I don't think I can add too much to what Mitch told you about our last day in Nairobi, other than it was more emotional than I can explain. You'd almost have to experience it to understand. After an all night flight into London, we cleaned up and headed out to see the sights. The contrast is overwhelming. Even the "richest" in Kenya don't have what has been built here. We visited Harrods, a HUGE and beautiful department store in London, very impressive, but I felt sick to my stomach being in there. All I could think of is those kids in the Orphanage and Mary. One sweater from Harrods could feed them for a year. We are too comfortable with our indulgences. I don't mean to be such a downer, but the contrast is so fresh, that it's hard not to "reflect" a bit on what we've seen.
We are ready to come home, and ready to make plans for future trips to Kenya and figuring out how to get Mary to Wenatchee. So many of you have already shown your support in that area, it excites us for the possibility.
I look forward to seeing each of you and sharing more stories and pictures.
Love and Blessings,
Amy
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Nairobi Orphanage
Amy and I have arrived in London. We are enjoying some sites, fish and chips and the comforts of a modern city.
Our last day in Kenya was unforgettable and difficult.
We spent the majority of the day in Nakuru Game preserve. We saw amazing animals. It was a neat experience.
Then the difficult part began. We made our 3.5 hour journey back to Nairobi. We planned to see an orphanage run by a young couple that we met on our first morning in Kenya at the Mennonite guest house we stayed at in Nairobi before we headed to Kijabe. This was my first time out of Kijabe since arriving in Kenya two weeks earlier. I discovered that Kijabe is a wonderful mission compound that is sheltered from much of the poverty and needs in Kenya.
We planned an exchange from our safari driver to the young couple in Nairobi. The drive through Nairobi to the exchange point took us through back roads and Nairobi suburbs that are off the beaten path. The living conditions looked challenging. We then drove through the "high end" part of town where the prime minister and others with important positions in the government live. This was like a "lock down" neighborhood. Their was high steel gates at each entrance with barbed wire or constatine wire surrounding each home. Guards were at various entrances.
We made the exchange and stuffed everything we had in Rev Phillips and Rea's small car. They took us to one of their two orphanages for kids abandoned to the streets. As the locked steel gate of the orphonage was opened, we drove in and were greeted by the singing of the 30-40 orphans that were prepared to greet us. They swarmed the car, greeted and hugged us as we got out, and never let go of our hands as they showed us around. The conditions they lived in were very Difficult. The quarters were cramped. The kitchen was very basic. It was in a shed with one large cauldron over a fire pit, no amenities. I would estimate the living area about 1,000 square feet for everyone.
Rev Phillip said times were very challenging and they had recently closed two other orphanages. I asked him how much money they had for food. He said none. They go day to day. He had to take food on that day from a grocer by credit. He did not know how he would pay for that day's food or for any of the future days.
The children were beautiful, kind, and intelligent. It is difficult to have seen and to know of their plight.
As we drove through the embattled, disorganized, crowded, dangerous streets of Nairobi to get to the airport (which also took over 1.5 hours for a distance that would have taken 15mins in a developed country), Philip and Rea explained about all the other homeless children they try to bring bread to whenever they can.
I feel so helpless and overwhelmed by the need. I feel guilty for the resources we have in developed nations. I do not know what to do.
Rev. Phillip teaches his children to praise and be thankful to a wonderful and almighty God even on days there is no food. They have a saying that the "E" on their cars gas gauge stands for "Enough" with God. I am so thankful for Phillip teaching me about God's love and faithfulness...I can believe Rev Phillip since he is one who believes it and trusts God every day.
We somehow got to the airport. We filled Phillip and Rea's tank with gas and gave them most of the money we had left in our pockets to feed the children over the next several weeks. We flew away....it is just all different now.
London has been wonderful..we are ready to come home.
Mitch
Our last day in Kenya was unforgettable and difficult.
We spent the majority of the day in Nakuru Game preserve. We saw amazing animals. It was a neat experience.
Then the difficult part began. We made our 3.5 hour journey back to Nairobi. We planned to see an orphanage run by a young couple that we met on our first morning in Kenya at the Mennonite guest house we stayed at in Nairobi before we headed to Kijabe. This was my first time out of Kijabe since arriving in Kenya two weeks earlier. I discovered that Kijabe is a wonderful mission compound that is sheltered from much of the poverty and needs in Kenya.
We planned an exchange from our safari driver to the young couple in Nairobi. The drive through Nairobi to the exchange point took us through back roads and Nairobi suburbs that are off the beaten path. The living conditions looked challenging. We then drove through the "high end" part of town where the prime minister and others with important positions in the government live. This was like a "lock down" neighborhood. Their was high steel gates at each entrance with barbed wire or constatine wire surrounding each home. Guards were at various entrances.
We made the exchange and stuffed everything we had in Rev Phillips and Rea's small car. They took us to one of their two orphanages for kids abandoned to the streets. As the locked steel gate of the orphonage was opened, we drove in and were greeted by the singing of the 30-40 orphans that were prepared to greet us. They swarmed the car, greeted and hugged us as we got out, and never let go of our hands as they showed us around. The conditions they lived in were very Difficult. The quarters were cramped. The kitchen was very basic. It was in a shed with one large cauldron over a fire pit, no amenities. I would estimate the living area about 1,000 square feet for everyone.
Rev Phillip said times were very challenging and they had recently closed two other orphanages. I asked him how much money they had for food. He said none. They go day to day. He had to take food on that day from a grocer by credit. He did not know how he would pay for that day's food or for any of the future days.
The children were beautiful, kind, and intelligent. It is difficult to have seen and to know of their plight.
As we drove through the embattled, disorganized, crowded, dangerous streets of Nairobi to get to the airport (which also took over 1.5 hours for a distance that would have taken 15mins in a developed country), Philip and Rea explained about all the other homeless children they try to bring bread to whenever they can.
I feel so helpless and overwhelmed by the need. I feel guilty for the resources we have in developed nations. I do not know what to do.
Rev. Phillip teaches his children to praise and be thankful to a wonderful and almighty God even on days there is no food. They have a saying that the "E" on their cars gas gauge stands for "Enough" with God. I am so thankful for Phillip teaching me about God's love and faithfulness...I can believe Rev Phillip since he is one who believes it and trusts God every day.
We somehow got to the airport. We filled Phillip and Rea's tank with gas and gave them most of the money we had left in our pockets to feed the children over the next several weeks. We flew away....it is just all different now.
London has been wonderful..we are ready to come home.
Mitch
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Farewell Kijabe
We took a long walk tonight around the campus here in Kijabe and watched the last African sunset that we will experience for awhile. Africa is so beautiful and this place where we stayed has such a wonderful spirit. We will miss it.
As Mitch said, we will have much to pray about as we leave. We are very excited about the possibility of bringing Mary home with us at some point. We are trying to learn everything about this process. We want this to be God's will, so we are praying for the necessary contacts and resources to either open or close the appropriate doors. There is so much to share, and we will continue to do so as we figure this all out.
We feel that we would like to return here someday and bring our children. They can learn so much from this culture and the missionaries here. It is more than we can put into words at this point.
We are ready to come home, but are sad to leave many of the people here that have touched our lives.
Now onto see some more of this amazing country.
next blog from LONDON!!
Blessings,
Amy
As Mitch said, we will have much to pray about as we leave. We are very excited about the possibility of bringing Mary home with us at some point. We are trying to learn everything about this process. We want this to be God's will, so we are praying for the necessary contacts and resources to either open or close the appropriate doors. There is so much to share, and we will continue to do so as we figure this all out.
We feel that we would like to return here someday and bring our children. They can learn so much from this culture and the missionaries here. It is more than we can put into words at this point.
We are ready to come home, but are sad to leave many of the people here that have touched our lives.
Now onto see some more of this amazing country.
next blog from LONDON!!
Blessings,
Amy
My Last Blog from Kijabe
Well, our work is done for now here in Kijabe. My pager is turned in, I am no longer on call, I told my last patient they have HIV, I ordered my last unit of blood that I know will take 3-5 days to get, I have made my final rounds with my faithful medical student Chris from Highwykim, England. It is hard to absorb everything right now and I am currently in the process of "unwinding".
It is amazing the difficulties that these people encounter. It is amazing the absence all those things we take for granted. It is amazing that God loves these people so much but the rest of the world does not.
As we head home we have a new focus that excites me more than anything we have done so far. I will let Amy fill you in on the exciting details. We feel called to change ONE life, the life of a 16 year old named Mary. As you recall, Mary was one of the many kids locked inside a church in January by a rival tribe. The church was set on fire with the intention to kill Mary and everyone else inside. Mary survived and has been here in Kijabe with her mother and others since that time undergoing surgery after surgery to repair and skin graft all the areas affected. We see such potential in this bright, 16 year old girl. Her mom asked us to take her to America where she would be safe and get an education. Mary wants to come as well.
This is our new focus, getting Mary to Wenatchee far from tribal violence, to nurture a young woman who can change the world.
Tomorrow we head to Nakuru to relax, see some animals and more of God's creation before boarding a British Airways plane to take us to London. We are planning on visiting an orphanage in Nairobi. It is hard to not be drawn to the good works being done by such Godly people in this part of the world.
Until London, God Bless,
Mitch
It is amazing the difficulties that these people encounter. It is amazing the absence all those things we take for granted. It is amazing that God loves these people so much but the rest of the world does not.
As we head home we have a new focus that excites me more than anything we have done so far. I will let Amy fill you in on the exciting details. We feel called to change ONE life, the life of a 16 year old named Mary. As you recall, Mary was one of the many kids locked inside a church in January by a rival tribe. The church was set on fire with the intention to kill Mary and everyone else inside. Mary survived and has been here in Kijabe with her mother and others since that time undergoing surgery after surgery to repair and skin graft all the areas affected. We see such potential in this bright, 16 year old girl. Her mom asked us to take her to America where she would be safe and get an education. Mary wants to come as well.
This is our new focus, getting Mary to Wenatchee far from tribal violence, to nurture a young woman who can change the world.
Tomorrow we head to Nakuru to relax, see some animals and more of God's creation before boarding a British Airways plane to take us to London. We are planning on visiting an orphanage in Nairobi. It is hard to not be drawn to the good works being done by such Godly people in this part of the world.
Until London, God Bless,
Mitch
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Miriams scarves
Our time is coming to a close here. We have mixed feelings. I have fallen in love with Kenya and it's people. There is a way of life here that we are missing back home. We have been challenged to keep some of what we've experienced here and bring it home with us. I went and saw Miriam yesterday and bought more scarves. She thanked me for helping feed her son. I don't know the full story, but Miriam has a seven year old son. She is unmarried, so she sells her goods two days a week here in Kijabe to support her and her son. She loves the Lord and has an amazing spirit. I walked with her and visited with her and she shared some of her life with me. I was amazed at how fast she walked and hiked up these roads with flip flops on. She's amazing. I hope to see her again before we leave. And Amy--I gave her a BIG hug!! I don't think I scared her...too much!
Blessings,
Amy
Blessings,
Amy
Monday, September 8, 2008
Mary's report
Praise God, Mary is doing well. She did have a staff infection in ther knee and they were able to "clean" it out. Mitch and I went to Bethany's Kids and he got to meet the kids. Mary was back from surgery and looked much better. Her smile was back! I know that your prayers were heard. Mercy is not doing well now and I fear that she has an infection. As we were leaving, a Dr. was coming in to check on her, so I pray that she is alright. I am on my way to go visit the kids again. I hope to have more to share later.
Blessings,
Amy
Blessings,
Amy
The ICU
I just finished two days of call in the ICU. AIC Kijabe Hospital's ICU has five beds. It is reserved for the sickest five people (adults, children, or babies) in the hospital. Many other patients would qualify for ICU care, especially by American standards, but since there are only five beds the five most ill that have a reasonable chance of surviving get the beds. During my two days in the ICU all five beds were continually used.
Miriam was brought to our hospital Friday night from the Somali refugee camp in northern Kenya. Somalia has no government and it is anarchy there right now. The UN has a camp at the Kenyan-Somali border for refugees from the violence. Miriam, 38 years old, started noticing her foot hurting and changing colors a several days before coming. Over the last 3 days the gangrene that started in her foot rapidly advanced up her right leg. She was evacuated for emergent care. On arrival Friday night she could only talk a little due to the sepsis that had set in. By Saturday morning she was completely obtunded. On examination, her right leg was completely dead. The black skin was peeling off leaving only mildly pink and dying black tissue exposed underneath. This process extended from her foot all the way to her groin.
Miriam was taken emergently to the "Theater" (operating room in Kenya) where the orthopedic surgeons did a complete disarticulation with the amputation extending up to her right pelvis. She barely survived the surgery. She was returned to the ICU under my care late that afternoon. Despite all anesthetic being worn off she was completely comatose. We left her on the ventilator. During the evening her blood pressure plummeted despite IV fluid resuscitation and four different antibiotics to fight the systemic infection that was throughout her body that started in her leg. Extremely high doses of vasopressors were required to maintain a safe blood pressure. When I left the ICU about 11:00 pm things were tentatively stable.
At 3:00 am I received a call that she had no heart rate. I ran to the hospital from my apartment and performed CPR with the nurses for a half hour. Despite the CPR and multiple medications, she never regained a heart beat. At 3:35 we stopped CPR and pronounced Miriam dead.
We called her gentle, Muslim family over to the ICU from the guest house. As they entered the ICU I informed first her brother then her husband that she expired. They made a quick visit with her then started to inform her sisters and other family of her passing as they made their way to the ICU.
Quickly, in the midst of their grief, I could see they were pressed by another priority. In Muslim law, all deceased people need to be buried before sundown. They started making calls to figure out a way to transport her to northern Kenya or Somalia for proper Islamic burial. In their gracious and kind way they had two questions for me: first; could they pay the hospital bill later because they couldn't afford it right now and in Kenya bodies are not released until the account is settled. Second, could they get her right leg which must be buried with her according to Islamic custom.
I made a call to the medical director of the hospital and these issues were quickly resolved. They were the most patient, kind and gracious family I have seen in a long time in such trying circumstances.
Unfortunately my two days in the ICU had many other difficult stories. I hope to share them when time allows.
Mitch
Miriam was brought to our hospital Friday night from the Somali refugee camp in northern Kenya. Somalia has no government and it is anarchy there right now. The UN has a camp at the Kenyan-Somali border for refugees from the violence. Miriam, 38 years old, started noticing her foot hurting and changing colors a several days before coming. Over the last 3 days the gangrene that started in her foot rapidly advanced up her right leg. She was evacuated for emergent care. On arrival Friday night she could only talk a little due to the sepsis that had set in. By Saturday morning she was completely obtunded. On examination, her right leg was completely dead. The black skin was peeling off leaving only mildly pink and dying black tissue exposed underneath. This process extended from her foot all the way to her groin.
Miriam was taken emergently to the "Theater" (operating room in Kenya) where the orthopedic surgeons did a complete disarticulation with the amputation extending up to her right pelvis. She barely survived the surgery. She was returned to the ICU under my care late that afternoon. Despite all anesthetic being worn off she was completely comatose. We left her on the ventilator. During the evening her blood pressure plummeted despite IV fluid resuscitation and four different antibiotics to fight the systemic infection that was throughout her body that started in her leg. Extremely high doses of vasopressors were required to maintain a safe blood pressure. When I left the ICU about 11:00 pm things were tentatively stable.
At 3:00 am I received a call that she had no heart rate. I ran to the hospital from my apartment and performed CPR with the nurses for a half hour. Despite the CPR and multiple medications, she never regained a heart beat. At 3:35 we stopped CPR and pronounced Miriam dead.
We called her gentle, Muslim family over to the ICU from the guest house. As they entered the ICU I informed first her brother then her husband that she expired. They made a quick visit with her then started to inform her sisters and other family of her passing as they made their way to the ICU.
Quickly, in the midst of their grief, I could see they were pressed by another priority. In Muslim law, all deceased people need to be buried before sundown. They started making calls to figure out a way to transport her to northern Kenya or Somalia for proper Islamic burial. In their gracious and kind way they had two questions for me: first; could they pay the hospital bill later because they couldn't afford it right now and in Kenya bodies are not released until the account is settled. Second, could they get her right leg which must be buried with her according to Islamic custom.
I made a call to the medical director of the hospital and these issues were quickly resolved. They were the most patient, kind and gracious family I have seen in a long time in such trying circumstances.
Unfortunately my two days in the ICU had many other difficult stories. I hope to share them when time allows.
Mitch
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Prayer for Mary
Please pray for Mary. Mary was one of the many that were injured in the Eldoret church fire in January. These kids are part of the Kikuyu tribe and the Luo tribe attacked their village after the elections. You can Google Eldoret Church fire in Kenya and read more if you want. I have previously mentioned her and 3 others that I have been visiting in the burn ward. When I went to visit them yesterday, Mary was not feeling well. She had a headache and fever. There is a spot on her knee that has recently been grafted and it looked infected. When I went to visit this morning, she was on her way to surgery for the knee. I prayed with her and will try to see her after surgery. I went on onto the burn ward and had a "math" lesson with Anthony and Mercy. We used beads to do our math and then we had "craft time" making necklaces and bracelets with the beads. These kids are so great. As I was leaving, Mercy laid on her bed and said that she was not feeling well. She has a fever. I prayed with her and hope that she doesn't get worse. It is unbelievable what these kids are having to go through.
I will keep you posted on their progress, but would appreciate extra prayer for these wonderful children. They love God.
I am going to a bible study today with the other missionary wives. I am looking forward to the fellowship and encouragement that I always feel when I am with them.
Blessings to all in the States, we miss you,
Amy
I will keep you posted on their progress, but would appreciate extra prayer for these wonderful children. They love God.
I am going to a bible study today with the other missionary wives. I am looking forward to the fellowship and encouragement that I always feel when I am with them.
Blessings to all in the States, we miss you,
Amy
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Saturdays Blessings
Today was another Blessing. I went in the morning to spend time with the church burn victims. We had a great time and they wanted "school" even though it's a Saturday! We had an English lesson and I'm so impressed with how good these kids English/spelling are. Especially Mary. She is VERY bright and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She could be anything she wants to be. These kids are amazing. It is so easy to get close to these people. They are so loving and warm. As I had the lesson with Mary, we laid on her hospital bed and she hung her two burnt legs over my lap. I had to hold on to them to keep them from slipping off. It felt so comfortable. I don't think we have that kind of comfort with people in the states. It's sad. After "school" I got out my camera to get pictures with the kids. They LOVE being in the pictures and REALLY love taking the pictures. They all had turns taking pictures of me with each of them. They especially love to run over to the camera and view their image. It is very sweet.
When I got back from the hospital, there were two short term Missionary couples waiting on the stairs of our apartment for their ride to Nairobi. One of the couples is heading back home to North Carolina and the other couple are from Australia and are here another 2 weeks. Their ride was very late, so I opened our apartment door and invited them to sit and use the phone, etc. There is a term "Kenyan time" here and apparently when they say I'll be there around 9:00am, that can mean just about anything! It turned out that their ride was still in Nairobi, bringing up some new short term missionaries. I started making lunch for Mitch and I and ended up making lunch for all 6 of us. It was a special time sharing and learning form these wonderful Godly people. I love that we could just spontaneously get together and enjoy time with each other. We get too busy at home to enjoy moments like that. It's unfortunate. We had the British Medical Student over for dinner and had a great time with them. We laughed a lot and they are really neat guys. It's been fun to learn about the different cultures as well as Kenyan culture. What a blessing!
I look forward to telling you about church in Africa! We are looking forward to it!
Blessings,
Amy
When I got back from the hospital, there were two short term Missionary couples waiting on the stairs of our apartment for their ride to Nairobi. One of the couples is heading back home to North Carolina and the other couple are from Australia and are here another 2 weeks. Their ride was very late, so I opened our apartment door and invited them to sit and use the phone, etc. There is a term "Kenyan time" here and apparently when they say I'll be there around 9:00am, that can mean just about anything! It turned out that their ride was still in Nairobi, bringing up some new short term missionaries. I started making lunch for Mitch and I and ended up making lunch for all 6 of us. It was a special time sharing and learning form these wonderful Godly people. I love that we could just spontaneously get together and enjoy time with each other. We get too busy at home to enjoy moments like that. It's unfortunate. We had the British Medical Student over for dinner and had a great time with them. We laughed a lot and they are really neat guys. It's been fun to learn about the different cultures as well as Kenyan culture. What a blessing!
I look forward to telling you about church in Africa! We are looking forward to it!
Blessings,
Amy
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Out Patient Department (OPD)
Good Morning! I thought I would spend a little bit of time sharing some patients I have seen in the OPD. The crowding experienced in the inpatient ward is less when comparing it to the crowding in the OPD. People travel from all over Kenya to be seen for every type of ailment. They wait all day for their visit, labs, and to get their medication to take home for the next several months or until their next visit. The halls and seats in the clinic are always full which leads to people lounging around on the hospital grounds throughout the day. It can be almost a festive atmosphere. Several afternoons the hospital would have people playing music with and an electric keyboard and others singing. This helps pass the time for all the family members and patients that are spending the day at the hospital. This is often followed by and evangelist sharing a message and praying for the people that are there.
A few short stories of patients I have seen;
I saw a 17 year old boy with bad sickle cell disease who was hospitalized earlier in the year for a sickle cell crisis. He was accompanied by his father. He appeared to be 11 years old due to the stunted growth he has experienced from his disease. He and his father were here from several hours away to have his blood count checked and get his malaria prophylaxis and pain medication. All was okay and he went home to come back in two months for follow up. Both he, but especially his father, had infectious smiles and the best spirit...I was immediately drawn to them. I will pray for them and whatever their future holds.
I was asked to see a theology professor and his wife in their 40's from the Congo. They, too were okay, although she was just diagnosed with bad diabetes and we spent a lot of time discussing how she was going to manage her disease back home. I share this because it exemplifies the challenge for people who need basic medical services in the interior of Africa. They had just left Johannesburg, South Africa where he obtained his PhD in theology and they were in Kenya in transit back to the Congo where he was to teach at the University in the Capital. All medical providers are on strike in the Congo, so they are not sure when they will ever be able to see a physician again. Therefore, they made a point to stop in Kenya, a whole different country, almost 1,000 miles away for medical care on their way to the Congo. It makes the inconveniences we face in our health care system seem so trivial.
The last patient was a wonderfully graceful 40 year old male with recurrent lymphoma in his face. It had relapsed after good (but suboptimal) chemotherapy in Nairobi. He was here for another opinion prior to returning to Nairobi. In America with appropriate chemotherapy and radiation I believe he would be cured. Here, I am concerned he will not survive this relapse.
Much more stories exist. Please pray for these patients. They love God with all their heart and I KNOW God loves them, too.
Blessings,
Mitch
A few short stories of patients I have seen;
I saw a 17 year old boy with bad sickle cell disease who was hospitalized earlier in the year for a sickle cell crisis. He was accompanied by his father. He appeared to be 11 years old due to the stunted growth he has experienced from his disease. He and his father were here from several hours away to have his blood count checked and get his malaria prophylaxis and pain medication. All was okay and he went home to come back in two months for follow up. Both he, but especially his father, had infectious smiles and the best spirit...I was immediately drawn to them. I will pray for them and whatever their future holds.
I was asked to see a theology professor and his wife in their 40's from the Congo. They, too were okay, although she was just diagnosed with bad diabetes and we spent a lot of time discussing how she was going to manage her disease back home. I share this because it exemplifies the challenge for people who need basic medical services in the interior of Africa. They had just left Johannesburg, South Africa where he obtained his PhD in theology and they were in Kenya in transit back to the Congo where he was to teach at the University in the Capital. All medical providers are on strike in the Congo, so they are not sure when they will ever be able to see a physician again. Therefore, they made a point to stop in Kenya, a whole different country, almost 1,000 miles away for medical care on their way to the Congo. It makes the inconveniences we face in our health care system seem so trivial.
The last patient was a wonderfully graceful 40 year old male with recurrent lymphoma in his face. It had relapsed after good (but suboptimal) chemotherapy in Nairobi. He was here for another opinion prior to returning to Nairobi. In America with appropriate chemotherapy and radiation I believe he would be cured. Here, I am concerned he will not survive this relapse.
Much more stories exist. Please pray for these patients. They love God with all their heart and I KNOW God loves them, too.
Blessings,
Mitch
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