitude. Tonight's discussion after devotions was around our (Americans) lack of joy we often display and how afraid we are to express gratitude and joy in such a way. We may have our owns ways of doing it, but dancing is so much more fun :)
After the service we did another hour of work and then back to Thirrii Center. After we all got cleaned up, we headed to an orphanage run by the Methodist Church here. The children there either came from the streets or were orphaned because their parents died from AIDS. It was a beautiful facility and we got to meet some of the older children that are there and hear some songs from them.

For me, personally, my favorite parts of the day were conversations I had with Dottie about how her and Lewis got started in their ministry here; conversations with the bishop, and then the quiet time I had picking up/digging up rocks by myself. There's something very peaceful about sitting on a hillside collecting rocks; and something very gratifying in digging up a big rock after half an hour of digging it out by hand :) I had the opportunity, tonight, to ask the bishop about evangelism and how they practice it. I only heard part of his answer, as he got called away, but look forward to hearing the rest tomorrow. I've got a list of other questions I want to ask him as I'm just interested in how Christianity is practiced here. I've been very impressed with the Methodist Church's presence in the community and how many programs they have for raising children in the faith for they are the future...hmm, I remember seeing a lot of ministry to children in Europe as well.....I've only seen bits and pieces of how faith is practiced here, but what I've seen thus far is a lot of joy and pride in being a Christian and follower of Christ. The group has talked a lot about the lack of "stuff" they have and how that ties in with how much joy they have. This is a lesson I always seem to glean when I travel and just pray God shows me what to do with it.

Oh! I forgot something! Isaac, the gentleman from the synod office who has been our guide, said something today that was very hopeful. He taught us an Kenyan ideal. He said that things that have legs you can push along, like sheep, goats, cows, etc. These things you can give a push and they can move forward on their own. You can't do this with things like rocks (which was funny since we have been dealing with rocks the past two days). And that is a metaphor for the people of Kenya. They don't need hand-outs. They are not weak or lazy or helpless. They just need a push, a start-up, a vision, an idea, a hope. They then have the faith and spirit to carry it and make it happen- like the guest house for the synod and the school building. The bishop presented the vision, the challenge, and they have done what was needed to move forward. They are a highly devoted people and that's so encouraging to me. They don't want our hand-outs. They want our partnership, our love, and for us to work alongside them. So much good can happen that way!

So it has been a very blessed day. Tomorrow we travel a lot to see some more of the schools being support by the Methodist Church. The weather has been great! Cool in the mornings and at night and warm in the afternoons, but not unbearably hot. Fun fact: did you know that Kenya is full of volcanoes?! Most of the rocks we have picked up the past couple days are volcanic rocks and all over the countryside are little cone-shaped hills all over caused by volcanoes. In fact, Mt. Kenya was a volcano at one point. Anyway, the food has been fantastic! I think most have lost hope of losing weight on this trip :) Anyway, just some random thoughts for you. I think I've written enough for one day. Be blessed!

God's peace,
Katie