Back in Action

So sorry for being absent for so long. As I mentioned in my last post the days in Kenya were longer than I expected and the internet was rather spotty. I've been back in Colorado for over a week but got whipped by one of my worst cases of jet lag in a long time.

So, here I am...back in action.

My trip to Kenya was amazing! I was very honored to attend the grand opening celebration of a girls boarding school in the Rift Valley. It was my third opportunity to visit, but the first time when school was actually in session.

Of the 130 girls attending the school, 30 are sponsored by Compassion's Child Sponsorship Program. One of the teachers is a graduate of Compassion's Leadership Development Program.

I met a young lady named Margaret. Margaret is a prime reason the school was built. At age 14, her family was ready to marry her off to a man much older than she is so they wouldn't have to be "burdened" with her any longer.

A young man who works at the local church was able to convince Margaret's family to let him and his wife "adopt" her and put her in the Najile Girls School. Margaret is now attending school and learning how to make the community she lives in a better place instead of becoming someone's 3rd or 4th wife. The school has been open for less than one year and it's already fulfilling the purpose that was once just a dream that a few people dared to imagine.

I won't bore you with details of the opening ceremony. Suffice it to say that it went on for nearly four hours. There were speeches and some dancing. More speeches. Gifts were exchanged. A little more dancing followed by more speeches.

It really wasn't as bad as I'm making it sound but it did last a long time. We got to see lots of the Maasai people wearing their traditional dress...absolutely beautiful! The boys from the Najile Boys School performed a traditional Maasai dance. They've won national awards for their dancing so it was good! I'm hoping to be able to post some video of the dance soon. There were dignitaries and government officials. Everything was very formal and recognized the significance of the change in culture that is allowing this school to exist. It really was special and I was honored to be able to be a part of it!

Things to look forward to in upcoming posts...I got literally hundreds of incredible pictures on the safari we went on at the end of the trip! I'll get a few of those posted later this week. Until then, have a great week...and why not consider making a difference in the life of a child less fortunate than we are this Thanksgiving. It really does work.