The Marvellous Maasi

A brief update of my week in Kenya is unfortunately all I have time for right now! I had a brilliant week with the Maasai people and they are such a colourful people! I was able to share fellowship with them in Bible study and also in the worship leaders course. I enjoyed singing in their choir too, although I found it difficult to sing in Maasai as you’re trying so hard to fit all the syllables into the music it’s definitely less enjoyable, but very satisfying when you finish the verse at the same time as everybody else! A few awkward moments when I didn’t! I was also asked to read for them which I felt a little daunted by as I didn’t want to read God’s Word and have them laughing due to the accent/inability on my part. But I read the first few verses and paused to see if they understood, which they did! So I continued to the end of the passage and was even complimented on my reading! Phonetically the majority of letters sound the same but it’s just trying to say all the letters they have put into one word and a few silent ones here and there! I also just enjoyed being around the people and observing how they live. I got to visit a few houses when delivering water to them. Some of the children are all smiles and very happy to see you…others cry. That’s a little awkward. I presume it’s down to the fact that they don’t see white people very often, at least that’s what I’m hoping!

It was brilliant just to spend time with the family I was staying with. They definitely rate top in the cool pets award. They have a wilderbeest, two gazelles, two monkeys, 1 sheep and roughly 11 goats. And a hedgehog!  So I got to participate in the feeding of the bottle fed ones. It was a very surreal moment when we first arrived around midnight and they headed out to feed what I thought was presumably a dog…but no, Willie the wilderbeest is just chilling waiting to be fed! One of the ways the missionaries are teaching the Gospel to the Maasai is through God’s love for creation and how we as humans have been given authority over animals and to care for them. But how much more God loves and cares for each one of them! So it was really interesting to see and be a small part of.

Time with the family was also really good fun. Completed a couple of jigsaws, played some games and heard lots of stories about life in Kenya! I could have sat all night listening to the ways God has worked through them in so many varied ways! Such an encouragement. Got to attend church with them on Sunday too which was fascinating! I was able to pass on greetings from my church. I have some pictures but due to the slow internet here it would take too long to upload them. So will hopefully get them to you at a later date!

Anyhow, I’ve since spent a night in Nairobi. Taken a bus across into Tanzania and arrived at the orphanage! It’s called Samaritan Village and they do have a facebook page if you want to look them up! The kids have been great fun so far and we’ve had a lot of laughs together. I’ve had to teach them science for summer homeworks. Officially found out I am not meant to be a teacher, it was so hilarious though. They found out I was from the UK and so proceeded to name every previous white volunteer they have had. One was asking me if I knew ‘Endo’ and I said no. Then if I knew a hindu, I said no. But he kept asking…Finally I established he was saying Andrew. And sadly, I didn’t know him either! I’ve also had to find some basketball skills as we play it quite a lot! And a very confusing version of dodgeball which basically results in me being out irrespective of what I do! The rules seem to change all the time but I think they prefer it when I’m out because I take pictures! Anyhow, staff are lovely and are trying to teach me Swahili but they don’t tell me what anything means…just to repeat! So I’m still lost! The children range from 2months-17years so there are so many things to do and help out with! So I’d better go and get working!

Please pray for energy and enthusiasm. For being an encouragement and help to the staff. And to be a witness to the two non Christian volunteers beginning next week. Massive amounts of praise for this incredible opportunity. For God's protection this far and for safety when I've been travelling. For small amounts of internet to let you all know I'm still living!

Sarah