ysa dance

Getting to the dance was the beginning of the adventure. 

Mom... close your ears. 

We started by jumping into this guy's truck who pulled over on the side of the road and asked us if we wanted a ride. He dropped us off right where we needed to be with no charge. 

He is going to heaven. 

Then we jumped onto a matatu and it took us to Roysambu where we got out and walked to our ward building. We met up with the missionaries and one of their converts who was going to come with us. After that we jumped onto another matatu that took us to Nairobi. We walked around Nairobi until we found the bus we needed and jumped on that and it took us to Upper Hill. From there we walked around and could not find the church. I just found some locals and batted my eye lashes and next thing you knew it we were in one of their vans getting driven to the building. Heck yes. It paid off to be a white girl.

We get to the building and it is about 12:30 and the dance said it started at 12. There was no one there. Well that is a lie. There were people there setting up the sound and stuff. The dance and party didn't really start until about 3. Talk about Kenyan time. 

We ate some delish Kenyan food and then the dancing began. I just have to preface this with... I am so white. I seriously have no idea how to dance like a Kenyan. After a little really embarrassing attempt to dance they gave all the boys flowers to hand out to the girls. (it was a Valentines dance)

It was the typical... boys line up on one side and the girls line up on the other. There was this one little nasty nast child who was just in love with me and defiantly wanted to give me his flower. I kept changing my spot in line so I wasn't paired up with him and then he would do the same so we were paired up. He creeped me out so bad. 

In the end I prevailed and Oscar gave me not one but two flowers and the nasty was avoided. Oscar is seriously one of the most blessed sons of god I have met since being in Kenya. 

Then they started the games. They asked for 5 couples to come up. We all know I wasn't part of a "couple." I plopped myself on the ground and waited to watch the festivities. The second I sat down this brother with some awesome swag came up and took me by the hands and made me stand back up. He escorted me to the middle of the dance floor. I guess I was part of a "couple" and I didn't even know about it. 

Part of being a couple meant that the boy had to present you with a rose in a creative manor. Oscar and his date went first. Oscar was uncontrollably funny. Then it was my date's turn. (I have no idea what his name is...) He did this huge thing and in the end he came running to me so excited and down on one knee with the flower. I accepted of course. 

My date was blindfolded as I lead him through a course with my voice. Can we be honest for a second? I was the only one there screaming in an American accent and I was the loudest one screaming... I have no idea why he had such a hard time. I even switched to Swahili half way through the course but we lost. It was a noble try. Everyone laughed when I switched to Swahili. I don't think anyone saw it coming. 

We made a lot of friends. I mean a lot. It is another benefit of being white in Kenya... everyone wants to be your friend. 

I danced with a lot of people. I felt like I was getting passed around from person to person. Everyone wanted to teach me how to dance. I was totally okay with that. 

I have this rule that we have to be either home, really close to home or on our way home when it gets dark. Kenya is not scary for me at all but it is just a wise rule. This meant that Kaleigh and I had to leave early from the dance. Luckily there were 2 guys leaving at the same time who more than willingly walked us all the way to our matatu and then waited for a matatu to come get us and sent us on our way. They are going straight to heaven.