To Africa and back . . . (part the seventh)

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Thursday, June 21

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Early Thursday morning, about half of our group climbed one of the mountains. I had been looking forward to that trip all week, but when Thursday arrived I was too ill. Those that went brought back many pictures to show those of us who stayed behind. Upon their return, we gathered with the Mulli family in Charles’ office. The family shared their heart with us, their vision for the future as best they could and asked us to share the passion when we returned to our homes. I hope that I have done that through all of these entries about Mully Children’s Family.After lunch, we were able to do some farm work-we
planted two rows of trees in farm row f. I can’t explain where that is, but you can see all our hard work. There are many pictures showing the various stages of planting in the photo gallery. For the most part the guys carried the water to the holes and the girls planted. Our holes were already dug, which was very gracious on their part. The ground is hard packed clay. We put water in the holes, dig a little with our hands, then plant the tree and put enough clay around it to keep it upright. The holes stay deep around the trees so that when water is poured in the hole, it seeps slowly into the roots instead of dissipating and being wasted. Each of the older children at MCF have a tree that they water as part of their routine. Each tree receives 3 buckets of water a month until it is three years old. After three years, it will seek water on its own from the ground.We were given time to wash up, then we were able to play games with the children.A few of the girls and all the boys when to play football (soccer to us). The guys played guys and girls played girls. The majority of the girls played volleyball when we discovered that was an option. When they play to practice, they will put the girls in the positions they are best in and rotate around them and they can double hit. It took a while to get used to, but we had fun.I had several conversations with kids sitting and watching the volleyball games when I wasn’t playing. The stories are heart breakers. One boy I walked with wanted to be a musician and an electrical engineer. I asked how he would do both, he responded that he would sing while working. Another young man I spoke with hadn’t been there very long. His mother died several years ago, his father was not a kind man. He had six sisters and three brothers. His goal is to be farmer and unite his siblings. Friday morning we left Mully Children’s Family around 11A.M., if I remember correctly. We had a two hour trip back into Nairobi. I was struck by the sights I saw, more so on the way back to the city than the way to MCF. Old men sitting by the side of the road at the intersections of roads, old women watching animals by the sides of roads alone, and young children at school in uniform out for exercise.

Related Posts

1. To Africa and back . . . (part the fifth)
2. To Africa and back . . . (part the third)
3. To Africa and back . . . (part the eighth)
4. To Africa and back . . . (part the fourth)
5. To Africa and back . . . (part the sixth)

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