Njabini and Goodbyes

Saturday:

With a lot of excitement, and even a brief prayer, all of the children, most of the housemothers, Scola, Moses, Gilbert and I set off on the bus to Njabini -- a field trip to the Flying Kites home in Njabini.  As I always do on Kenyan bus trips, I checked for my nearest emergency exits... and here was mine:

We didn't wind up needing to break any glass, but I DID worry a bit when the bus rocked not only forward and backward (in an attempt to extricate itself from the muddy rut below) but also side to side...

Wonderful Gilbert, though, led a crack team of pedestrians and other onlookers in an effort to refill the rut with available mud-chunks as we continued, inside the bus, to discuss our other transportation options. 

The gorgeous Rift Valley views from the previous hour's drive, it turns out, had energized us enough that we could all disembark and hike the rest of the way up the road to Flying Kites's compound, where our children and theirs had a bountiful picnic on the lawn!

They also had an invigorating walk through the countryside -- daring even to dip their feet into the icy river!

It was a glorious day! Many, many thanks to Brian and his volunteer team at Flying Kites for so generously hosting all of us. We look forward to many more events together!

Sunday:

We spent the day together in Cura, watching the rain create rivulets of muddy water and accumulate dirt into thick red blocks on the bottom of our shoes. We beaded, played Uno, and generally nursed some raw emotions as we prepared to say our goodbyes. 

It's never easy to leave, but each departure is made less threatening by the fact that promises to return are fulfilled... we're all looking ahead to the 2013 calendar for our next visit together!

With lots of hugs:

And poignant moments:

And a bag full of trinkets to distribute to pen pals... I said tutaonana tena (we will see each other again) instead of good bye.