Bring your love to life inside of me

Hello friends!  I have decided to keep up with blogging.  We'll see how it goes.  I know it won't be filled with anymore pictures of lions and orphanages, but hopefully you will still find it worth the read.  I was moved to share with you about a song I heard today on KLOVE.  For those of you who don't know, KLOVE is a contemporary Christian music station that can probably be found in the city where you live.  Anywho, the song is called "love come to life" and its by Big Daddy Weave.  This song may not be that new to you, but remember, I was in Kenya for 2 months, so its new to me :)  Below you can find some of the lyrics from the song:

I've been restless on the iside

wondering about this heart of mine

I've been desperately trying to find

A way to prove that I'm still alive

Has the love I speak so loudly of quietly grown cold

Has my life been an empty voice?

What I say needs to be seen

I need to step out and make the choice

To let go of everything

Would you reignite this heart spark here in the dark?

Bring you love to life inside of me

Why don't you break my heart til it moves my hands and feet

For the hopeless and the broken

For the ones that don't know that you love them

Bring your love to life inside of me

I love how this song challenges us to reignite our love and passion for God.  I love the part where it states "what I say needs to be seen."  I recall the scripture from 1 John 3:18 "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."  And I pray that my honest prayer can be for God to break my heart until it moves my hands and feet.  James 2:17 tells us, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it does not prove itself with actions, is dead."  It is easy for us to hear a song, see something on the news, or even experience first hand the needs of others and be emotionally moved.  But perhaps God is calling us to action...to be physically moved.  What if we all stopped saying, "thats for someone better qualified to do."  We serve a God with limitless power.  What if we allowed him to use his power through us.  God bless you and Merry Christmas!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrRbPU8YRxs&ob=av2n

Blessings

Well, I am officially back in the ol' routine.  Back in the U.S. almost completely adjusted to the time difference and back to studying and the normal chores that accompany my life as a wife and student.  Surprisingly, the change in time has been the easiest adjustment.  I have talked with Kelly since returning, and it seems that we are both experiencing a bit of culture shock.  Weird huh? Two Americans experiencing culture shock in the United States. As I was driving to meet my parents at the mall on Monday, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.  There I was driving my 2010 Toyota Highlander, wearing my favorite pair of boots that were given to me for my birthday last year (easily over $100), wearing my wedding band and engagement ring (which I decided not to take to Kenya), and my pair of Maui Jim sunglasses.  I had the realization that the value of my outfit that day could easily pay for food, a surgical procedure, or even a cow for a family to milk in Kenya.  I remember being young and going to Camp Cowen for the summer.  You leave after a week of fellowship and growing in your relationship with Christ "on fire" for God.  Sure, it stays with you for a few weeks, maybe even a few months, but the fire eventually fizzles and you are back where you were before.  I pray that the lessons I learned while in Africa stay with me for a lifetime.  I always want to be reminded of how little some have, and how much God has blessed me.  I pray that I always think twice about buying things in excess and think more about what great things God could do with my time and my money.  I realized that everything I have has been graciously given to me by God.  I'm not sure why he decided to give to me as he has, but I now realize that nothing I own is mine, it has all been entrusted to me.  I realize now that as long as I know from where my blessings flow and try and glorify God in all aspects of my life, there is no need to feel guilty about my blessings.  I have also learned that although the people of Bomet have much less than we have, they are still blessed.  They are more appreciative than anyone I have ever met.  They allow themselves to trust God daily for their needs, and I hope that I can learn to do the same. 

Search me, oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24

All Good Things...

Well, our African adventure is almost at its end.  I appologize that I haven't blogged in a while, but as you can imagine, technology has its struggles here sometimes.  We have been without internet for about a week.  We have had some bad rain storms and I heard that a tower was down.  Anywho, I would like to fill you all in on what has been going on here at Tenwek in the last week.

As mentioned in previous blogs, Kelly is now in Pediatrics and I have been in general surgery (although there is nothing "general" about the surgeries performed here).  I have scrubbed in on various procedures including esophagectomies (this area is a hot spot for esophageal cancer), bowel resections, 3rd and 4th degree burn debridement, VP shunt placement, removal of a lipomyelomeningocele (which in the states would be done by a neurosurgeon), tumer excisions, and the list goes on and on.  I have also had the personal challenge of managing the patients in the mens surgical ward....talk about responsibilities!  There has been a doctors strike in the country of Kenya which has led to some healthcare shortages in government hospitals and even at Tenwek.  Not everyone at Tenwek is under the government, but some are, which lead to an increased need for accessible healthcare and people like me having to step up and do things that we may not always feel adequate enough to do.  I have been getting up at 5 every morning and prerounding on my pre and post op surgical patients, ordering lab studies, imaging, writing discharges, seeing patient's in the outpatient clinic, perscribing meds, and admitting patients.  I would be lying if I said that I was excited when they told me what all I would be doing, but the Lord has been faithful and never left my side.  I was never asked to do something that I didn't feel comfortable with, and I could always find help, whether it be in the form of translation or obtaining clinical guidance.  Needless to say, this rotation has been one of many challenges, personal growth, and feeling like the Lord has used me to make some kind of an impact.

Kelly and I also got to go to another orphanage called "Umoja".  We had such a great time!  There were about 40 kids there that ranged from the age of 2 all the way to 17.  When we arrived, they introduced themselves, sang us songs, and recited their favorite bible verse from memory.  I have never seen such disciplined kids!  Kelly and I were accompanied by our friends Patsy and Rachel.  Patsy told the kids a cool story about candy canes and how they tell the story of Christ's coming to earth.  Then we had picture time which the kids (and adults) LOVE.  They love to have their pictures taken and then want to see the result on the digital screen.  Below are a few pictures of our time at Umoja. 

Me, Patsy, and Rachel with all the kids at Umoja

Pretty girl :)

The kids singing silly songs and dancing



Anyone notice anything weird about this picture?  Kelly had no idea!  Oh the joys of Kenya!

Kelly and I have made some great friends while at Tenwek.  Laura, Joanna, and Carolyn have become dear friends of ours.  Joanna and Carolyn even had us over to their apartment on a few occasions to get a break from the guest house food (it was a welcomed change!)  These two ladies have a garden where they seem to have a never ending plethera of sweet potatoes.  What do you do with tons of sweet potatoes?  You make sweet potato pie, caserole, cookies, and our big group accomplishment.....SWEET POTATO POPTARTS!  We spent a Friday evening baking, listening to Christmas music, and swapping stories.  What great friendships the Lord has blessed us with while here at Tenwek!

Pizza night at Joanna and Carolyn's



Laura and Joanna made scones!



Kelly and the guest of honor...The Sweet Potato!

I also had the pleasure of celebrating my 26th (yikes) birthday in Kenya!  It was by far one of my most memorable birthdays.  Vince and Dolly, who are like another set of grandparents here at Tenwek, made a special birthday dinner for me and invited about 15-17 people to come and celebrate.  We had turkey noodle soup which was delicious! We also had brownies, ice cream (which is hard to come by here) with chocolate topping, whip cream, and cherries.  People made me homemade birthday cards, and Patsy and David even gave me some shillings so I can do some last minute shopping on our way to Nairobi.  I couldn't help but be amazed at how God has a way of bringing people together...this time 2 months ago I didn't even know these people, and here I was celebrating my birthday surrounded by genuine people who succeeded in making me feel special. 





All the ladies

Kelly and I and the birthday card she made for me :)



Kelly and I with Vince and Dolly

 I decided to put together a little list of things I have learned while in Africa.  Enjoy! And thanks again for all your love and support during this journey.  We have had an amazing time, but we look forward to heading back home to be with our families :)  God is so good and his presence is felt all over Tenwek Missionary Hospital.

Things I've Learned While in Africa:

• Weekends seem longer without television
• Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder
• God is the same no matter what continent you are on or what language you speak
• Healthcare screening is essential
• It's okay to stare at Mzungus
• Not everyone is the same as me
• Don't order something unfamiliar off of a menu (you may end up with intestines- Kelly!)
• Malaria prophylactic pills WILL make you nauseous, so take them with dinner
• Mosquito nets can be somewhat cozy and comforting when you are sleeping alone at night
• Skype is the greatest invention to date
• Lizards like to shower with humans
• Everyone understands a smile :)











No Translation Necessary

Regardless of what language you speak, there are two words that seem to be understood by everyone in Kenya.  The first is HIV, and the other is cancer.  Yesterday was World AIDS Day.  What a time to be in Kenya, a country where 1.5 million of its residents suffer from HIV/AIDS (a prevelance of 6.3%) and where 1.2 million children are orphaned due to this virus.  To put this in perspective, about 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV vs. 1.5 million in Kenya (which is geographically about the size of Texas).  If you spend any amount of time in Africa, you will hear the word "PEPFAR", which stands for the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and was initiated by President George W. Bush.  Through PEPFAR, $15 billion was committed over 5 years to providing anitretroviral therapy (ART), support, and prevention free of cost to those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.  It has since been carried on by President Obama.  Tenwek is a major recepient of PEPFAR funds.  Thanks for paying your taxes :)

Yesterday for World AIDS Day, there was a gathering held at the Church at Tenwek.  A pastor of a Kenyan church spoke about the effect of AIDS and the associated descrimination.  You may be as surprised as I was to find that such a negative stigma exists around a diagnosis of HIV in Kenya.  I assumed since the illness was so common, that it would be more accepted here.  I assumed wrong.  The pastor told a story about his church which participated in outreach programs to minister to prostitutes living in their community.  All of whom were afflicted by AIDS.  The congregation was overjoyed one Sunday when a bus full of these women pulled up to the church and they started singing praises as they made their way down to the alter.  Twenty-eight women received Christ that morning, and the church was ecstatic!  Naturally, the next step for the women was baptism.  The pastor was stunned when members of the church approached him about their concerns of their children being baptized in the same water as the former prostitutes.  They even gave suggestions that perhaps their children could be baptised first, and then the women of the community could follow.  In the end, that pastor baptized everyone alphabetically therefore mixing all the participants together.  After the first former prostitute was baptised, she fell down into the water sobbing and praising God for salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  Never before had the pastor witnessed a baptism where he could truly feel a person dying with Christ on emersion and being raised to new life.  The pastor made the point that "People can be hurt by the Church", but the Church should be a place of hope, restoration, and healing.  Although we as humans (and Church) often fail, praise the Lord for a savior who chooses to bring forgiveness and healing and new mercies every morning. 

The other word that needs no translation is cancer.  Many of our patients at Tenwek seek medical attention when it is too late.  This is usually due to financial restraints.  Patient's live too far and don't have the transportation or money for medical treatment so they often try home remedies to no avail. Often times their cancer is so advanced when they arrive that palliative care is all we can offer them.  I have been in the room with many patient's when they are told they have cancer and no matter what language they are being spoken to in, the word is always the same..."Cancer".  I have had the opportunity to pray with many patients while here, and I pray that they find comfort in the promises of Jesus, the mighty healer.