Sorry I have not updated in a while. At first, I was really busy and then, I got writer’s block. Life is pretty much going on as normal and I didn’t want to bore you with the mundane details.
However, sometimes it takes a shock to clean out the cobwebs. Yesterday, I saw a man that had been killed in a road accident as I was traveling by bus in Nairobi. The face was covered and a pool of blood was around the body. I just saw it in passing, but it still gave me a jolt.
Things have been progressing with the evaluation that I am trying to get going. Typical communication challenges.
There are 3 new orthopedic Technologist Interns in the department where I work at AIC-CURE Children’s Hospital. One of even is even a female! It is nice to have another lady, Margaret, in the department. One of the other interns gave me a blast from the past. He remembers when my church sent a team I was in to the Hope Center in Kimatha slum in Kenya in 2003. He was one the students in the VBS we conducted there. He could tell me the names of his teachers and the game leader. I showed him my pictures from that time and he told me what had happened to each of them, which of the older helpers had died, and how the place had changed since the last time I was there.
Big Update: The components that I have been waiting for from China for the evaluation have arrived. Now I just have to package all the supplies and ship them to the various testing locations. This may sound simple, but, it has taken me over a week to assemble all the supplies needed without including the stuff in the newly arrived shipment. I am hoping now that the overseas shipment has arrived things will go more quickly.
PRAYER REQUEST: I found out this week that there are some communication issues at one of the testing locations; something to do with the communication protocol. I thought this had been worked out last year, but apparently not. Please pray that God’s Will be done and the He would be glorified in this situation.
Emotionally, I’m doing alright although I miss being at my parent’s house for my birthday. The strange thing is that I have not been there for my birthday for the last 6 years. Culture adjustment is not rational!
This weekend I went to visit some friends in Limuru. It was nice to get away for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. Yesterday, we went to the Nairobi Safari Walk. Some of the animals were not out but it was cool to see a lot of animals up close. The Safari walk was like a small zoo and nature walk put together. You could get really close to the lions, crocodiles, rhino, and jaguar. However, the African buffalo, white zebra, and warthogs were quite a way off. Safety procedures were in place to keep the wildlife and humans from mingling. The only exception to this was the baboons which are native to the area and move about the area like squirrels and rabbits would at a zoo in the States. The baboons have plenty of food to steal from other animals so they don’t bother the human observers. Some of their babies looked so cute and I thought it would be fun to hold them. I know, however, that this is not possible or wise because they are wild animals and are VERY protective of their babies.
Today, I went to church with my friend. The service was entirely in Kikuyu (which I don’t speak). My friend translated some of it for me. It was an interesting experience!
The most memorable thing actually happened before the service, a young boy asked me, “Are you God?” I quickly answered “NO”. I guess he hasn’t seen too many white people and most of the pictures of God and Jesus show them as white.
I will post prayer requests and praises soon!
