Pictures!!!

Listen I am really sorry... but I have not been able to send out any pictures to anyone because I did a stupid thing! I saved all of my pictures on one DVD not thinking about the fact that my computer does not have a DVD DRIVE!!!!! Yea I know smooth right???

Well I have since downloaded them on to a portable hard drive from a comp. with a DVD drive and now that I have gotten them home to my house I was trying to put them on my computer and well I forgot the power cord to the Hard drive at my house in Westchester....

So when I get the pictures I will make an album and post them on Snapfish.... So have no worries I havent left you out...

If you read my blog and you dont get an email from me about my pics in a few weeks then just email me or comment and tell me you want some pics... I will be happy to send you an invite to view them on Snap Fish.....

C-Ya

Gio

The Peak

Hey everyone. Things have just flown by this past week, but I really wanted to throw all of the details from the Mt. Kenya trip onto our blog. Even though I'm in the states already, I think it's worth posting, so here you all go. (Warning, it's a pretty long one)

Sun. April 1 - Day 1
-Organized our group (which consisted of me, Gio, Jason, Edu, Kibaka, Mark, Nick, and Monica) and packed
-Departed the apartment 2 hrs. late (thanks to Edu) to catch a matatu to Chogoria
-Arrived in Chogoria and hiked about 8 km to the Forest Gate
-Hiked another 8 km into the forest after refusing to purchase a ride all the way through the next morning
-Camped illegally on a small patch of ground between the road and the forest
-Shared a tent with Jason; slept horribly (I honestly dreamed about an elephant devastating our camp)

Mon. April 2 - day 2
-Woke up fairly early and continued to hike about another 8 km into the forest
-Sick of the heat, the forest, and the flies, we lucked out and got a ride with a Forest Ranger to the Mountain Gate
-Chilled at the gate for a while, enjoying water
-Paid the entrance fees for the mountain (mzungus had to pay a lot more, but I lucked out and only paid the children's price, my birthday was only 9 days away)
-Took our first exciting (yet fairly easy) hike on the Mountain
-Arrived at Road head and illegally made a sweet camp fire
-Shared a tent with Jason again, but slept remarkably well

Tues. April 3 - Day Three
-Woke up and took a crazy hike to Mintos
-Monica started to freak out and hyperventilate
-Our pace slowed drastically
-Jason and Edu ran ahead to set up camp, leaving the rest of us to hang back with Monica
-Took Monica's pack and progressed through the steep trail
-Edu returned from the camp site and relieved me of Monica's bag
-Kibaka and I break away from the group and head to the camp in order to help Jason set everything up before the rain/hail began to fall
-Everyone arrived at camp
-Kind of got lost in a cloud going to the outhouse, but I eventually made it back o.k.
-Went to sleep pretty horribly, and again slept horribly

Wed. April 4 - Day Four
-Woke up and headed to The Temple (this awesome, huge cliff)
-Proceeded to spit off said cliff (awesome picture)
-Headed back to camp
-Gio lost his dishes to the tarn (lake) by setting them afloat in his bowl/ship with the intention of washing them after collecting water
-Proceeded to depart for Austrian hut
-Did some crazy hiking through snow/sleet
-Mark and Edu became incapacitated from altitude sickness; Gio suffered as well, but not as badly
-After setting up camp on the rocks, Jason, Kibaka, and I were the only ones really standing
-Jason prepared food and I hiked down to the glacier in the dark to gather water
-Gave Edu my -25 degree sleeping bag for the night because he was really sick
-Slept with only two thin fleece sleeping bag liners
-Froze all night spooning with Mark and Gio (extremely uncomfortable, but unfortunately very necessary)(got closer to Gio than Jackie has been at night)

Thurs. April 5 - Day 5
-Got up at 8 and peaked at Lenana (6000 m.) with Jason, Kibaka, Nick, Monica, and Gio
-Most difficult and dangerous, yet indescribable climb ever
-Climbed back to camp and headed down from Austrian Hut for the Met Station
-Rapidly decreased altitude
-Went down some crazy skree (loose gravel stuff) (it sucks)
-After skree, all energy leaves my body, and I no longer feel like Superman
-After some debate over our pace, we arrive at Met. Station and get some sleep

Fri. April 6 - Day 6
-Woke up sorer than ever and left for the gate
-Jason, Edu, Kibaka, and Mark bolted ahead
-Gio, Nick, Monica, and I went a painful and slow 2 mph to the gate
-Eventually made it to the Gate with time to spare before being forced to pay for another day on the Mt.
-Caught a matatu at the gate (thank God) and headed out for South C
-Dropped Nick off on the way home with money so he could pick up pizza
-Continued home to unpack
-Showered after going a whole week without
-Ate pizza, looked at pictures, and wrote all of this down in my journal

I think that pretty much covered the Mountain trip. It was truly indescribable, and I have never felt cooler in my life. I have a new passion for mountain climbing; so if anyone is interested in a few trips, let me know. They should be organized soon. Well, I have more to say, but I think I'll throw it into another post. I love you all.

-Victor Rogers IV

Mt. Kenya

Mt. Kenya was so awsome. I cant tell you how beautiful it was and how difficult the trip was. Here are some pictures. I hope you like them I have about 500 from the trip so I will show you many more when I get home. Its was one of the greatest adventures I have ever been on. this whole trip has been amazing. Cant wait to come home I will be there in 3 days!!!

-Gio

Mount Kenya!

Vic and I are going to climb 12,600 ft of Mountain!!! starting tomarrow. I am really excited about going up. Plus there will be a full moon while almost every night. That should be great for some awesome pictures. I am so stoked I have never climbed something so huge in my life. I am really looking forward to this experiance. Whats even better is after I get back from the climb I should be just about ready to come Home... I miss home so much...
Well wish us Luck!!!
-Gio

Mountain Bike Project

Here is the concluding report on The mountain bike project Vic and I have been working on. If you wish to see the previous ones contact me and I will send you all the reports. Thank you for your interest.

Mountain Bike Project

The Result:

Five high quality Raleigh mountain bikes have been purchased and transported to Taraja Boys home to be stored temporarily. Also about ten kilometers of trail have been cut and two trails have been created and marked. The “Godfather” is the longer and more difficult of the trails. “Pinky and the Brain” is shorter and more technical. Along with purchasing bikes for the project we have also invested in several less immediate needs including cans of WD-40 to keep the bikes running smoothly. Also we have purchased three meters of chain along with a padlock to lock up the bikes. We are also looking for a good deal on a basic set of tools for bike maintenance as well as extra inner tubes for popped tires. Once we have purchased a set of tools and some extra inner tubes that should complete our project. We will head out to Athi River once more on Friday the 30^th of March to deliver the tools and the inner tubes. While out in Athi River we will take a couple of the kids out on the trails. I am excited to see our work go to use! The kids at Taraja have been enjoying the bikes so much already, riding them all around Taraja.

Our spending breaks down like this… Five mountain bikes coming in at about 900 dollars, and about 100 dollars spent on other things such as machetes, spray paint, bike locks etc… The total being about 1,000 dollars spent. You can see a more detailed account of our spending below in our excel document.

Fundraising has been going well, we have only received fifty dollars from Wal*Mart but people have pledged anywhere from 600-700 dollars so far. As of now the project has been funded out of our pockets. We are confident the money needed will come. If you are interested in supporting this project financially you can contact my brother in the states

Antonio Giordano

E-mail: cr02@iona.edu

Cell Phone: 518-956-3787

Anthony has been handling all of the fundraising in the states for me while I have been in Kenya. He will transfer any donation you have in to my bank account to be used here in Kenya.

Thank you all for your interest and support.

Sincerely

Alex & Vic

Here is a detailed account of our spending.

Description	Amount (Shillings)	Running Total (Kshs)	Running Total (USD)
2/26/07:3 Machetes	-335	-335	-4.93
2/26/07:2 Yellow Spray Paint	-398	-733	-10.78
3/9/07:2 Bike Locks	-600	-1333	-19.60
3/9/07:2 Trinity Pro Sport Bikes	-13,600	-14933	-219.60
3/14/07:2 Mtn Bikes Returned	13,600	-1333	-19.60
3/15/07:1 Raleigh Mtn bike	-12,895	-14228	-209.24
3/26/07:3 Raleigh Mtn bikes	-38,685	-52913	-778.13
3/27/07:1 Raleigh Mtn bike	-12,895	-65808	-967.76
3/28/07:2 WD-40 and 1 chain	-940	-66748	-981.59
3/28/07:1 Padlock	-60	-66808	-982.47
3/28/07:1 Inner Tube	-700	-67508	-992.76
Our Balance (USD)
-942.76

The Plan

Well, I'm back in Nairobi as well, and it is crunch time. Gio definitely did his part while I stayed out in Tiwi Beach. He finished shopping for souvenirs. Now comes the easy work. Tomorrow, Gio plans on heading out to Athi River with the one bike we have, and he will blaze the trail for the next few days. I will be heading to Nakumatt and purchasing the rest of the bikes. I will then transport them, via bus and leg power, up to Athi. It should work out well. We will each be accomplishing crap, and I won't break my face open on the mountain, so it's a win-win situation. Right on, I promised myself I would leave this post to one paragraph so that everyone would actually read it, so I'm going to stop now.

-Victor Rogers IV

Bling Bling

Well I am back from Mombasa.
It was so increadably beautiful. I cant tell you or describe it. Just simply fenominaly beautiful.
I came back from this beautiful place only to finish this bike project I have begun. I plan on spending about 4-5 days staying out in Athi River completing some trails. However, I am missing one very crucuial part to this whole project. Thats Bikes!!! I have purchased one whith my own money but still need four more. I have a good chunk of money that my brother has fundraised for me that will pay for two bikes and a about one fourth of a third. Wal* Mart donated fifty dollars and so that puts us at about 2 and 1/3 bikes. we still need about 500 dollars. and well I am running of time to purchase these bikes and transport them to Athi River so i will probably purchase two more with the money my brother fundraised and then we will have three. leaving us with the need for two more bikes and an odometer to measur the length of the trails. so minimum I need to raise 400 more dollars. If you are interested I need you to act fast. Email me at rapturewaiter77@yahoo.com and I will give you all the information you need. Just so you know the bikes I am purchasing cost about 200 US dollars a piece. I have posted a Picture so you can see what your paying for. Thanks for your support.
The project has been going on very well and I am excited to see it completed. I hope all is going well with all of you at home.
God Bless

-Gio

Time Out

Man, relaxation is arguably my favorite of God's creation. This time out at the beach has given me a chance to clear my head and regain my focus. Things fly so fast in life, and I have been so psyched to just slow down and chill.

Gio headed back to Nairobi Thursday night to get going on the rest of the bike project, and I planned to go with him, but that didn't end up happening. I was just basking in the beauty of this perfect piece of landscape, and I felt that I needed a little more time to wait. Gio seemed more than happy for a couple of days alone, which after two months is very understandable, and life has just been great for these past twenty-four hours.

Last night, Isaac, Apilonia (this English girl we've been hanging with (yes, her parents were hippies)), and I just sat around a camp fire and talked about the world. It was great, and because of Isaac's bus schedule, we will probably do it again tonight. Isaac and I will be sharing a cab out to the road tomorrow morning, and we will then head off to our destinations via bus.

I am excited about getting this bike trail thing going, even though I suck on a bike (trust me, Gio hasn't let me forget that). It would be great to have something that we accomplished on this trip, although for me it is a very minor part of what has gone on and been done over here. I have learned and grown so much. I have strengthened my faith immensely, and I have tried to spread as much Love to these people as possible.

Well, I think I have written too much again, so I'll try and stop now. We'll see how the rest of this trip goes. Hopefully, the bike trail will be a painless, team effort, and Gio and I will be home soon, still the best of friends. We are officially in the teens now, so time is short. We have a lot to do, and hopefully not much time to do it. I love you all.

-Victor Rogers IV

Tiwi Beach

The most beautiful place I have ever seen! by far. I have never even immagined a beach as nice as this. White sand beaches with crabs and coral reefes, Just amazing. Awesome food to. the place we are staying at has almost no one staying there. It is the Off season so there is hardly any traffic through the beach right now. That makes it so nice. I am really really amazed by the ocean here the water is so clear and the sand so white. and the food so good.

However, it is so HOT! extremely hot. The only way to survive is to stay on the beach and not do anything strenuous. LOL.

I went snorkaling for the first time. It is so much fun I love it. However, I did go out during low tide wich was a bad Idea since I got thrashed on the coral by the waves. I have suffered some cuts on my feet and hands but no major damage. I have been cleaning my wounds with Iodine freequently it seems to be healing well.

Well thats all for now. I'm sure you will get the unabridged version of the story from Victor if you like Novels.


-Gio

An Epic Paradise

This trip to Mombasa has been incredible. Technically, we are just south of Mombasa in Tiwi Beach, and it is the most perfect place I could ever imagine. It is one of those stereotypical paradises that you see on the television and assume doesn't actually exist, but it does. I have never been able to just relax and take some time to chill like this in my life, and it is epic.

I don't know what has been better over here. The food, atmosphere, and company have been amazing. The train trip here was long, but fairly comfortable. We met a German girl on the train and talked to her for a while. It was pretty cool. The girl was pretty annoying, and Germany sounds fairly communistic (50% tax and not much opportunity from what I gathered, but the chick I talked to could be a very unreliable source), but I learned a lot. We arrived at about noon, which was much later than planned, but this is Africa.

After arriving in Mombasa, we hit up a Barclays Bank for an ATM and headed for a ferry. The only real flaw with Mombasa is the heat. It is so hot and humid here all the time. By the time we crossed the bay to South Coast, I was pouring more sweat than I thought possible. It was gross, but I discovered that it can always get worse. We went straight to the matatu station after the ferry, and it was only a matter of minutes after boarding one that I began to vomit. Luckily (which isn't a word I use often), the matatu hadn't left yet, so I was able to get out and puke behind a kiosk. That was fun.

We eventually made it to the beach, and my spirits definitely lifted. This place is incredible, with white sand and crystal clear water. No surf, but there is a beautiful coral reef, so snorkeling rocks. Most of our time has been spent napping under palm trees, swimming in the ocean, walking the beach, and eating incredible seafood. It is such a great life.

We have had a couple adventures, though. Fishing in some skiff that was held together with rope and sticks was pretty cool, but that trip ended prematurely due to some more vomit. I feel better today, but the first few were tough. Today, Gio and I went out to the Shimba Hills with Isaac, some cool guy we mat. I'll get back to him. We were going on some cool safari, and we even had a whole caravan to ourselves, but the wildlife was pretty lacking. We still had a good time, though.

Arguably, the coolest parts of this trip have been the people we have met and the thing we have learned. The world is huge, but sadly America doesn't really show it to us. I love my country a ton, but I never realized how ignorant we are. Before coming here, I barely knew any of the countries in Africa, nonetheless the troubles in each. I have been introduced to a number of different social and economic systems from Europe, political and social struggles in Africa, and a lot of cool stuff about New Zealand.

All of this new knowledge has been acquired through a lot of conversations with different travellers. The most significant of which would be Isaac from New Zealand, and Roald and his friend from Norway. Just talking to these guys about the world has really opened my eyes to life outside of the states. We had a long discussion on night about Africa, and we talked about huge dilemmas that I have never even heard about. I doubt that the majority of the people reading this know what is going on in northern Uganda or throughout the Congo. It is some crazy stuff that people should be aware of.

Europe also seems more appealing to me. There are still a number of countries over there I could live without (France), but meeting the Norwegians was awesome. New Zealand seems great too. It seems to me that America gives out blurry pictures of these other countries, and it goes the other way as well. People's ideas of America seem just as stupid as my ideas of Norway or Germany (probably because they watch Martha Stewart and The Tyra Banks Show over hers), but just talking to people can remove all of the confusion. Everyone in the world is a lot more liberal than I am, and I am still really unsure about Social Democracy, but I understand it a lot more now.

The Norwegians were cool and very knowledgeable about world affairs, but Isaac is awesome. He is this guy from New Zealand that just came over here to have some crazy experience with God and spread love to the African people. His experience and ours have had their differences, but what we have discovered is remarkably similar.

Everyone comes over to this continent expecting to lift it up out of poverty and to change the lifestyles of so many people. They expect everything to happen like it does everywhere else, and they want to make a huge difference. These ideas are pretty far off, though. This place is so different from what we all come from. There is a difference between the way Africans look at time or quality and how Mazungos do. What the rest of the guys and I discovered is that we need to surrender to this African mindset and culture in order to accomplish anything. Most of the changes that go on over here are inside yourself. This is life in Kenya; you can't, and shouldn't, change that. All we can do is spread Love to as many lives as possible because that is where God really comes through. I'm sure this all sounds quite boring, and most of you have probably stopped reading by now, but it has just been mind-blowing for me, and I think it should be shared.

Well, I'm dirty, tired and hungry, so we're probably going to head back, eat, and get clean. This time off has been a great time to clear the mind and get ready for the next couple of weeks. I can't wait to see how this all turns out, and I really can't wait to get home. I love and miss you all. God Bless.

-Victor Rogers IV

Mombasa

Vic and I are headed out to Mombasa on friday afternoon I believe. I am really excited to get to see and enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches of the Indian ocean. We plan on camping or staying in very cheap student hostiles and visiting several different places. We are going to be traveling ot South coast for all of those who are concerned with our safety we will try and stay as far away from Somalia as possible :-) LOL
This will most likely be our longest and most expensive trip while we are here in Kenya. I am definetly looking forword to it.

-Gio

One Month Left

Well, this past week flew by. I spent the first part of the week under the weather, and not much exciting happened. I lost 400 shillings to a pick pocket, and I slept a lot from Monday to Thursday, but I was feeling much better by Friday, when I went out to Gayda Girls High School for a PTA meeting.

Jason sponsors two girls to this school, so Ann and I went out to the mandatory parents meeting. It was pretty ridiculous. It started about one and a half hours late, and it went about half an hour longer than expected, so we ended up getting out of the meeting in about six to seven hours. It was mostly in English, but a lot of the necessary parts of the speeches (there were about ten) were in Kiswahili, so I was pretty clueless. We sat through the entire meeting just so we could spend about fifteen minutes with the girls. It was a long day, and the trip wasn't short either, but while observing the meeting, I learned a couple strange things about Kenyans.

First off Kenyans seem to enjoy it when their cell phones go off in the middle of a big speech. It honestly happened about thirty times. The principal’s phone even went off when a teacher was speaking. I think they had a "coolest ring-tone" contest. The next thing I discovered was they have no idea what proper English really is. One teacher got up and spoke for a while, in some fairly poor English, and then sat down. The Deputy Principal then stood up and addressed the crowd, telling them how apparent it was that that was the English teacher because her English was so good. I about died. Finally, you apparently don't need to know what you are talking about to be a "guest speaker." Some counselor lady came as a guest to this meeting, and she made some pretty ridiculous comments about the bible. She talked about how Cain was conceived immediately following the eating of the apple (if anyone can validate that, I would love to know), and she discussed the story of David and Bathsheba, but she forgot the names of Bathsheba, Uriah, and pretty much everyone except David. It was definitely an interesting day, and it greatly strengthened the presumption that all Kenyans are late.

Sadly, Saturday was pretty similar to Friday. This time, though, I went out with Jason to Chuka High School. It required us to get up bright and early, just like Friday, but it was about three hours away. It was a huge trip, but it was a pretty good time. I got to hang out with Eliud a lot, and I got to meet John. John has been in a bit of trouble recently, but he seemed like a nice guy. Eliud is amazing. I will probably devote a whole post to him and his story. We got back pretty late, and we had more beans and chapati for dinner.

We all went to church today, and the rest of the day has been spent hanging out and using the phones at the cyber cafe to call home. We will probably have more beans for dinner, and the rest of the day will be spent sleeping.

We are slowly closing in on the end of this trip. God has shown me so much about my self and my total reliance on Him. I can't wait to get home, but I am definitely enjoying every moment God gives me over here. I love and miss you all, and I will probably post fairly soon (note the probably and fairly, we'll see how much time I have). I'll catch you all on the flip side.

-Victor Rogers IV

Education

I went out to a girls school yesterday with Anne (one of Jason's employees) and met with two girls that Jason sponsors for secondary school. While in conversation with these two girls I realized how grateful these girls were for Jason's help. I asked them "so what do you think you would have done if you didnt get a sponsorship from Jason?? They both replied simultaneously " I dont really know where we would be without Jason" They are both orphans and therefor Jason is the closest thing to a Father Either of them know of and they appreciated his help so very much. Also these girls were so grateful for the opportunity to go to school they loved school and they work so hard at it. They say they ejoy school and realize that is the only chance for them to make themselves anything in life. Well talk about being spoiled Americans haha most kids I know loath school and find it a waste of time. (not to say I have not ever felt that way..) Well I know because of this trip I will not take so much for granted thats for sure. Everything from technology to school to The food I eat and even the freedomes I have in America... More people should come to other parts of the world and find out what they have.
Also, on a different topic. I realized that you have to fear the police in this country more than you do the people. For that reason I am so glad we still have the right to bear arms in America it stops so much corruption that occurs in other areas like the police here and the government and even crime.
Well Those are my recent revalations... Hope you enjoy...
-Gio

Myspace

Well Thanks to our handy work there is now an official Kenya Kids Ministries MYSPACE! Exciting I know, http://www.myspace.com/kenyakidsministries Thats the spot check it out, tell all of your friends!

Besides that, I went on a beutiful hike yesterday out in Athi River again. I did a little free climbing nothing big but it was so so beutiful...
Also while walking through the city the other day I was walking through a large crowd of people trying to get on a bus and got pick pocketed... I lost my I-pod... Thats all but it was really quite sad... Hope whoever stole it needed it.

God bless you all ...

Gio

God's Beautiful Scenery

Rock climbing was absolutely amazing on Saturday. The view from the top was so beautiful and the weather was so nice. I couldn't have had a better time. teaching kids who have nothing to rock climb it was awesome.
Today was great also... While out rock climbing I obviously had my camera and took tons of pictures. However, there was a photo journalist from Kenya's largest newspaper there named Olive. I met her today to give her a copy of the pictures I took so she may publish one of them... Not to mention I got to go up in the Nation Center Building which not just anyone can get in... I felt so special... LOL but anyway we will see how that turns out I'm excited about it.

here are some pics of the Rock climbing...

Gio

Great Highs, and Sucky Lows

Things have gone pretty well these past few days. We took a number of boys from Joy Divine Boarding School out rock climbing the other day in the Lukenya Hills. We all had a great time, and Gio took some good shots. I'm sure he'll try to throw a few on the blog soon. It was the first time Gio or I had ever climbed an actual outdoor rock. It was a pretty easy rock, but doing it well still made you feel huge. The guys we took had a blast as well.

We took about ten kids, one leader guy from the school (Fred), and one other climbing instructor (Kim, a guy). They were all great. Kim is a hilarious guy that is desperate for and “adventurous wife”, so if anyone is interested, I can hook you up. We even had a girl from a big Kenyan newspaper come along. Olive (sad name, she says it is pronounced Oleeve, I wonder if her middle name is Oil?) is a journalist/photographer for the Daily Nation, and she was covering our trip in the hopes that the paper would begin sponsoring them on a monthly basis. These kids are trapped in these small, awful school buildings all the time, so the chance to get out, have fun, and hear a great devotional was one of the coolest things they could think of.

The venture was almost flawless, that is, except for the trip home. Traffic was so, so bad. I don't care where you live in the states; this traffic was ridiculous. People here are the worst drivers ever, so one tiny accident on a bridge will back you up a number of hours. Near the accident, there was a mob of people, just there to throw in their two cents on the ordeal. It was bottle necking to a whole new level. On top of the terrible traffic, I had a headache and felt like killing every kid in that car. Group sing-alongs are a cute idea, especially in Swahili, but I am sorry to say that when ten guys, all over the age of twelve, start to sing some annoying song you can't understand as loudly as they can, you start to go nuts.

Anyway, the trip ended, and we went to our South C Sports Bar to relax and close off the night. Even on a Saturday it was completely empty. I have no idea how it stays open, but it is a great place to chill, so I am glad that it does.

I went to church alone on Sunday. Jason was in excruciating pain from sunburn on his feet and legs. The genius went around climbing barefoot with no ropes and some skimpy soccer shorts on. He was asking for it, but it is the worst sunburn I have ever seen on a guy’s feet before. I'm sure it kills. Gio went to town on a mission to talk to Pringles (for those of you who don’t know, that is what I call Jackie, Gio’s girlfriend, it’s a good story as to why, you could ask sometime) that ended up being pointless and wasted his entire morning. He hoped to be back in time for church, but it didn't work, so I was the only white guy in church. It was cool though. I sat near some nice people and we had a good time during the fellowship/discussion time.

The rest of the day was spent reading and sleeping. I’ve read a number of good books recently. Jason is your average English major, so he has gotten me to read a number of classics. I have some cold type thing with a minor fever, which sucks. I have felt like crap. I woke up at two this morning and threw up. It was pretty miserable, and it tasted like stomach acid and garlic, not a mix I would reccomend. I was physically and emotionally drained. I felt pretty alone and depressed, but prayer is a powerful thing, and I made it through the night. I still feel pretty sucky, but it should pass fairly soon.

We saw the guys from Gateway out to school this morning. They aren’t even sure where they are going to stay, or anything, so we’ll see what happens. Other than that, it has been a boring day, and I could really use some meds and sleep.

I'm pretty excited that we are about halfway through. The experience it incredible, but I really can't wait to be home. We still have a lot of work, though. We will probably head out to Athi River again sometime this week, but other than that we don't have a set schedule yet. Actually, there is only one definite for this week. Tomorrow is Terrific Tuesday at Pizza Inn. Two pizzas for the price of one, it is a great thing. It is my favorite night of the week, but I have missed it the past two weeks, so I can’t wait for tomorrow. Well, I love and miss you all a lot. I'll write again soon.

-Victor Rogers IV

Someone once told me...

One time while I was here someone once told me when life gives you a lemon tree you must make lemons... LOL that was funny... But besides that our camping trip went very well because we made lemonade from our lemons...
While we were out camping we got caught in a huge lightning storm with tons of rain... Thankfully it only lasted a little while. After waking up quite damp and with little to no sleep we packed up camp and moved out towards the town to have breakfast. After Breakfast we went on a 6 hour hike through the Lukenya hills and had a great time. Then after our hike we returned to the boys home Taraja and pitched our tent under a shed so as not to be rained on again... of course id did not rain that night. But before going to sleep we hung out and did devotional time with the Kids... It was the most amazing display of faith and worship I have ever seen offered to God in all my time of being at many different church functions. about 25 kids all who have Nothing absolutly dependant on the ministry that this boys home Taraja provides. They all gathered into a dully lit shed to worship God together. One of the boys in the back of the shed playing the drums on a 55 gallon drum with a stick and his hand, and everyone singing praise in Swahili and clapping to the beat of an amazing worship to the God who provides for them every day. Sometimes I wish we would be more like this in America... You would think that with all we have our nice comfy well lit churches with sound systems and electric guitars and keyboards, and our wealthy congragations that we would all come eager to prais the lord who has blessed our lives so richly... but instead we come with a list of grievances of the things the lord has not provided we think we need. Anyway moving on
I had beans and Chapati (bread like stuff) for five strait meals in a row, Also while there we started planning and cutting our Bike trial. We cut over 1400 feet of trail by hand through African Fields. That was so much work and the sun is so hot here it is rediculous. Thankfully none of us passed out lol. but regardless we got a lot of work done and have stared a good portion of the planning neccessary for the trails and more importantly we have begun to familiarize ourselves with the land. Mind you during this whole 3 day trip I didn't have a chance to shower or drink too much... Needless to say I was Glad to return to Nairobi and have fillet o' fish with chips and 1200 ml of Krest. While Victor put down an impressive 1500 ml of Stoney... We are collecting Bottle caps to make a checkers set at home... LOL
Well that was a our last few days hope all is well with you all. God Bless

- Gio

Rain, Work, And A Great Time

Well, Gio and I got back from our crazy camping trip thing yesterday. It was great. We camped out in the mountains Tuesday night with Simon, Derrick, and Joseph. These are the guys we went to meet at Gateway High School during the first week of our trip, and their school just burned down, so they had some free time to help us out. The fire destroyed everything the guys had in their dorms, so they were without everything. We were able to give them backpacks and clothes from the donations we brought over from the states, so that was cool.

The first night on the mountain was miserable, yet it was amazingly beautiful. We camped out on this big rock formation right next to a tree that was growing right in the middle of the huge rock. The scenery was amazing, but the weather sucked. It poured a lot that night. We had five guys stuffed into a four man tent that leaked. I literally got about three hours of sleep that night.

We woke up the next morning and were greeted by Francis, another one of Jason's friends. He is a great guy, and apparently word got around that a couple of Mazungos (the Kenyan term for whites) were out camping, so he tracked us down. We packed from our terrible night camping, and Francis led us on a hike through the mountains. The hike was huge. We were out there for about six hours, but we planned a number of our trails.

After our hike, Francis took us over to Richard Mwema’s house. Richard is another friend of Jason and a schoolmate of Francis. Richard was working, but we all chilled in his house anyway. From there, we went out to Taraja. We met the “mother” of the boys’ home, Theosophia, and we stayed the night in our tent in their barn. The mother was an amazing woman. She has some of the strongest faith I have ever seen, and what she does for all of the street boys is amazing.

That night was better than the night before, but it was still rough. The security guards apparently use that barn as a hang out spot at night, so they had the halogen light on all night and they kept going in and out. We were thoroughly exhausted, but the next day brought about the hardest work so far.

We took the guys out into the bush and cut a bike trail by hand. We used these bent machetes, called slashers, and we spent hours in the ridiculous Kenyan sun doing by hand what could be done in minutes by machine. It was rough, but these guys were really good at what they did. Joseph, another of Francis’s classmates (not the one from Gateway), was the best slasher I have ever met. He was unstoppable.

It got too hot out, so we called it a day at about noon or one, and we went out for lunch. Three days on beans, cabbage, and chapati will do wonders for your stomach. We went home after that, and our group sadly parted ways. The guys we spent the past few days with are all so amazing and they were such a great help.

Joseph, Derrick, Simon, Francis, Richard, and Joseph all attended Taraja at one time or another, were all street boys, and they had one of the greatest bonds I have ever seen. These guys grew up together, and their experiences together have made them closer than brothers. We started out with a group of three other guys, and we grew exponentially whenever these boys saw someone they grew up with. They were all so happy to see each other again. It was one of the coolest types of relationships I have ever seen.

Gio and I got back to the apartment last night, and I took the most amazing shower of my life. After we got clean and relaxed, we headed out to our favorite bar. Again, the South C Sports Club (we call it our Sports Bar, it sounds cooler than club) was completely empty. We broke our drinking record, I had five bottles and Gio had four. We are some heavy soda drinkers.

Anyway, I should get going. We will be going rock climbing with some kids tomorrow, so I need to go help set up. To close, I think I’ll share a couple cool things God has been showing me. Through Theosophia, I have been greatly encouraged to have more faith and to find God’s will a blessing. Through the guys, I have found that a little love and a lot of God can be an amazing combination in someone’s life. The fact that all these guys grew upon the street is amazing. They are such amazing people and great friends, and it is all because God was given a chance to move in their lives. Well, I really need to go now, so I will thank you all again for reading this, praying for us, and always supporting us. I love you all, and I can’t wait to tell you all some of the great stories I now have.

-Victor Rogers IV

HIking

Vic and I are going hiking today. we will be camping out for 2 days exploring the land that we are going to create our mountain bike trails on. I am so very excited. Well I have to go and Meet Simon, Derek, and Joseph. We are going camping with them.
Also we go rock climbing on saturday with a group of kids. I love this place.
Adventure is what I live on...
Gio

Photos

Hello,
Here are some photos I took recently in Africa on our adventures...

Life Never Stops Over Here

We have done so much these past few days. On Tuesday, Gio and I accompanied Tess to Waithaka. She has a couple of good friends out there, and she wanted us to meet them. Both of her friends work at a school, so we got to spend the entire morning with the kids. It was amazing. We got some great pictures with the children. We played soccer, catch, volleyball, and a ton of other random, fun stuff. The kids also sang us some songs. They were in both English and Swahili, and each song had a set of motions. Playing with these kids really brightened my day, but the next trip we took would change my outlook on this whole experience.

Once school let out, Tess's friend, Nancy, took us out to Kibera. Kibera is the largest sum in Africa. The conditions in this place were so horrible. We met up with one of Nancy's friends, and she took us out to her place. We just wandered the slum for an hour or two. It was life changing. Nancy's friend had a child, Morgan, and she followed me through our whole walk, holding my hand. It was the worst life I ever could have imagined, but the attitude of the people was something I never would have expected. People weren't miserable wrecks. They were just living the life they had to the best of their ability. Children were running around the ditches full of human feces playing ames and laughing. It was amazing to see people happily enduring one of the worst types of life. Most of the people were so accepting of what they had.

The next day, Tess went home to Melbourne, Australia. That was sad. Tess was a great person to have in the house. She was always having fun, and we will miss her a lot. Other than that, Wednesday was fairly uneventful, so I will go on to Thursday.

Jason had a ton of things to do on Thursday (actually his credit card didn’t work, so he couldn’t do as much as he would have liked, but he was still pretty booked), so he sent Gio and I out to run an errand in Athi River. We took a matatu out to the street of Daystar University, and we hitched a ride with the Vice-Chancellor of the school the rest of the way. We grabbed his mail from the school’s Post Office, and we then headed out to give Francis some money. Francis used to stay at Taraja Boys Home, and he has been friends with Jason ever since. Jason tries to help him out whenever he can, so Francis will be working on the restaurant. He is staying out near Taraja, but he had no money. Gio and I went to help him out. I think it is great that Francis will be working on a project that will solely benefit the Boys Home he grew up in.

That night, Gio and I hit a bar. It was a great time. We were going to eat at the South C Sports Club Restaurant, but it was empty, so we ate at the bar. This was the most dull bar I have ever seen (not that I have seen many), but we had a great time with it. We drank so much, I even fell off of my bar stool. I had four Stoneys, and Gio had three Krest’s. Kenya has the coolest soda. The food was great, and Alex and I had a good time hanging out together.

Yesterday, Jason had more ATM difficulty, so we spent the day trying to fix it so he could finally send this girl, Winnie, to secondary school. I went back to the house early to grab some PIN number for him. I had a migraine, so I slept for most of the day after that.

Later that night, after I had slept off my headache, we went out to the theatre. Jason’s girlfriend, Lydia, is a pretty famous actress in Kenya, so she had an in at the Phoenix Theatre. Lydia is actually on a few Kenyan television shows, and she does a ton of theatre work. The play we went to was nice. It was pretty funny, and it ended up being a great experience, but the highlight of the night was dinner. We ate at Trattoria’s, aain. This was the first time we had ordered actual meals, and they were amazing. It was some of the best Italian food I have ever had.

Today has been pretty relaxing. Saturdays are always nice. Mithoni, the cleaning lady, came this morning. I was out of clothes this week, so I did a little laundry by hand myself. I figured if Mithoni can do it, then why can’t I? Well, Mithoni walked into the patio place where we wash clothes, pointed at my pants, and said, “Those aren’t clean.” Needless to say, I have given up on laundry, and I will now make sure to have enough clothes to make it to Saturday.

Jason has a student visiting the house right now. He got to leave school for the weekend. His name is Eliud, and he seems to be a great kid. Also, there was a pretty big fire outside the apartments today. It was awful. One of the kiosks outside was accidentally caught on fire by a child. It was another one of the most horrible things I have ever seen. There was a huge crowd of people, but there was no way to get any water over there to put it out. It is another experience I will never rid from my mind.

Well, that should be it. We are headed out to the movies with Eliud soon, so I should check on Gio with his 57 minute (and counting) conversation with Pringles. I’ll try to keep posting as much as I can. I love you all.

-Victor Rogers IV

Adventure In Crescent Island

I entered this picture for competition on line hope it does well...

Finally, Things Are Moving (cont.)

Well, I'm back in Lazard's Internet Cafe, and I hope I can finish this post. I think I left off at Crescent Island, so I will pick up with that night. After our venture to the Island, Gio and I had the most amazing, yet strange, pasta from the YMCA. The power was out, so we had dinner in our room by candlelight. It was pretty awkward to say the least, but the food was great. To make up for the guy and guy candlelight dinner, Gio spent the night discussing his favorite subject, Jackie. It did a good job of taking the gayness from our evening.
The next morning, Gio decided to get up fairly early to bike out to Hell's Gate. I'm not really a morning person, but we headed out at eight a.m anyway. Aside from the migraine and the fifteen mile mountain biking trip, the day was amazing. The scenery was indescribable. On top of the gorgeous landscape, we got to see some more unexpected wildlife. On top of all the zebras and gazelles, we saw a warthog with its little hoglets and a five foot black cobra. The latter was one of the craziest things I had ever seen. Gio almost ran over it with his bike, and we both just stood about ten feet away from it, unsure what to do besides take pictures.
We biked all the way through Hell's Gate, but instead of going to the marked entrance to the gorge, we made a wrong turn and ended up in a Masai village. It worked out really well, though. One of the men from the village gave us a free tour of the gorge. It was some of the most amazing hiking I have ever done. The hot springs were so strange. You don't expect a small waterfall to be raining down hot water. It was amazingly beautiful.
We headed straight home after Hell's Gate, exhausted, hungry, and sunburned. I got burned on the top of my hands. It is a very strange place. It is bright red from my wrist up to my knuckles, and then my fingers are my typical pasty whiteness. Gio just started peeling last night. He unloaded bales shirtless, and didn't have sunscreen on, so his back was burned to a crisp. It now looks like he has leprosy. Pieces of his flesh are peeling off in chunks. It is pretty nasty, but he insists on showing me every time he peels. He even had me take a picture.
Well, Tess, Gio, and I are headed out to some town that Tess has a lot of friends in. She wanted to take us out before she leaves tomorrow, so I need to get going. If you are reading this, then odds are that I miss you a lot, and I love you a lot as well, but you can't always be sure. Thank you all for the prayers; they are greatly appreciated.
-Victor Rogers IV

Finally, Things Are Moving

Well, my first attempt at this post was just deleted because my computer at Lazard's just bombed out. I'm not that happy right now, but I'll get over it quickly. I don't have much time now, so this post won't be as great as the one I just wrote. I might not even finish it before we need to leave, but I will try my best.
Things are finally going. Thursday was a huge day. We got the bales delivered to Taraja, and Gio and I headed out to Naivasha. We hitched a ride out with Gitau, the man who delivered the bales, and we stayed at his apartment for the night. The truck ride to Naivasha was ridiculous. It took six hours to get to a place about an hour away. I rode in the back of the truck for a while with a calf and a sheep. The rest of the ride was spent uncomfortably close to three other men, one of which was a very large man with some very strange misconceptions on the U.S.
After our night with Gitau, Alex and I headed out to Lake Naivasha via matatu. We rented a Banda (small shack), and some bikes at the YMCA. We headed straight out, on mountain bike, to Crescent Island. We were able to wander the island alone, and what we encountered was amazing.
We saw zebras, giraffes, monkeys, gazelles, wildebeests, and some crazy birds. Well, I need to go now, so you are either going to have to wait for my next post to hear about the five foot black cobra, or you can just read Gio's last post. I hope to finish this story up soon.
-Victor Rogers IV

Hell's Gate

I am back in Nairobi,

For all of you who were concerned for me I have been In Naivasha for a couple of days with no access to a computer... sorry

Besides that I had an absolutely amazing adventure. We biked about 30 miles in two days our first day we went to a place called Crescent Island, there we saw wild animals of all kinds on a beautiful secluded Island... I cant tell you how amazing this experience was.... we saw Wildebeest, Giraffe, birds of all kinds, Gazelle, and many other interesting things including the absolutly beautiful scenery in the backround including a massive Volcano in the distance (Mt. Longonot).
The next day we went on a bike ride to Hell's Gate National park... we biked for about 8 miles on dirt roads through magnificent scenery of red rock cliffs and towering mountains on all sides... we took a wrong turn at one point and instead of going down to the massive gorge paying a guide we ended up in a Masai village where we had on of the people give us a tour down to the gorge and through it for free plus he took us through some of the Masai land. That was increadable he was such a nice man. Most of the people in Kenya are very hospitable and friendly others just want to take advantage of you which has happened a number of times to us already we are getting pretty Savvy though and it doesn't really happen any more....
Now we have returned safely to Nairobi in one piece with a little more sunburn than before LOL and a bit more understanding of the country.
Happy to be home at our comfortable apartment in South C
-Gio

Sleeping is Great

The last few days have been extremely relaxing. Jason has been out, so Gio and I had nothing productive to do. It was amazing. I slept so much. We have also been playing chess and scrabble. I'm rocking Gio at chess. Even when I'm half asleep, I still kick his butt.
The time off has been really nice, but we will be getting back to work soon. We will probably be headed out to Naivasha tomorrow. It has been so rainy out there, but it looks like we will finally be able to get the bales. Getting started on all of this would be great. We have been waiting to get going forever, so once this is done we can get moving with the restaurant and the bike trails.
I've been making an attempt to teach Alex to cook (you're welcome, Jackie). It has been going very well. We made and amazing meal last night. We had chicken parm, a veggie-stir-fry, and spaghetti with a homemade marinara sauce. I was going to be a nice surprise for Jason after his miserable, long day, but he didn't even make it home last night, so everyone else in the house ate with us. It was a lot of fun.
Church the other day was great. Self-control and confession aren't spoken about enough in church. The sermon was pretty amazing. It was a great chance for me to let go of some things and become so much closer to God. He has done so much for me in the past few weeks. He is revealing himself to me in so many ways. I have been able to find Him in everything.
Well, I can't think of anything else to write about. I'm sure there is so much I could, but I'm not finding anything important in his big head of mine. I hope to post again soon.
-Victor Rogers IV

Relaxation Time

Cheers Mate,

Well the weather has cleared up a bit and I should be headed out to Naivasha again tomorrow to load hay bales about 250 tomorrow and 250 the next... But after that Vic and I will be going out together and will have an awesome opportunity to explore some of the Amazing Great Rift Valley...

Well things are going well Jason had to go out Chooka to visit a student he sponsors who had some disciplinary problems so Vic and I had 2 days to do pretty much whatever we wanted... So we SLEPT IN !! thank God.... and then we went and explored the city some more... we ate at a restaurant called Trattoria's (THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT) I have ever eaten at we had the most amazing thin crust pizza with artichokes, green olives, mushrooms, oregano, ham, and several other things I cant remember. It was Simply amazing... needless to say I haven't been starving out here I have been eating like a King...
We also went grocery shopping because when you live in a house with 3 men there is nothing in the fridge LOL,,, we bought all the fixings for and made our own Chicken Parmigiana with a vegetable stir fry and Past with sauce we made.... It was awesome....
we also bought other necessities such as toilet paper and light bulbs... We also bought mmm hot chocolate mix for me... and canned tuna fish (always a good backup meal)...

For entertainment We bought a chess board and a Scrabble board... That has been lots of fun so far I think Chess will be good for Vic and I we both play but aren't that good so we are a good match...

Have a great day God Bless

Alex Giordano

Sunday

Church was really cool yesterday. They preached about self control. (what an idea huh??) Odly enough i have not ever heard a message preached quite like this but I was quite happy that they did. The message focused on sexual temptation, pornography, adultery, etc... things like that I was so impressed about how they preached about pornography and other sexual sins... they are such a MAJOR!!! struggle all around the world for so many millions of people. Every day I struggle with sexual temptation every day millions of Men and Women and even children struggle with the constant idea that casual sex and pornography are ok because of the message society is sending through its media, advertising, television, music and so so much more.
Why doesn't the Church take more initiative and begin to counter act that message just a little bit?? its like people are afraid to talk about it but thats what makes it such a big problem... No one is willing to talk about it and therefore it is left in the dark... when things are kept secrete and left alone they will never be dealt with. In order to deal with these things we must expose the ideas of Pornography, Masturbation, Casual sex, and other such ideas to the LIGHT!
Needless to say I was happy that the people in the church I attend here in Kenya Brought up the topic and spoke about it openly and honestly about the damage that immediate self gratification can do. Specifically The pastor said that by giving in to your immediate desires you will cause yourself to do things you wouldn't normally do... Like lie to cover up the tracks you just made.
There was a woman in the church who has become pregnant she was a leader and she confessed that she was pregnant and she is not married so that was a huge deal. However, I was so glad to see that she was willing to bring the situation in to the light. When we confess our sins we are allowing God to come in to our lives and set us free and we are allowing others to come beside us and help us through our struggles.
Anyway I think that the topic needs to have some light shed upon it and stop all the secrecy that has been making people feel alone in there struggle. This is the reason that so many fall into the pit of sexual immorality.

Besides that I am having a great time in Kenya. The weather has been really funny here. It's been sunny and raining on and off (weird)

Have a great day and God Bless

-Gio

Plans Change, But It Always Works Out

Well, it is about a week since we planned on going to Naivasha, but rain has prevented us from using the roads to get the bales, so we have been sitting around, doing busy work. We visited the place the restaurant will be built. The location is nice, but it is a pretty big trip. Because we don't have a car, our journey consisted of matatus, walking, and even hitchhiking. Hitching a ride was great. We rode in this huge Mack truck with about four other people. It was a lot of fun.
Other than that, Alex and I have been hanging around town, trying to blend in (which is pretty difficult). There hasn't been a day where we were in the city and we haven't been asked on a safari. Also, because we are white, everyone takes advantage of us. People can be horrible. I have never been so discouraged by humanity. Being black in America is nothing compared to being white in Kenya.
Even with all the adversity, Nairobi is a great place, and I am having the time of my life. It all seems normal, or second nature to me now, and I have only been here for ten days. God has really strengthened my faith and beliefs, and He has also opened my eyes to the rest of His creation. All in all, this is the greatest and most life-changing trip of my life, and, at the moment, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

-Victor Rogers IV

Grey Day,

Today is the first day that has not been absolutely beautiful it has been overcast and sort of sprinkling a little here. It is almost always perfect weather here. Its strange it is like 75-80 here every day dry heat its so nice so nice. It cools down at night so it is easier to sleep.

Unfortunately our trip to Naivasha has been postponed due to the rain. the roads are too muddy to travel and get the hay for the restaurant. We will still be going but not until the roads are dry enough.

I am Having an absolutely amazing time here in Kenya eating different things every day.. Today i had Goat. It was so good. lol

Ive got to go now

Gio.

Naivasha and Hell's Gate National Park

I will be headed out to Naivasha, tomarrow to load hay bales and then drop them off at our resturant construction sight. after we drom them off Vic and I will head out to Naivasha again in the back of a truck and stay a couple of days there exploring safari type stuff ... we will see gorges, hot springs all sorts of animals like giraffe, wildebeest, elaphants etc... I am really excited about the pics im gonna get ... i cant wait...

-Gio

Finally

Sorry it took so long to post... Vic and I havent been able to get to this sight at our appartment so we are in a Cyber Cafe using different computers ... unfortunatly Kenya doesnt have High speed internet ... basically just dial up so i wont be uploading as many pictures as I thought Sorry !! you will just have to see them all when i get home.
So far our experiance has been amazing .... so amazing Vic and I both feel as if we have been here for ages already because we have done so much .... Jason has tought us how to navigate around the city well so today is our first day out and about by ourselves... its really exciting and slightly scary ... but we are doing well...
We have been following Jason alot and well he is very busy and does a ton for the poor community here...
We went to church today for the first time that was amazing... the worship was outstanding and very African ... they are such amazing musicians... The preaching was hard to understand due to their heavy accent....
After we leave this cafe we will most likely go and explore the city a little and then go home on a Matatu ( a 16 passenger taxi ish thing) a ride from here to our road cost 30 shillings and we have to walk the rest of the way... there is a lot of walking here and odly enought hardly any Fat People... only the white people are fat lol ....
well today is the first day i have taken my camera to the city (for fear of losing it) but i feel confident in getting around and such now so i was comfortable enough to bring it i will take some pics of the city and try to post some if possible...

Anyway Got to get going my bill is running up here Haha ... 24 shillings right now ... or less than a dollar really haha

-Gio

Nairobi is Crazy

I finally got on to the blog! This has been a crazy trip, and I wish it were easier to update the blog, but I'll work with what I have. Well, Gio and I are in the city, alone, at a cyber cafe. So much has happened in the past few days.
The flight was long and tiring, but it was exciting nonetheless. We saw so much. The Italian Alps, The tip of the Italian boot, Amsterdam (which was the most perfect, organized city I have ever seen, and an amazing sunrise in the sky were just a few of our sights. Gio actually got stopped by security in Detroit for taking pictures of the plane. He did look fairly suspicious, but it all worked out. I only lost one bag, and I got it the next day, so it was almost a flawless trip.
We are staying in an apartment in South C, which is about ten to fifteen minutes south of the city (with average traffic). The apartment is nice, and is surrounded by a huge wall topped with barbed wire (less exciting than the shards of glass on the other security walls). We are right outside of a slum, which is full of tiny, handmade shacks, made of scrap metal. These are called Kiosks.
For the most part, we have been taking in the city, and learning how to get around. Nairobi is a very chaotic city, but it is loads of fun. The craziest part for me is the driving. It seems like there are no rules, though everyone claims that is not true. People are just crazy, and they don't stop for people or care about anything. In order to get into the city, we need to jump on a matatu, which works like a bus, but they are all run down vans. On each matatu, there is a driver and another guy that runs the back of the van. This other guy is constantly jumping on and off the moving matatu, calling other people aboard and collecting money. You tap the side of the van to signal you want to get off. It is great, and very cheap. It costs thirty shillings for each trip to Nairobi (it is seventy shillings to every dollar).
Gio and I have a basic understanding of the city, and we are getting around very well. We have visited a number of students KKM is sponsoring, which is very exciting. We have met so many interesting people, and I will never forget them. All of the donations we brought (backpacks, toys, etc.), have been greatly appreciated. Everyone here sends their thanks to those of you who have helped.
The food is another amazing part of Kenya. I love cooking, eating, and trying anything, so this is perfect. I have tasted so many new foods, like pilao, ugali, and samosas. They are all amazing and very different. The tastes of the city is one of my favorite parts.
Well, I hope to update this again soon, but I think this is enough for now. Gio and I are going to explore the city. I am so thankful for this adventure, and I am constantly in awe of God and how he works through our lives. I love you all.
-Victor Rogers IV

It's Crunch time...

I leave for the airport in, well as soon as i'm done writing this post I am so excited i cant wait to fly i cant wait to take pics of everything... im excited... Wow I feel like im about to go over the top of a rolercoaster... cant wait to see wher God brings me.

well have a great day and God Bless everyone and let us all receive from this day the gifts he has to give us with open hearts...

Alex Gio

This picture makes me think of how hot the fire of God is going to be on me while I am in Africa...

Also, this picture makes me think of the still waters God will lead me by when I need to have a rest and be refreshed...

-Gio

We're Getting So Close

Today was my going away party. That was weird. Everything has been flying by these past few weeks. I'm so excited, but it is still difficult for me to comprehend the immensity of this trip. God's been preparing me and G for this trip a lot, and your prayers are greatly appreciated.

I hope this blog thing works out well. Just check the name at the end to see who wrote the post, or you can see who spelled the title wrong, and know that it was Gio (Well... It's Off to Africa We Go...). I feel that this trip will be great for me and G. We aren't as close as you'd expect two people traversing the globe together to be, but we are the perfect complements to each other. It will be interesting, so check the blog to see how our relationship is doing.

It is really close to our departure date, and the nerves are starting to get to me, but I'm fully trusting God on this one. Keep us in your prayers, just as you are all in mine. God Bless.

-Victor Rogers IV
(p.s. Happy Birthday, G)

Well... Its of to Africa we Go...

Hello Everyone,

First off has anyone ever noticed that capial D's face this direction "D" and lowercase D's face this direction "d" ???

Secondly We leave for Africa on tuesday and today was my birthday and im (Saturday) I'm really excited and cant wait to fly for the first time and to travel more than 300 mile lol for like the 3rd time. Victor and I will get a lot of bonding time on our 20 hour flight ,,, that should be interesting...

If anyone wants to keep track of who is writing which entries well you can look at the spelling errors and grammer use ... I'll have tons (Alex) of errors while Victor prides himself on his ability to use the language to its perfection... or you could just look at the bottem and see who signed it lol...

C-Ya...

Alex (aka Gio)