grateful

I'm always grateful for all the emails I get to remind me that I'm doing more than my part while being here in Kenya. It's hard, I was never doubting it would be. There are just moments when it seems harder than I expected.

However, I wanted to answer some of the questions I get on a regular basis:

How's the food? This is by far the most common question and with my sensitive stomach (as my friend BAC says) it was perhaps the most scary thing about the trip. Breakfast includes fresh fruit like I've never tasted before...pineapples, watermelon, bananas...all delicious. I usually have cornflakes and some fruit. Lunch has been provided through Julius' sister Julianna who lived in Italy since she was 18 so it's been tasty. Dinner has varied from tilapia to chicken to meatballs. I always try a little something and it's been good.

What about your living accommodations? So, we are staying in this fabulous guest house. We have running water, hot water, toilets, electricity. I am in a room with 3 other girls, so we are staying in bunks. There is a common room, the dining room, and an outside patio. It's safe and warm and a lot nicer than I thought.

What time is it there? Depending where you are, I'm either 9 hours (Denver) or 8 hours (KC, Chicago, etc) ahead of you. Currently, it's 5:30 pm.

What are the people like? Incredibly warm and friendly. They have a great spirit about them and are incredibly kind to us mzungu.

What's the weather like? Isn't it miserable like July in the states? NO! It's actually cool here right now because we are in winter. The Kenyans are thinking it's a lot colder than it feels, but it's winter. Highs are only in the 70's or 80's and the lows are in the 50's. So in a lot of ways, it's similar to Denver in the fall.

Mosquito's? There have to be mosquito's? You really don't see them much in Nairobi, but when we go on safari, we'll see them there. So, I'm continuing my malaria pills which have given me hilarious dreams (Like watching a new fall show staring Michael J. Fox, with a similar plot line to Desperate Housewives, yet drawn like Simpson's characters or the one where I was shopping at Old Navy).

Thanks for the continuous thoughts and prayers. We are busy tomorrow with the elephant orphanage and the giraffe center and the lake on Sunday. Hopefully Monday's blog will hold exciting stories from the weekend!