July 16, 2024
Jambo Jambo!
The last few days have been some of the most memorable days of the summer all thanks to our wonderful group of girls here on KEZ 3C!!! We have spent the days getting to know each other while diving into a new culture and making the most genuine friendships with the natives in Maasai Mara. After picking up the group of girls in the Nairobi airport we headed to our accommodation for the night. Although everyone was exhausted from the long travel day, everyone was so smiley and excited to start an adventure of a lifetime. We are so thankful to be ending this summer with such a genuine group of girls.
Early the next morning we set off for a jam packed 4 days in Maasai Mara. On our drive to the Mara we saw plenty of animals and spent lots of time asking the driver questions about the Maasai Culture. When we got to our camp we were welcomed by the Maasai warriors and headed straight to lunch! After lunch was our first activity of the trip… a bush walk! During the bush walk we got to practice being a warrior which included archery, animal spotting, and using natural resources in the wild. Caroline has natural warriors skills and impressed us all during the activity! After our activity the evening was spent relaxing by the fire and taking pictures together! Lia is an aspiring photographer and has been doing a great job capturing the moment. To end our first full day of the trip we had our first Moonup. For those of you who don’t know, Moonup is how we end our days here on Moondance. Moonup is a chance to show gratitude on what we have experienced that day and ask intentional questions that help us connect with each other on a deeper level. During Moonup Mary Sadler and Lia were appointed to be the first leaders of the day (LOD). What an awesome duo!
The next day we had a lot in store. We started the morning with a hike up the mountain behind camp. Although some girls were worried about how hard the hike would be, they absolutely crushed it and we are so proud!!! Milena kept the group entertained with her funny stories. Her outgoing and carefree personality has been a huge factor in the group becoming so comfortable with each other. At the top of the mountain Gates and Emma sat in awe of the animals we were looking at from a far. It really opens up a new perspective seeing things from such a different view. In the Mara the Maasai warriors LOVE to play soccer. This afternoon was the start of our soccer series. Carson, (the hopeful soon to be Radio City Rockette) was a star on the field and absolutely loved playing. We had yet another great evening hanging by the fire and exchanging culture with our new friends!
The following day was one of our favorites! We began the day with a visit to a neighboring village and we learned about how Maasai people build houses, cook, make fire, bead, and fetch water. We got to help them do all of these things and the girls all asked thoughtful questions! Upon arriving to the village we were welcomed with four traditional songs. During one song we got to dance with the people of the village and during another we watched the Maasai warriors compete to see who could jump the highest! We entered the village with our new friends and made our way through learning how to make fire, cook ugali (a traditional food that we decided is most similar to grits), make bracelets, and more! Walking back to camp we all talked about our favorite parts of the day and Eliana said she wished she could’ve stayed in the village all day! After lunch and our rest time we got to go to a nearby boarding school and look inside some classrooms. We were amazed at how much these kids are learning at such a young age! After looking into the classrooms we got to play soccer with some of the boarding school kids. They crushed our team but we still had a lot of fun!
Our last day in the Maasai Mara was easily one of the most memorable of the trip so far. We started the day by going to church with our Maasai guides. We are so lucky and grateful to have had the opportunity to take part in church with them and learn more about their religious culture. We sang, danced, and listened during the service and also enjoyed hanging out with some of the kids there for Sunday school. Layla especially enjoyed this experience, she loved experiencing the service and the children loved to be by her side! After church we had another delicious lunch and got ready for our final soccer game. We made sure to make the most of our last soccer game with the Maasai warriors-it was the longest and highest scoring game we had had yet! When soccer finished we were invited into the kitchen to make a cake with Chef Willy and Chef Sharon. We had no recipe, and it turned out surprisingly well! Ysonde led the charge on baking the cake, never without a smile on her face. While the cake baked we ate dinner and watched a gorgeous sunset. We feel so grateful to be able to witness such beautiful sunsets as we have at Oseki and will miss them very much when we leave. Soon after, the cake finished baking we had a ceremony to present it to the girls. Us two leaders danced around the table with our Maasai warrior friends as they played traditional music before we cut the cake. This was definitely a moment we will never forget!
Our departure from Oseki and the Maasai Mara was filled with tearful goodbyes, we surely will miss the dance parties, delicious food, sunsets, and friends we’ve made, but we could not be more excited for our beach vacation in Zanzibar!
Until next time, Andrea and Sinclair
Here are some shoutouts from the students!
mary sadler – hey mom, dad, addie and batman!! i’m having the best time ever in africa, can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!! i love y’all lots and thanks so much for this opportunity!!!
layla – Hiii!! Miss all of y’all so much, I’m having such an amazing time and have experienced so many amazing things so far! Tell Owen I say hi and that I miss him. Thinking of all y’all ❤️
caroline – Hey fam! I miss y’all but i’m having a super fun time and have seen some insane stuff so far. tell Poopy face I say what’s up for me ❤️
eliana – Hi mom, dad, and emerson! I am having a great time in Africa! We have experienced so many amazing things. Tell everyone I said hi! I love you all so much!
gates – Sup fam! I’m having an amazing time here in Zanz and can’t wait to see y’all and my friends. I love y’all so much! Tell the squad and T I say hi!!
emma – hiiii mom and dad! i’m having the best time and can’t wait to see y’all! tell hannah, char, and helen that i said hi and i can’t wait to see them!! love y’all!
carson – Hey everyone! I am having a blast, so glad I’m here!!! I got to scoop cow poop with my bear hand!!!!! Love y’all and tell mama I love and miss her so much!!!
lia- Hii I miss you guys so much!! I’m meeting the most amazing locals and I’m so grateful I’m here. Love you all so much, tell nug I miss her too 💕
milena – hey dad!! i’ve been having so so much fun here. Miss and love you, arianna and fluffy so much and can’t wait to see you soon!
ysonde – heyy mom, dad, and jacques!!! i have been having the best time here and can’t wait to show pics and tell you guys all about the culture here. love y’all so much, thanks for sending me on this trip, and cant wait to see y’all (don’t forgot to book my driving test lol)