Hello again everyone from the beautiful Great Rift Valley! It’s great to be back in TZ! There has been a lot of progress made at Majengo since I was last here.
Some of the kids are growing so big! Tumaini is now taller than I am and he is wearing shoes the same size as Charles. I am really impressed with how well the kids’ English is coming along. There are a number of kids who now almost refuse to speak to me in Swahili and I am more than happy to oblige them. They all seem to be very healthy and doing well in school, with only 6 recommended to join a tutoring program. Our teacher Grayson helps the kids with their homework after school.

There are concrete sidewalks between all of the buildings with planters, trees, and bushes in between – beautiful. There is a playground with swings, a see-saw, a merry-go-round, and courts for basketball, netball, and volleyball. The grass on the soccer field is starting to fill in nicely, although it is planted differently here. They plant cuttings that spread and can then take more cuttings from those. The dining hall is completed and painted and looks great. Charles purchased a TV and satellite so the kids could stay updated on current events in the news and even enjoy Friday night movies!

My sister and two of her friends arrived less than a week after I landed in the country. It is really incredible to see the connections that all of our visitors have made with the children, who remember and truly cherish the times they have spent with you. One incident was when Hawa Saidi, whom my sister is sponsoring into Mama Anna’s, walked into the dining hall and saw my sister from across the room. She got the biggest grin on her face and came running over to give my sister a hug. They started chatting like old friends! The night the girls left, all of the kids wrote notes telling the girls how much they loved them and wishing them a safe trip home.

“Thank you all so much for the gifts, and for coming to spend time with us. I wish you all a safe trip home. I have nothing to give you in return, but please accept my love, my heart and my soul. These are the gifts I give to you.” Wow!

Much love to you all,
Matthew (with a bit of editing help from Lynn)