Early mornings and fresh
beginnings! Waking up to the sunrise in Africa is like no other. The sun
shining bright on the mountain tops was very peaceful and serene. We started
our day at 7:00 a.m. with a lovely breakfast prepared by the caretakers of the
guesthouse. The tea (chai) and coffee is always amazing!
After breakfast we had the
opportunity to visit St. Joseph Shelter of Hope Hospital. This hospital was
built in 1999 and started with only five employees (3 of them were Nuns). Currently, the hospital employs
over 100 employees with one doctor being in charge of all minor and major types
of surgery. We had the amazing privilege of observing a cesarean section.
Turome had the pleasure of naming the new baby girl Wynnsor Ann. She weighed
3.4 kg with a one minute APGAR score of 8/10. After we observed the surgery, we
followed Dr. Matthew to attend care of his other patients and collaborating
with his staff during rounds. They care for their patients as best as they can
with the limited resources and technologies that were provided. It was
interesting to find that ultrasounds to detect the sex of the baby did not
provide a definite result. We learned that HIV/AIDS is the most prevalent disease
among the Kenyan population. Another interesting fact is that those infected
with the HIV/AIDS virus are provided with free medications for a lifetime. We
also found that some of the patients had a diagnosis of meningitis secondary to
tuberculosis. After our rounds with the Dr., we enjoyed a nice lunch with
sister Jenn and Dr. Matthew. The fries, as known to the Kenyan people as chips,
were so yummy! After lunch sister Jenn gifted us with colorful Kangas and
showed us all the different ways to wear them.
After we
left the hospital, we went to the market and bought traditional African dresses
and lots of snacks. The market sells great fresh fruit and hand-made items.
After our time at the market, we headed back to our guesthouse where we
hand-washed our clothes and hung them to dry. We had a yummy dinner of
chapatti, mashed potatoes, kale and stew. After a peaceful and collaborative
dinner, we observed a breath-taking view of the moon. Thankfully, this is what
Africa has to offer. We then went upstairs to play a fun game of “Heads Up.” We
couldn’t have laughed any harder if we tried. Popcorn and beverages were
provided while we played the game. Although this was a fun game for us to play
together, it was also a team-building exercise which will make us stronger as a
team while doing God’s work in the days to come. We are blessed to be a part of
this once in a lifetime experience.
Sherrie and Tea
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