Goodbye, Tenwek

 This blog continues from the previous post on hellos and goodbyes. No need to worry about lacking closure here - it turns out Kenyans are excellent at farewells. I've received gifts, appreciation speeches, meals, dedicated prayer, four goodbye parties, and lots of hugs and handshakes over the last month. It's been so encouraging to feel valued and appreciated and blessed by these friendships with Kenyans and fellow missionaries. As is usually the case, "the people make the place." And that's the truth with thinking of leaving Kenya and with returning to the U.S. I'm most excited to see my family and friends. I'm most sad to leave my friends here. Of course I'm also looking forward to reliable internet and electricity, paved roads with generally followed traffic laws, clean water, cultural understanding, efficiency and convenience of everyday life, anonymity, favorite foods, and a break from the dramatic and often tragic life or death nature of practicing medicine in the developing world. Besides people, I will miss the challenge of hearing or speaking multiple languages per day, the simplicity of life where activities rarely are located more than a ten minute walk from my home, games with friends, the beautiful scenery and wildlife with perfect temperatures year round, chai time with the interns every morning, passion fruit and avocados, & fun and laughter with the children. Here's some pictures from the last week of goodbyes:

Eric and Jason leading worship our last Sunday at church

Kibet, one of our interns, invited us to his village home Saturday for chai and presented us with gifts of handmade calabash containers, pumpkin, and bananas.

More than just chai!

Anna, Maggie, and I at Kibet's house

Last day to round on pediatrics

Prayer for us at church on Sunday

The women's Bible study hosted a wonderful meal as a farewell for me at Carol Spear's lovely home. I'm going to miss these girls!

One last hike in the hills - the hill was quite steep coming down to this point, but these amazing women not only beat us to the bottom but did so with firewood, babies, and pangas (machetes).

Sunday morning breakfast at Barbara's

Bethesda AGC church hosted a music night as a farewell to those of us leaving and a welcome to those missionaries returning

Like I mentioned in my last update letter (send me a message to receive those by email), Kingdom work continues at Tenwek Hospital to fix what is broken and to bring hope and healing to the suffering. This baby was abandoned in a nearby village and brought to Tenwek by the police yesterday. It's the fourth baby to be abandoned in the last month. Other missionaries have been caring for these infants to the point of exhaustion, so as I'm finished with work, I offered to help out with this one. Peter Joseph (named by Tenwek missionaries) slept in my dresser drawer last night and did pretty well - he only woke up twice and he figured out how to drink a bottle. We estimate he's about 3 months old and has obviously only breastfed until now.

Please pray for his mother, wherever she is, and for strength and wisdom for those caring for this precious, adorable child of God as they decide where his next home will be.

CT scanner on arrival at Tenwek

The McLaughlins and I are leaving on a very momentous occasion - the official dedication of the first CT scanner for Tenwek Hospital - a day long awaited by many. Several important politicians are attending the festivities and the hospital has been scrubbed and freshly painted in preparation. This will be a significant change in the care available to patients. Please pray for wisdom for the medical staff and the administration with the many decisions involved in providing this service.

Newly completed radiology building for CT scanner

Tents ready for the celebration; new intern housing behind tents

Ribbon ready to be cut, me with two of the long term missionaries Pam Chupp and Alene Burgert

Another of the long term missionaries, Amy Bemm, with four of her seven children

Next blog post location: U.S.A!

Hellos and Goodbyes

Two weeks from today, I'll arrive back in the U.S.A. Some days it's hard to believe two years has passed so quickly. Other days I remember how much I have changed and others have changed and it seems longer than 2 years. The transition time is definitely bittersweet - saying goodbye to people, language, surroundings that have become quite familiar, but saying hello to family and friends and my home food and culture. I have accumulated quite a list of both things I will miss and things I will not miss as I head back to the States - maybe I'll share some of those items in a future blog. The goodbyes have definitely begun, but we have also enjoyed some recent hellos. Our friends the Roberts, Galats, and Whites all returned recently from a year in the States, so we have loved getting to enjoy meals and fun with their families again.

We continue to welcome new visiting doctors who provide lots of help in the hospital with patient care and medical education. It's especially beneficial for Tenwek Hospital to have extra help now as they lose 5 doctors at once with our team finishing our two year commitment. Please pray especially for more pediatric and obstetric doctors to be willing to come help in the months ahead. I welcomed my friend Allison to Kenya this month (ophthalmology) and decided to say hello and goodbye to the safari animals one more time with her. God's creation certainly is amazing!

Jackel, rhino, wildebeast, and zebra on the plains during the annual wildebeast migration

After winning the fight, the elephant on the left was still riled up and began to charge our safari vehicle! We quickly drove off and he gave up the chase. For a recent hospital story of the danger of elephants, click here.

Male and female ostriches

The interns came to my house for a pizza party on Wednesday night. Several of them were unfamiliar with pizza but they seemed to like it as it disappeared quickly! We enjoyed a hilarious game of Catch Phrase and had a wonderful time. I've loved getting to know this intern class through the intern Bible studies and through our interactions at the hospital. I'm sad to miss their graduation in January.

The Tenwek long term missionaries hosted a nice goodbye party for all of us leaving this month complete with gracious speeches appreciating each of us (speeches are very Kenyan and expected at big events - the interns even gave me an appreciation speech at my party the other night).

Our team at Tenwek is already shrinking as we said goodbye to the Cropseys a couple weeks ago. They're back in the States enjoying ice cream, fast food, and extended family. We look forward to seeing them again in Philadelphia at the end of September.

The McLaughlins hosted one last Tenwek Coffeehouse open mic night and everyone got into it. In fact all of the interns participated in a couple songs complete with traditional dancing. I enjoyed being the official photographer :)

And finally, some hellos:

We loved getting to meet our new colleagues and friends at the World Harvest Mission East Africa retreat last weekend. We won't officially become World Harvest missionaries until we attend assessment and orientation and are hopefully approved in September in Philly but we were invited to attend the retreat anyways. We really enjoyed getting to know these like minded missionaries from Uganda, South Sudan, and Kenya and look forward to future interactions with them in the years to come.

Maggie and I at the retreat - I'm really going to miss the McCropder children next year, but I can't wait to say hello to my nephew and niece in Philadelphia next month: Samuel and Emma!

Pics from the week

McCropder Team (MClaughlins, CROPseys, FaDER, PfistER)

View from the hospital

L (see below blog) came back to ortho clinic Wednesday from Mfangano Island. She's so excited to be walking without crutches and without a limp! We're thankful to the donors from the States who made her surgery possible. Her life will look so different now. Praise the Lord!

Another C section this morning. I'm trying to get some extra practice in while I can!

Every day as I walk home for lunch I'm greeted by the pre-K classes from the local school on their way home. They enthusiastically practice their two English phrases, "How are you? I am fine." And then they all want to shake my hand. Aren't they adorable in their uniforms? :)

Views of the hospital

Sunrise from my kitchen window

Tenwek missionaries. I'm so thankful for this community over the last 2 years.

Playtime at Aunt Alyssa's

Local wildlife

Araka and Maureen (interns) hosted the women's intern Bible study this week and even made mandazis (like doughnuts but not as sweet). I'm so encouraged to see the interns participating in and even leading the study now.