The first thing I did when I woke up this morning (after somehow managing to sleep through the night on US time) was make some chai tea. I guess I brought some Kenyan habits back home with me. It's weird knowing that this is my last post and I almost don't want to write it because that means that its all really over.
When our plane out of Kenya lifted off the ground, all I could think of was how I have to find a way back. I've never experienced such and amazing culture. I didn't run in to a single person who was rude or gave me a bad vibe, everyone is so welcoming and loving. There is a mutual respect between everyone and there isn't ever a feeling of being rushed, or that there won't be enough time to get something done. That's another thing, when Kenyans have an idea, they just go with it and make it happen. There isn't the extreme planning and committees for committees and delegating roles for each individual thing, they just jump right in and do it.
All of the kids I met made me want to be better. They gave me the feeling that I could really change the world, and that might sound extreme, but they all just had such a light inside them in the midst of all the darkness around them. They looked at me with hope and the way the communities responded to us just being there was amazing.
When I woke up this morning in the same bed that I woke up in before I left to go to Kenya, I didn't feel like a different person like I thought I might. Instead I just felt like the same person who sees the world and life as a whole differently. I know this is going to sound cliche, but before I went to Kenya, I didn't know where I was going in my life and for those of you who know me, I changed my plans about 34543 times in the past year. I would pray about it, but then not listen, and after a while God just stopped speaking. When I prayed it was like there was this disconnect because my actions didn't reflect what I was praying and saying that I wanted. I asked for direction, but then would turn to the people around me and let their opinions and ideas shape my future.
When the Kenya trip worked out, it opened my eyes that if God wants me to be somewhere and do something, I just have to trust in Him and it will happen. Before, I thought I could do everything on my own and the past two weeks showed me that it is the complete opposite, I can do nothing on my own with out Him. I've known God since I was a child, but never had the relationship with Him that I saw other people having. I didn't know where to start. But after a lot of praying and eye opening, I've learned how to just give everything to Him, and being close to His heart is probably the greatest feeling in the world.
I would love to be able to say that after all that I know exactly what profession I am going in to and exactly what I'm going to do with my life but that's where I went wrong before- thinking I could plan it all out on my own. All I know now is that worrying about my future and thinking that I need to have it all figured out has been the biggest waste of my time. By following Him, I will end up where I need to be(:
Thank you to everyone who has been reading and following this trip, hopefully there will be a next time! ;)
Monday, August 12, 2013
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Saturday
After part of the airport burned down earlier in the week, we weren't sure if our flights would go through or if we would even be able to leave from that airport. It was pretty hectic as soon as we got there, there were tons of people and very little organization. After checking our baggage and getting our passports checked, we then went back out in to the open area that we were in before getting checked..then through a security scan in the corner, then outside, across the street to a giant white tent on the Tarmac which was our "terminal." The porta johns were on the side of the tent where the planes were staged and there was only one security guy out there for 3 planes. It made me so nervous knowing that if someone wanted to just slip through, it would have been beyond easy.
We finally got on the plane and I was in the window seat with two people in a row beside me. The situation was already off to an awkward start when I noticed that me man sitting beside me was texting someone about the girl on the other side of him and myself, but it got worse as the flight went on. He had at least 8 drinks in less than 4 hours, and after the 4th he decided to interrupt my movie to tell me about his life story and to ask me 5 times what I know about his country, India. I took the first opportunity after 15 mins of his nonstop talking and stinky breath to restart my movie and I thought that was the end of it.
There were 3 Chinese women sitting in front of me, and the one on the end got up and got something out of her bag in the overhead compartment. When she shoved it back in, the man beside me got up and looked in the compartment, then started pitching a fit about how she had squished his cowboy hat. A flight attendant came over and tried to calm him down, but he continued to be rude to both women for almost 10 mins straight. The Chinese woman didn't understand English and looked like she was about to cry, and the flight attendant didn't have much else she could say. So with out thinking about the fact that I would have to sit next to him for the following 2 hours to Dubai, I told him it was his fault for putting it up there where people would be shoving their luggage and if he didn't want it to be squished he should've held it on his lap. He got all huffy and ended up sitting down soon after. AND THEN he starts trying to vent to me and express his racist views about "the Chinese" so as you can imagine, this didn't go over very well either. I never get in arguments, and very rarely even raise my voice, but he got shut up pretty fast. Then went to sleep. Thank GOD.
When we got to Dubai, we had a long layover, then a suuuuper long flight back to the U.S.
We landed here around 9:30, and most of the group is on the way back to NC right now. The Pages and I ended up on a later flight, so we won't be home until 9:30PM... But we're getting close!(:
We finally got on the plane and I was in the window seat with two people in a row beside me. The situation was already off to an awkward start when I noticed that me man sitting beside me was texting someone about the girl on the other side of him and myself, but it got worse as the flight went on. He had at least 8 drinks in less than 4 hours, and after the 4th he decided to interrupt my movie to tell me about his life story and to ask me 5 times what I know about his country, India. I took the first opportunity after 15 mins of his nonstop talking and stinky breath to restart my movie and I thought that was the end of it.
There were 3 Chinese women sitting in front of me, and the one on the end got up and got something out of her bag in the overhead compartment. When she shoved it back in, the man beside me got up and looked in the compartment, then started pitching a fit about how she had squished his cowboy hat. A flight attendant came over and tried to calm him down, but he continued to be rude to both women for almost 10 mins straight. The Chinese woman didn't understand English and looked like she was about to cry, and the flight attendant didn't have much else she could say. So with out thinking about the fact that I would have to sit next to him for the following 2 hours to Dubai, I told him it was his fault for putting it up there where people would be shoving their luggage and if he didn't want it to be squished he should've held it on his lap. He got all huffy and ended up sitting down soon after. AND THEN he starts trying to vent to me and express his racist views about "the Chinese" so as you can imagine, this didn't go over very well either. I never get in arguments, and very rarely even raise my voice, but he got shut up pretty fast. Then went to sleep. Thank GOD.
When we got to Dubai, we had a long layover, then a suuuuper long flight back to the U.S.
We landed here around 9:30, and most of the group is on the way back to NC right now. The Pages and I ended up on a later flight, so we won't be home until 9:30PM... But we're getting close!(:
Thursday and Friday: SAFARI(:
Once again, when we were getting ready to leave for the safari, it was so unreal that the trip was already coming to a close. In some ways it felt like we had just gotten there, but in others it felt like I had lived there for years.
It was a long long drive to Amboseli, and the last 30 mins were down a long dusty dirt and gravel road, which our driver called the "African massage." When we finally got there, I definitely felt like a tourist. It was a nice little resort type place in the middle of the nature with tall grass and plants everywhere. They greeted us with steamy towels for our face and fresh mango juice, then we went to our tents. Never in a million years did I think I would stay in a tent with a shower and flushing toilet, but I guess there's a first time for everything. The tent was small, but comfortable, and Ashley and I each had our own bed with a mosquito net. It's crazy that the one time over the whole two weeks when we actually had a dependable hot shower was in a TENT on a safari!
We went on one game drive that night before dark, and another at 6:30 in the morning. On the first one we saw a bunch of zebras, 4 lions, 2 cheetahs, giraffes, and some elephants in the distance. The following morning we got reeeaally close to a herd of elephants that was crossing the road when we first got out there, and another herd on the way out. It was so amazing seeing them in their natural habitat instead of the zoo or the circus. The next day we saw a herd of elephants up close as soon as we got out there, and another when we were leaving. We saw a water buffalo, some hippos a bunch of birds and more giraffes and zebras. The whole timeI kept thinking "my mom would LOVE this" so heads up mom, next time you're coming to Kenya with me(:
It went by really fast, but it was a perfect way to end the trip(:
It was a long long drive to Amboseli, and the last 30 mins were down a long dusty dirt and gravel road, which our driver called the "African massage." When we finally got there, I definitely felt like a tourist. It was a nice little resort type place in the middle of the nature with tall grass and plants everywhere. They greeted us with steamy towels for our face and fresh mango juice, then we went to our tents. Never in a million years did I think I would stay in a tent with a shower and flushing toilet, but I guess there's a first time for everything. The tent was small, but comfortable, and Ashley and I each had our own bed with a mosquito net. It's crazy that the one time over the whole two weeks when we actually had a dependable hot shower was in a TENT on a safari!
We went on one game drive that night before dark, and another at 6:30 in the morning. On the first one we saw a bunch of zebras, 4 lions, 2 cheetahs, giraffes, and some elephants in the distance. The following morning we got reeeaally close to a herd of elephants that was crossing the road when we first got out there, and another herd on the way out. It was so amazing seeing them in their natural habitat instead of the zoo or the circus. The next day we saw a herd of elephants up close as soon as we got out there, and another when we were leaving. We saw a water buffalo, some hippos a bunch of birds and more giraffes and zebras. The whole timeI kept thinking "my mom would LOVE this" so heads up mom, next time you're coming to Kenya with me(:
It went by really fast, but it was a perfect way to end the trip(:
Wednesday
Wednesday was a relaxed day, and everyone kind of split up. I was with Dr. Don, Brandon, Noah, and Ashley and we spent most of the day at the clinic at Beacon of Hope. We gave some classes to the nurses who work there on the new equipment that we brought, then answered some questions they had or things they needed help with at the clinic.
When we left, we went to Nakumatt, which is like a small Kenyan Walmart, then went to the small Maasai market around the corner. Everyone had gotten pretty confident in their bargaining skills by that point so we got some good deals(: then while Ashely and I were waiting for the guys, this little boy who was around 5 kept coming up to us and saying "please I'm hungry" with his hands out. Ashley and I got him a hotdog and juice, but it just made me think of Sofia and Brian and Isaac and Stanley and every other child I had met up until that point and I just prayed that they weren't out on the street alone like him. I prayed they had a full stomach and loving arms around them, even though I knew that the chances of that were slim. It was so hard leaving each of them and knowing what they were going home to. But prayer is a powerful thing, if I learned anything in Kenya, I definitely learned that.
When we left, we went to Nakumatt, which is like a small Kenyan Walmart, then went to the small Maasai market around the corner. Everyone had gotten pretty confident in their bargaining skills by that point so we got some good deals(: then while Ashely and I were waiting for the guys, this little boy who was around 5 kept coming up to us and saying "please I'm hungry" with his hands out. Ashley and I got him a hotdog and juice, but it just made me think of Sofia and Brian and Isaac and Stanley and every other child I had met up until that point and I just prayed that they weren't out on the street alone like him. I prayed they had a full stomach and loving arms around them, even though I knew that the chances of that were slim. It was so hard leaving each of them and knowing what they were going home to. But prayer is a powerful thing, if I learned anything in Kenya, I definitely learned that.
End of Tuesday
After we finished the camp at Sultan Hamud, everyone was exhausted. I still can't get over the difference between the two groups of kids, there vs. the first camp in Bissil. It's amazing how the environment a child grows up in almost forces them to have to act a certain way. When we were driving away from the church through the busy market roads, I heard the guys in the back of the van going "no no! No!!" And then a thud. A drunk man had stumbled straight in to the side of the via and no one knew whether to laugh or to feel bad because he got up and kept going.. The ride home was pretty long and I don't even remember what we had for dinner or when we got home.
I can't even explain how weird it was when we finished the second camp. It was crazy how the two camps we had been planning for for MONTHS, packing for, thinking about, counting down the days until, were over so fast. In the blink of an eye, over 1000 patients later, it was just over. I wanted to go back to Bissil and see if everyone was doing better, and to make sure the smiles and coloring pages I left the kids with had lasted. I wanted to build Stanley's family a bigger home so all 5 of them wouldn't have to share 1 bed. I wanted to make a place for all the street kids in Sultan Hamud to go, so they wouldn't feel the need to join gangs just for the simple fact that they can't afford their school fees. I wanted to stay.
The need was so great that I had to constantly remind myself that I really was doing something, we made a difference in people's lives just by being there and letting God's shine through us. I think its human nature to want to see results right away, we crave instant gratification, and if we don't get it, its easy to feel like there is no effect. But every smile we created, medicine we prescribed, wound we cleansed, vaccine we gave, all of it had an effect- and I was so blessed to be surrounded by an incredible team, where it was obvious that everyone genuinely WANTED to be there and believed in the work they were doing. We had a purpose and I'm thankful for the people who constantly reminded us of that.
I can't even explain how weird it was when we finished the second camp. It was crazy how the two camps we had been planning for for MONTHS, packing for, thinking about, counting down the days until, were over so fast. In the blink of an eye, over 1000 patients later, it was just over. I wanted to go back to Bissil and see if everyone was doing better, and to make sure the smiles and coloring pages I left the kids with had lasted. I wanted to build Stanley's family a bigger home so all 5 of them wouldn't have to share 1 bed. I wanted to make a place for all the street kids in Sultan Hamud to go, so they wouldn't feel the need to join gangs just for the simple fact that they can't afford their school fees. I wanted to stay.
The need was so great that I had to constantly remind myself that I really was doing something, we made a difference in people's lives just by being there and letting God's shine through us. I think its human nature to want to see results right away, we crave instant gratification, and if we don't get it, its easy to feel like there is no effect. But every smile we created, medicine we prescribed, wound we cleansed, vaccine we gave, all of it had an effect- and I was so blessed to be surrounded by an incredible team, where it was obvious that everyone genuinely WANTED to be there and believed in the work they were doing. We had a purpose and I'm thankful for the people who constantly reminded us of that.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Monday: day 8 & part of Tuesday: day 9 (:
On Monday we woke up pretty early to leave for Sultan Hamud. It was a 3-4 hour drive and we were all crammed in to the little van. We saw some giraffes on the side of the road on the way there though(: The two lane highway that we were on for most of the drive was like the playing field for a giant game of leap frog. I think I mentioned before that drivers here pass on the left, facing incoming traffic and sometimes barely make it back in to their lane before hitting the incoming car head on. It wasn't as terrifying until yesterday when we had giant 18 wheelers coming straight at us... And it isn't like a ever once in a while thing. The vans weave back and forth to get around the big trucks that take that highway back and forth to the port in Mombasa. But we survived!
When we got to Sultan Hamud, it was much different from Bissil. It was a larger, busier town, and was much more densely populated. The area around the church was bigger than before, but the church looked very similar. We got settled in, but I was car sick so I fell asleep pretty soon after getting there, and when I woke up an hour later, the bed I was asleep on had been moved and had a mosquito net over it, so I guess I was really asleep!
We had tea time, then a little later had dinner and our briefing. The latrines were MUCH worse than in Bissil. It was hard to use them with out gagging, and Ashley made the mistake of shining the light in to the pit, and saw a large rat. After that, I found ways around using them.. Sorry if thats TMI!
The next morning, we had a line at 6:30am, and the clinic was not set to open until 8. I was hoping to be able to color and play with the kids all day, but I had to be at the triage table for a while while we were backed up.
When I went outside, there was a different vibe from Bissil, less relaxed and the parents seemed a little more reserved at first. But after about 10 mins, I had a little group around me(: I made the mistake of having my back to the gate, so when a few of the school kids came up to me, I didnt realize there were 30 more following behind them..... I got mobbed. You can't tell from the pictures because I'm smiling and you can't hear them yelling "give me one color!" but they were reckless. I tried to get them to line up, but they all wanted to be the first to get a marker or crayon. I realized that they didn't care about coloring, but only cared about HAVING a crayon or marker in their possession. It didn't make me mad or upset, but just sad that they have to fight for every little thing and are so worried that if they aren't first, they won't get what they're in line for. And I'm sure that's the reality in every other situation in their life. Luckily, their teacher came and all she had to do was lift her hand an they all ran away terrified. She told me, "don't give them anything, they will steal, they're mischievous." I laughed, but it made me sad again because if they've been given that stigma or title, then of course they are going to own it and continue to act that way.
The kids who weren't in uniform weren't in school because they aren't able to afford the school fees and there was a definite divide between those who were and thosewho weren't. The kids who couldn't afford to be in school were rougher towards each other, but listened to me, but the school kids had a sense of entitlement and no respect.
When I was surrounded by the kids, two different people told me that I should open a school. It definitely made me second guess whatI'm doing with nursing school, but I guess its just something I will have to pray about before I change directions for the 58494985th time.
It's time for lunch! But I will write more in a little while!(:
When we got to Sultan Hamud, it was much different from Bissil. It was a larger, busier town, and was much more densely populated. The area around the church was bigger than before, but the church looked very similar. We got settled in, but I was car sick so I fell asleep pretty soon after getting there, and when I woke up an hour later, the bed I was asleep on had been moved and had a mosquito net over it, so I guess I was really asleep!
We had tea time, then a little later had dinner and our briefing. The latrines were MUCH worse than in Bissil. It was hard to use them with out gagging, and Ashley made the mistake of shining the light in to the pit, and saw a large rat. After that, I found ways around using them.. Sorry if thats TMI!
The next morning, we had a line at 6:30am, and the clinic was not set to open until 8. I was hoping to be able to color and play with the kids all day, but I had to be at the triage table for a while while we were backed up.
When I went outside, there was a different vibe from Bissil, less relaxed and the parents seemed a little more reserved at first. But after about 10 mins, I had a little group around me(: I made the mistake of having my back to the gate, so when a few of the school kids came up to me, I didnt realize there were 30 more following behind them..... I got mobbed. You can't tell from the pictures because I'm smiling and you can't hear them yelling "give me one color!" but they were reckless. I tried to get them to line up, but they all wanted to be the first to get a marker or crayon. I realized that they didn't care about coloring, but only cared about HAVING a crayon or marker in their possession. It didn't make me mad or upset, but just sad that they have to fight for every little thing and are so worried that if they aren't first, they won't get what they're in line for. And I'm sure that's the reality in every other situation in their life. Luckily, their teacher came and all she had to do was lift her hand an they all ran away terrified. She told me, "don't give them anything, they will steal, they're mischievous." I laughed, but it made me sad again because if they've been given that stigma or title, then of course they are going to own it and continue to act that way.
The kids who weren't in uniform weren't in school because they aren't able to afford the school fees and there was a definite divide between those who were and thosewho weren't. The kids who couldn't afford to be in school were rougher towards each other, but listened to me, but the school kids had a sense of entitlement and no respect.
When I was surrounded by the kids, two different people told me that I should open a school. It definitely made me second guess whatI'm doing with nursing school, but I guess its just something I will have to pray about before I change directions for the 58494985th time.
It's time for lunch! But I will write more in a little while!(:
Sunday: day 7
Sorry I've been slacking! Time to catch up(:
This weekend was nice because we got a chance to breathe a little, even though we were still out and about for most of the day. We went to Mavuno downtown for church, then had a traditional Kenyan lunch and went to the Maasai market in downtown Nairobi.
The church service was great, the message was about investments and if God is investing in you, what is His return going to be? This hit me because I know that being able to come on this trip has been a huge blessing, and I just hope I have created blessings for others and touched enough lives in return. The hardest thing has been knowing that even though I can stop a child from crying and make them laugh for a day, the reality is that I was only with most of them for one day and they have the rest of their lives ahead of them, they still have to find something to eat that night, and they still have to sleep in the dirty slum at night. This once again was just a reminder that we can do nothing worthwhile with out God. Through prayer, we can pray for them to know the promise of eternity, for them to know God and to trust Him to protect them. I know a lot of the medical providers in the group were struggling a little with the fact that we spent all day treating and helping, but we have no way to really follow up with these people and know if what we did had a lasting effect, or if they even followed our advice. I just hope that we gave them hope, I hope that they saw our love for them because of the Lords love for us. If that light was able to shine through, then I think we did what we set out to do.
This weekend was nice because we got a chance to breathe a little, even though we were still out and about for most of the day. We went to Mavuno downtown for church, then had a traditional Kenyan lunch and went to the Maasai market in downtown Nairobi.
The church service was great, the message was about investments and if God is investing in you, what is His return going to be? This hit me because I know that being able to come on this trip has been a huge blessing, and I just hope I have created blessings for others and touched enough lives in return. The hardest thing has been knowing that even though I can stop a child from crying and make them laugh for a day, the reality is that I was only with most of them for one day and they have the rest of their lives ahead of them, they still have to find something to eat that night, and they still have to sleep in the dirty slum at night. This once again was just a reminder that we can do nothing worthwhile with out God. Through prayer, we can pray for them to know the promise of eternity, for them to know God and to trust Him to protect them. I know a lot of the medical providers in the group were struggling a little with the fact that we spent all day treating and helping, but we have no way to really follow up with these people and know if what we did had a lasting effect, or if they even followed our advice. I just hope that we gave them hope, I hope that they saw our love for them because of the Lords love for us. If that light was able to shine through, then I think we did what we set out to do.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Saturday: day 6
Today we didn't have any big plans, so it was more relaxed and we had some time for a devotional and to decompress. I think one of the biggest things I have failed to mention is how amazing this team is that I came with. Everyone brings their own unique talents to the mission, and we all have different strengths that make up for each other's weaknesses. (Romans 12)
The devotionals have been really helpful to remind me why I am here. Walker Hicks made a good point this morning about how easy it is to get in to the "Me me me" mentality and I realized, it really is so easy to feel like I myself am doing great things here. But, that's a toxic way of thinking. When people tell me I'm amazing on Facebook when they see pictures from the camp I feel really great, but forget that really God should be getting the glory and not myself. It's only human to want to feel like we are doing great things on our own, but its a hard thing to realize and admit. If it wasn't for Him leading me here, providing sponsors and funds for my trip, and giving me a purpose for even coming in the first place, I wouldn't be in Kenya. I wouldn't have any reason to visit the homes I have been to, or to be giving the children art supplies, because if I am doing it for any other reason than to minister and selflessly provide to the people I am here to serve, then my intentions would be empty. I guess the main point is that God brought us here to do his work, we should make sure that we are glorifying Him in every action, instead of letting ourselves feel like we are doing everything on our own.
After lunch we went to the giraffe house, then went on a little nature walk by the park. It was nice to get a chance to see Kenya's natural beauty and experience something completely different from the places we have been.
The devotionals have been really helpful to remind me why I am here. Walker Hicks made a good point this morning about how easy it is to get in to the "Me me me" mentality and I realized, it really is so easy to feel like I myself am doing great things here. But, that's a toxic way of thinking. When people tell me I'm amazing on Facebook when they see pictures from the camp I feel really great, but forget that really God should be getting the glory and not myself. It's only human to want to feel like we are doing great things on our own, but its a hard thing to realize and admit. If it wasn't for Him leading me here, providing sponsors and funds for my trip, and giving me a purpose for even coming in the first place, I wouldn't be in Kenya. I wouldn't have any reason to visit the homes I have been to, or to be giving the children art supplies, because if I am doing it for any other reason than to minister and selflessly provide to the people I am here to serve, then my intentions would be empty. I guess the main point is that God brought us here to do his work, we should make sure that we are glorifying Him in every action, instead of letting ourselves feel like we are doing everything on our own.
After lunch we went to the giraffe house, then went on a little nature walk by the park. It was nice to get a chance to see Kenya's natural beauty and experience something completely different from the places we have been.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Pictures from Wednesday
My ipad makes it difficult to put pictures in the posts, so here are a bunch(:
A terrarium table! This looks like your next project mom!(:
The team getting ready to leave for Bissil on Wednesday
The road to Bissil
With my street food at tea time(:
Thursday: day 4
Thursday 1 August 2013
Our clinic was set up in the church, with rooms made out of sheets and rope. In the middle, there was a waiting area, and at the door we had a table set up for BP/temp. Outside, they had a table for registration and scales for weigh in. Beyond that there was a line of benches. ( I just explained that completely backwards oopsss). I was supposed to be in charge of injections, but for he first couple of hours I only had to give 2 or 3, so I was outside with the kids. I laid out a coloring banner, then walked up the the children who were waiting outside and handed them a marker. They all came over to color, and I almost teared up because it was exactly how I hoped it would be, they were all so excited. Luckily, Ashley and I thought ahead the night before and tore out each page from the coloring books, so that each child could have a page (there were a LOT of kids).
Right before tea time, I was referred an old man who needed to have wounds on his feet cleaned. So I'm thinking, "okay, a cut or some blisters, no big deal" Wrrrronggg. The two sores on this man's feet were worse than any wound I have ever been that close to. The one on the bottom of his heel looked like it had been there at least a year, and was a black hole that probably went to the bone. I managed to cover my shock and started to clean it off. The smell was pretty bad, but I'll hold off the rest of the details because I know it isn't the loveliest thing to read about. He was sitting in the chair and the translator was holding his foot up while I squatted down in front of it. While I was down there, I noticed that he was pulling up his shuka (skirt like cloth) and saying something to the translator. The translator told me, "He wants you to know that he cannot control his urine. He just urinated on himself and did not know it. Also he has a rash" I made the mistake of looking up from his foot while he was talking... And all I'm going to say is, the Maasai apparently do not wear underwear... I wrapped up his foot and gave him extra dressings, but I don't know how his heel will heal on its own. All I can do is just pray that he follows my advice and doesn't try to leave the bandage on there forever. Later, I found out that he has had sores like that in his feet for at least 15 years.
After lunch, I gave some more shots, but there was a local nurse helping and our cubicle was small, so I used that as an excuse to go out and play with the kids. One of the little girls, Sophia was around me for a lot of the afternoon and at the end of the day she asked me to take her with me to America. She was 100% serious and I didn't know how to explain why I couldn't. I would have in a heartbeat. We finished around 6, and packed up the van. There was a little boy who was probably around 2 who had been hanging around us while we prayed and he looked really sad. I picked him up and started trying to make him smile. When I turned him upside down, he started laughing and it was one of the cutest belly laughs I have ever heard. When I threw him up in the air, his smile took up his whole face. When it was time for us to leave, everyone was in the van and I was standing outside the door holding him. He hugged me and put his head on my chest and I melted. I felt stuck like I couldn't put him down. I just wondered when was the last time someone had hugged him or held him. I knew he realized I was about to leave and for a split second I thought about just sitting him on my lap in the van. When I got in, he waved goodbye and we left.
On the way home, everyone was talking about what they had seen-the foot sores, the woman who had been eating charcoal, etc. Then, all of the sudden our driver hit the breaks and when we looked up we saw a ZEBRA running across the road. We came within 4-5 yards of hitting it! Apparently they are like deer around that area, but I felt like I had just hallucinated..
I'm sure I missed a bunch of details, but as I think about them I will add them!
It is Friday now, and we just finished lunch. I have been typing all morning trying to catch up! We are having another clinic on Tuesday (leaving Monday), this time it will be in Sultan Hamud.
More later!(:
Wednesday: day 3
Wednesday 31 July 2013
If I tried to write about everything that happened in the past 48 hours, it would probably turn in to a novel. Between the old man who almost peed on me, the little girl who kept asking me to take her with me when I go back to America, the beautiful clothes and beadwork that the Maasai women wore and the fact that we came within 3 yards of hitting a zebra in the middle of the road on the way home last night... I really don't know where to start.
On the way to Beacon, we took two separate matatus (little 16 passenger vans) and it got bad fast. Branson Jr was puking in the front seat, and his dad caught it in his hands, threw it out the window then continued scooping handfuls out the window of the van. Then, Caroline got sick behind me. Walker (beside me) chugged the last of his coffee in less than a second, then turned and held it out, trying to catch some. I grabbed a plastic bag and turned around with it also. Definitely a hilarious ride haha.
We finished packing the last of the 25,000 pills that we would bring with us t the camp and eft after lunch.
The Maasai village that we visited was surrounded by mountains and had one paved highway that ran through it. On one side, up a steep dirt hill, there were a bunch of the traditional Maasai homes, and on the other side there was the school and a little market. When we got to the school, we unpacked then broke in to small groups to do home visits. W started walking up the hill with some of the college students from Mavuno who came to volunteer at the clinic. I was glad they were there because I got a little bit of background information before we got to the homes. When we were walking up the hill, and old drunk man in a dirty grey suit and huge thick black shoes started stumbling up the hill with us. He kept repeating "God is my creator and Jesus is my savior!" Then he told us that he knows Obama. Over and over. Then he pointed at the church and told us that it was Obama's church. Luckily before we got there, one of the students told me that as a form of respect, children will lower their heads to adults and the adult will place their hand on the child's head, and people our age lower their heads to the elders in the village. I was really glad I knew this when we got there and an old man held out his hand to touch my head! Then all of the children were around me lowering their heads for me to touch. I somehow ended up being the only one not inside one of the homes (woven stick/mud huts), and before I knew it I was surrounded by 30-40 children jumping and singing to me. They wanted me to sing with them, but I couldn't understand so I just repeated "somasuma ay sake ay wah" over and over and they believed that I had learned the song. SUCCESS. When they were done singing, I shook one of their hands, then less than a second later, I felt like Taylor Swift at the edge of the stage. There were a million little hands reaching out for me and they all kept saying "howah you?"
This is when all of the Kenyans that we came with started calling them my children. We left when it started getting dark, and before I knew it, I couldn't see the rest of the group. I was with one of the local girls who went on the home visit with us, and I knew we were going in the right general direction.. The roads there are just as bad anywhere else we have been, but there are no street lights and barely any electricity, so I didn't know there were rocks or holes until I tripped over them or fell in them. These two little boys came up to us, asking if we wanted to buy food from them, but my wallet was back at the school. The younger one was around 5 and the older one was probably 8. The little one was carrying a Gatorade cooler sized metal can on his back, full of the hot food. It was so heavy that he was almost horizontal trying to carry it. So, you know me, I couldn't say no. They followed us back and waited while I got my money. When I walked up with this huge plate of corn and beans, everyone laughed and no one wanted to try it. They were probably the smart ones because I definitely felt it later that night. After tea time and a briefing about the following day, we went to a church service. The music was very loud and upbeat and all of the school kids were in the back jumping and dancing. At first we all slid in to the bench seats, but then I was like, what am I doing? I'm only going to be here once. So I went to the back and learned all if the different jumping dance moves (there is a video of this). :) They said church wouldn't take long, but over an hour later, it was finally done and we went back to our tiny classroom to sleep.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Tuesday: day 2
Tuesday 30 July 2013
Good morning pictures from the bus with Isaiah!(:
I feel like every day I'm going to have more and more to say, but never enough words to recreate all of the things I saw and felt-especially on days like today. We left Beacon of Hope this morning in small groups of 6-7 people to visit some of the homes of the people who come to the clinic. Our group walked to one of the slums down the street and even though I took a few pictures of the street on my camera, I felt wrong trying to take pictures of the people, so I hope my words can work well enough. The roads have garbage mixed in to the clay and huge ruts and puddles every where. There are chickens, roosters, donkeys and tons of goats on and beside the roads, and after almost getting hit by a truck, I learned that drivers don't avoid you, you have to avoid them. There are small shack like stores lining the road, people sell fruit and vegetables and shoes etc. A lot of people stare at us, but I think they just aren't sure of our intentions-so I just waved and smiled at everyone and they always smiled and waved back(: and when I said "Jambo!" They laughed and responded but I have no idea what they were saying, so I just smiled and pretended like I did.. It worked(: I think they can sense when people are uncomfortable, and I understand why they would be, but the weirdest thing about being here is that I feel like I'm just walking down a street I've been down a million times. Maybe I just painted my expectations so many times in my head that one of those scenes I created is exactly what it looks like here. If I was fluent in Swahili, I would feel like I was at home.
We turned off the main road and started walking through where the homes were. The first one that we visited had a sitting area that was the size of the bathroom at my house, not including the tub. But, somehow we all fit and sat in a close circle. We met the woman who lived there and her 11 month old son, Brian. She looked like she was my age, but has 3 other children (5, 7 & 9). Her other kids go to a
public school that is a long walk away from their home, because they don't have sponsors and aren't
able to go to the school at Beacon. A typical class at their school has 170 students to one teacher...one hundred and SEVENTY children! So the quality of education is very low, because the teacher has no
way to even make sure that all of the children have done their homework. We prayed for her and
right when we were about to leave, John smiled really big at us and started bouncing up and down(:
soooo cute!
public school that is a long walk away from their home, because they don't have sponsors and aren't
able to go to the school at Beacon. A typical class at their school has 170 students to one teacher...one hundred and SEVENTY children! So the quality of education is very low, because the teacher has no
way to even make sure that all of the children have done their homework. We prayed for her and
right when we were about to leave, John smiled really big at us and started bouncing up and down(:
soooo cute!
The only way I can describe the way the slums are set up is that they are a maze. The next home was down a narrow walkway, then to the left then to the right, under a bunch of clotheslines and over a creek of dirty water, tucked in a corner to the left beyond that. This woman was a lot sicker than the first one we met. Her home was a little bigger, but very dark. The walls were made of cardboard and a patchwork of random wood and metal, and her clothesline was inside. We all went in and she told us her story. She has 3 children of her own, the oldest is 18, and she is also taking care of her brother's child. She is new to the area, after leaving her abusive husband and trying to protect her children and herself from him. She was just released from the hospital after being there for 10 days with chest pain, a headache that won't go away, a lump in her neck and a sore throat. She has AIDS and we found out later that day that her CD4 count was in the 40's. She is unable to work anymore and therefore has no way to feed herself or her kids. Her neighbor gave her a bag of flour, but that was all she had. The woman who was taking us to the homes asked us if we had any words of encouragement for her, but we all were at a loss for words. What do you say to someone in that situation? A situation that none of us could ever even come close to understanding or having anything to remotely compare to? The only thing I could think to tell her is that lots of times God puts us through very difficult times, things that seem impossible, in order to bring us closer to Him and to help us realize that He alone is enough. And that even though it was her abusive husband that brought her here, moving also brought her closer to Beacon of Hope, where she can get free medical care, and support from others who are in a similar situation. The abuse sent her to a place where she can get
better. When we were praying, I had chills because I knew that God was already working, just because she had been connected with the Beacon and was in a safer place.
better. When we were praying, I had chills because I knew that God was already working, just because she had been connected with the Beacon and was in a safer place.
When we got back, the waiting room at the clinic was full and there were a bunch of children that
looked sad and bored. So actually, they just looked like they needed some coloring books(: I
sat down with the 2 that were outside, they were both younger than 3, and didn't know what a crayon was or how to hold it.. Or that it wasn't food! But when I showed them how the color showed up on the paper, they wanted to color the whole world, especially once they discovered the markers. The floor,
their hands, their clothes, all had marker streaks on them. And before I knew it, there was a whole ciThe LOVED the bouncy balls and thought it was hilarious when they rolled away and had to chase them. It was so sweet seeing them come to life from something so simple. I went inside for a meeting and when I went back out, two of the girls were with their mom and one of them had a box of 16 crayons, all crammed in backwards with a topless blue marker stuck in the middle. She held up the box to show me and her mom was sitting a couple yards away holding her coloring book, trying to tell me something in Swahili. All I could understand was "thank you" and in English she said "she can study." I never even thought about the fact that most kids in the U.S. start preschool knowing how to use and hold crayons and pencils, before they learn how to write. But here, its a skill that they won't know because they don't have the materials.
looked sad and bored. So actually, they just looked like they needed some coloring books(: I
their hands, their clothes, all had marker streaks on them. And before I knew it, there was a whole ciThe LOVED the bouncy balls and thought it was hilarious when they rolled away and had to chase them. It was so sweet seeing them come to life from something so simple. I went inside for a meeting and when I went back out, two of the girls were with their mom and one of them had a box of 16 crayons, all crammed in backwards with a topless blue marker stuck in the middle. She held up the box to show me and her mom was sitting a couple yards away holding her coloring book, trying to tell me something in Swahili. All I could understand was "thank you" and in English she said "she can study." I never even thought about the fact that most kids in the U.S. start preschool knowing how to use and hold crayons and pencils, before they learn how to write. But here, its a skill that they won't know because they don't have the materials.
We spent the rest of the afternoon filling hundreds of little brown envelopes with pre-dosed prescriptions for the pharmacy at the clinic Thursday. It took forever and really put in to perspective how many patients are going to be coming through.
Tonight after dinner, we had a group meeting/devotional and everyone shared how they were feeling about everything they had seen and experienced. I think the main thing that kept coming up was the confusion of how much we are supposed to do on our own and how much we leave to prayer. But the realization I came to after today is that we have to accept and trust that God is always more that enough, sufficient, and knows better than we do on our own. We often have the "I got this" mentality, and think that we can just give these people money or food and fix the problem but everything we can do right now is only temporary, God is forever. And if we accept that God is enough then we are trusting that our prayers will be heard and answered, with out us then trying to come up with our own solutions to the problems 2 minutes after saying "amen." The hardest thing is knowing you could help someone, but also knowing that you, yourself, alone, could never be enough to lift each individual from that situation and make everything better. So, kind of Like when Jesus asked when he was sick, did you visit? Maybe just being there and praying was all we needed to do.
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