Our Hearts Are Full

Yesterday (Sunday), we visited Resurrection Gardens, an oasis of tranquility, where we wandered quiet paths after attending a beautiful mass delivered in both English and Kiswahili. We truly enjoyed the young girls’ choir that sang the responses and played stirring Kenyan rhythms to which we clapped along. 

To our delight we learned that the choir members, who have experienced poverty and often life on the streets, attend a nearby school. We spent time visiting with Sisters Jane and Mary talking about their school program and our distribution of Superior Shields. They were very excited to learn about the kits, and we hope to return to the school on this trip to share information about women’s health and to distribute the much-needed menstrual supplies. 

Today, though, was truly exhilarating! It was our first trip to Compass since the school had been forced to move locations. The classrooms, kitchen, and new washroom facilities were an amazing sight. And the sewing room, a project created and fuelled by the dynamic duo of Linda and Gabi, was beyond all expectation: four treadle machines in great working order, sewing tables, a stock of notions, and great lighting took our breath away. Gabi and Linda cried tears of joy seeing their project come to life. They are so excited to open up the room tomorrow for students, and even some parents, who will learn skills to repair uniforms, sew on buttons, create special projects, and even sew their own Superior Shields!

But that wasn’t the best part. Schools are not buildings; they are the students and the staff who guide and care for them. The teachers and cooks greeted us with hugs and tears, and we spent the morning visiting each of the classrooms from primary to grade six. The children were so eager and excited to see us! They showed us their work, sang songs, shared their hopes and joy in their new school grounds, and four students even played (very well) an impromptu recorder concert - there we were singing “Jingle Bells” in 29-degree heat! 

Of course, we were bombarded with questions about Canada and snow and the kids huddled around as we showed them photos of Saultites digging out of the drifts and videos of some of our own little ones learning how to ski. How do you move in a snowsuit? And is your hair really that colour? Do you have to cut it? There were lots of offers to shake our hands and more than a few sly touches of our strange locks. And the tiny primary students weren’t sure what to make of us. We all had so much fun, it was recess break before we knew it. 

We took tea with the senior class teachers and created a list of needed supplies for each classroom. The dedication of the teachers, often in quite challenging circumstances, was inspiring and their devotion to and care for the students is unquestionable. We left with renewed determination to do everything we could to support them and set off for our first foray into school supply and fabric shopping. 

Our great Monday concluded with a dinner visit with our dear friend Mary Warindi, whose handiwork can be found in many of our homes. 

What a day! The smiles and hugs and laughter you see in the photos simply cannot express the joy everyone felt. We cannot wait to return to Compass School tomorrow.