RePosting a Kenyan Missionary's thought about the Nairobi Terrorist Attack

I've been thinking about what to post concerning last weekend's terrorist attack in Nairobi.  Having just moved here to Kenya a little over a month ago, the radical Jihadist attack hits a little closer to home...literally.  Thankfully, none of our missionaries were at Westgate mall, although it is a place frequented by many.  In fact, Erin shopped there the day after we arrived, and planned on returning every six weeks or so throughout our two years here.
I came across a blog posting from our friends here, Mike and Katie Davis, that puts into words exactly how we feel and what we believe regarding our desire to serve here.  I've re posted it, as I'm not sure I could come up with a better description.  Thanks Katie for being a terrific author.


This weekend was almost perfect.  It was warm and sunny, we had a full family day hiking to the river, seeing the hydro-electric dam that generates power for Tenwek, meeting some Kenyan kids to play with, a skype call with Michael's sister.  And then a notification from the US Embassy: Do not go to Westgate Mall. Shooting. Al-Shabab. Sheer terror.

If that notification went unnoticed, the weekend could have been so nice. For us in isolation.
But we don't live in isolation.  Bad news really does affect us.  We were in that shopping mall and the Nakumatt supermarket that is under siege exactly two weeks ago stocking all our supplies.  When I lay my children down to sleep at night, it's on pillows purchased in that holed up terror hideout. I cover them with blankets bought in the upper isolated back corner of that store, where I don't know if I saw an emergency exit or not.

I wish that image were not in my head. We were trained for this in pre-field so I feel even the simulated surge of panic rush my veins. I wish it were just daisies and roses and not really happening.  This is the third day of it.

We are pushed to examine our motives for being here again.  God, is this where you want us?
But Sunday came and I had a commitment to go to church with our house-helper, Peris.  Peris has been leading Bible studies for women together with another missionary for 8 years now.  They train women to teach other women the Scriptures and when they have memorized 18 verses, they are given their own Kipsigis language Bible.  I knew it was important day for them, but I had no idea how important.  So yesterday I got to go to a Kipsigis church service that lasted 5 hours for these 83 women to receive their first Bible.  That was why I was here.

They put a graduation gown on us and all 83 women had sashes and uniform for graduation.  We marched in singing and processing.  I wanted to duck into the first empty seat possible, but being dubbed “line leader” they had me sit on the dirt floor platform with the other leaders for the ceremony.  Thankfully I knew a little bit of what to expect from a Kenyan church ceremony event.  I needed to make an official greeting and short word to the congregation so I told them I also just graduated from my Bible study at Emmanuel Christian Seminary in the USA and my professor was a Kenyan, even a member of their tribal family the Kalenjin. And I needed to sit there for five hours.  The hundred or so children would stand outside quiet and still too as they waited to see their mamas awarded.  And there was singing. Oh there was singing and singing and singing.  These folks got their praise on yesterday.  They sang “I know that Jesus has loved me” over and over in Kipsigis language.

If my Internet was able, I’d upload a video of the singing.   They got their names called up and I handed the Bible to them with two hands because a gift is given and received with two thankful hands in Kenya.  Then I shook hands just like President Sweeney did for me at Emmanuel Christian Seminary graduation a few months ago. And then the families put garlands of shiny tinsel around their necks and the paparazzi took phone photos with intensity. And then they sang some more.  They sang in Kipsigis “Thank you Linda, God sent you from America to bring us this Bible”.  (Linda is the missionary whose home we are residing in this year while she is on furlough, and who gives me the honor of hosting the women’s Bible study training in the home too)

It was intense, and it was real.  They were so grateful to receive their own Bible, like you wouldn’t believe.  But we do believe.  We do believe that the Word became flesh and resided among us so that we could receive His Life that is truly Life.  And it is an awesome thing to consider.  So that when terror strikes, I can recite over and over and over again “I know that Jesus has loved me” and that is where my life is.  Even if I’m holed up in my deepest fear of dying in Wal-mart, a senseless death or tragic waste, that Jesus has loved me and given his death defeating Life to me is enough.  I have to remember that.

In truth, my heart and flesh cry out for the safety and comforts of an easy peaceful life.  And he answers back to me that I have already died with Christ and my life is hid with Him.  Is there anything safer or more comforting than those Mighty Outstretched Arms that reached down to rescue me already?
Even if I made my bed in Hell, still there He would find me. (Ps. 139)

So we press on, living by faith and not by fear.

Taking care of patients.

Erin has done a good job at detailing how life looks around the house.  I thought that I'd try to describe a typical day at the hospital, as well as show some pictures of interesting patients I've run across in the one month I've been at Tenwek.

I usually wake up around 5:30 am and start my day early.  Three important things need to happen before I leave the house at 7:00.  1) Coffee.  2) Spend time studying the Bible and keeping my relationship up with God.  3) Utilize the faster internet (not a lot of users at this hour) and quiet house to get any odds and ends done.

Just before 7:00 I make the 5 minute walk up the hill to the hospital.  The bumpy dirt road is pretty steep, and after a month of this morning exercise, I'm no longer sucking wind once I reach the hospital. From 7-8 I make rounds with the residents.  Our team is made up of 3 residents, 2 interns, me, and one other consultant (attending surgeon) named Dr. Odera.  Usually we have a list of 20-30 surgery patients.  (If you do the math that equals 2 minutes per patient...so we move quick.)  There is another surgery team with another 20-30 patients, headed up by the other attendings.

The 8:00 hour is educational time, usually filled with M&M, a lecture, devotions or a case presentation. Surgery begins at 9:00, and depending on the day we will do between two to five cases during normal working hours.  Some cases are scheduled from the office, many are on patients admitted to the hospital through the ER (we call it casualty).  Most common so far...skin grafts for burns, exploratory laparotomies (abdominal surgery), three field esophagectomies for cancer, and thyroidectomies for goiters.

After the first case of the day we break for morning chai, which I have come to LOVE!!  If the first case is long and we miss the 10:00 chai time, someone usually brings a thermos of chai to the room so we don't miss out.  (No drinking during the case...we just don't want our chai to be drank by the other OR rooms.)  Lunch is from 1:00 to 2:00 and if I'm available, I will head home to eat with the family.

After lunch I'll head back to the hospital for more surgery.  We have an evening signout at 5:30 with the residents and they update me on the events of the day on the ward.  I head back down the hill around 6 and we have dinner at 6:30.  So far...the perfect job.
Clinic days are Thursdays, and I spend the whole day in the office seeing patients.  Speaking of patients, here are a few of the interesting cases I've come across thus far.

Here is a Maasai man who is showing off his scar after being operated on because he was gored by a "bison."  He was shepherding his cattle on the Maasai Mara game preserve (shouldn't be there!!) when he was chased down and gored by a bison, or as we Americans call it, a water buffalo.  He presented to the hospital with his small intestine hanging out, but nothing else injured.  Here he is post op, asking when he can go back to work.

This is a lady with a neck mass arising from her parotid gland.  She was able to afford a CT scan, which shows the extent of the mass.  I'm suspecting a lymphoma and the biopsy is pending.  

Now this is something you don't see much of in the U.S.  This is a Madura foot, caused by a longstanding fungal infection.  We were thinking maybe sarcoma, but the XRAY is about as odd looking as the foot.  The visiting radiologist told me his initial though was "Why did they XRAY this foot with the cast still on." We amputated his leg because no matter what the diagnosis, it was non functional.

 The big organ you see here is a spleen.  A normal spleen is about the size of your fist and it sits nicely under your ribs on the left side of your abdomen.  This guy's was extending all the way down into his pelvis.  It was so big that he complained he couldn't eat because he would get full too fast. There was no room in his belly for anything else.  Each surgery team took out a huge spleen on this particular day.

Here is my team.  Head nurse on the left, first assistant on the right, and scrub techs in the front.  I just need to find something for Tucker to do.

Thanks for all your support and prayers as we continue to serve in Kenya.  Many people are hearing the gospel and growing in their faith because of the great care that everyone provides at Tenwek Hospital.  I'm blessed to be a part of the team.

Pictures of our Place

Some of you have asked about pictures of our apartment, so here they are! As a fun little side note, there is at least one member of our family in every picture, if you can find them!

This is the school room. It is tiny, but it fits Cole and I!

The school table

This is the living room, taken from the dining room

A different view of the living room, the dining room is on the other side of the fire place and the open door you see is the school room.

This is Cole and Cooper's room

The other side of C and C's room

This is AJ and Tuck's room

The other side of A and T's room (the white things you see hanging are mosquito nets

The Bright Blue bathroom!

Eric and my room

The dining room

The kitchen (the door leads out to the ally) 

The kitchen from the other side

The ally in the back of the apt. We have a little storage room kind of by where AJ is standing, on the right. The open door is the apt door on the left.

Side view. We are the bottom apt. The big black thing is our rainwater tank.

Front door view

Another view of the dining room.

There you have it, folks! Our Kenyan abode! 

A (hopefully not) normal day

While overall we are settling in well, lest you think all is rosy and perfect over here in Africa-land, let me fill you in on our day on Friday.

6:15- Wake up and do my devos in the nice quiet. That was the last quiet moments I was gonna get.

6:45- One munchkin awakens and wakes up the whole crew...who really aren't ready to face the day quite yet

6:50- I try to get a shower, but hear shrieks and utter despair coming from my one-year old who is being held captive by my helpers, lest he join me in the shower. 

8:30- Breakfast is done, all four children have cried (some multiple times), heads have been shwacked, towers knocked over, skin scraped off, scooters ridden (and crashed), bandaids applied, lunch prep done (main meal of the day), diapers thrown in washer, and now it is time to walk Cooper to school...is there time for me to take a nap? Nope. Put the baby in the carrier, round up children, help with shoes, lock every door in the house, re-round up children, and take off. Watch out children, don't step in that donkey poop. Or run face-first into that donkey, watch where you are walking! 

Walk Cooper to school (10 minute walk up the hill).

Drop him off, grab some carrots from a neighbor, walk 10 min back down the hill. 

9:15- Put Tucker down for nap. (yes, he is now back to a morning nap. or else Cole would leave 2nd grade knowing less than when he started) Give AJ something to do. Involving scissors. Desperation people! 

Try to get Cole motivated to write (his least favorite part of school)

Take AJ to bathroom.

Coerce Cole into writing by showing him cool stuff on Google maps. 

Answer the door. Lose Cole in the process. 

Try to finish our work in the 90 min. before we have to be back up to pick up Cooper. Fail.

Hang diapers on the line.

Get baby up. 

Give everyone a snack. 

10:50- Head back up the hill to pick up Cooper. Yeah! Poop is now gone, one less thing to step in. Drop Tucker off with Stephanie. 

11:00- Read to the 3 year-old--2nd graders. (more accurately, read to the K-2nd graders while the 3 year olds poke them, throw dirt and roll around on the blanket.) Try to keep children focused on the book and not the chameleon resting on 2nd graders shoulder. 

11:30- Send 2nd graders to math, watch left-over children. Fetch drinks, break up fights, take children to bathroom, rescue those stuck in trees. 

12:15- Pry my own children away from their friends, walk home, try to make lunch. Children screaming, falling, hitting, crying, trying to steal food, one year old  spilling water out of water filter, pulling every utensil out of drawer including 6 long scary knives, that thankfully 5 year old brother took from him, (who put them in that drawer?? Not me!).

1:00 Get lunch on table, children in house, hands washed, no Eric-just starting a case, one year old throws all forks on the floor,pick them up, pass out food, go get napkins, go get drinks, go heat up bread, return, pray for food, kids eat food, I eat food, one year old throws food, children scatter. Bring children back to clean up. Wash dishes (househelper has day off)

1:30- Get 3 year old in bed. One year old still wreaking havoc on house. Big boys outside. 

SO TIRED. Dare I sit down?

Yes, for 2 min. 

Phone call.

Phone repair man.

Send big boys to PE. 

Realize it is raining. OH NO! DIapers on the line. Go rescue them.

Make pizza crust. Make cookie dough. 

Big boys come home.

LIttle one goes down.

Friends come to play. 

Three year old gets up.

One year old gets up. 

Snacks all around.

Friends leave.

Make dinner.

Children destroy house, but not each other.

Husband comes home to the rescue.

Eat dinner. 

Tame the savage beasts.

Put them to bed. 

Fall into chair, exhausted. 

Tomorrow is Saturday. Hooray!!