good.

I am here in Kenya and life is good. I am just doing the normal things like teaching the kids this and that, visiting new places and making new friends. I am going to church. I almost got married the other night but that is not a story you blog about. That was crazy. Back to how life is good. 

I feel like the second that you get comfortable in a routine here something throws me for a loop. Kaleigh and I were in this routine. We aren't traveling anywhere crazy again until we head to Ethiopia in less then 2 weeks. We are just happy chilling in our house here in Thika on the weekdays and with our church loving people on the weekends. Basically, living the dream. 

We see a Facebook post about Irene, a girl at the Mormon orphanage we frequent. She has fallen ill. I read through the symptoms she is having and how all the tests are coming up negative. I tell Kaleigh that we will go visit her on Sunday after church and bring her a blanket. 

That Sunday will never come. The next day she passed away. Just like that. It was so quick. Everyone is still in shock. I knew that Kaleigh and I needed to do something. 

I thought of the normal things that white people do when someone dies:

Bake cookies.... I have no oven.

Make a casserole... I have no oven and there are tons of kids. 

Buy an over sized flower arrangement... I have no idea where to start. 

Let off balloons in remembrance... no helium.

Let's all agree that white people are crazy. 

I thought of the next best idea:

Heart Attack! 

Right away Kaleigh started cutting hearts. In the morning we got more paper and finished cutting them on the matatu. Kaleigh and I woke up early and headed into the city. We grabbed breakfast at Java House with Dan and then off to the orphanage. It was really hard to make this a secret. We tried our best but the solider spotted us from a mile away and wanted us to come inside. We politely rejected and started to decorate the gate. We had cut out over 150 hearts of various colors, shapes and sizes. 

Slowly people from inside the orphanage started pouring out to help us. Luckily the kids were all at school. By the end there were at least 7 people helping put the hearts up. It was magical. The hearts in the middle spelled out a message, "Families can be together forever."

We did what we came for and left. 

We rushed home. We had a little less then 2 hours to get home before we need to teach class. After a while it was obvious that we were going to be late. I called another teacher to warn the kids. 

The last matatu we needed to take was all full except one seat. Kaleigh told me to take it and she will meet me at home. I walk into class 2 about 15 minutes late and they start cheering for me. I love that they love class as much as I enjoy teaching it. Kaleigh and Dan join me later. Class was fabulous. 

The day was fabulous. Everything was fabulous. 

I got to help the boys clean the dining room. That is a lot of work and it was a deep clean day. They don't use mops and stuff. We use old cut up blankets and bend over to clean the floor. It is hard and time consuming but so rewarding. 

The boys continue to teach me how to do cartwheels and flips and whatnot. I love it. I am getting so much better at it. I have moved from using only the ground to cartwheels off a tire. I am a baller. They are practicing to show Oscar when he comes to visit. I love my boys. They are little blessings.

In the midst of so much heart break from death I am finding so much joy. 

It is when I lose myself in the service of my fellow beings that I am the most happy. 

I forgot about my own personal problems for a second and it made it so today was a great day. 

Tomorrow we get to bless this orphanage that is suffering from a loss with 2 puppies. I feel as if tomorrow will also be a great day. 

Let's end with a little story:

I was talking to Peter Jimmy. He is about 5 years old. He knows no English at all.

I don't remember what we were talking about but I turned to him and said, "Am I making you blush?" 

He turned to me with a huge smile and the deepest dimples and responded, "YES!"

You see... Life is good.