Our first day of work

It is lunchtime at the hospital and we are taking a break to nourish our bodies and get ready to work more this afternoon. So much has happened in two short days.

On Sunday, we attended a local Swahili church service at St. Joseph United Methodist Church. The pews were packed and they kept making room for more as the service went on. By my best estimate, we had over 500 people in the building who were singing and praising God. Lots of good music and a wonderful service. We were actually able to sing the hymn "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" in Swahili with the Kenyans. The children are beyond precious. They are beautiful, dark skinned little children who seem to radiate joy even when they are hungry. It was a special time for us when they sang us songs and threw blessings to our team. We were encouraged to "catch" them and put them in our pockets, shoes, bags, and everywhere we could. They thought that was so cool!

After the church service, we were able to take a hike up a nearby mountain to see the water supply for the hospital where we are working. At the top of the mountain we saw an incredible water fall, banana trees, avacado trees, and many other lush tropical plants. We walked through tea crops and most surprising of all, there were palm trees all the way up the mountain beside the pine trees. Quite a sight to see, given there is no beach in sight! The country of Kenya is in a drought -- not like a Texas drought where we have to forgo watering our yards at certain times of day or endure brown grass on the side of the road. This drought has killed their crops and is causing starvation and dehydration. Just before we arrived, the hospital lost a 6 year old from malnutrition they fought very valliantly to save. His loss caused tears to be shed by our missionaries who see death all of the time. It is a hard time for this country.

This morning we began our day at 6:30 a.m. We arrived at the hospital for chapel service, which included communion with all of the employees. Shortly after we toured the hospital. My eyes filled with tears of joy and tears of sadness as we saw all of the good work going on here. However, there are many who cannot afford to pay for the care and they will die here. The hospital serves a population of 1 million in Maua and the surrounding villages. They serve the poorest of poor, but everyone has to pay something or the hospital cannot stay in business. The fees are posted on the walls. It costs $1 to see a nurse practitioner or $2 to see a doctor. Medicines, labs, maternity, etc. all cost additional monies. If a patient is going to be inpatient, they have to take off their clothes and put on a uniform for the duration of their stay. This ensures that they do not put on their clothes and walk out of the hospital with out paying. Sometimes, patients cannot pay and they must stay at the hospital until a family member comes and offers some type of payment. They have had one person stay almost a year.

We are all in awe of the medical personnel, the missionaries, and the staff who make this place run. God has given them opportunities to serve and they take that seriously. I, and my team, feel privileged to be part of this special outreach project and hope that together we can make a difference in the lives of some of these families.

There is so much more to write about the culture, the country, the problems, the blessings, and our travels. But for now I will end as we are off to work. God is good, all the time. We are blessed!