7 Weeks on…

circumcised girls

…..As we drove towards our new friend’s village we saw many young girls – perhaps between the ages of 9 and 14- wearing dark blue blankets with beaded chains hanging over their faces. They smiled and waved as we drove passed. Their particular dress was to show that they had just gone through a brutal rite of passage into woman hood involving ceremonial circumcision. We arrived to a sea of little children with big smiles and flies buzzing around their eyes and were invited in to our friend’s mud hut where we were given a steaming hot cup of sweet Maasai chai as is customary in this extremely hospitable culture. We were there to pray for him and his family who had just lost their third child due to malnutrition – (not because of lack of food but simply because they were unaware of when and how a baby should be weaned) – nothing short of a tragedy.
Since then myself and Florence the nurse (working with Walking with Maasai and the Starfish Mobile Clinic) have been designing an information pack addressing this issue -which turns out to be quite a common occurrence here. We hope to carry out some workshops and use this pack to help provide some solutions to these terrible problems the women in the community are experiencing.

Little kids playing around a Maasai hut

This is just one example of the many needs that this remote community are struggling with…..

Jasmine, Caleb & Nantya in the Home School room

We have been here about 6 weeks and we are settling in well. Life is getting into a bit of a rhythm that works for us, and the endless tasks of hand washing our very grubby clothes, baking bread, washing up etc are now being shared with a very lovely Maasai lady called Jennifer. Joyce, Kashu’s fiancée has been a great support too and has gone out of her way to help us with whatever we need… We’re getting stuck into the home schooling – some days I love it and others I end up feeling like pulling my hair out!!!!!!

colobus in our garden

The colobus monkeys are now resident in our garden as the wild figs are ripening. They are extremely curious about us and come very near to see what’s happening which has been magical.
The children love it here…. the space, freedom and the many opportunities for adventure.

Taliah running in a Maasai Village

Taliah seems as if she always lived here! Jasmine is loving the animals. she has delighted in chasing the zebras in Andre’s camp, she dotes over our flee ridden cat and adores the chickens,. I only hope they start laying eggs soon – Hennie has promised to chew them if they don’t! Caleb is having a ball –and is making friends where ever he goes.
Hennie is coming alongside a very discouraged and worn out team and is being a great encouragement. He is leading them in times of prayer, teaching and worship which God is really blessing.
I am seeing many opportunities to use my creativity here which could be a blessing to this community. I am busy designing some beadwork and have put feelers out in the hope of drawing a few women together to begin a project. The aim would be to provide a small but welcome income for their families.
The long awaited rains seem to have begun at last and the place is being rapidly transformed from a harsh, dry and dusty place to a lush green paradise. Our shamba (veggie patch) is doing really well…. Pumpkin pie and rhubarb crumble could be on the cards in the next couple of months if it keeps going the way it is now! – I have heard that elephants are rather partial to pumpkins so there’s no guarantee of that.
It has rained here in the Loita hills but in the nearby Tanzania and in the lower regions of Kenya there is still no rain. Travelling to our nearest town to get supplies there was carcass after carcass of Maasai cattle. Times are hard; cattle are their livelihood and source of milk and meat- the main component of a Maasai diet. Maasai from these nearby places are coming in their droves to the Loita to graze their cattle which brings it share of problems as grazing land is limited.
Your prayers are really needed!!! Thank you so much for all your support so far!
Please pray for
• Rain.
• For us to stay close to God, to hear His voice and obey.
• The team- that we can be a blessing to them and that God will help them come through a difficult time so that they will bear good fruit in all they do.
• The women here- that we can work with God to bless and meet some of their many needs.
• We believe that God may be guiding us into some new areas of ministry-with local church leaders and children as well. Pray that if this is from him He will confirm it with us.
• That our children continue to thrive.
• For patience and inspiration during home schooling!
• For protection – there is a huge spiritual opposition to. God’s kingdom coming here.
• For our language learning – it feels almost impossible to grasp this complex tonal language.
• For financial support to grow

Marais Family by the river

Love from all the Marais (Hennie, Becca, Jasmine, Caleb & Taliah)
PS – If you want to support us financially then please e-mail us at Marais@walkingwithmaasai.org and we’ll send you details of how to give.