Heather's Visit Day Two: Kazuri Beads and Other Things

On December 14, our daughter Michelle had her 5th baby (which is our 6th grandchild) -- a little boy -- Benjamin (called Benny).  We are so happy!!!!  So glad we can see him on Facetime!!!  We'll meet him in person when our mission is over.

Heather's Day Two was packed with events:  the National Park, the Kazuri Bead Factory, Tamambo's for Lunch, The Hub Mall, the Mission Home.  We wanted to show Heather all the things we enjoy about living here in Karen.

First stop:  the Kazuri Bead Factory.  It was started more than 40 years ago to employ single mothers and it's still going strong today.  This fellow gave us a tour.  First he showed us the machinery used to press the clay.  The dirt is brought from Mt. Kenya.  At first it came from the UK until they discovered they had the right kind of dirt right here in Kenya.  The dirt is mixed with water and then pressed into sheets of clay.  Three men run the gear that presses the clay.  (LeRon says I should call it soil, not dirt).

Then it's on to the very fine work that the women do.  Imagine working with tiny lumps of clay all day.  Such fine, precise work.

Heather found it just as fascinating as I did.  I've been here four times now and I learn something new every time I go.  Those round balls look delicious enough to eat!

The women switch jobs every three or so days so they don't get bored.  After the beads are formed, they are fired in kilns.  Or maybe they are painted first and then fired?  Can't remember.

These beads have been fired.

Heather enjoyed the tour of the factory though I think she prefers teaching to forming beads!  She's a great teacher.

Looks like Heather's in a candy store with all those jars of beads.

Stringing all the beads looks like a fun job.

Now into the shop.  Wow!  Too many  to choose from!

We took Heather to "The Hub" where we shop.  Interesting display of cooking oil in Carrefour.  You can tell that Kenyans use a lot of oil!  You'd never see this much oil in the West.  And on the bottom shelf are 5 gallon jugs of oil!

The Hub has a lovely park area which many restaurants overlook.  Not a bench in sight though.  Would be nice to sit and enjoy the foliage.

Heather and I went for an early evening walk where LeRon and I often walk.  The sun goes down about 6:30 p.m. year round so we like to walk between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. before the mosquitoes come out in full force.

We stopped to talk with the guards at the university near our home.  The Weaver Birds were out working on their nests.  The guards told us that the male weaver birds build the nests and then try to attract a female bird to join them.  Their chirping is quite loud and lovely.

So nice to see some open pasture land.  There are so many walls here that you can't often see into places so we really enjoy this particular walk.

Kenyan young people like to get their pictures taken and they don't even ask to see the picture.  They just say "thank you."

Our landlord, Francis, invited us over for an evening of music.  LeRon is helping Francis' daughter Grace learn to chord while Francis played along on his guitar.

Here's Heather with Francis's wife, Edith.  They are lovely people.

And here is Heather with Francis's daughter Ruth.  Our white faces surely show up, don't they?

We sang Christmas carols together, had a little snack and a photo.  Francis is a well-known politician here in Kenya.  He is also a very Christian man.  So nice to visit with their family.

And here is Heather in my teeny-tiny kitchen.  Two people working in it tend to bump into each other.  So fun to have Heather here for a few days!