Update from Tenwek

Dear Family and Friends

It has been a week now since we have left home and time has gone quickly. We are still battling our NC colds and coughs but apart from that we are doing well.  This morning I was awakened by the mighty crow of a lively rooster who crowed not once but many times.  It was as if to say, don’t roll over, it is time to get up.  Sure beats an alarm clock.

Now let’s catch up since the last blog.  We ate at the guesthouse for the first couple of days which allowed us to get to know the people living there which are always fun.   On Saturday I went to a nearby orphanage with a couple of other visitors.  It is nearby and currently there are 64 children living there between the ages of 4 to 17.  Since it was Saturday they were mostly all there and not attending school. They were eager to see us and to perform their well rehearsed repertoire.  It is a joy to hear African children sing, clap, and sway to music.  Someone had given them a keyboard which added to the merriment.  Then we toured the facility which according to first world standards would be spartan. From an African standpoint it is quite good.  There are separate dorms with bunk beds for the boys and girls.  Each bed has a plastic mattress and a blanket.  There is a dining hall with a kitchen that is currently getting a tile floor which they are proud of!  The gas stove runs on methane from the dung produced by the 8 orphanage cows!  Their diet consists primarily of ugali, a Kenyan staple made from maize (corn).  It resembles smooth bland oatmeal.   I stopped on the way and bought 64 mangoes which I hope added some variety to their supper!  The director is trying very hard to become self sustaining and has 200 chickens which lay 180 eggs a day in addition to the milk the cows provide.  Not only does this provide protein for the children, he is able to sell some for a profit.  The children are treated for medical problems at the hospital thanks to the generosity of an American donor who established a fund for this purpose.  Another fund that has been established provides scholarships for the children to attend Form 2 or high school and some are even qualifying to go to college.  Of course there is never enough money to go around. Such a shame as education is the way out of poverty.   As I looked into the faces of these little ones I wondered what is their story?  Why are they here?  Why would someone abandon them or why wouldn’t a relative take them in if the parents died? I do not know.  One little toothless boy, probably around six, with a radiant smile particularly caught my eye.  I can’t get him out of my mind.  I have two six year old toothless grandsons.  Maybe that is why.

On Sunday we went to church and they served communion.  The week before I had been at a women’s retreat in North Carolina and received communion.  How wonderful to experience the Lord’s Supper on two continents and share with Christians around the globe.  Our God is much bigger than any of us can imagine!  On Sunday afternoon we babysat for some missionary children so that their parents could participate in the Bible quizzing contest which happens here each year.  Children from the compound as well as many children from around the surrounding area memorize lengthy portions of scripture, this year it is Matthew, and recite them under the pressure of the time clock.   It is quite amazing to watch.  I always feel for the shy child who melts under the pressure! 

Yesterday turned out to be fun as I helped at the Nursing School.  I was the timekeeper as first year nursing students rotated through six practicum sections and had to answer questions or perform a technique within six minutes.  These students get younger each year!  Even at my age I can remember test anxiety and so I was rooting for each one of them.   The nursing school is an important part of this facility.  They and their colleagues who go elsewhere are well trained Christian nurses who make a difference in Kenya.   You can check out their web site: http://www.tenwekhospital.org/training-a-research/school-of-nursing

Thus far today has been a lazy day on the computer.   Each day is a bit different.   I am hoping that tomorrow I can go to the nursery if my cough subsides a bit.  Sorry I went on so long!   I will try to keep it shorter next time. 

Love to you all,

Micki and Marv

Betsy, I am going to do my exercises right now!!!