Getting Started

Well, here we are with another story. The week has been kind of slow thus far. Ashley oriented some more Monday and began work on Tuesday morning. It was very chaotic at first with so many people seeing folks on the wards. There are about 20 people in the men’s ward and women’s ward each. There are clinical officers (like a PA), medical officers (MD’s), interns, residents, and attending. Here Ashley is an attending physican. There are 4 medical attending and 4 surgical attending on staff.
Sarah is continuing to battle morning sickness, but appears to be doing better each day. Sarah is having the workers help her relearn her crocheting. Things get quiet at times here at night. After Maggie goes to bed we will watch an episode of Little House or the Cosby Show on our TV that is connected to our computer. It almost makes us forget where we are at times. We are quickly getting used to sleeping under the mosquito net.
There are volunteer teams in and out of here all the time. The Maryland prayer team left earlier this week. 2 more teams are coming later this week. Currently there is a team here working with the surgeons on esophageal cancer. It is very prevalent in Kenya, Iran, and China. Tenwek is one of the main centers working on this with research going on as well. The team here developed a machine that will freeze cancer in the esophagus (cryOtherapy). It is experimental, but appears to be working well.
The patients on the wards are very sick. About one adult dies daily. Several sick children died yesterday. Almost half of the adults Ashley sees on the floor have HIV and everyone gets tested (don’t worry, we are very careful with everyone).
It has been raining a lot in the afternoons and some at night. The temp stays about the same year round. We do not have heating or air and are very comfortable. A couple next door says that in one year there indoor thermometer’s highest reading was 72 and lowest was 67.
Every morning the medical staff has an educational session at 8AM. On Wednesday there are devotionals. Today Ashley was able to participate in his first long-term doctors meeting, which really helped to catch him up on the inner workings on the hospital.
Sarah is making our shopping list for Nairobi. Several folks are going in and out of there this weekend everyone offers to get things for people. We are beginning to learn what we need more and less of. It is difficult trying to plan so far ahead. For example, we doubled our egg order this week. (We order our eggs from one of the orphanages around and they deliver them on Tuesdays). In addition to the folks that come by and sell their fruits and veggies at the door, people are now beginning to bring us their crafts as well (baskets, ornamental gourds, etc.) We have bought a few.
Some of the carpenters on campus have build us some much needed shelves in our home. Labors in Kenya work for 8 hours a day for 6 and ½ days (or just 5 days and work more on those days).
We are working on getting pictures posted. The other computer has them for now and we are having trouble getting it on the internet. But don’t worry, we are taking pictures. The internet is such a blessing as although it is slow, it does allow us to connect with our family, friends, and the outside world. Keep writing because we do read things even if we don’t reply right away.