The Final Countdown

Hello. My name is Andy McCaffrey. I am one of fifteen on this trip who had to endure the terrible pain of walking away from the longing gazes of roughly sixty children whom we had all grown to love dearly. Whether it was the wheelchain bound boy with the unwaivering spirit, or the groups of boys and girls hanging of your shoulders as you answered their questions, we had all been taken by surprise at how quickly the week had ended.

The week sped by quickly, and with all the work to do (and the masses of children to occupy) we were certainly kept busy. Waking today, we all knew what was ahead of us. As my fellow bunk mates rose from thier slumber, we all shared a knowing glance. There was alot of work to do, and we were certainly up to the task. or so we thought.

After the team ate breakfast we walked the now-familiar path to the Rehema Home. After a personally close call with a motercycle bound taxi-man, we finally made it and were able to begin our work. As the self described "team perfection" continued their tiling duties, other teams began to grout the floor tiles. I would be remiss to neglect to mention the fantastic floor tiling work of one Maddy and Becca. Other team members cleaned outside, cut tiles, or played with children. Electricity was run and cement was used to fill in holes.

Unfortunately, our team efforts would not result in the project being finished. At the end of the day, we would be short one row of floor tiles, as well as wall tiles and electricity still remaining to be done. while frustrating, the call was made to stop, though the workers all wanted to continue.

Our workday's end and cleaning of the worksite allowed for us to bid a sad farewell to the children. though warned against it, we all had our favorites, but that did not stop us from loving them all. shirts were signed, and gifts were exchanged. as we walked out the gate, some members could not hide the tears that flowed down thier faces. It was easy to see that leaving africa would not be easy for us all.

we had the pleasure of having a traditional kenyan meal tonight. It consisted of odd looking but good tasting dishes that really gave us a sense of the country we were occuping. sharing this meal with the hosts Irv and Ruth and Mark and Michelle allowed us to grow closer to them. It was a good end to a bittersweet day.

As we prepare to face our last day on african soil, we are forced to understand that these memories we have made here will be everlasting, and will form a heartache, a yearning to return and see those smiling faces. we have all made promises to write to the kids, and i am sure that all will feel the same dream of someday walking the dusty roads and paths to once again walk through the gates of the orphange, and to hear the shouts of the children as they run out to great us. It will be difficult to leave, and we shall forever have a love for that little slice of Nairobi, Kenya.