Since episode 1:
Isaac, Wanjiru, and Adili spent April in San Francisco, during which time we prepared our house to be rented. The days were beyond hectic, and the only respite was a week spent in Istanbul (not Constantinople!), which was fabulous. The Denver grandparents got to spend the week with Adili while Isaac and Wanjiru learned to love Turkish coffee. Adili reunited with his friends at daycare one last time, before bidding them adieu. He’s now too old to go back and needs a proper pre-school.
Returning to Kenya in May, we found the country very different from a month earlier. Substantial amounts of rain had turned everything beautifully green. The rains also brought power outages and, ironically, occasional water shortages. Fortunately our apartment is close to a main water line so we (usually) have enough water pressure to (barely) fill our storage tanks. Not so for the poor neighbors a few houses up the hill.
Adili is back in school and now officially knows about half his alphabet, his numbers to 20 (10 in Swahili), and about half a dozen bible verses. For a few weeks he kept blaming his naughty behavior on someone named “Taylor McKensie,” and I was seriously wondering if this was a fictional friend. Finally Wanjiru asked at his school and it turns out there really is a “Taylor McKensie.” Taylor and Adili were best friends, and the teachers had even separated them because they kept getting into trouble!
I finally visited Consolata Shrine in Nairobi, and got to see what I look like when memorialized in 15 stained glass windows. If you haven’t heard the story, well, ask me one day over dinner. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures linked below.
Finally, Wanjiru and Akili Dada are doing great – they will be adding 30 new scholars this year(!), and are currently involved in the selection process. In March she gave a speech at a gathering of six secondary schools and, when her name was announced, I heard a gasp among the students. They were so excited to see her speak!
We miss you all and wish you the very best! Photos are here:
IWA
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