Keeping Life New: "Kwa Heri"

Well, the Kenya chapter in my adventure is over. By now each member of the team has reached his home state here in the U.S. and civilian life as we individually know it, goes on.

This past month spent in Kenya has been amazing. I've seen a lot, experienced a lot, and met a lot of people. I've learned that I have the stomach to be a doctor if I ever decide to pursue that field. I've learned that I can easily adjust to life in a different country and that language isn't too hard to pick up either. I'm sorry that I couldn't keep you updated during the trip. I cannot go back now and write about every individual experience but I am able to finally show you pictures! These pictures are of big events and the things that were most meaningful to me. Enjoy! Thank you for your support and prayers - I was never sick on this trip. :)

THE SCHOOL

(The school has one classroom for each grade, an office room,

and a dirt yard where the kids play.)

(The children wash their hands before every meal.)

(We dearly love the school children and did just about everything they asked to make them happy.)

UNIFORM DAY!!!! :)

(The children were washed in these tubs. Boys first and then girls.)

(These children were given a full uniform,

from underwear and socks to new shoes and a backpack.)

FIELD DAY

Today we took the kids on a field day. It was hard to walk 90 pre-schoolers through the streets but the teachers kept them in good order. Our leader had chosen a large, fenced-in area for our field day. We gave the kids "footballs," jump-rope, bubbles, fed them their first slices of watermelon, and even taught them how to sack race. Field day, or now, Fun Day was a success.

IN STEP

(The "baby orphanage"

for abandoned children.)

(One of the bedrooms. See the 3 story bunk bed?)

(This swing holds a dozen kids. Efficient.)

(Dining Room when empty.)

(Dining Room when full.)

(These children are precious. It was so hard to leave them.)

CLINICS

(Our nurse set up the clinics and ran the medicine distribution tables. We served hundreds of people at each of our three, one day clinics.)

(I was shown how to help with wound care.)

MICHELLE

(This little girl stuck with me all day during one of our clinics. The kids said her mother was down the street; I never saw her. One of the ways we bless people at the clinics is by giving them hats for their babies. It gets cold at night on the mountain. One of the Pastors told me to pick out a hat for "my baby" also. About 2 1/2. Isn't she sweet?)

(She fell asleep in my arms so I asked some Kenyan ladies to help me tie her on. I fed her that muffin for lunch when she woke up. I just know that she would have fit perfectly in my suitcase but my team said I had to leave her behind when we left. Along with so many things.....)

SAFARI

Of course, we saw some wildlife during our stay.