Well it is official.. I live in
Africa now! It may seem strange to you, but it actually seems normal to me.
On Sunday I moved from Little Eden in
Kinangop to His Cherished Ones in Nakuru. They are about 2 hours apart and very
different. Little Eden is very rural. In that part of Kenya there are many
people who live without power or running water. We’re still praying that Kenya
Power will hurry up and connect the lines near the new Boy’s Dormitory and
Yanga school so the boys can move in and both Yanga and Cheese Primary schools
will have access to water. The wells that have been drilled cannot pump the
water without electricity. His Cherished
Ones is situated on the outskirts of Nakuru, the 3rd largest city in
Kenya. The property borders an amazingly beautiful cornfield dotted every so
often with the quintessential African tree.
At Eden all that you can see for miles is farmland, in Nakuru there is a
mixture of suburban development, farmland and the city dump. At Eden I shared a
bedroom, bathroom and kitchen with 3-12 other people. At HCO I have a huge room
all to myself complete with 3 beds. Of course the first three nights I tried
out each bed in turn trying to determine which was the best. One was too soft,
one too hard and one just right. Included in my very important bed decision was
consideration for the amount of cracks in the molding at the ceiling above each
bed. Those cracks make great hideouts for all kids of spiders and other crawly
things. Although in this area they are harmless I’ve been told, I’d still
prefer they didn’t crawl on me while I’m sleeping. Today I officially crowned my new bed by
putting real American sheets on it! At
Eden as I laid awake in bed early in the morning there was a cacophony of noise
from the multiple roosters, donkeys, birds, dogs, children heading off to
school (at 6am!) and Peter trying to start the Land Rover or tractor. At HCO as
I drift into consciousness I am greeted by birds, dogs and babies. Sometimes crying
and being soothed by Aunties singing various children’s worship songs and
sometimes laughing and saying “Auntie, Auntie!”
In both places I wake up incredibly
in awe that my heavenly father would bestow this amazing gift upon me to have
the privilege to spend this time here. In both places I have seen the love of
Christ being lived out and displayed by both the staff and Americans living
here to children who are so dearly loved. I am so thankful to be a part of it.
Since arriving in Nakuru I have had
2 pretty interesting experiences…
The first day I was here an adopting couple was able to take
their new son Tate home with them. For the last 2 years I have spent weeks in
Kenya working with and loving on orphans, and months at home praying for them
and missing my sweet kids, but for the first time I was witnessing the
completion of the adoption process. I
honestly do not even have words to describe the joy on the faces of this sweet
Dutch couples face as the loaded up their son into their car and prepared to
take him home as their own for the first time. All the aunties and babies and
staff lined the driveway with balloons and sang as they drove off to start
their new life as a family. I was trying so hard not to cry. I felt silly. I
didn’t even know this baby or really know this couple at all. What gets me is
that this is such a perfect tangible picture of the way God loves us. In John
14:18 the word says “ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” In
the same way these parents came for Tate, Christ comes for us. He comes to
bring us into relationship with him to eventually bring us home as his sons and
daughters. As Tate will receive a new
last name and become part of a family, when we join the family of God we also
receive a new name. Our old identity as an “orphan” of this world is washed
away and we are given a new identity. I don’t think there is anything more
beautiful than this truth in life.
My second interesting experience for the week was taking 3
babies to the hospital to get their 9-month and 18-month immunizations. Brie
(an HCO intern), Susan one of the Aunties and Tracy the social worker and I
loaded up the 3 babies into Brie’s car. Brie driving, every other adult served
as a human car seat. We arrived at the hospital, which opens at 8 around
9:15. We sat in the waiting area for at
least 30 minutes because the Doctors or nurses had yet to open the clinics. 3
people with their babies were allowed into the room with the nurses at a time.
Brie Susan and I took in 2 babies along with another mother with her son. They
were weighed and measured, then back to the waiting room. Finally we were
called in to a different room (still 3 at a time) where we held the babies as
they got their injections. The thing that shocked me the most about this whole
experience was as I was sitting in the waiting area there were sign after sign
about precautions to take not to spread HIV to your partner, to your child
during childbirth etc., but as the babies were getting their shots the nurse
wore no gloves and never swiped them with an alcohol swab before giving their
shot. I’m sure my mother who is a nurse for a pediatrician is having a panic
attack as she is reading this. All in
all getting vaccinations is a huge blessing to these kids who might not get
them otherwise. Hopefully it will keep them healthy and happy. As I rode home I became a human car seat
again bottle-feeding one of the babies who promptly fell asleep. I was covered
in baby slobber, and have formula on my shirt, but what a peaceful feeling
knowing that this one I held in my arms was safe, and cared for.
Galatians 5:6 “ The only thing that counts is faith
expressing itself through love.” 
I am sure the days to come will hold many more interesting
Kenyan experiences. I’ll try to update more often as long as the Internet
cooperates. Thanks for reading!
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