Full Circle

The Femural IM Nails I helped modify while at Cedarville.

This week I had the opportunity to travel to Tenwek Hospital near Bomet. Many of you may not know, but this is the hospital we partnered with during my senior design project, resizing and reverse engineering femoral Russel-Taylor nails.
My goal during this trip was to introduce the LIMBS Knee system to Tenwek. However, after discussing with the prosthetic in Tenwek, I realized that the hospital has a steady supply of donated prosthetic components and therefore the LIMBS Knee would be more expensive for patients instead of the free donated components. All was not lost though, I was able to see the finished modified Russell-Taylor Nails. This was important to me because inventorying and shortening the nails was my part of the senior design project and these nails were like my babies! I was almost brought to tears when I saw the results of my hard work; the use of the nails by those who need them most.

Me and Samuel, the person in charge of the
orthopedic implants at Tenwek.

God works in strange ways. While I was looking at the nails, a Japanese missionary nurse approached me and asked if I had had anything to do with modifying the nails. I told her I had, she asked if she could take my picture and went to get her camera. After she took several pictures on her IPad, we struck up a conversation. At the time, I didn’t understand why she had tears in her eyes. However, later, when she emailed the pictures to me she explained how much of an encouragement I had been to her. We had been talking about the challenges of organization in Kenya (and the hospitals in particular) and apparently she had just returned to find the extensive organization work she had done in the basement destroyed by a renovation project. When we were talking, I had no idea just how much my words of frustration about trying to keep things organized and my compliments on how organized the sterile storage room looked would mean to her at that moment. I am not by nature an encourager, but God knew this nurse really needed encouragement at that precise moment. All glory goes to GOD!

I stayed in Tenwek an extra day so I could catch a ride with someone leaving for Nairobi at 5am on Thursday.  Therefore, I spent the day sorting and inventorying prosthetic components for Tenwek’s Rehab Department.

Some of the organized prosthetic components
(and rotary grinder on right).

Prosthetic Department at Tenwek.
(That is a standard size oven)

Bright and early on Thursday morning, we left for Nairobi. By 8:30 am I had been dropped in Mai Mahu (which translated means “Hot Water”), the town below Kijabe and was awaiting a piki-piki (motorbike) to carry me up the hill. By 9am, I was back in Kijabe and working at CURE Hospital. That evening I made a cake for a friend and attended praise team rehearsal.

Friday, I went into Nairobi to meet with a patient. The meeting didn’t work out but I did get to meet an incredible missionary couple transitioning between ministry locations.

It had been a busy week, but a fulfilling one.

Prayer Requests

• There is a terrible cold virus going around Lower Station, Kijabe. Please pray that those who have caught the virus will get better quickly.
• My support is low. Please pray for God's provision.
• Please pray for my work here. I have been in Kenya almost 2 years now and yet I am still working on a project that was supposed to take 6 months and only a handful of patients have even used the LIMBS Knee. Please pray that I will know what to do and how to do it.
• Because of the frustrations mentioned in the previous request, I have bee feeling discouraged. Please pray for my emotional stability and moods. \
• I am planning to visit the USA in November-December. Please pray that the details would be ironed out.

Praises

• Praise God I have my voice back. I have had a cold for the last two and a half weeks and the incident with the policeman (refer to previous post) caused me to lose my voice. I was frustrated at not being able to sing, but now I can again!
• Praise God for providing transportation for my trips this week and safety while I was travelling.
• Praise God for Missionary Friends and community.
• Praise God for my cat, Tiger. He provides my with companionship, but also keeps away the vermin. 
• Praise God for faithful supporters who support me and the ministry both in prayer and finances.