...I do believe I slept through the night last night.
And the award for Most Improved in the area of Technology goes to my mom, who figured out how to leave me a comment on my blog! Good work, mamaci! I miss you and love you.
So, this morning we walked for miles. Okay, two. We walked for two miles and neither Susan nor I was used to it. Also, the sun came out. Yes, hooray, the sun! -but oh so hot, sindiyo?
After a veeeeeeeery long church service, in which I journaled, read half of Amos, and listened intently (to the 10% of the service that was conducted in Swahili), Susan and I walked home with a few others from her church. (We were visiting another church, see).
On the way home my attention was divided between the gorgeous scenery, lamenting the fact that I forgot my camera, carefully choosing my footing along the rocky and dusty road, and listening to the man next to me.
We discussed politics, mostly American. We discussed McCain's penchant for war (ha!), Bush's bungling of the US's relationship with, you know, the entire rest of the world, Hilary's stubbornness, and Obama's Kenyanness. We discussed the primary in Oregon (thanks for the statistics, Ange!, superdelegates, and blacks in America.
As we veered downhill, past cows, goats, children, hills, maize and trees, our conversation moved toward the topic of men in Kenya. He asked me why men in the US worked so hard when men here were so lazy. He asked me if women in the US had a need for fellowship and camaraderie the way women here so desperately did.
I didn't really have answers for him. I've been thinking lately about the roles gender will play in my children's home here. I'm tempted to take only girls, because they tend to rise up to expectations and will meet their potential. Women will use their education to make a difference in their communities.
But the boys need teaching, too. We need to teach them to become men. To fight for their families, for their country. To desire change.
I'm a visionary. I need someone to come alongside me and help me get things done.
Sigh...
7 comments:
I'll pray that God sends you a helper. :)
Did you hear?
Alison Nichole Hodge
7lb 10oz 20" long
May 23rd 4:44am
Very funny. Now I need to master that Twinkle thing... :)
Watching Holiday Inn on this rainy Memorial Day and thinking of you.
Glad you are happy sweet girl.
nolyamaid
Ashby, I read your "twitter" and gas in Kenya costs roughly $5.79 / gallon.
1 shilling= .016 dollars,
95 shillings= 1.53 dollars,
1 gallon = 3.78 litres
: )
So, I'm sure that you shared the fact that under the Bush administration, more has been done for Africa by the US than under any other president! I'm not fond of this administration, but I'm less fond of people being easily manipulated by biased media coverage (or lack thereof).
I hope you are getting a lot done! I retrieved your articles of incorporation yesterday and delivered them to Steph-a-roni.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1717934,00.html
Yeah. I know. People in the villages here view Bush as a good person (in fact I had a student named George Bush, seriously), but in Nairobi their views are tainted by the news on the war in Iraq and the money that goes there...
Anyway. Thanks for getting my papers for me! I'm really embarrassed that you witnessed the sorry state my filing cabinet is in.
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