Our Final Days with Katakwa

Thursday, June 15, 2017

           

               Woods and I (Josh) started off the day waiting for Smith and Michael to walk back to school after our fantastic home stays. A home stay consisted of when VES students spent the night at the homes of Katakwa Secondary students. We were served bottomless cups of milk tea and endless biscuits (cookies) and butter sandwiches. We were then given a tour of the compound and the surrounding area. It quickly became apparent that all of the families of the students were closely related, and amazingly the grandmother of Smith and Michael’s host student was wearing an old VES t-shirt. Michael and I soon had met back up to climb a rock structure to get to a beautiful view of the mountains. When it started to get dark we both went back to our homes to eat dinner. We ate bananas, potatoes, kales (similar to collard greens), rice, meat (beef or chicken or fish), and their staple food, ugali. Ugali was boiled milled grain, sorghum, or corn. After dinner we took bucket showers and went to bed. 

            In the morning we woke up, took another bucket shower, and ate breakfast. There was more milk tea, ground nuts (peanuts), maize, eggs, watermelon, and some more butter sandwiches. Then it was off to school. As we walked the dusty road to school, our group slowly became larger. When we got to school, our host students went to class, and the VES students started to paint the bookshelves, as well as helped the carpenter to plane the timber. Then we waited. And waited. And thought about walking. And didn’t. And waited. And Haynes yelled at the driver on the phone. And we waited. And then we left. We came back and had unbelievably delicious samosas at the Mission House made by the one and only Mama B. After refueling with the samosas, the gang was off to the cathedral for Stella Bradford’s baptism, a dream that she always had for happening in Kenya. 

We sang and followed the service along with our Modern Service books. It was a very nice service, and the Bishop Emeritus and his wife Catherine served as Stella’s godparents. Then we went back to the school to say our farewells. We created a quite a stir by handing out candy, and then recognized the school’s debate team by giving them t-shirts. They gave us all a handmade VES handkerchief, and then we took pictures as we made our way to our vans. We then drove home to get prepared for dinner with the Bishop Emeritus. 

            Dinner at the bishop’s house was a full meal, complete with our second dessert of the trip, cake and strawberry ice cream. At dinner the bishop had invited a few friends and a few special guests. Among the guests were the Kenyan equivalent of a CIA and FBI agents, and the new bishop. After the meal we all went into his living room and the bishop talked to us about coming back to Kenya and that we are all family in Kenya. We ended the night with a prayer from the new bishop, gave signs of peace and headed home to pack and get a good night’s rest for a busy day and early morning as we head off to the Masai Mara for the safari. 

All the Best,

Josh Barnard and Michael Caprise