Thank God It's Friday

Well the week has come to a close and I am very happy to have the day to rest and get caught up. It has been a little more hectic, and therefore tiring, than usual. I am off for the next week in terms of classes, but will spend some of my time doing the updates to the manual. I have tried some of the new material and it seems to fit fairly well. This entry is starting with the oldest stuff first. And, because the days have kind of run together, I'm not sure of the actual date of each thing.

I know that I've been discussing the crazy rain, but when it hails along the equator you know it's bad. One evening right about sunset, we were looking at this really beautiful cloud that had flashes of lightening within it. The lightening wasn't coming down to the ground, just within the cloud. I should have known it wasn't going to be good. We were finishing up with dinner when the rain started. The roof in the main house is corrugated metal, so it can get a little loud. However, when it sounded like hammers hitting it, we looked out and saw hail coming down. It just build up more and more until, between the rain and the hail, you literally could not hear a person speaking unless you yelled at each other. There are 2 puppies left of a new litter and so we tried to go out to find them. The runt of the litter was near the back door trying to make it over. He was shaking so bad and so I had to hold him to try to calm him and keep him warm. Stallone eventially found the other one and it seemed to have found shelter somewhere. Stallone, who is 27, remembered hail from only one other time in his life. The ceiling in the hut didn't leak, but there was a ton of little pieces of thatch laying all over. Additionally, the wind had blown water under the door so I now know where all the low spots are. The strange thing is that the next morning when picked Mary up in Webuye (15 -20 miles away), she said there was not a drop.

I wasn't prepared for coming home on Tuesday. There were a total of 14 student teachers coming from Indiana University. Also, a former volunteer named Janna was staying over night with her parents and their tour guide and driver. I'll start with Janna first. When I came the last time, Janna had just left the farm. I heard stories about how horrible she was. I figured that they were simply exagerating because it couldn't be that bad. Well, I was wrong, she was actually worse than I could imagine. She never shut up from the moment she walked in the door. She was on day 17 of a 21 day safaris through Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Her mother didn't seem that old, but her father was pretty frail. He was staying in the house and kept getting lost on the way to his room. The drivers had said that Janna actually pushed him out of the way in Uganda and knocked him down. They told her that if she did it again they would leave her by the side of the road. They said it was the worst group of people they had ever been with. She was supposed to stay just one night, but we were graced with her presence for 2 nights.

So, with the student teachers, Janna et al, and the regular volunteers, we had 28 people shoved into the living room. I was truly overwhelmed by both the people and the noise. I've been eating with Reuben in their bedroom because it's more civil. They will be done with the dining room/gather gazebo today and so people will be able to spread out and I think I can handle it then. I'm making a point of visiting with people outside or when they aren't all in there together. I don't want to be antisocial, but it is just too much to deal with. (Sorry mom, I'm ending all these sentences with prepostions and I do know better)

Yesterday was graduation day again. We graduated 14 people. The tests scores were the best ever. 3 people in the 70's, 3 in the 90's, and ther rest in the 80's. My one student, Justus, showed true dedication. First, he was only planning to sit in on the first class. However, he decided to return on the second day. When he showed up on the 3rd day, we gave him a manual so he could stick around. He brought us 10 avocados one day and a huge bunch of bananas (still on the stalk) another day. When he came the fifth day he apologized fof not bringing anything, but said he wasn't feeling well. He came on the exam day and passed with a 92 or 94, I can't remember for sure. He didn't look well at all, and had to leave several times. After class we found out that he'd been throwing up since the day before. We took him to the hospital in Webuye even though he was afraid of impsoing on us. It took most of the afternoon, but the eventually gave him a shot of quinine and proscribed other antimalarial medication. The pharmacy was closed by then and it was too late to get a matatu home. We brought him to Kanduyi which is just outside Bungoma. He has some relatives there where he could spend the night. We also got him some bottle water and glucose drink. The glucose drink is fairly common and used when people are so sick and can't keep stuff down. It's basically a drink to replenish electrolytes. The mobile clinic picked him up this morning and will get him the medicine and a ride back to town.

Sitting in the hospital yesterday was a bit somber. There were a number of HIV/AIDS cases coming and going. Usually it doesn't wear on me, but it began to do so. Sometimes I can't help but think "Will I be there, and if so, when?" It's not a thought I try to go to as a positive attitude is certainly the best. I'll be able to shake it and even writing this is quite carthetic.

Again, my thoughts go out to everyone reading this. I am enjoying my time here and know that I am doing good. Oh, I do have another story. One of the volunteers has "adopted" two brothers who have lost their parents. The one had some extensive burns from a fire when he was younger. I think they are 10 and 6, or about there. The uncle has been trying to care for them but just doesn't have the money. Stephanie has arranged to get them into an orphanage in BUngoma where they will get good care. They normally don't take children above 7 because they need time to raise the money for secondary school. Stephanie will sponsor there school, so it just took her offering two cows to get the children accepted. They will attend school at Epico-Jahns (part of ICODEI) so Mama Betty will be able to look out after them as well. Stephanie asked the uncle if he'd be willing to have them tested for HIV. The uncle said yes and that he wanted to be tested himself. He said that because of John he knew it was important. It turns out that he is Humphreys and was in my first class back on this trip! Progresss may be slow, but it seems to be steady.