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Dear ,
In this lovely land where the Sun and Rain are our Masters, EL Nino has been gracious to us, here in the highlands. The short rains of November/December have lengthened our green and growing fields. We are having torrential rains one night or the other, so there is no yellow and brown grass wherever we look. We've never had rain so long in this summer season as we have had this year, and we are glad.
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The three acres we have bought for a high school have not yet been harvested; they are covered by maize still yet, though we have been over there, strengthening the border hedge and preparing the night guard's walk along the entire perimeter. The Rotary Club of Bethel/St. Clair has donated monies for the purchase of a refurbished container which will hold our storage rooms and strengthen the back boundary.
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The girls from the last three (of nine) high schools went back for the remainder of the first term today. It was wonderful to have 22 extra girls here over this prior weekend. We had hoped to go swimming, but it was too windy and overcast. As we celebrated five birthdays we had missed, we were delighted by the tiny ones rushing up to the high table to exclaim:" thank you for being my sister; work hard in school; and I love you" .
The 20 university girls will be back for rent and hand money next weekend and we shall try for swimming with them as well. March is the equivalent to September weather for you in the US, so we may get lucky with a warm day. Speaking of this group - Maggie has begun Cabin Cr
ew Class at Kenya Airways last Friday. She has dreamed and waited for two years to be 21 years old, and able to attend their classes. After three months of practise and three months of flights on our continent, she will graduate and hopefully be hired by them. We are all proud of her.
Another university lady who is running for Chairperson of Student Council at St. Paul's University is the girl who has predicted her Presidency of Kenya in the future. That's Linet whos
e
main opponent is a chauvinistic porcine person. His main campaign line is to say "women don't belong in leadership." And because he has lots of money, he gladly hands out one and five hundred notes to anyone who promises to vote for him next week. Shades of Super Tuesday. We have all written "hang on; you can do it" notes to Linet in these last weeks.
Our three just graduated high school girls: Eunice, Dorcas small, and Nancy are all finishing their computer classes and their marks on the 18 KCSE exams will be released tomorrow. After that begins the hunt for colleges depending on the marks they achieve and the career they are aiming to prepare for. Some may qualify for degree programs, others for diploma.
Three primary school girls will be received into the Church on Easter Vigil. They are Diana (11) Martha (10) and Esther (9). They will then make their First Communions on Easter Morning. It's a wonderful day of celebration of Jesus and the three.
The three tiny ones: Shantel, Njeri and Metrine will soon be joined by two other 3 year olds who are languishing at Cottolengo Home for HIV Children. These two were false positives on the day of birth and have become negative, so they have to be moved out. The sisters there have 8 children who have to be moved to other arrangements. I guess the red and blue tricycles will have to get a green or yellow addition, to maximize sharing and minimize tears.
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River City Brass Band Concert
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As you all know the RIVER CITY BRASS BAND CONCERT scheduled in January had to be cancelled. It will return to a stage near you (Pittsburghers !) on April 23rd. It's a benefit concert for the construction of our new high school and we need to fill every one of the 500 seats in the auditorium.
They are a fun bunch of musicians and you will be delighted as well as entertained by their musicianship and hilarity. Since we have to raise two million dollars (US) for the classroom block, administration/lab block and dormitory/dining room block, we have to make haste to raise the funds so that we can do the construction in 2017 and receive the first 60 freshmen in January, 2018. Your prayers are needed as well as any monetary help you can provide.
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Emma Meluva, our first graduate from Catholic university of East Africa in 2010 has now moved back to the Nairobi area. Her son Fletcher, is a delight, but who's a biased Grandma? She is working in the accounts department of Hekima College and will be asked to join our board of Trustees here in Kenya. And this summer, Purity and Jane will finish in law and IT so we have two graduations to look forward to in June. Our trustees will be tasked with helping to find them jobs. Then their payback takes the form of a check rather than time given in assistance here.
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I will be coming to the US to make our mission appeals at all six of our churches and a new one is pending in New Jersey. My schedule is:
April 3 - Moorestown Presbyterian, NJ
April 10- St. Thomas More, Pgh.
April 17- St. Louise de Marillac, Pgh
April 24- Bower Hill Community Church, Pgh
May 1 -
May 8 - St. Patricks, Bedford, NY
May 15 -
May 22 - St. Benedict's, Pgh.
I am hoping to dash up to Erie, Buffalo and Canada to thank all our friends up there and to greet our Board Member who has been dealing with surgery and radiation. What a great volunteer Papa Dick has been...
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So dear friends, Happy Springtime and Easter. May your smiles be many, your allergies few, may you greet each day with affection and know how much we love all of you.
Kate and Gang (Girls and Staff)
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