The last few months we been busy! CURE Hospital (where i am stationed) closes two weeks before Christmas every year so shortly before Christmas, I visited a friend in Rwanda and we spent a couple days by some beautiful waterfalls in Uganda.
We came back to Kenya and two days later she left to visit another friend while I spent Christmas day in Kenya for the first time in my life. I visited friends and rested.
In Kenya, very little business happens after the second week in December so I basically had time off. In January, the country starts moving again and this year that included lots of politics! This is an election year for Kenya. Since the last elections in 2007 resulted in extreme violence, all missionaries were encouraged to stock up on necessary supplies in case we needed to stay in our houses for an extended time.
Praise the LORD there was minimal violence following the March 4th election and following court cases. In Kenya, if you want to contest an election result you take it to the supreme court and they will consider the evidence and make a decision. The presidential runner-up did take the results to court, but encouraged all Kenyans to remain peaceful. Easter Saturday, the supreme court announced that the results were valid and the winner was announced! PRAISE THE LORD there has been minimal violence!
I apologize about the sporadic nature of my posts. Sometimes, I sit down to write and get writer's block. Other times, I am so busy and stressed that I just forget.
Life is going fairly well. I am experiencing lots of what I feel is spiritual warfare. Work is going slow, but somethings are getting done.
LIKE......
THE LOCAL KNEE HAS THE KEBS CERTIFICATION MARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is so exciting because, as you know, I have been working on this for over a year!
In February, I finally got the chance to travel to Mombasa. It is like another country! The air is hot and humid. People walk at half the speed of those in other parts of Kenya and time is laid back. Mombasa was not part of Kenya before Kenya gained its independence. Mombasa originally belonged to the Amman but was included in the country after the British pulled out. Because of this, many natives of Mombasa do not consider themselves part of Kenya. This segregation is further intensified by the Kenyan Governments disregard for the area when it comes to allotting finances for development and infrastructure. The area is beautiful but there is a major shortage of fresh water. My reasons for travelling there were both business and pleasure. I needed to meet a LIMBS contact down there and see the facilities available for making prostheses. I spent half a Friday meeting with this individual and touring their facilities. They are the best I have seen in Kenya since I arrived. The rehabilitation Center even has a school for children who have to stay as inpatients for rehabilitation.
After finishing my business work, a friend of mine showed me around Mombasa and the Old Town Area. The view is beautiful from the wall by Fort Jesus.
We spent Friday night and Saturday on the coast and I got to go swimming in the ocean for the first time in three years! It felt SO GREAT! Ok, so I did have to watch out for sea urchins and be careful of riptides, but it was fun. I only wish I had my mask so I could see the fish better.
I really enjoyed the trip and was encouraged by the enthusiasm of my contact there.
February is also the month of my birth. I spent my birthday travelling to Meru with the CURE Mobile clinic. When my co-worker found out it was my birthday, he offered to go to the store and buy a cake. WELL, the icing on Kenyan cakes can be harder than rock. See my attempt to cut it below.
I eventually did get it cut open, but it gave us a good laugh! We even considered using the cast cutter if we had to!
After that trip, it was time to stay close to home in preparation for the elections. Even though the elections went peacefully, there was no guarantee of that peace beforehand. We had to be prepared for the worst because if things did get violent, we needed to be prepared.
Like I said before, the elections were peaceful.
I celebrated Easter with another missionary family and relaxed in the afternoon. I never thought Lamb and potatoes could taste SO good!
Life is settling back down to normal now.
Unfortunately, the stress has also gotten to me. For the last couple of weeks I have been stressed out trying to come up with a strategic plan for LIMBS in Kenya, pushing for progress in the assessment, and bridging the gap between Kenya and Texas.
In the week before Easter, I spent all-day Tuesday and part of Wednesday working from my house because I was afraid I might have an emotional breakdown.
I am not sure what is going on with me, whether it is hormones, stress, spiritual warfare, or a combination of all of them.
Some members of my family have told me just to return to the USA, but I know God has called me here and you will have trials and struggles no matter where you are. Plus, I am NOT a quitter. God will provide.
Prayer Requests and Praises are coming in the next post.....
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