Only in Kenya we've got Internet!

Hi everyone! Sorry we took so long to update, but here are a couple of blog posts from our team members (:

July 4th

Planes, trains and automobiles…. and taxis and boats!!!
Our stopover in Amsterdam gave us quite the adventure. After a day exploring Amsterdam, we were ready to take the train back to the airport to catch our connecting flight…. We planned to head back at 6 BUT, the train had broken down! Amsterdam was beautiful but not too tourist friendly….we couldn’t find anyone that could help us…the bus drivers knew their own route only. Anyway, we did manage to get back to catch our connecting flight with time to spare….we experienced almost every type of transportation possible!!
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WE’RE HERE!!!! WE’RE HERE! WE’RE HERE!!

I can’t believe we’re here!!! It was a very very long day but we are finally in Eldoret! It’s amazing here! We saw zebras and crazy baboons running after our mini-buses…I think I was the only one that thought they were kind of creepy looking…and did NOT want them to come into our bus!! And we met our host . family, Bishop and his wife, Florence…finally faces to names! Their whole family have been very welcoming and it feels like a good place to call home for the next 3 weeks. We took yesterday to rest and then today we’re getting going on setting up the medical clinics! All these months of planning and wow…I can’t believe the day has come! Wow. Thanks again for all the prayer and support! God is Good. :)
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Here at LAST!!! After a long and long and long journey lol we are finally in Eldoret, Kenya. MAN thank God we made it after all the complications we had. Kenya is BEAUTIFUL, I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve God here. Well one thing we are learning already is that nothing is possible without God and the strength and power of prayer. Well there is still 3 weeks so still lots of wonderful and weird things to be seen and do!!
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July 8th

Hard to believe it’s only been a week…the start was slow cuz we were just prepping but we’re finally into our clinics and it’s been crazy busy. Our host family is awesome, they have welcomed us so warmly that we all feel like part of the family. The Bishop has a great sense of humor and keeps us rolling with laughter, but he’s also a man with deep compassion and conviction…truly inspiring. Oh yeah, the family has goats and sheep that graze in the backyard…lol…so every night we are serenaded by baa baa baa.

The depth of poverty here is overwhelmingly heartbreaking. Every day we pass by people sitting in the streets, some selling goods, some just plain sitting and staring…this included men, women and children. What struck me most were women who would tend to 3-4 cobs of corn cooking over hot coals…it appears they would sit there all day in the baking sun…I have yet to find out how much a corn on the cob would cost but I would bet it’s not very much. We haven’t been to the IDP camps or slum areas yet – I hope I can handle it. That’s it for now.
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Horray! Internet! I’ve been dying to update our blog so as to keep you all in the loop! Anyway, we’ve been here for a week and everything has been fantastic! Clinic started two days ago and the first day was a little rough…trying to sort meds and run the pharmacy and all. I believe we saw around 116 people for the first day. We made some changes and improvements for the pharmacy and the second day we managed to see 275 people! Just incredible.

Our host family has a couple of animals in the backyard and I went out one morning to look at them. There’s this white goat that kneeled down on its two front legs like it was praying, so I named it Praise. We thought it was unique but then found out that all the goats do that so as to get closer to the grass and eat it. Meh. I still love Praise. J But everyone is thinking of eating Praise… (Don’t worry. I’ll break her outta there and ride her back to Canada. [and Cynthia says she’ll help but we can’t both fit on Praise so I guess she’ll ride on her warthog, Pumbaa])

I cannot even begin to describe life here in Kenya. Every day we ride through town to get to the church and to see the poverty here is extremely disheartening. I know we hardly get a chance to talk or interact with the patients that come through the clinic because we’re so busy, but to see each and every one of their faces and know that they all have a different story, different struggles…it just makes me want to work harder and do more. Not just for them but also for God. Anyway, that’s it for now. Thanks for all your prayers everyone!
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It is great to be back home! But after speaking with the people, they still remember what happened last year with the post-election violence. The church was in the middle of the battle field where one side would be fighting the other. During that time, the church housed a thousand people, but soon had to send them to the police station when people threatened to burn down the church. It is surreal to be here and know that such gruesome things have happened in the past. But it is also good to see how God is working in people and changing their hearts and seeing tribes come together again.

Aside from all that, the team is doing well. We are all being good and taking our malaria pills together. However, I choose to forget mine in my room during dinner time and steal other peoples. But my plan is to use up theirs and then when they have no pills left, I will sell mine to them.

(Karen thinks she’s going to save Praise the Goat from being dinner on the 24^th, but we all know different. It will be the yummiest dinner we have here!)

But in all seriousness, God is doing wonders here and it is truly by His grace that these clinics are happening. None of us are pharmacists, but we’ve been able to be organized and give out medicine accordingly. It is by God’s grace that we have been able to see more than 500 people in the last 3 days. Every experience has taught us to trust in God and know that the only reason why any of this can go on is because of Him. Thank you for your prayers!
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It’s been quite the journey the last few days. It’s been about a week since we began this journey; we were very blessed with all the support from the send off from YVR. The journey across the country was long and tiring and it was so good to land in Kenya. It was actually warmer in Vancouver than Kenya when we landed. Fanta tastes sooooo good here. The Swahili language is so beautiful; it’s got a great rhythm and flow to it. The pace of life is totally different, there isn’t the same sense of rush that we have in N. America, even when we were rushed ….really it wasn’t that rushed.

We’ve eaten breakfast everyday (crazy for half of us) and eaten really well. The food is so good. The Bishops and mama’s place has been so hospitable. It has been a blessing. Despite all the busyness, I have found that there is a lot of opportunity to spend with God. There is a different feeling here, time to meditate and you can sense God working in this country. There are so many churches, churches all over the place. The days at the clinics have been ridiculously busy by the end of the day you don’t even realize the time has gone by so quickly. We’ve been helped so much by the members of the church here in Eldoret, the translation and zeal to help of 3 of the young people Jeff, Steve and James is something we are so grateful for as we have seen over 500 people. We hope that they will be able to come to the IDP camps and Western Kenya with us next week.

God is working, and it’s amazing to be able to be a part of it. Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray for us as the days are packed with busyness. I love it here.

-Aaron
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