Hi all,
We're still home here in CT on this last day of 2012 - just three more days until we leave CT and five until we leave Washington, DC for Kenya.  We have our one piece of carry-on luggage each for personal clothing and stuff and we've packed six 50 pound check-in bags of stuff to give away, most of which was donated by you.  They are in the spare bedroom waiting for a gorilla to take them downstairs.  That includes about 250-300 reusable shopping bags to distribute to the Watafutaji widows of Kasavai, Kenya - thanks.  Delta gave us an allowance of a free extra checked bag each - which is why we have six and not four.

We're excited too.  We had a CLOUT Cares board meeting about two weeks ago and are now loaded with ideas of programs to bounce off our Kenyan CLOUT colleagues.  We try to keep in mind that our ideas may not be feasible, and even if they are, ideas need to originate with the widows if plans based on them are to succeed.  Seeds of our ideas will be carefully planted to see if they grow into widows' ideas and plans.

After a couple of days in Nairobi we'll head off on the bus again for Kakamega and the village of Kasavai.  We're eager to see our colleagues and growing number of friends in Nairobi (not forgetting Naipoki, our foster orphan elephant) and then visit and work with the widows and children in Kasavai who we have grown to love dearly.  We'll miss the snow in CT though (I think).

T