Mater Heart Run 2016...great cause of support!

May rolled in and of course we simply had to take part in the Mater Heart Run...this is a must for our house :) If there is one cause I support whole heartedly its this one....that a child can get a much needed asssistance so that they can enjoy their childhood even more and grow into healthy adulthood!

I have been taking part in this walk for a long time...but the earliest photo I could find was for 2009...in 2010, my nephew and son also took part for the first time and boy, weren't they tired!! in 2013, my daughter took part and I had to enlist help so that she can be carried should she give up...and for sure we took turns to carry her. In 2015, I didn't take part, but kids went for it (no photo :( ).

So in 2016, when the two days before the walk was raining like its been sent by sijui what,...I almost gave up on it, don't wish to be rained on with no place to shelter. By mid morning, the sun was out on the Friday before the walk/run so I dashed to Nakumatt Junction and got me 4 T-shirts. That evening, an idea hit me as I was looking at the route, that we can actually make it more fun, by taking part in the walk in Machakos instead....not far from Nairobi and not as hilly (that upper hill stretch kills me!!)

So early Saturday, off  we went to Machakos...we were there at 7.30am...kumbe the walk starts at 8am as per the program...so we took some snacks and waited patiently. Lots of school children!! and the Guest of Honour acknowledged that 50% of the contributions normally comes from school children..so nice!! Finally 10am we set off, and the looming dark clouds had cleared...the walked seemed so long,....but worth it

Finally we were done and off we went to Machakos Peoples park for some lunch...hubby even tried some zip lining (to the amazement of the kids!!)

Well done Mater!! May you always extend the heart of mercy to lil ones!!

Of nuns and their immaculate attire.....

I have always admired the way nuns can keep so prim and proper despite their surroundings!!

I was reminded of this today, as I walked around Resurrection Garden and passed many many nuns...all in clean clothes, in various colours, stockings that matched their clothes and of course with kitenge shukas incase they need to seat/kneel. You see I attended schools run by nuns all my primary school life and this admiration was cemented in these formative years. In lower primary the nuns didn't wear veils, never quite understood why....but they kept short hair and most were Irish nuns (giving away my age right there!)

In upper primary, the school was boarding and next to a convent so we saw nuns alllll the time.....from very young ones to very old ones...and it didn't matter their age....all were very neat and their clothes looked freshly ironed even in the hot afternoons!!

Fast forward to present day.....and specifically to Merti, which is a very hot and dusty town in Northern Isiolo. I found myself in Merti on a Sunday and so decided to attend Holy Mass. Merti is the kind of place where by 9am it is already very very hot. Where I was staying was relatively near  the church so I decided an early morning walk will do me just fine. By the time I reached the church, I was, as expected, hot and sweaty!!  Incidentally I was early, so I had to wait under the shade of a kiosk opposite the church, and this didnt help in cooling me down. Anyways, when church finally started, I didnt feel conscious about my dusty feet since everyone seemed to be in the same boat. So enter this nun....in WHITE....looking like she dropped from above being so dustless!!  She took her seat on the bench, after carefully folded her kitenge shuka on the bench (that was probably very dusty in retrospect!)

Same script was repeated in Marsabit! with a headscarf because of the dust....

In Turkana, we flew by a small aircraft into a mission setting in Northern part of Turkana (cant remember the name) and you can imagine how dry most of the County is. We landed and since its a convent setting and little kids came round the aircraft once it had settled. The excited nuns also came to welcome us and we were soon seated in their pristine dining have tea and snacks. I mean just looking at spotless room one cannot imagine we were in Turkana county!!

Ehh, I guess cleanliness is next to Godliness!!