Send Me Out

 I love Kenya. 

I love the people and their kind, welcoming spirit, along with their easygoing attitude. They are on fire for the Lord and are not afraid to say it. 

I love the surroundings, with the crowing roosters, natives speaking loudly in their native tongue, the putt-putt of their motorbikes, and the constant lilt of music- (I am living right next to the church and near the main road, and morning prayer meeting starts at 6:45 AM!) Everywhere I go, I am greeted, “Hello, habari ya asubuhi! Sasa? (Good morning, how are you?)” The culture is so warm and friendly, so greeting each other is very important- it is considered offensive if you ignore one another. They have a more traditional culture in which the women are viewed as more subordinate than in the US. Many a time I have been laughed at when I tell people that I can run long distances and told, “You can’t carry that! It is too heavy for you!” Or “It is just women that are supposed to be in the kitchen…” To these comments, my independent soul cringes, but I simply remind myself that is how their culture is and I am simply out of place, no matter how hard I could try!

Last week was the conclusion to my rotation with Labor and Delivery, but I would say that I have found my niche of nursing already. I love to help the mothers in the laboring process by administering medications, listening to the fetal heart rate and looking at the ultrasounds and taking vitals. If the mother needs a c-section, I have thoroughly enjoyed going with the mother and either scrubbing in and assisting the surgical team or receive and caring for the newborn once it is delivered. Three different new mothers have asked me to name their babies, so I christened the first Adrian, the second, Victoria, and the third, Alexander. Another mother named her baby Leilani after me! Birth is truly a miracle.

Speaking of patients in our hospital, there is a young girl in the pediatric unit that is severely malnourished, with both kwashiorkor (protein deficiency) and marasmus (deficiency of all nutrients.) Her little arms and legs are pencil thin, her stomach is enlarged, and her legs have prominent edema. Please keep this precious girl in your prayers as she recovers and gains strength!

The SM boys and I have been able to go to the nearby village next to Simbi lake, which has hundreds of flamingos on the shores, a very unique sight! The village displays true poverty and need, yet the people seem so happy and are very welcoming and curious about us muzungus. A lady living in the village served us a true Kenyan meal, consisting of ugali, their (tasteless) staple made of maize, with cooked greens, and fried (whole!) fish. I reluctantly tried some of the fish, as to not offend our host, but I did not like it! Nevertheless, it was a good cultural experience. A week later after our first visit, we were able to help an old widowed woman hack up- my hand of course- the entire field behind her hut! Sweat poured down my shirt and dirt flew everywhere, including into my hair, but I enjoyed it. We felt good knowing that she would be able to have some food to live on. 

Going to the market in nearby Kendu Bay town is an experience that I actually really look forward to. We are the center of attention every time we go, but I am now used to nearly every single person I come across staring at me curiously, so I don’t mind. There are tons of items for sale everywhere you turn, from tarps on the ground containing an assortment of beans, fruits, vegetables to massive hunks of meat hanging behind a plexiglass shield- gross! It is truly a cultural experience, being jostled around and confronted with sellers hawking their wares or asking if you need a taxi. 

The Nyaburi school for the disabled is a short walk down the road from KAH and it is filled with a group of precious kids that have deformities never seen before in my life, and my heart just goes out to those children. They compensate for each others’ losses by selflessly helping each other, and the way they sing is something that would tug on anyone’s heartstrings. This school is a place of great need, so the boys and I will be going there weekly to minister to the kids and raise money to improve their lives. 

Logan, Gabe, David and I are very blessed to have the Hong family, also missionaries here, as our hosts. They have three rambunctious kids and are wonderful to us, having us over and feeding us delicious Asian or American food, singing, and having Bible studies. 

What a wonderful place to serve the Lord! Here I am, send me!