Sacred Heart Priory
181 Windy Ridge
Karen, Nairobi
Kenya, Africa
Today was our first official day in Karen, Nairobi! We got up for 7am mass. Mass was really cool! Most of the songs were sung in Swahili but the readings and mass parts in general were said in English which was a relief!
After mass we went to breakfast which consisted of
toast and coffee/tea. Kate and I were put at separate tables with the sisters. Breakfast
was confusing since I had no idea what the sisters do. Sr. Loice guided me
through breakfast…I think she saw the “deer and headlights” look I must have
been giving. The sisters eat breakfast in silence which is completely fine for
me since I am not a morning person (to state the obvious).
After breakfast, Sr. Loice came over to our little
guest house to make sure that we are all settled in. She is so sweet and
enthusiastic! She wanted to know about our families and where we are from, so
we showed her pictures and talked for a while.
Around 9am, Sr. Benedicta gave us a tour of the
convent grounds. She showed us where the animals are kept- 2 cows, lots of
chickens, some goats, some cats and dogs, and lots of rabbits!!
Kate & Me: “Oh! Look at
the cute bunnies!!”
Sr. Benedicta: “They are
excellent meat! Tastes like chicken!”
We also got to see the dispensary/clinic, the cemetery,
the laundry room, and the gardens where they grow maise, urgula, carrots,
avocados, bananas, oranges, eggplant, etc.
Around 10am, Sr. Serva and Sr. Elizabeth drove us to
Ruarka to go see the kindergarten and the maternity ward. Some of the sisters
live there and so we sat down for tea/coffee, cake, and fruit. Kate kind of panicked
because I was eating the bananas and mangoes that they offered which
technically we are not supposed to eat since we aren’t sure what kind of water
they are washed in, etc. However, thus far there haven’t been any bad side
effects so I’m hoping the fruit won’t
come back to haunt me later!
The sisters showed us around the school and the
clinic. Most of the school was locked since it is not in session for another
few weeks. However, the nurse at the maternity ward let us go see one of the
new babies! So cute!
We left around 12pm and said good-bye to Sr.
Elizabeth who will be returning to Germany. We drove around for what seemed
like a long time to get to the supermarket down the street from the convent in
Karen.
Ok…here is where I tell you a bit about Kenyan
driving…IT IS INSANE!! You think drivers in the states are crazy…Let me tell
you…Kenyan driving is on a whole different level! I’ve seen driving in Boston, in
the D.C. area, in N.C., all down the East US coast, and in Italy but I have
seen NOTHING…NOTHING I say that compares to this! First of all, there is a
major highway that was built recently according to the sisters. However, most
of the other roads are either dirt or very poorly paved. Street signs are
pretty much obsolete. There are some signs for small side streets and a posting
here or there for the speed limit and an occasional “Stop” sign. Speed limit is
relative. One minute you could be cruising at a steady 20kph/mi…then the next
you could be flying at speeds of 80kph/mi! The steering wheel is on the right
side of the car which makes sitting in the passenger seat seem a little odd.
Since there are no street lights or stop signs (for the most part), trying to
turn or pull into traffic is pretty crazy. People- drivers and pedestrians
included- think they own the road! There’s a lot of traffic, so you see cars
off-roading along the highway to pass people. Further, people just walk across
the highway like it’s no big deal! Although there are some crossroads and speed
bumps (which are so much bigger than normal speed bumps) to slow the cars down
in the more populated parts of the highway, people don’t think twice about
walking/running through the traffic. It is seriously overwhelming/scary!
When we got to the supermarket, Kate and I had our
first shopping/money exchange experience! We went to the electronic store and
the lady and guy there showed us where to exchange our money and helped us pick
out a phone, internet connector, and a plug adapter for my computer. We had no
clue what they were talking about when they were trying to explain the cost but
they were really patient with us!
We had lunch when we got back to the convent which
consisted of 2kinds of rice (white & a brown spicy kind); a mixture of
beans, corn, & potatoes; cooked eggplant; and cooked carrots that tasted
pretty sweet. At 4pm, Sr. Michael Marie (prioress) showed us the retreat center
and some of the gardens around the convent. She mentioned that our first task
for next week will be painting the hallway and rooms for the novices…I’m sure
Fr. Chris will find this amusing since he had us painting the monastery last
week! WE LOVE PAINTING! ;)
Lunch: white rice, brown random spicy rice (which had mystery meat in it), sweet carrots, and eggplant...This is also what dinner looked like...
5:45pm was Vespers followed by dinner. I sat with
Sr. Rosett who is a pre-novice from Uganda. We talked about vocations and I got
to ask her a little bit about how she decided to be a nun. During dinner, one
of the other sisters noticed that I was struggling peeling an orange with the
little knife I had…
Sr. Rosett: “She needs a
wife…I mean WIFE!”
I proceed to tell her that if she wanted to get me a
husband that would be fine as well! ;)
Anyways…right now Kate and I are just chilling. Sr.
Loice checked in on us and wished us good night while also telling us how impressed
she is at how well we are adjusting. She is so cute! The sisters are so sweet! Many of them have introduced themselves but I'm having trouble remembering who is who.
And on a final note…It is sooo dark in my room right
now! I even lit the candle on my desk….I feel like a little hermit…
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