 Monday,
April 27th
Below are a couple of e-mails received today. From Steve:
We will be leaving for the Safari on Wednesday and doing "secret friends" tomorrow
evening so I don't know if we will be able to be in contact before. Everything
went well today and we are almost finished with the school building at the
orphanage. I got to meet "Big Tony". We are going to Maasai land
tomorrow.
From Olivia and Ellen:
Today we (Ellen and Olivia) were at the orthopedic hospital with Dr.
Kerr. The atmosphere of the ward as well as the clinic was very different
from that of our own back home. When we first arrived, we began making
rounds with Dr. Kerr and the other Kenyan doctors. There is no such thing
as a single room here in Kenya but rather there is 6 beds to every room
on the ward. However, there are separate areas on the ward where the men
and women are divided in two. The conditions of the rooms were very poor
and made us realize what luxury we have even while staying in a hospital.
We’ll begin by painting a picture for you to better understand the
conditions that these Kenyans find normal. When you walk into one of the
rooms on the ward, you come across six beds, three lining each side, with
one sink centered on the far wall. Since there are no screens on the windows
or doors in and around Kenya, the flies are everywhere in the ward once the
windows are opened to filtrate the air. Over every bed was a mosquito net,
whether in tact or not, it hung above to protect the already ill patients
from any mosquitoes carrying malaria. It’s interesting how in the U.S.
we have mosquito nets over our beds for decoration but here it’s a
necessity.
Next, we headed downstairs to the clinic, which was packed with patients
waiting to be seen. As we followed around Dr. Kerr and the other Kenyan
doctors, we found that many of the suggested treatment plans were ruled
out by the
patients due to the patient’s poverty or the lack of experience in
the doctors in certain areas. Another shocking discovery was the lack of
asepsis when it came to handling the patients. Many times the doctors would
go from patient to patient without ever washing their hands or wearing gloves.
Dr. Kerr informed us that the only reason there happened to be bar soap and
paper towels in the exam rooms was because of his insistence on hand washing!
Spending the day in an African Orthopedic Hospital was something we’ll
never forget and we’re very thankful for the opportunity to do so.
It taught us both a lot about how blessed we Americans are and how we need
not take it for granted.
Devotion for Monday
Today we will help build a two-room vocational school
in Karai, near Kikuyu. The conditions the team will witness in
Kenya are wretched. In many places there is no clean water, electricity,
sanitation. People live in huts made out of anything that can
be scavenged. Take time today noticing again and appreciating
all the luxuries we enjoy here in the U.S.
“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will
be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted,
even
more will be demanded.” (Luke 12:48b)
As you pray, thank God for our blessings and open your heart
to the needs of the world.
Pray specifically for Peter C. today.
Bonus Devotion
In 1998, the U.S. embassy in Nairobi was
bombed. The Presbyterian Hospital in nearby
Kikuyu, where many of the
injured and most of the eye victims received
or are receiving treatment, made service
free to victims of the blast, thanks to
help from concerned American donors. Signs
of anger against America began to surface
in the week following the blast, as Kenyans
asked why they had to be the innocent victims
of ‘American’s
war with Islam’ or ‘fanatical Islam’s war with
America.’ But that initial anger has now been replaced by
a deep sense of sadness over the state of
the world and the urgency of mere survival.
(2000 Mission Yearbook
of the PC(USA), p. 37)
“Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without
which no one will see the Lord .”
(Hebrews 12:14)
The Presbyterian Hospital in Kikuyu is where we stay while in
Kikuyu. It is a place that has offered healing and hope to many
people in Christ’s name. Pray for peace and for opportunities
we might have to offer healing and hope on our trip.
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