Last week I had a day that was a bit crazy and random, but our squad leader Sarah Schrack says it's a typical race day. She and Lucas (my other squad leader) were spending a few days with our team.
It was pretty interesting so I thought I should write about it, even though it was last week.
The fun began after a wonderful lunch at a friend's house. We got back to our lodgings at Pastor Joseph's house and there was pickup outside the front gate. We have walked to get every where since we got here, so it was kind of exciting to pile into the back of the truck and travel faster than a boda boda (bike taxis).
When Pastor Joseph had climbed into the cab with the driver and all nine of us were in the back, we set out. Our destination was the house of Dr. Sarah Obama. Yes, Obama. As in the grandmother of our president.
The drive was beautiful and I enjoyed seeing more of Kenya.
Since we had already called to schedual our visit, when we arrived at the compound gate all we had to do was sign in. They directed us to where three men were sitting in the shade, and told us to wait.
We chatting with the men who said they were visiting Dr. Obama because they were her grandsons. But when we asked if they were cousins to our president they didn't seem to know what we were talking about.
Some children played nearby and turkeys of varying sizes stutted around looking intimidating.
Suddenly, everyone was standing from their seats and looking toward the house. From it came an old woman and everyone tried to make sure she was comfortable.
She greeted her grandsons cheerfully and then a translator was summoned since she only speaks Luo, the local tribal toungue.
They asked us if we had any questions for Dr Obama. We looked at each other for a bit and some of us came up with some questions to ask.
We learned that she was given an honorary doctorate. She has taken in any number of orphans. And she seems to run this farm of maize fields and turnkeys.
Then we took a group picture with her (not with my camera) and we asked if we could pray for her. When she said yes, Drew lead us in prayer. I was so glad to have the opportunity to pray for this woman and her family!
We all shook her hand and began the pleasent ride back to Siaya.
But we got a flat tire only a couple miles from town, so us girls stood by the road watching storm clouds aproach and prayed we would reach town before the rain reached us. Meanwhile our amazing men of God picked up the pickup with their bare hands and changed the tire.
We all praised God when we did make it home before the rain, then watched in amazement as it poured down in sheets and the hail came.
I've never seen so much hail! It piled up like a thin layer of snow on the ground between the rivers of rain water that were forming in the front yard.
And it became cold very fast. Even so, we crowded onto the porch and around the windows to watch the show.
Soon the hail stopped, but the rain was still coming down pretty hard. I was about to consider stepping off the porch to dance in the rain, when Lucas ran past me, across the yard, and out into the dirt road that was turning into a river.
Some of the rest of us followed and it was cold! The water running through the yard and the road numbed my feet on contact!
But the cold didn't even slow us down. It wasn't long before all the muzungos (except Scott) were shampooing our hair in the rain. The pastor and his family stood on the porch and said we were crazy and telling us we were going to get sick. They said they had never seen a rain like this and especially not this late in the year. And hail was completely new to them!
Some of our girls sat on the steps and began shaving, until the hail started again and everyone crowded back onto the porch to avoid getting bruised.
All in all, a great day! I thank God I get to do this and do things like pray for the president's grandmother
