Christmas Street Memories

Hi and happy new year! Just want to say thanks to all of you. You have given street kids and former street kids a wonderful holiday time. As you read all the things they've done, it seems "over the top" -- how appropriate for the poor. Here are some quotes from a couple of the kids about Christmas before Made In The Streets.

from Moses Mwangi: I was about five years old when I ran away. Sleeping on the streets was cold and scary but still better than staying with my uncle. On Christmas day, I saw a family that looked "well off"; I decided to visit them to get to eat a Christmas feast with them. But when I walked into the compound, the woman shouted at me, "Who invited you?" I tried to show her I was just a beggar, but she chased me away. On Christmas day, I starved. Everywhere I went, people chased me away."

from Mary Waithera: I lived upcountry with my shosho before life became hard. She was poor, like for tea, she would put just four spoonfuls of sugar in a big pot of tea without milk. We only took tea with milk

during Christmas season when relatives came for the holiday. I tried to behave well whenever we had a special meal, like rice and chapati (like tortillas) or spaghetti. I was not a glutton, but I ate a lot at those times. In fact, I only had spaghetti once in my life; it was a special meal for the relatives. But my cousin was afraid we had cooked worms and he would only eat the soup, made from potatoes and arrowroots. I especially liked fruit, because it was so rare to have it.

Thanks to all of you, the kids had lots of special food, and a lot of it! And our students all got stockings full of fruit, nuts, and candies. And they had fun trips! The boys got to see Western Kenya, thanks!

TEA PARTY by Darlene

It's December and I love giving parties. So on Friend Sunday, I asked Mbuvi to announce that all the church ladies were invited to our house Thursday at 4 for a Christmas Tea. OK, that was today. First, I was at the school, and Moses came to tell me there were women at the gate for me... for a tea party. In Swahili, hour 4 is our 10 am whereas our 4 pm is hour 10 -- confused? They were too. So I go home, make two big cakes, cut them into 15 pieces, and then, the rain started. Only if you've been here in Kenya during a rain will you appreciate how hard it is to walk in our particular kind of mud. I thought, "Oh, no. There won't be anyone for tea! Well, maybe 5 or 6." It continued to rain -- a lovely sound on our tin roof, and we really do need the rain. But my party..... Around 3 pm, I started making chai. I arranged chairs, etc. and I was ready, but not expecting many.

Well, by 4 pm, there were 33! I was thrilled! We prayed, and started the cake around. Then 5 more came. And another group, and another, and the rain keeps coming, and another 5. There are muddy shoes everywhere, I'm bringing out a pkg of cookies, making more chai, finding cups and chairs, and I stop counting after 50 women are in my house. I had no more milk or tea leaves for chai, no more food to offer, no more things we could sit on (Maureen even went home and brought all her chairs!) . And we were having fun!

One thing we did was share Christmas memories (around the small group of 50). As I listened to the women, they talked of sharing good food, special food like chapati and mandazi, and being with family and friends, and of going to church on Christmas eve. Not one mention of presents or busy schedules. I feel sorry for all of us with money -- we've been robbed.... in a very real way. There are certain advantages to poverty. We read Mt 2; Jesus' family sounds a lot like their economic situation -- and angels came for them.

Well, my guests left. The oldest woman, who had been a guest on Friend Sunday, gave me a hand woven basket; and I gave her a bag of our tomatoes and we were happy. We all sang "We wish you a merry christmas" I wish that for you all too!