Edna

Monday, March 23

Sunday night was an improvement.  Everyone woke up at some point and had to be put to bed again but we made it through without an extended awake time.  On Monday morning Will got up early and went in for his first day at the hospital.  The kids slept in late and I squeezed in a shower and quiet time before they woke up.  For breakfast they some American cereal that we had packed but they all opted against the boxed milk on their cereal.  Doesn’t quite taste the same.  Most of the families here have fresh cow's milk delivered daily to them.  We have not tried that yet.

At 9:00 our house helper came over for the first time.  This is a beautiful beautiful thing about Kenya.  Most families have a house helper that comes every weekday to help with cooking and cleaning.  It is very inexpensive for us and also provides much needed work.  Our house helper’s name is Edna.  She has quickly become most precious to me.  How will I go back to living without her? I think she thinks I’m ridiculous.  So she’s figured me out. 

Edna came in the first day, did all the dishes and made African chai for me and the kids.  I loved it but the kids not so much.  She told us a little bit about her family – her husband is a farmer and they have 4 children.  She became a Christian when she was 14 and has taught all of her children about Jesus.  I can tell the kids are not sure what to make of having someone else in the house.  Liam has asked me her name 25 times and Harper keeps calling her "the babysitter".  Here’s what I make of it – awesome. 

We have a washing machine but no dryer so all the clothes have to hang to dry on our clothesline outside.  Edna was about to start the washing machine but the power went out.  It ended up staying out all day.  So she took the clothes outside and washed them all by hand.  I would have worn the same pair of underwear for 3 days before I would have done that.  I said "oh my goodness Edna, you do not have to do that!!"  She said that that is how she does it for her family at home.  No big deal.  Amazing woman.

So while Edna was hand washing our clothes, we went on a walk around the Tenwek grounds with our neighbor, Stephanie Kelley.  She is here with her husband and 4 children for the SP post-residency program.  Stephanie took us to the waterfall that generates power for the compound. It is rainy season now but there has hardly been any rain so the water is very low.  Everyone has been praying for rain to come.  This afternoon it sprinkled but a big rain has not come yet. 

We enjoyed lunch at Barbara Pinkley’s house, one of the long-time missionaries here and then dinner at the guesthouse.  The kids have hardly eaten since we’ve been here but they ate well tonight – baked fish and mashed potatoes.  I haven’t really felt hungry either until tonight.  The 8 hour time difference messes with your appetite too I think.

I wish I could post more photos but I left the cord at home to download pics from camera.  The photos I have are from Will's phone.