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
The Maasai Market
Today I went into Nairobi with 8 other missionary women to go to the Maasai Market. The Maasai is one of the tribes here in Africa. The other tribe that is slightly larger it called the Kikuyu. We are seeing many of the members of both tribes while we are here, but mostly we are seeing "Kenyans". Back to the Market...
The market is held every Friday in the upper level of a very nice shopping center in Nairobi. Many vendors are there selling their handmade goods. It is standard to barter, so after a while that can get a bit tiring. The goods are beautiful, from wraps, baskets, beautiful wooden bowls, jewelery, carved native animals, etc. Everywhere I walked I heard "sister, sister"-they see my white skin a mile away and believe that the English are all rich, and I suppose we are compared to them. It was a fascinating day and I enjoyed being with the other missionary wives the most. I did quite a bit of shopping and am excited to bring my African treasures back to the states. In light of the past few days, it seems a little selfish, but I consider the blessing in experiencing the culture and spending time with the lovely missionary wives that serve here.
We had dinner (African cuisine) with one of the missionary families that I traveled with today. They have been here over 22 years. They moved to Kenya when their oldest son was 7 weeks old. Dr. Rich is a dentist/orthodontist and has always practiced in Kenya. They are from North Carolina, but Kenya is their home. They are wonderful people and we are impressed with their commitment to this place.
I will be heading over to Bethany Kids tomorrow to start working with the burn victims. I am looking forward to that very much. I also hope to find my Friend Miriam at the local vendor market, my sister-in-law Amy said I should give her that big hug, so I think I will!!
Blessings from Kenya,
Amy
The market is held every Friday in the upper level of a very nice shopping center in Nairobi. Many vendors are there selling their handmade goods. It is standard to barter, so after a while that can get a bit tiring. The goods are beautiful, from wraps, baskets, beautiful wooden bowls, jewelery, carved native animals, etc. Everywhere I walked I heard "sister, sister"-they see my white skin a mile away and believe that the English are all rich, and I suppose we are compared to them. It was a fascinating day and I enjoyed being with the other missionary wives the most. I did quite a bit of shopping and am excited to bring my African treasures back to the states. In light of the past few days, it seems a little selfish, but I consider the blessing in experiencing the culture and spending time with the lovely missionary wives that serve here.
We had dinner (African cuisine) with one of the missionary families that I traveled with today. They have been here over 22 years. They moved to Kenya when their oldest son was 7 weeks old. Dr. Rich is a dentist/orthodontist and has always practiced in Kenya. They are from North Carolina, but Kenya is their home. They are wonderful people and we are impressed with their commitment to this place.
I will be heading over to Bethany Kids tomorrow to start working with the burn victims. I am looking forward to that very much. I also hope to find my Friend Miriam at the local vendor market, my sister-in-law Amy said I should give her that big hug, so I think I will!!
Blessings from Kenya,
Amy
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Amy's day
Today was another great day. I've had many questions asked about the RVA, so I will try to answer some of those. They have capacity for 500 students. They currently have about 325 students from all over Kenya that board there. They have another 100 or so that live in the surrounding area and commute to school. They have a little over 100 staff. The cost for African Inland Mission (AIM) sponsered missionary's is around $1000.oo/term. A term is 3 months. If the family is not part of AIM, the cost is double. I worked there again this afternoon for a couple hours and met a few more of the staff. Everyone is very nice there.
The early part of my day was amazing. I went down to the Bethany Children's hospital this morning. I met with the Chaplain, Mercy and she showed me around so that I can start to work there on my own. I don't know exactly how to sum up the emotions that I felt while I walked through the various wards. A mix of sadness, compassion, joy. There are too many stories to write in one blog, so I will tell you a few for now. I met 4 young children ages 13 and younger-Mary, Mercy, Anthony and Jedidah. They were all in the burn ward. Their church was burnt by a rival tribe while they were worshipping. Over 200 people were injured by the fire. These 4 children have been at Kijabe getting skin graft/surgery for the past 5 months. Mary told me that they will be there another 3 months. I will be taking pictures of these beautiful children and hope to add them to the blog once we have high speed. I talked with Mary the most (her English is very good) She is a beautiful strong young woman, who will have scars the rest of her life, not only physical scars, but emotional as well. She continues to smile and has a joy that can only come from the Lord. I will be going back every day and "teaching" the 4 since they are not in school. I'm sure I will have much more to tell you about these 4 amazing young people.
The second story I will share is when we went to the ward where the babies/children with hydrocephalus stay with their mothers. In Africa these children are considered a curse, so the mission is to share that we are all God's children and these kids are blessings. I met a young mother whose 3 year old had just passed away a few hours before. My heart still hurts for her. I don't remember her name, but God does, so if you could pray for her. She was sitting and mourning with other mothers and their special babies. While I was there a white women came up with an adorable little hydrocephalic African baby in a stroller. Marcus is two and was a twin. The mother took the "healthy" sister and left Marcus in the Hospital. Nora, or "Mama Marcus" became his foster mother and is now in the process of adopting him. He may have a deformity, but once he smiles---all you see is a beautiful mouth and pair of eyes! He is also very smart and understood much of what was being said and done around him. Mama Marcus had come to the hospital to share with the other mothers what their children will be capable of. She showed them how Marcus can sit and is starting to crawl. It was awesome to watch the hope in these mother eyes as they realized that their child is special!!
After my visit, I came "home" and loaded up a pillow case with the gifts that I had brought from the states. As I went through the wards, I felt like Santa Claus!! I gave recorders (flutes), harmonicas, bells, coloring books and crayons and many beaded bracelets that my daughters, Ashley and Casey and nieces, Jaqueline and Kelsey had made--they were a hit!! (Girls---remember the small ones that you made, The mothers wanted those for their babies! They were perfect!!)
I could go on and on about today, I will never forget it, I will try to give you a little more each day and appreciate your continued prayers.
Blessings,
Amy
The early part of my day was amazing. I went down to the Bethany Children's hospital this morning. I met with the Chaplain, Mercy and she showed me around so that I can start to work there on my own. I don't know exactly how to sum up the emotions that I felt while I walked through the various wards. A mix of sadness, compassion, joy. There are too many stories to write in one blog, so I will tell you a few for now. I met 4 young children ages 13 and younger-Mary, Mercy, Anthony and Jedidah. They were all in the burn ward. Their church was burnt by a rival tribe while they were worshipping. Over 200 people were injured by the fire. These 4 children have been at Kijabe getting skin graft/surgery for the past 5 months. Mary told me that they will be there another 3 months. I will be taking pictures of these beautiful children and hope to add them to the blog once we have high speed. I talked with Mary the most (her English is very good) She is a beautiful strong young woman, who will have scars the rest of her life, not only physical scars, but emotional as well. She continues to smile and has a joy that can only come from the Lord. I will be going back every day and "teaching" the 4 since they are not in school. I'm sure I will have much more to tell you about these 4 amazing young people.
The second story I will share is when we went to the ward where the babies/children with hydrocephalus stay with their mothers. In Africa these children are considered a curse, so the mission is to share that we are all God's children and these kids are blessings. I met a young mother whose 3 year old had just passed away a few hours before. My heart still hurts for her. I don't remember her name, but God does, so if you could pray for her. She was sitting and mourning with other mothers and their special babies. While I was there a white women came up with an adorable little hydrocephalic African baby in a stroller. Marcus is two and was a twin. The mother took the "healthy" sister and left Marcus in the Hospital. Nora, or "Mama Marcus" became his foster mother and is now in the process of adopting him. He may have a deformity, but once he smiles---all you see is a beautiful mouth and pair of eyes! He is also very smart and understood much of what was being said and done around him. Mama Marcus had come to the hospital to share with the other mothers what their children will be capable of. She showed them how Marcus can sit and is starting to crawl. It was awesome to watch the hope in these mother eyes as they realized that their child is special!!
After my visit, I came "home" and loaded up a pillow case with the gifts that I had brought from the states. As I went through the wards, I felt like Santa Claus!! I gave recorders (flutes), harmonicas, bells, coloring books and crayons and many beaded bracelets that my daughters, Ashley and Casey and nieces, Jaqueline and Kelsey had made--they were a hit!! (Girls---remember the small ones that you made, The mothers wanted those for their babies! They were perfect!!)
I could go on and on about today, I will never forget it, I will try to give you a little more each day and appreciate your continued prayers.
Blessings,
Amy
The Hospital
Well...Amy has been sharing so many wonderful things, and I know she has more from today to share. But I thought I would add a little to the blog about my time in the hospital. African Inland Church (AIC) Kijabe Hospital is a mission hospital and a teaching hospital. All the doctors including the Kenyan interns and residents are Christians.
I was asked to manage a service of inpatient medical patients. Normally a service is managed by a "team" of doctors to include the attending staff, resident, intern and medical student. Since they are so "short" on doctors, I have my own service without any interns or residents. A very fine British medical student named Chris is assigned to work with me. He started the same day as me so we are figuring out the ins and outs of the hospital together. We have a nursing student assigned to translate for us every morning. Although the official language in Kenya is both English and Swahili, very few patients speak English.
It has been a challenging experience for me for two reasons. The supporting systems that we so depend on in America to care for patients, such as lab tests and radiology tests, are so limited. In addition the scope of diseases that I am caring for is very different.
Now about the hospital. There are two main wards; the men's and the women's. On each ward there are approximately 50 beds, but only four rooms or bays. The beds are so close to each other that it is hard to squeeze by to examine the patient. Patients are in the hall on gurneys. There is one restroom (Choo) for each ward. At the same time each morning the nurses bring buckets of water to each patient with a cloth. Everyone stands up next to their bed and gives themselves a bath with the cloth (if the patient can't stand up and family member is there to help bathe them). Sheets are quickly changed during that time. Breakfast is a piece of bread, a hard boiled egg and milk. There are no trays, the food is just placed on the bed or wherever there is space near the patient. Lunch is often soup brought in a large kennel and scooped into a bowl at the bedside.
Each patient is responsible for the charges they incur. Family members drive to Nairobi to buy medication such as antibiotics that the hospital does not have on formulary and brings that to the ward for us to administer. Once discharged, patients are not allowed to leave until their charges are paid, since once they leave they may never be seen again.
I have seen two oncology consults since I have been here. The first was a 12 year old girl who has a sarcoma on her thigh about the size of a football. The question from the surgeon to me was their anything that could be done to prevent an amputation. Unfortunately there is not. A surgery to perform and complete dis articulation from the hip down is planned for her in the near future. Another was a wonderful, Godly 44 year old man with recurrent lymphoma in his mouth/nose/sinus. He is being sent to Nairobi for salvage chemotherapy (which I do not believe they offer due to costs, etc.)
All medical lectures begin and end in prayer. I experience an amazing Staff Chapel service for all the hospital staff. God is living through these people, they have an understanding and trust in God I hope to have some day.
Blessings to all of you. More to come soon.
Mitch
I was asked to manage a service of inpatient medical patients. Normally a service is managed by a "team" of doctors to include the attending staff, resident, intern and medical student. Since they are so "short" on doctors, I have my own service without any interns or residents. A very fine British medical student named Chris is assigned to work with me. He started the same day as me so we are figuring out the ins and outs of the hospital together. We have a nursing student assigned to translate for us every morning. Although the official language in Kenya is both English and Swahili, very few patients speak English.
It has been a challenging experience for me for two reasons. The supporting systems that we so depend on in America to care for patients, such as lab tests and radiology tests, are so limited. In addition the scope of diseases that I am caring for is very different.
Now about the hospital. There are two main wards; the men's and the women's. On each ward there are approximately 50 beds, but only four rooms or bays. The beds are so close to each other that it is hard to squeeze by to examine the patient. Patients are in the hall on gurneys. There is one restroom (Choo) for each ward. At the same time each morning the nurses bring buckets of water to each patient with a cloth. Everyone stands up next to their bed and gives themselves a bath with the cloth (if the patient can't stand up and family member is there to help bathe them). Sheets are quickly changed during that time. Breakfast is a piece of bread, a hard boiled egg and milk. There are no trays, the food is just placed on the bed or wherever there is space near the patient. Lunch is often soup brought in a large kennel and scooped into a bowl at the bedside.
Each patient is responsible for the charges they incur. Family members drive to Nairobi to buy medication such as antibiotics that the hospital does not have on formulary and brings that to the ward for us to administer. Once discharged, patients are not allowed to leave until their charges are paid, since once they leave they may never be seen again.
I have seen two oncology consults since I have been here. The first was a 12 year old girl who has a sarcoma on her thigh about the size of a football. The question from the surgeon to me was their anything that could be done to prevent an amputation. Unfortunately there is not. A surgery to perform and complete dis articulation from the hip down is planned for her in the near future. Another was a wonderful, Godly 44 year old man with recurrent lymphoma in his mouth/nose/sinus. He is being sent to Nairobi for salvage chemotherapy (which I do not believe they offer due to costs, etc.)
All medical lectures begin and end in prayer. I experience an amazing Staff Chapel service for all the hospital staff. God is living through these people, they have an understanding and trust in God I hope to have some day.
Blessings to all of you. More to come soon.
Mitch
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Day 3
Today was another good day, The weather was perfect. I think that this must be the best time of the year to be here--it's just going into spring. I worked at the RVA again today. I will try to find out the detail on the number of students and staff that live there. I am impressed each time that I am there of the sacrifices that so many make in the name of Christ. Today as I filed and organized new student information I prayed for the families who's paperwork was in front of me. These are missionaries from countries all over the world, too many to mention.
At 10:30, I joined the staff for "tea". It was nice to meet some of the teachers and share. we had a prayer time and sharing. It was wonderful. I am impressed on the many people who have committed their lives to this place and call it home. Our two weeks seems insignificant, compared to the years and decades that others do.
At lunch time, Mitch and I walked to the vendor market that I visited yesterday. Miriam wasn't there, but I bought some vegetables for dinner. We hope to post a picture for you...we have dial-up here, so we'll see...
I wasn't able to make my contact for the children's hospital today, so I'm hoping tomorrow. There is an Orphanage in Nairobi that I'm hoping to visit on Friday. We met the two young missionaries that run it. The wife is a graduate of the RVA and her African husband is a pastor. They are a very cute couple and really wanted us to come visit them. They have over 150 kids in their orphanage. They told us that many of the orphanages are having to close down due to the high fuel costs therefore everything is costing more. They said it's so sad because the country was really starting to get a grip on the situation and now with so many orphanages closing, kids are back out on the street. I asked them how much it is costing and they said what used to cost $30.00/month to support a child is now near $100.00! That's a big difference. Please pray for this young couple and their work in Nairobi. I hope to see them and will report to you what I see.
I will make Mitch tell you about the Hospital...I visited it with him today and it is very sad. The halls are packed with people waiting to receive care. I met the Medical Director and he said we have no idea how much they need Mitch here right now. Apparently September is a transition month and they are understaffed. God knew the timing.
I still miss my kids...as I write this, my girls are just getting to school. I hope to bring them back here with us, so that they can experience what we are. Thanks for your continued prayer, you are all so special to us.
Blessings,
Amy
At 10:30, I joined the staff for "tea". It was nice to meet some of the teachers and share. we had a prayer time and sharing. It was wonderful. I am impressed on the many people who have committed their lives to this place and call it home. Our two weeks seems insignificant, compared to the years and decades that others do.
At lunch time, Mitch and I walked to the vendor market that I visited yesterday. Miriam wasn't there, but I bought some vegetables for dinner. We hope to post a picture for you...we have dial-up here, so we'll see...
I wasn't able to make my contact for the children's hospital today, so I'm hoping tomorrow. There is an Orphanage in Nairobi that I'm hoping to visit on Friday. We met the two young missionaries that run it. The wife is a graduate of the RVA and her African husband is a pastor. They are a very cute couple and really wanted us to come visit them. They have over 150 kids in their orphanage. They told us that many of the orphanages are having to close down due to the high fuel costs therefore everything is costing more. They said it's so sad because the country was really starting to get a grip on the situation and now with so many orphanages closing, kids are back out on the street. I asked them how much it is costing and they said what used to cost $30.00/month to support a child is now near $100.00! That's a big difference. Please pray for this young couple and their work in Nairobi. I hope to see them and will report to you what I see.
I will make Mitch tell you about the Hospital...I visited it with him today and it is very sad. The halls are packed with people waiting to receive care. I met the Medical Director and he said we have no idea how much they need Mitch here right now. Apparently September is a transition month and they are understaffed. God knew the timing.
I still miss my kids...as I write this, my girls are just getting to school. I hope to bring them back here with us, so that they can experience what we are. Thanks for your continued prayer, you are all so special to us.
Blessings,
Amy
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Day 2
We're still here! All is going well here. We started some of our "duties" today and have decided that "Missionary support" may be the main reason that we are here. The weather has been good. Nice and not too hot during the day and then both yesterday and this afternoon we got heavy rains and thunderstorms with a Little flooding. It's very reminiscent of what we had in San Antonio. AS I write this I can still hear the winds and heavy rain falling, but is is now night time, so it doesn't matter too much.
Today I walked up the hill to the Private Christian Academy called Rift Valley Academy (RVA) it is where the missionary kids from all over Africa go to school. It is a private boarding school and very nice. The students just came in yesterday and started school today. It is a little crazy around there right now ans there is a ton of paper work, so I jumped in today and started sorting and organizing the new students various forms that they fill out. It was my first "Missionary support" duty. Everyone there is either a Missionary, or a child of a missionary. I hope to go up a couple hours each day and help them however I can. I am hoping to also go to the Children's Hospital tomorrow and serve there as well.
After working at RVA, I walked up to the market here called the Super Duka (Duka means Market) It is actually very small and had a limited supplies, but I was able to find a few things that I needed. Across the street from the Super Duka is a curio's market where the locals come and sell their various goods. I bought some pineapple and papaya and bananas to go with the mangoes and coconut that I bought in Nairobi...the fruit here is wonderful, very much like Hawaii, maybe even better, because it's so much cheaper! I met a beautiful women named Miriam in the Market, who was a dwarf. She didn't stand any higher that my knee. She was selling scarves and I sat on the ground next to her and looked through her scarves and visited with her. I told her that her name was the same as Moses sister form the bible--she was the song leader. She smiled so big and I just wanted to hug her right there, but I didn't want to scare her!! Of course I bought a couple of beautiful scarves from her and I plan to go back to the market and see her again. She touched my heart and was so lovely. I am going with one of the missionary wives to Nairobi on Friday to the large market, where tribes form all over Kenya come to sell there goods. I'm hoping to get some Christmas shopping done, and am looking forward to experiencing more of the culture.
I could go on and on about the day, but don't want to bore anyone. I will post again soon,
Love to all,
Amy
Today I walked up the hill to the Private Christian Academy called Rift Valley Academy (RVA) it is where the missionary kids from all over Africa go to school. It is a private boarding school and very nice. The students just came in yesterday and started school today. It is a little crazy around there right now ans there is a ton of paper work, so I jumped in today and started sorting and organizing the new students various forms that they fill out. It was my first "Missionary support" duty. Everyone there is either a Missionary, or a child of a missionary. I hope to go up a couple hours each day and help them however I can. I am hoping to also go to the Children's Hospital tomorrow and serve there as well.
After working at RVA, I walked up to the market here called the Super Duka (Duka means Market) It is actually very small and had a limited supplies, but I was able to find a few things that I needed. Across the street from the Super Duka is a curio's market where the locals come and sell their various goods. I bought some pineapple and papaya and bananas to go with the mangoes and coconut that I bought in Nairobi...the fruit here is wonderful, very much like Hawaii, maybe even better, because it's so much cheaper! I met a beautiful women named Miriam in the Market, who was a dwarf. She didn't stand any higher that my knee. She was selling scarves and I sat on the ground next to her and looked through her scarves and visited with her. I told her that her name was the same as Moses sister form the bible--she was the song leader. She smiled so big and I just wanted to hug her right there, but I didn't want to scare her!! Of course I bought a couple of beautiful scarves from her and I plan to go back to the market and see her again. She touched my heart and was so lovely. I am going with one of the missionary wives to Nairobi on Friday to the large market, where tribes form all over Kenya come to sell there goods. I'm hoping to get some Christmas shopping done, and am looking forward to experiencing more of the culture.
I could go on and on about the day, but don't want to bore anyone. I will post again soon,
Love to all,
Amy
Monday, September 1, 2008
In Africa
I can't believe I'm in Africa. It has been a long, but good journey here. As Mitch said earlier we arrived in Kijabe this morning. Our guest quarters are very nice and comfortable. I'm already planning how to bring our kids next time we come.
Kenya is absolutley beautiful. The people are beautiful and so kind. As we were at the shops today, all the locals were so helpful and friendly. I was out of my element, but they all made me feel at home. I'm looking forward to meeting more of these amazing people.
We had dinner tonight with a Missionary family from Canada. Two medical students from England that also arrived here today joined us. It was so fun to watch our three cultures meld into one common place and really enjoy each other. We shared many stories of our home lands and it was a special time.
I will be making my contacts tomorrow and will start to figure out where God wants to use me over the next few weeks. There is an Academy here for the missionary children throughout Africa that attend school here and they start this week. There is a huge need to be a support there, so I hope to offer a few hours a day supporting the staff there. I will also be checking out the children's hospital and hope to serve there as well. I'm looking forward to getting busy and helping where I can.
We love getting your comments, so please keep in touch with us. We do feel far away, but are enjoying the warmth of everyone here.
God Bless,
Amy
Kenya is absolutley beautiful. The people are beautiful and so kind. As we were at the shops today, all the locals were so helpful and friendly. I was out of my element, but they all made me feel at home. I'm looking forward to meeting more of these amazing people.
We had dinner tonight with a Missionary family from Canada. Two medical students from England that also arrived here today joined us. It was so fun to watch our three cultures meld into one common place and really enjoy each other. We shared many stories of our home lands and it was a special time.
I will be making my contacts tomorrow and will start to figure out where God wants to use me over the next few weeks. There is an Academy here for the missionary children throughout Africa that attend school here and they start this week. There is a huge need to be a support there, so I hope to offer a few hours a day supporting the staff there. I will also be checking out the children's hospital and hope to serve there as well. I'm looking forward to getting busy and helping where I can.
We love getting your comments, so please keep in touch with us. We do feel far away, but are enjoying the warmth of everyone here.
God Bless,
Amy
Arrival in Kenya
We had a fascinating flight from Amsterdam to Kenya. It was almost all during the day. Initially we could see the snow tipped Alps out our window on the left side of the plane. We then made our way down the boot of Italy seeing coastal towns. It then opened up to the bright blue Mediterranean Sea. One of the most amazing images was the sharp white, uninhabited sands of the Sahara against the deep blue ocean of the Mediterranean as we crossed over and onto the African continent. Then as we flew over the Darfur region of Sudan I thought of all the stories and sorrow occurring to the people 37,000 feet below me. Next we crossed into the central part of Africa out of the dessert. The sun was setting and the land became darker with so few of the lights that one normally sees flying at night over the continental US. We then safely landed in Nairobi.
Our driver, Patrick, took us and another short term medical missionary to the Mennonite Guest house where we spent the evening in comfortable quarters. Both Amy and I woke up way to early (time change). We had a wonderful family style breakfast with several other people, mostly lifetime missionaries, that were staying at the guest house during their periodic trip to Nairobi for supplies. Our new driver, Jared, picked us up and took us to the local market where we bought two weeks worth of food. We then drove one hour to Kijabe, our home for the next two weeks. During the trip there were many new images: people walking everywhere, very primitive and crowded living quarters, shepherds with sheep, a pig, many donkeys (some pulling carts).
At Kijabe we were taken to our living quarters...a very spacious 3 bedroom apartment with more than enough room for Amy and I; it could easily accommodate a family a five. We have met a few neighbors, I ran to the Hospital to get this Internet connection going, and we are going to dinner at a full time missionary physician's home.
We trust that our kids are doing well...we talk about them often.
Mitch
Our driver, Patrick, took us and another short term medical missionary to the Mennonite Guest house where we spent the evening in comfortable quarters. Both Amy and I woke up way to early (time change). We had a wonderful family style breakfast with several other people, mostly lifetime missionaries, that were staying at the guest house during their periodic trip to Nairobi for supplies. Our new driver, Jared, picked us up and took us to the local market where we bought two weeks worth of food. We then drove one hour to Kijabe, our home for the next two weeks. During the trip there were many new images: people walking everywhere, very primitive and crowded living quarters, shepherds with sheep, a pig, many donkeys (some pulling carts).
At Kijabe we were taken to our living quarters...a very spacious 3 bedroom apartment with more than enough room for Amy and I; it could easily accommodate a family a five. We have met a few neighbors, I ran to the Hospital to get this Internet connection going, and we are going to dinner at a full time missionary physician's home.
We trust that our kids are doing well...we talk about them often.
Mitch
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Amsterdam
We are half way there!
After a 9 hour flight we have arrived in Amsterdam. It is 8:30 in the morning and we'll board our flight for Kenya in one hour. The trip has been easy so far. We miss our kids. We left them standing in the drive way with their Nanna and Pappa after tearful goodbyes. But we will try to focus on Kenya and for whatever God has for us there. We are thankful for your continued prayers...we can feel them following us here to Europe and know they will go on with us to Africa.
After a 9 hour flight we have arrived in Amsterdam. It is 8:30 in the morning and we'll board our flight for Kenya in one hour. The trip has been easy so far. We miss our kids. We left them standing in the drive way with their Nanna and Pappa after tearful goodbyes. But we will try to focus on Kenya and for whatever God has for us there. We are thankful for your continued prayers...we can feel them following us here to Europe and know they will go on with us to Africa.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Preparation Continues
We have found out that part of our purpose is to transport items to Kijabe that would be too expensive to ship or are too value to trust to shipping services to Africa.
As of this time we have received or are expected to receive: orthopedic drill chargers from Tennessee, micro centrifuge tubes from Michigan, and lady Bible study books and materials.
We start taking our malaria prophylaxis medication tomorrow night and will continue that daily until 2 weeks after we return to the states.
As of this time we have received or are expected to receive: orthopedic drill chargers from Tennessee, micro centrifuge tubes from Michigan, and lady Bible study books and materials.
We start taking our malaria prophylaxis medication tomorrow night and will continue that daily until 2 weeks after we return to the states.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Brief History
I've been getting a lot of questions about our trip, so I thought I'd give everyone a brief history on how we chose to go to Kenya.
About 8-9 months ago, Mitch was doing some research and discovered that more people die in Kenya of cancer that any other cause. He also discovered that there are only 3 medical Oncologists in the entire country (we have 5 in our "small" town of Wenatchee). That was enough of a tug on his heart to consider a medical mission to that country to see how he could help. When he approached me about it I was totally on board. We have been long time supporters of Franklin Grahm's Samaritan's Purse and have participated in Operation Christmas Child for many years. Mitch contacted them and through their organization "World Medical Missions" the trip was arranged. We did have to wait awhile for the go ahead for Kenya as there was still some unrest in that country at the time.( that gave us some time to get all the vaccinations we needed for the trip!!) Since things have gotten better, we feel that this is where God is leading us.
Mitch will be filling in for one of the Internal Medicine missionary Docs, who will be taking some time off at Kijabe Hospital, a 200 bed mission hospital/compound located above the Great Rift Valley. There is also another Hospital-Bethany Children's for "special needs" children-burn victims, cleft lips, etc, etc. (you can guess where I will be serving!!). We will be staying in a guest home and will be fortunate to have running water and electricity through a generator. There will be many adjustments to what we have become accustomed (spoiled) but we are up for the change.
Mitch is already making contacts on bringing Oncology over there, so a future trip seems inevitable!
We are not going through our local church, nor going with a "group" it's just us! It's going to be quite a journey and experience and we are looking forward to it very much. We can't express enough how much your prayers mean to us. We are also praying that God use us to bring glory to Him.
I still don't know exactly what I'll be doing on a day to day basis, but I have NO doubt that God will show me and that the need will be apparent. That seems to be the way I work best anyway. We've been told by all who have gone to serve in Africa that the needs are so great that there is always something to do. God will put me exactly where he wants me!
I hope that this gives you an idea of how we came about this journey. We look forward to you joining us in prayer and blogs and will cherish your response and interaction, especially as we are half way around the world!
Love and Blessings,
Amy
About 8-9 months ago, Mitch was doing some research and discovered that more people die in Kenya of cancer that any other cause. He also discovered that there are only 3 medical Oncologists in the entire country (we have 5 in our "small" town of Wenatchee). That was enough of a tug on his heart to consider a medical mission to that country to see how he could help. When he approached me about it I was totally on board. We have been long time supporters of Franklin Grahm's Samaritan's Purse and have participated in Operation Christmas Child for many years. Mitch contacted them and through their organization "World Medical Missions" the trip was arranged. We did have to wait awhile for the go ahead for Kenya as there was still some unrest in that country at the time.( that gave us some time to get all the vaccinations we needed for the trip!!) Since things have gotten better, we feel that this is where God is leading us.
Mitch will be filling in for one of the Internal Medicine missionary Docs, who will be taking some time off at Kijabe Hospital, a 200 bed mission hospital/compound located above the Great Rift Valley. There is also another Hospital-Bethany Children's for "special needs" children-burn victims, cleft lips, etc, etc. (you can guess where I will be serving!!). We will be staying in a guest home and will be fortunate to have running water and electricity through a generator. There will be many adjustments to what we have become accustomed (spoiled) but we are up for the change.
Mitch is already making contacts on bringing Oncology over there, so a future trip seems inevitable!
We are not going through our local church, nor going with a "group" it's just us! It's going to be quite a journey and experience and we are looking forward to it very much. We can't express enough how much your prayers mean to us. We are also praying that God use us to bring glory to Him.
I still don't know exactly what I'll be doing on a day to day basis, but I have NO doubt that God will show me and that the need will be apparent. That seems to be the way I work best anyway. We've been told by all who have gone to serve in Africa that the needs are so great that there is always something to do. God will put me exactly where he wants me!
I hope that this gives you an idea of how we came about this journey. We look forward to you joining us in prayer and blogs and will cherish your response and interaction, especially as we are half way around the world!
Love and Blessings,
Amy
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Amy's Addition
Hi all,
I agree with Mitch that your prayers are SO appreciated this week as we plan and get ready for our trip. We are so excited and encouraged about our experience in church this morning and it is definitely evidence from God that He is present in our plans and lives.
My concerns of course, are the kids as we leave. Please pray for them as we prepare them and us for the separation. They will be starting school while we are gone, so there will be some changes and challenges while we are gone. We know that they will be in capable hands while we are away, so that is reassuring.
We will enjoy being able to communicate this way with you all. Isn't technology great?!!
Love to all,
Amy
I agree with Mitch that your prayers are SO appreciated this week as we plan and get ready for our trip. We are so excited and encouraged about our experience in church this morning and it is definitely evidence from God that He is present in our plans and lives.
My concerns of course, are the kids as we leave. Please pray for them as we prepare them and us for the separation. They will be starting school while we are gone, so there will be some changes and challenges while we are gone. We know that they will be in capable hands while we are away, so that is reassuring.
We will enjoy being able to communicate this way with you all. Isn't technology great?!!
Love to all,
Amy
Getting Ready to Go
Hello,
It is six days until Amy and I head off to Kenya. At the advice of Aunt Di we have created this blog to post to (?daily) while we are in Africa to allow our loved ones in the US to know how God is using us and changing us.
We had a wonderful experience at church this morning. We visited a local church (our third time) and were amazed at the blessing we received in so many ways. Unbenowst to us, a small mission team of young adults sent from the church to Uganda returned last Sunday and was reporting back to the church their experiences. It was encouraging and inspiring. Afterwards we spoke with one of the young women who gave such practical and timely advice. This was all truly from God.
During the service we felt that our trip was not "bathed" in prayer as it should be. As we were talking with some new friends we met this morning the senior pastor approached us and introduced himself to us. We spoke briefly then he led our small group in prayer for our trip. He then asked to have the trip shared with the congregation next Sunday as we will be arriving in Kenya. What an amazing blessing, to have our trip prayed for by the body of Christ!
We appreciate everyone's prayers...especially this week as we know there will be great spiritual warfare to hinder our plans and desire to go.
Thank you for following along with us on this journey through this blog.
MG
It is six days until Amy and I head off to Kenya. At the advice of Aunt Di we have created this blog to post to (?daily) while we are in Africa to allow our loved ones in the US to know how God is using us and changing us.
We had a wonderful experience at church this morning. We visited a local church (our third time) and were amazed at the blessing we received in so many ways. Unbenowst to us, a small mission team of young adults sent from the church to Uganda returned last Sunday and was reporting back to the church their experiences. It was encouraging and inspiring. Afterwards we spoke with one of the young women who gave such practical and timely advice. This was all truly from God.
During the service we felt that our trip was not "bathed" in prayer as it should be. As we were talking with some new friends we met this morning the senior pastor approached us and introduced himself to us. We spoke briefly then he led our small group in prayer for our trip. He then asked to have the trip shared with the congregation next Sunday as we will be arriving in Kenya. What an amazing blessing, to have our trip prayed for by the body of Christ!
We appreciate everyone's prayers...especially this week as we know there will be great spiritual warfare to hinder our plans and desire to go.
Thank you for following along with us on this journey through this blog.
MG
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