Coming Home

We are back where we started - Amani Gardens. We drove from the safari camp to Nairobi today and we are hanging out here (letting Josef play - he is currently getting covered in sand at the playground) and eating dinner. We start our long journey back tonight around 11:30 pm. Pray for our safe journey, for calm and for sleep. Also pray for our transition back into "normal" life. We are amazed at God and His presence with us on this trip - we are still processing all that occurred and are confident that God will continue to teach us over the coming weeks and months related to this trip to Kenya. Safari was fun! Josef even did great in the jeep - Sam recently taught him to hiss at cats - so he was hissing at all the animals including that lion which was 3 feet away - I was a little nervous at that point. When asking kids what the biggest thing they learned on the trip: Annie - that God will always provide what we need, Sam - to be grateful for what you have and to always praise God, Ellie - we shouldn't be greedy or complain. Jeremy wrote these words as he has reflected so far: intentionality, consistency, disciplined, witnessing daily, dependency, discipling, community, availability. He is also pondering how to reconcile the world we come from and the world we just visited. Things are a little muddy in my mind right now - but, for sure I have seen my sin more clearly and God's greatness more surely. I hear the call for my life to be wholly devoted to the work of Jesus my Lord. Love to all.

Saying Goodbye to Kapsowar and a Rest Day at Kabarak

The first picture is of Annie and the seeds - we found these pods all over in Kapsowar and liked to watch the seeds float out. On one of the last days in Kapsowar we found a bottle cap that had Mommy's name on it. I made a necklace for her. The third picture is the kids at Kapsowar and the fourth picture is the parents (one family was missing). Today we went to church in Nakuru, and then the mall for lunch and then to a market. We were looking for beads. The Kenyans wear bracelets with their country flag. I got a necklace, earrings and 2 carved animals (a giraffe and a lion). The last picture was taken yesterday. Daddy was downloading a movie, Sam was sitting next to him and Josef copied them - it was cute. There is a trampoline here which Josef loves. Love, Ellie
PS - Erin, we got you a pineapple fanta

In Need of Healing

I can't believe that we leave Kapsowar tomorrow morning. It has been a great week and we ended on a high note. This group of missionaries are amazing. They are very intentional about the gospel - about living it out in their actions and about proclaiming in in word when the opportunity presents itself. At the beginning of the week, Kyle, asked God to show him a non-Christian that needed to hear the good news of Jesus (most of this area is at least Christian in name). Kyle especially has a heart for Muslims. Yesterday Jeremy and I rounded on the female ward. One 15 year old girl who really wasn't sick and didn't need to be hospitalized was the first on our list. I asked her if she knew Jesus. She told me that she was a Muslim. I tried to ask her what she thought of Jesus but she shut down - I didn't know if it was a language barrier issue, if it was due to the fact that her mother was sitting next to her, or if she was closed to the gospel. Later I told Kyle about her. Kyle went back and the mother was gone. Kyle then spent about 15 minutes talking with the girl (Kyle is fluent in Swahili). He showed her in the Qur'an where it spoke of Jesus as holy, able to do miracles and knowing the way to heaven. He asked her to consider who Jesus really was and what her response might be to him. We left it at that. This morning at devotions we prayed for her. We had discharged her yesterday but she was still here this morning when we started rounds (often patients don't leave right away as they have to pay their bill first). She stopped Kyle as we passed her and asked him for a bible. They spoke for a few minutes and then she told him that she had accepted Jesus into her heart to be her Savior earlier that morning. I truly believe she was in the hospital not because she needed any physical healing, but because she was ready for the true healing that only Jesus through his blood can provide. How neat that God allowed Kyle to be a part of the process and that we could experience it too! Please pray for this girl.

In the pediatric ward we saw Abigail again - she has been here all week. She has a hole in her heart and needs a surgery. When we take her off oxygen, her O2 sats drop into the 60s. The problem is her family has no money and they would have to travel several hours away (on oxygen which costs even more) to find a heart surgeon. This morning Kyle recommended that the mom see if the church could set up a "harambe." A harambe is a really neat thing in Kenyan culture. When someone is in need the church will set a date for a harambe - on this day the whole community brings money for the cause. Pray that Abigail will get a harambe and that they will raise enough money so she can get to the facility where her heart can be fixed.

Above is Kenyan favorites - Uji, Chai and Chapati - I can say that I love the second two but haven't been brave enough to try the first. Please pray for our travel over the next week - car and plane...and for a time of fun and relaxation at the safari.

Two Paths

 Today Sam and I traveled with our missionary friend, Kyle, to a public boarding school that was a 15 minute drive from the hospital. This was part of a public health community outreach the hospital does on a regular basis. The audience was almost 100 high school boys and we spoke about abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and sex before marriage. Kenya has very high rates of HIV, teenage pregnancy, and alcohol abuse but these subjects are considered "taboo" and not discussed at home. So these young men are left to make decisions without any real guidance or spiritual perspective. My friend Kyle has been traveling to these schools and talking about abstinence for several years and also using this as an opportunity to share the gospel. He used Hebrews 13:4 as one of his key scriptures. Based on the questions that were asked we assumed that the majority were already sexually active and some had children. Several were struggling with alcohol or drug abuse. Many had a fear of discussing their problem with counselors or other adults for fear of stigmatization. We spoke of the forgiveness that we all have through Jesus and that He will always provide a path to flee from temptation. We encouraged them to keep each other accountable and pray for one another while seeking help from God rather than trying to stand alone.  Jesus spoke of a wide gate, a broad path that leads to destruction with little resistance from the world. We encouraged them to take the narrow path which will not be easy and they will encounter resistance from the world but ultimately this path leads to life.

I

 Our devotion this morning was on Psalm 1 which speaks of two ways to live. (Psalm 1 is a recurring theme on this trip!) The blessed man who delights in the law of the Lord, who is firmly planted like a tree near streams of water and produces fruit in season. Or a wicked man who takes pleasure in himself, never produces fruit, and like chaff is blown away in the wind.

We will be leaving Kapsowar on Saturday and traveling back to Nakuru for 2 days. Please pray for our travel. Love you - Jeremy

Breath of Life

 I feel like I am full of things I want to share - I will try to consolidate and organize my thoughts. The surgeon and his wife who have been here for 18 years just returned on Monday. They were in the horn doing cleft lip and palate surgeries. Devotions which are held every morning where at their home yesterday. The group here does a Psalm each day. Dr. Rhodes led as he read from his Hebrew bible, the devotion on the last Psalm - Psalm 150. This is a praise Psalm and ends "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." Dr. Rhodes took us back to the beginning of Genesis as God literally breathed life into man, and challenged us to use our every breath to Praise Him in return. Later in the day I assisted in an emergency C-section. The baby (seen here) was premature and had great difficulty breathing. The only way to intubate a baby here is to have someone actually stand beside the baby and squeeze the bag to give each breath. That can only go on for so long. We did this for one hour with this precious baby girl and then put her on pressure oxygen. She is still fighting for her life. All we can do at this point is ask God to breathe life into her. Please pray for the life of this baby. It gives me chills as I realize that if Josef would have been born at this hospital he would have died - he was intubated for 24 hours and had to get a special medicine 3 times to help his lungs which isn't available here.

 Today Annie and I walked with Dr. Rhodes' wife, Laura, to a children's home which they have been supporting for many years. Approximately 30 orphaned children live here. They are mostly self sustaining - they grow corn, vegetables and have cows that they milk. This is their kitchen, which I was told it was nice because it had a concrete floor and ventilation. The Rhodes collect money through AIM international to help send these kids to school. In Kenya through 8th grade is payed for (kids just have to have a uniform - however, shoes aren't required), but after that is not. The Rhodes have sent countless kids to high school and beyond - they can now tell stories of orphaned children who have gone on to be lawyers or teachers etc. Any of you who want to help support the education of these kids - I am going to get the information on how to send money to AIM.

On the road to the children's home I got to hear a little of Laura and Bill's amazing story. It and many things here has reminded me of how one life can make a huge impact for the kingdom of God. In chapel today we looked at Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." So back to Psalm 150 - God breathed life in us for us to breath praise back to Him. Hallelujah! Love to all - Christine

My World is Small but My God is Sovereign

It has been a good few days at Kapsowar. Sunday we went to a local Kenyan church in the morning and then had bible study at the "station" in the evening. One of the long term missionaries here had just returned from a trip to Lebanon and shared stories of what God is doing in the Middle East. He shed tears as he recalled testimonies of the faith of those Christians in these war torn places filled with constant threats to their safety. For example, Christians in Syria are actually thanking God for what is happening in Syria...it seems impossible to thank God for something like that - but it is their faith in a sovereign God that allows them to praise God in the midst of extreme suffering. How humbling. It seems stretching for us to go to Africa for a month...then we meet families who are here for 2-13 years...then we meet a family who has been here 3 years and although they are due for furlough can't go back to the states as they are undergoing the process of adoption of a Kenyan boy whose mom died in this hospital right after he was born...then we hear of Christians and missionaries going to the Middle East and risking all for the cause of the gospel. My world is way too small, my trials so insignificant, my faith so lacking...yet, I thank God for opportunities like this to remind me of my narrow mind and His far reaching love. He is sovereign over all. Jeremy's brother, Wayne, sent us an email the other day with the words of a hymn which seemed so timely - the last verse...

This is my Father's world.

O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong, 

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world:

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let the earth be glad!

As I see things "wrong" at home, here in Kenya or hear of even more "wrong" in the Middle East, I press on to remember that this is all my Father's world and because He is ruler, I can be glad. 

I love the motto of Kapsowar hospital above. May God's grace be sufficient for all - and in our weakness, may His power be made perfect. Please pray for Jeremy tomorrow as he travels to and from Iten and has meetings regarding sports medicine there. Love to all - Christine.

PS - I know several of you may not be impressed with home made tortillas - but cooking from scratch is a real stretch for me and not many boxed kits or pre made food here :)

Church and Friends

Yesterday we went to a church which was a short 10 minute walk away. It was Rorok. It was held in a school and the school kids did lots of singing. It was a 2 hour service. After church we got invited to a back room where they gave us sodas since we were visitors. When the Kenyans pray they always thank God first. We have been working on thanking God in our prayers. Today me and my friends, Isaac, Jude and Hudson went to Sam's back yard and picked avocados. -Sam

The Ridge Walk

                                              

 

 Today we went on a very, very long hike (10 miles). I enjoyed looking and taking pictures of the beautiful country side. Before the hike I chose to wear my Keen Mary Janes instead of socks and tennis shoes. That was not smart. I ended up getting really bad blisters. I also made a bad decision of not wearing sunscreen, so now I have a sunburn :(. Thankfully at the very end of the hike when everyone was about to give up God gave us a ride back to Kapsowar in an empty matatu. Even though the walk was a little tough at times, we still had a great time as a family.
-Annie

We had a rough start to the day with our oldest 3 struggling to co-exist. Mom and Dad spent some time admonishing, counseling and strongly suggesting a change in behavior. Christine picked Psalm 147 to read and discuss as a family and this helped refocus our purpose and position in this world. We had a great hike that almost never happened. I didn't tell anyone that the hike was 10 miles long. Instead I said we would hike for around 3 hours and everyone was satisfied with this. It was a long tough hike at an elevation of 8000 feet with steep climbs. Everyone toughed it out especially Ellie who had some mild altitude sickness. I was proud of them all. The scenery was beautiful with the highlight seeing the expanse of the Kerio Valley 3000 feet below us. The valley is off in the distance in the picture above us. The pic does not do it justice. Tomorrow I will run the same route with a local  missionary who is training for a marathon. I am sore after carrying Josef for 10 miles today. I hope I make it. We are thankful for the challenges, trials and rewards of the day.

Psalm 147:7-8
"Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre,
Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who provides rain for the earth,
Who makes grass grow on the mountains."

Love you all,
Jeremy

Hike and Kapsowar

 Habari (Hello)! Today we went on a hike. The first picture is a baby goat we saw at the end of our hike when we finally got on a paved road. The second picture - the last 2 miles of the hike Daddy waved down an empty Matatu (taxi) to let us ride back in...it was even free - Josef was hanging on like the rest of us. At the beginning of the hike I was feeling good - I wanted a handstand picture - I think Mommy did pretty well. In the middle of the hike it was really hard for me to breath and walk. I toughed it out. Today I learned that even if you are in a place where you might "fall off the cliff" God will protect you through it all. God protected me. On Fridays they have ballet class and karate class. Annie and I went to the ballet class with the girls (Arriella, Elize and Layla) and Sam went to the karate class. The last picture is of a weird fruit that we saw on the hike.  - Ellie

The "Road" to Kapsowar

 

 We finally arrived tonight in Kapsowar! It was quite the journey. The first day we traveled 7 hours from Chogoria to Kabarak University where we met with Dr. Bruce Dalman (the one who organized our trip). Not often that you can say "kids we just crossed the equator" but we got to say that 4 times during the drive. We started the drive with Josef sick - he threw up a little right away and then dry heaved quickly after that. We were all a little worried - how was this day long trip going to go?! We all prayed and really feel that God healed Josef - he took a nap and woke up his normal self. Today we traveled first to Iten which is the Kenyan running capital, (almost 1000 athletes train here full time). Bruce had arranged a meeting with a running coach which turned into a large group meeting discussing the future of sports medicine in Kenya. Jeremy will travel back to Iten on Tuesday to meet with people again including the Minister of Sport and Minister of Health for the region. Then we took an approximately 40 km journey that took us 2 hours since there really was no road. Along the way kids would see us and yell "Mzungu" which means "white people." This is definitely a more remote area then we have previously visited. We had no idea what to expect at Kapsowar - we had prepared our kids for no other families or play things - ends up there are 3 families with 4 kids each and another family with 2 kids - plus a basketball court and lots of kid toys. We have a nice house - not sure it has hot water but it is clean and we all have beds. In our back yard are 3 pigs. Dinner was waiting for us - American chili and even homemade cookies - heaven! It is really beautiful country as you can see - we are at 8000 ft of elevation. God is good - we start the Kapsowar adventure tomorrow. Love to all - Christine

The Body is Sick but the Heart is Well

Today is our last full day in Chogoria. We leave tomorrow for one day at the medical school and then on to Kapsowar. Please pray for our travel. Pray also for our health - a few of us are pushing through a mild viral illness. I thought I would show some things from the hospital on this post. Practicing medicine in these smaller Kenyan hospitals can be challenging. This week we ran out of Lovenox and Heparin so preventing and treating DVTs has been difficult. The lab isn't always reliable as evidenced by the fact that we had a conscious patient with a Na of 109. Many diagnostic tests or medicines that we have in the states just don't exist here and patients often have advanced disease. Yet, at the same time practicing medicine here is marvelous. Patients help each other, families pool finances to help pay for needed care, hospital staff work tirelessly even when they haven't seen a paycheck for several months and everything is bathed in prayer and gratefulness. It may appear that the "body" of medicine here is sick, but the heart is alive and well. I am humbled by the physicians here who can diagnosis and treat based mostly on clinical skill and by the compassion and courage of the entire PCEA Chogoria Hospital care team. Remember them in your prayers as they do a hard job day in and day out with little to no recognition. Chapel yesterday morning was wonderful...praise songs, extended prayer to "Jehovah Master" and "King of Glory" and a message that called us to revival like that led by King Josiah - revival based on rediscovering and committing to the Word of God and revival based on the removal of idols. Above are a few pictures - 1) a really big heart! 2) the ward 3)Uji - a porridge that they drink 4)all the signs have verses on it - this verse is one that my dad gave to me before the trip so I found it fitting 5)the first Chogoria Hospital building where they used to treat leprosy 6)chapel 7) the way NPO is documented. -Christine