Kenya Monday 6/13/10

We were allowed to sleep in as we were going to 5:00 mass. We were finally up we had the pleasure of visiting the sick sisters at the Mother house infirmary. There we met Sister Peter Celeaver. She is a legend in the order as she is a former Superior General, established the Helpage, a program to give Grandparents who are raising their grandkids because the parents have died from AIDS. What a wonderful person. She told stories about the past. Teased the other Sisters in the infirmary and asked me for my cell phone number so when the Sisters would no longer take care of her, she could call me and I could come and get her and take care of her just like a good son.

Later in the afternoon we rode up to the Novitiate with the retired Bishop Davis, who is one of their teachers, British and been in Kenya serving the church for 50 years, and had dinner with the novices and saw their school. We had mass and a wonderful dinner with them and then sat and answered questions about America. It was interesting to try to explain our school system when we did not really understand their system (it was mostly jargon that was the barrier). They asked about plastic bags and what we did with them. (It was not until that question that we began to notice the number of bags that are left around the city and country side creating an environmental problem.) They asked about California (some set up from the teachers) and what we through of Kenya. They were really shy until Yvonne asked about a particular kind of shaker that is used in the Kenyan music. They brought one out and laughed and laughed was Yvonne tried to learn to use it. They were incredulous that she could not make it work. They sang for us and showed us the different musical instruments. Then they asked that we sing for them. Yvonne suggested one of the rounds and she and I sang for them. I think that they were tickled. (They next morning, after the Sisters heard that we had sang, we had to sing for them. It was a hoot.) We then packed up and headed back to Asumbi. On the way back the Bishop invited us to dinner.