Basketball in Eastleigh

Eastleigh is a community near Nairobi which is inhabited almost exclusively by Somalis. When they came years ago, the "true Kenyans" began to leave. My friend Amani (in the black shirt and white trouser) used to live in Eastleigh and began to minister to the young girls there.

Yesterday she invited me to join her. They convinced me that I needed to play with them. Reluctantly I agreed and had SO much fun!
Our team making one of its few baskets - yea! Can you see that the girls all have their heads covered? That is because they are Muslim. We are at a community center, where these girls come after school to remain active...
...rather than sitting at home or roaming the streets where they will be influenced to engage in less wholesome activities or succumb to the temptation to marry too early.
The other net is also in use even while we are playing. Not long ago these girls would not practice their game while the boys were on the court...they have come a long way!
One of the many 'lessons' the coach and Amani are trying to teach is controlling their anger. Maria, here in the red bandana, is angry about something she believes was done to her...
...Coach Sony stepped in to help correct her attitude...
...and the game continues! Man were they aggressive...I didn't stand a chance!
I later found out (through direct personal experience) that the losing team does 5 push ups. Punishment for failure...hmmm...not sure I agree with that practice, but hey, not my call!





Short discussion after the game (while I was resting on the sidelines!)
Here I am flanked by Dan and Amani (who are married to each other...I attended their wedding in March)
The group huddle...the word for today was "Lovely Ladies"...and I said "Loving Ladies" which is what they are being taught. Funny - Amani was telling me how many of them come from different tribes in Somalia and that they kill each other...I was thinking "interesting that Kenyans who also kill each other over tribal conflicts are teaching the Somalis about loving their neighbor"...but then, it is not all Kenyans who are doing that and my thinking is that as we teach we also learn...

See the lady on the left...in full Muslim garb (and wearing sandals!) she was all over the court, dribbling and shooting, with a huge smile on her face...it was an amazing sight!
This little guy told me his name at least 3 times...sorry, still don't know it!
This was such fun for me and of course I have been invited back. I hope to accompany Amani at least one more time before I leave for the states at the end of June.

Moving day...

The 1st of June is a holiday in Kenya - it is akin to our 4th of July. What that meant to Rhonda and me is that the roads would be relatively clear :) and we could get to and from my new house in less time than if it were a normal week day.

All I can say is - it's a good thing I love crawling into small spaces!
I know I know it would have been better to pack the bookcase before putting the table in. But we already had the table in when we decided to do this - besides, this way was much more fun!
Almost through with the first load!


After adding table and bookcase to my bedroom! I don't have a chair yet so will use the bed for now. Hey I discovered the internet over here is MUCH better than where I was. Yippee!
This is only after the first load! No wonder I am so tired! No I did not get all the way unpacked - but I did get the essentials. Kettle for heating water, instant coffee and my pajamas :)
Friend Amanda (who came with the second load)...baptizing the bathroom. Let me just say there is a minor drainage problem! For now I have flip flops (or flippies or slippers as they call them here) assigned to the bathroom, a towel across the threshold and another pair of flippies for outside the bathroom. It's working.,,

Rhonda 'testing' my new couch ("it's hard" says she) and Amanda looking for more cleaning supplies...Lest you think I was just standing by watching her work, I was scanning a document for Amanda in the other room! (by the way the couch folds down to become a bed so now you have no excuse not to visit :)
She is cleaning the floor, but also mopping up the flood which reached all the way to the sitting room!
All moved in? I think I'll sleep on the couch! (which is exactly what I did by the way - and it is actually not bad!)
Dinner time and no stove (I actually have a burner but no cooking gas yet) so I decided to cook spaghetti in the toaster oven...it worked, but I will be glad to have gas hopefully today :)
Now my kitchen is complete - I love this timer! I bought it as a wedding gift for my daughter, Amanda, but she got two so she gave this one to me - thanks Amanda!
So - now I have spent my first night here and it was okay. I think the sun is beginning to come up out there and I can hear the birds chirping - and the best news? No mosquitoes!!!!!