Everything sound great... Hey man!
first off, i want to say that im real sorry that this is the first time that ive left you a message, and its on your last blog! so, ill make up for it with hugs and kisses and that when youre home!
anywho, how the devil are you?!
hope everything is going great, and by the sounds of your blogs, they are!
the whole experience sounds amazing and we cant wait to hear about it when you get back! the throat infection doesnt sound great, but i hope that you get better soon!
like Mabbs said, youre in a tent with us guys from the Fatty Crew again this year im afraid, but its gonna be awesome!
and just to let you know that i finally finished the whole A-Levels thing, wich went really well, and awaiting results on August 16th!
anyways, cant wait till you get home buddy, we all miss you like crazy, the past couple of months havent been the same without you! but when youre home, we can party on down at Soul!
Love, hugs and kisses,
Luke x
'Til we meet again.... (now that sounds crap!) Hi Ben, hope your nasty throat infection clears up 'cause from the sounds of this and other posts you've been having a really good time. I hope you can come away with something from all the time at the orphanage (let's be honest, it sounds like you'd have to be stone not to!). Enjoy your safari and i'll see you when you return. Stuart
Ha ha that last photo is hilarious! Ah ben you look so young without all your hair!
I'm glad you've had a fun time out there are I hope it won't be too hard saying all your goodbye's tomorrow.
Hope trecking is amazing and I'll see you in Septemebr (Because I leave just before you come back!) Can't wait.
Claire xx
Last week Glad that you finally made it to Lamu, it looks beautiful, although it sounds from what Fiona says that it also has some hidden "attractions" - which you obviously picked up! Hope your last week at New Hope is good, and not too sad. Expect it will be difficult leaving after building up such close relationships with the youngsters. We're building up a good collection of football gear, so should be able to send out quite a package soon - unfortunately probably not while you're still there. Love from us all,xxx
Hey!
So sorry I haven't written in ages. It sounds like you are doing a great job in Mombassa with the kids - I'm so glad things are working out and I hope that it is not too hard when it comes to leaving.
It sounds like you are making a great impact and I do think that you have been a blessing to them! Also I'm glad that you are getting on ok with the new team people. It must have been quite hard when they all left at the same time, but I suppose you have the oppotunity now to make more friends and I'm sure you'll stay in contact - have a reunioin when you are all back in the UK. Do you think you might visit Africa and New Hope again sometime?
Anyway, this is getting quite long enough, but I'm going to email you and Spud now. I'll send it to your hotmail and through the message system thing on the blog.
Love and see you soon! xxxxx
soul survivor dude it still sound ace and i wish i was there. u are in a tent with me spud dave etc. for soul, which i add will be awsum. i noticed in ur new pic that u shaved. not happy, my dreams of black ben + beard are now shot and i am very dissapointed. however i did also notice that u got ur hair cot, looking gd my friend. my beedie eyes cant miss anything. love u dude. and missing u even more now. hurry home.
mabbs xxxxxx
Hi Ben Glad to hear that you are having such a great time, well done with the football team. Sorry to hear that you were not feeling too good in Lamu you have done really well to last this many weeks I was ill after 4 days in India! David ,Rachel and John send their love as well, take care, Ali
Lamu belly! Dear Ben, Commiserations on the bad tummy,bit of a nightmare especially when you have to travel too. From your blog it seems you either sailed or hung about on the beach (LOVELY) . Had you been taken on a tour of the town you would have probably found the meat market - follow your nose!!!
Then your bad tummy would have been a logical consequence of what you'd seen, The cats and flies take liberties with the wares. Why do you think Rays a vegetarian!! I went on a sunset sand dune walk one time and must have got 200 sand flea bites on my legs which got infected and my whole leg swelled up to twice its size. There is more to Lamu than the lovely beaches- we always manage to have mega adventures in Lamu...not all of which are welcome but its still a great place to have experienced. We are off to Nairobi today so will have to catch up with your blogs wehen we gwt back at the end of the month. HAVE A GREAT TIME TRAVELLING.......All the best for the rest of your trip ,,,,,Ray and Fiona
When you get back home Dear Ben, We continue to enjoy hearing how things are going. Enjoy Lamu its a great place . We are off to Nairobi in 2 days time....can't wait!
Last week we spoke to our young peoples group at church about our forth coming trip and they were most interested. Some of them have a real heart for Africa and would love to do something similar to you. We wondered if you might be able to come to speak to them sometime about your time in Mombasa,it would encourage them no end to hear how it worked for you. Will be in touch once you've settled back home. In the meantime carry on enjoying every moment of this special opportunity! All the best Ray and Fiona
Snazzy Outfits!!! My word I love the football kit you managed to get for the kids, it looks amazing, everyone here is so proud of what you are doing for them. i imagine that you have made a huge impact to the lives of the people out there, not just because of your crazy ways lol!
We're all missing you so much, other people are starting to come back from uni now, jacks back, lol and as keen about his rowing as ever, Dave and Becky have both finished all their exams bless them, and rich has enroled to do his GCSE maths and physics, so its all go. I think becky is moving to london soon, which is mega crazy i keep getting texts about all the crazy people she meets. Nothing much else has been happening round here though, i'm still waiting for the summer weather to kick in as its been rubbish so far, but hey ho.
take care my dear, we are all missing you soooo mcuh
mwa mwa x x x x x x
Hello from Codsall Hi Ben, Really enjoyed reading your blog! We are glad you're enjoying your time out there. Heather and I tried to send a comment some time ago, but failed (dumb Aunties!). Hope you get this one, I've got Ruth to sort out the computer, so it should send. Ruth: I have just finsihed my GCSEs, only seems like yesterday you were doing yours and now you're on your gap year and off to uni! Roy has just come back from the South of France on a french exchange and had a good time. Mark has gone today to France on a school trip, he was soo excited! The children all look happy in the photos. Mum says she's glad you're enjoying teaching, she's looking forward to the 6 week holidays! We're off to St.Ives for 2 weeks when we break up, hope the weather improves. Then we're climbing Snowdon with Heather, Barry, Jade and Guy, you and Katie should join us if you're free! We just realised you might be home by now! So Hopefully you can read this in Grove, doesn't time fly! Love Julia and Ruth xxx
hello there wow. I'm quite jealous of you really. I went to the Gambia a couple of years ago, and the simplicity of life is so cool, the joy of the children at just clapping your hands, and the little communication that you can manage to create between people of such different ..well, lives.
Those pictures are gorgeous too. Although it's hard to take a bad picture of people out there I'm sure.
I hope it's all going good, I mean its not all easy flow,
and trusting these exams go okay, I'll see you Birmingham!
Hannah xx
And if you're struggling with working out who I am, I was blonde girl who you met at soul survivor, friend of Claire Morris. :)
The pictures you included on this entry look really nice, they all look so happy and cheeky! The lessons sound pretty entertaining, I'm glad it's picked up for you now. "Funny lips" is such an entertaining insult! Hope the next week is good as well, love you xxxxxx
"your mama" jokes ah, the good old days of taking the mick out of fat kids, like spud... or vulnerable kids, like spud... or kids who suffer from a minor oedipus complex, like spud! and jack for that matter... gald to hear its going well out there mate! i've got some old football boots that are somewhere around a size 5-6, and i might be able to track down some socks if that'd help? let me know how i can send them and they're yours. i've got my first exam tomorrow... its odd, i've been wanting to get them done for so long, but now they're here i don't feel up to it! prayers would be most helpful :) really can't wait for the summer now, it'll be SO good to have you spud and jack back at Soul so we can hear all the stories etc... and take the piss outta spud again... for old times sake. miss you mate.
Hi! Dear Ben, I've just read your blog from start to finish, what a fantastic time you've been having. Loved the pictures. The children look so happy, and mischievous too. Is it difficult keeping them organised? Glad that the rainy season is nearly over and hope you have some good times at the beach. Still praying for you. Love Fiona and Max
Time flies Halfway through already Ben how time flies . Glad to hear you are settled in so well and enjoying all the challenges youve had. We shall be in Kenya from 3rd of July ourselves until the 29th but wont be able to call in to see you as we are going from Nairobi up to the far north of the country on the left hand side of Lake Turkana. Stay safe.....God Bless Ray and Fiona
Hello from sunny Grove Glad to hear the weather is picking up again, sounds like you've been having some typical English weather... perhaps more rust than sun tan?? It was really nice to see Mark's photo's of you and New Hope (from previous comments). Email on way too... love you lots, xxxxxx
heya! how are you doing? sounds like you are doing awesome!! the football idea sounds really good! i think you'd amke an excellent coach!! good to see you've stopped neglecting your blog!! speak to you soon
love ya
xxxx
Hey you.....sorry i haven't been in contact sooner. it sounds amazing where you are.....even if it has been raining so much.....i'm rather jealous! the pictures of the kids look cute. hope you liked the note in the book.....well didn't know what to write! oh yeah.....you'll never guess who i met the other day.....the legend that is Sir Paul McCartney....can't quite believe it myself....he kissed me on the hand and curtsied to me! anyway enough about that.....hope your having an awesome time....take care buddy.....lots of love and hugs xxx
hello! Hello Ben,
so sorry we took so long to get in touch! - we couldnt work out how to use this website! (how rubbish are we?)
have also sent you a private message - i think!?
Jenny has had a little girl called Katie, and both are doing very well.
hope you are having an amazing time, it seems to be going so quickly
would love you to come and visit us when you get back!
lots of love and best wishes,
central accounts x x x x x x x x x x
hey there Helloo there my dear, I can hard;y believe that its six weeks since you left us! I really hope that the weather gets better for you soon though, I'm still expecting you to come back as a black man remember!
Nothing much has been going on here, I have finished my first year at uni...how scary is that. I'm officially a second year, I am not liking how fast it is going! I have also started working at....the bay tree woo, so now i can get paid for spending all my time there lol. Other than that however...not a lot. Most people arn't back from uni yet so i'm home with megan and spud and rich and thats about it.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you again, take care my dear I'm thinking of you
love sam x x x
Brilliant! All this sport and football sounds amazing, it's great the kids get a chance to get out there and enjoy themselves. The pictures are really nice - they all look so happy! Do you have any pictures of yourself? Are you tanning nicely or have you burnt yet? Well I'm just about to write you an email so I won't say much here as I'll run out of things to say, but I'm glad you're settling in, it must be so much easier once you feel at home there! Love you, Katie xxxxxxxxx
Sounds fantastic! Ben, it sounds so brilliant and you sound really happy. Bet you're chuffed to bits about being made football coach! The children look SO happy in your pictures. The elephant sanctuary sounded really good too. I hope you got lots of pictures. Can't believe you're half way through already. Has it gone quick for you too? It'll be fantastic to have you back tho! Take care and God bless you xx
Hope you havent been washed away! Dear Ben, Sorry we havent said Hi yet . Have just read your blog entries and are impressed with how you seem to have settled in and got stuck it.Its an amazing experience for you and a great chance to bless others. Rainy season proper is something we havent experienced ourselves so far but have seen the warm rain showers that have cleared 5 mins later. We spent a fortnight at Diani one year and went to Ali Babas for dinner one night - very enjoyable. The Colobus monkey sanctuary there is also worth a visit. Sorry to hear Lamu got cancelled - really hope you can get there sometime ,its fantastic. We may be coming over to Kenya later this summer to help build a secondary shool in the north of the country. Keep up the good work Ben and God bless (Mungu Akubariki)....Ray and Fiona
Luke
non-member comment
Everything sound great...
Hey man! first off, i want to say that im real sorry that this is the first time that ive left you a message, and its on your last blog! so, ill make up for it with hugs and kisses and that when youre home! anywho, how the devil are you?! hope everything is going great, and by the sounds of your blogs, they are! the whole experience sounds amazing and we cant wait to hear about it when you get back! the throat infection doesnt sound great, but i hope that you get better soon! like Mabbs said, youre in a tent with us guys from the Fatty Crew again this year im afraid, but its gonna be awesome! and just to let you know that i finally finished the whole A-Levels thing, wich went really well, and awaiting results on August 16th! anyways, cant wait till you get home buddy, we all miss you like crazy, the past couple of months havent been the same without you! but when youre home, we can party on down at Soul! Love, hugs and kisses, Luke x