From Safaris to Auditing

 Time is flying by so quickly! It seems like it was just yesterday when the boys and I arrived at Kendu Bay and spent our first day in the hospital, but we have already been in Africa for 7 weeks. I have been so busy that I’ve neglected to keep this blog updated!

Several weeks ago, we went to the Masai Mara to go on safari and learn about the native Masai tribe. I expected to see most of the animals anyone would associate with Africa- lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, etc. Not only did we see a wide range of animals, but we saw them in huge numbers, too! Since it was the Great Migration, there were enormous herds of wildebeest and zebras, pounding their way across the savanna undeterred, all with the same destination in mind. To get in their path could mean danger a person outside of the vehicle! It surprised me to see how comfortable the animals were with the safari trucks, as we were nearly close enough to reach out and touch some of the animals if we had tried! 

Both mornings we went out on safari, we arose early to see the sunrise from a gorgeous outcropping that looked over the Mara. The wind was chilly but it was worth it, as we could hear the animals waking up and see the hot air balloons begin to rise silently towards the morning sun. Following sunrise we were able to eat a delicious breakfast and head on our way down to the valley.

Over the next two incredible days spent on safari, we were greeted by elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, lions, impalas, gazelles, warthogs, cheetahs, leopards, Cape buffalo, ostriches, hippos, hyenas, baboons, topi, eland, a rhino, crocodiles, and more! A few of the highlights were discovering a leopard, high in a tree, relishing its prey of impala and a nail-biting chase of a lion hunting a cheetah mother’s four cubs. Thankfully, they safely escaped after a ranger jumped out of his vehicle to try to deter the lion from his pursuit. We watched a crocodile snap at a stick our guide threw in the water, and witnessed a pride of lions stalking a huge hippo. Several times, we were able to sit about 15 feet away from several lions lounging in the shade of the trees, and at the end of our last day on safari, we finally found a rhinoceros, which we had been searching for the past two days! There were animal babies galore, so I thought I’d at least ask the safari guide to name his price so I could take one home, but he refused. Oh well, thought it was worth a shot… my suitcase is big! Nevertheless, I was able to get some great shots with my DSLR of all the animals we saw.

On our last day, we were able to visit the Masai village and see how they lived, along with doing their dances with them and bartering over over souvenir prices at the end. It’s shocking how expensive everything was, so it took me a while to settle on a good price for a tribal bead necklace, a soapstone bowl with the Big 5 depicted on it (since we saw the Big 5, after all!) and some colorful bracelets, which was a fun experience. I was interested to learn how the people picked spouses. Polygamy is common, but instead of the male choosing the wives, his parents choose the first one, then the first wife will select the second wife, then the existing two will pick the third one, and so on. Furthermore, it is the wives are required to build the huts and live in each one of them separately from each other. They have a very unique way of life.

Over the past several weeks, I have been doing a variety of work in the hospital that is more business/ accounting related- which I never thought I’d do! Mrs. Hong, who works in the business office, has sent me off on projects related to the bakery, laboratory, and the surgical department. I have been making so many spreadsheets, asking questions, and resolving questions while digging down to the root of the issue. It is good experience for me to have.

The next week after we went on safari, we actually were able to go on another vacation, including the Hong family, to the Victoria Sands Lodge right on Lake Victoria. We were able to spend a relaxing weekend there, taking a boat out to see Takawiri Island, and the Bird Islands, which were covered with all manner of bird species, and monitor lizards! We also hiked straight up a mountain that overlooked the village and lake below, providing us with a spectacular view as the sun began to set. 

This weekend, we just came back from a trip to the capital, Nairobi, to attend the AMEN Conference (Adventist Medical Evangelistic Network). Our very own Dr. Denny Hong was one of the speakers for the seminars, and much was learned from attending the meetings. Our SM friends from Tanzania at Heri Adventist Hospital, Michaela, Becky, and Erin, were able to fly out and spend time with the boys and I at the conference for the weekend! We were able to visit an elephant orphanage, in which we were able to pet the babies and watch them get bottle fed and play in the mud. 

Though it sounds like we have been able to have a lot of time off, we have been hard at work during the weekdays to accomplish projects, fix things, assist patients and staff, and help with the elementary school. We are still getting up early every morning to play soccer with the Ruby Kraft kids and assisting with Adventurers on Sabbath afternoons, along with babysitting the Hong’s three children and any kind of job or project that comes our way. 

Time is just flying by. I cannot believe that it is already October. It is still hot here… rumor has it that back at my home in North Carolina, it’s starting to get colder and the leaves are turning colors! Over here, we have perpetual summer, though the Kenyans think that 60s and 70s is cold, and that they’re “allergic” to it! I won’t mind missing part of the coldness of winter while I am over here in Africa, however.

Please continue to pray for this hospital and the surrounding schools!