In Their Eyes and Feet

March 2, 2003

Nancy went to the woman's retreat this weekend, and so it was the older boys and I managing the care of the Dynamic Duo. It is so interesting how twins look at life differently. When we read Lyle the Crocodile, Ben points out every red car in the story. Katie shows me all the shoes that the characters wear.

This takes on huge significance, because Katie carries shoes around with her all the time, and they end up in interesting places. Nancy is always on top of that stuff, but I tend to believe that the shoe fairies will return them to their rightful place.

This morning, it was up to the three oldest Peifer males to dress the youngest Peifer female. This shouldn't be a tough thing to do, but I am always challenged by female clothing. This morning was one of rushing around, and Matthew offered to dress Katie (after I changed her diaper, of course).

The top had a flower, so LOGICALLY the leggings, to match, also had to have a flower on it. It proved a jarring contrast, so JT's solution was to find the brightest red socks to further balance the outfit. My contribution was my inability to find two shoes that matched, so she wore her beach sandals.

We are used to stares that a mixed family can receive, but I'm not sure that I have ever received the stares we got this morning. A very nice older Kenyan woman came up to us and said `Is the momma sick?' I have enclosed a pic of our fashion statement.

We went to Kamuyu this week. It is the school without any water, and so to cook the lunches, people haul water for miles in order to cook the maize and beans. The `kitchen' is about _ of a mile from the school. The kitchen had a steel roof, but someone stole the steel, so it is just a shell of a building. We are trying to help them complete a water tank that would store rainwater; the pictures show what has been done already.

I was walking with one of the parents, and he asked me what I thought of the school. I told him I admired that they were trying, but it was hard to understand the poverty from a western perspective.

He said `People try to hide their poverty, but there are two places you cannot hide it. Look in their eyes and look at their feet.' I counted over 80 kids before I found a child wearing shoes.

The look on one child's face as he waited for food captured what he was talking about. There is a longing, and a fear that chills me every time I see it.

Children shouldn't have that look. So many of them here do.

Your Pal,

Steve

PS. We are scheduled to go to court Tuesday. We are hoping that we will walk away with the adoption completed, but Kenya is a funny place; we would appreciate your prayers.

PPS The water tank, inside the tank, the kitchen, a student hoping for food, and the fashion statement.