Second Term--Outreach Day

Buses and vans were lined up outside Centennial Chapel and getting ready to roll for Outreach Day. We loaded our bus with cabbages, balls, balloons, hula hoops, cases of soda, bags of mandazies and young people ready to use their muscles and talents to bless an orphanage in nearby Kimende.
Our assignment was only one of several meant to serve the many needs in our area. Girls, elementary through ninth grade, were going to play with the children.

Jim and several ninth and tenth grade boys came to pound large stone to bits, so that the girls could walk on a gravel walkway in front of their dorms, instead of mud.

The RVA bus carefully eased through the tunnel under the railway bridge and then jolted up the rough road to the highway. Soon it pulled in front of rustic storefronts in Kimende. We all walked down a dirt alley carrying the cabbages, equipment, and treats to the orphanage--mainly serving young girls orphaned by AIDS and other tragedies.


We entered the compound and soon the boys went to work smashing the large donated rocks, while we ladies gathered the children and walked to a school yard.

The ninth grade girls jumped right in and enthusiastically made sure these kids had a much better than average play day. Language was a small problem as we women and girls played. We had to play "chicken, chicken, goose" rather than "duck, duck, goose" for there is no Swahili word for duck. Soon we were all ready for some refreshment and headed back. When we returned, our RVA guys had created half of the gravel walkway.

Together we celebrated our Saturday with sodas and mandazies and then a rousing concert--our young friends sang and danced for us.







Chicken, chicken, GOOSE!















Soccer--one on one
















Back to the orphanage















Fellow staff member and neighbor, Charlotte chats with Edwin about orphanage needs--simple things like a water tank.
















The boys bless with their manly strength.

Singing with joy and flair!