Short note!

Hello all! Thanks to MFE to the new look on my blog! I love it! I can't even say enough thank you's to her for doing all my postings and pictures!
I wanted to quickly say a few things:

1. The GVN/Terry’s Orphanage “thing” is all worked out! I went to talk with my GVN Rep (Michelle). She’s really great and all was worked out successfully! I’m still asking you to hold GVN checks until I hear from the financial person at GVN. I want 100% assurance that it’s still OK to send money thru them! I’ll send an update when I know.
2. Thank you’s to:
   • Brenda & James Kupsch (friends and co-workers)
   • Diane and Tim Hughes (friends)
3. “Spare a Road, Spoil a Child”: Pat and I went to the school yesterday. It’s always amazing to me that I feel like such a celebrity whenever I’m out anywhere in Machakos (or near Machakos). 100 little eyes stared at me at the school (probably even more than 100) with little tiny grins on their faces. I felt like Brittney Spears (or someone famous) visiting their school. And when I speak to them they seem awestruck that I would actually say something to them. The school teachers are so welcoming and want me to come back every day and help them mark and teach class. The quote I put “spare a road…” is something that someone said to me after I explained that I saw a teacher outside with about 15 children lined up in a row. Each child stepped forward, one by one, and the teacher used a large stick (although this was a stick they call this “caning” whereby they use a cane to hit a child) to hit the child across the butt as punishment for…I don’t quite know what. This was really my first experience seeing this. I’ve heard it many times from volunteers, the trainings I attend and other Kenyans, but this was the first time I saw it. Funny thing is…as soon as the teacher saw Patricia and I walk up, the hitting got significantly lighter and almost more playful. Interesting…Another cultural difference.

Love to all!
Namaste.