We have ended another full week at Tenwek and our last full week here. We were without the internet for the past week as well. I think God decided we needed to “rough it” for our last week here after having such an easy go of things the rest of the trip. It was definitely the most isolated from home I have felt since being here, but at least we still had great company to keep us entertained.
Emily and I ventured out to another orphanage last Friday afternoon. We received a tour of the grounds and then the kids sang songs for us before we handed out gifts of candy and stickers. The kids were so much fun and really enjoyed taking pictures before we left. Their faces light up when they see their photos on the screens of our cameras and they just want to keep taking pictures. We really enjoyed our time there and I can’t wait to come back with a suitcase full of clothes and toys for those kids next time.
The girls' building
Patsy, Rachel and I with the entire group after their singing
This little girl was so precious!
Kids loving the camera!
Our previous weekend also consisted of making delicious treats with our new friends here at Tenwek, Laura, Carolyn and Joanna. We enjoyed homemade pizza together and then Laura brought a little England to us by making scones while Carolyn decided to try her hand at making homemade pop-tarts with a little twist….sweet potato filling! When you have an excess of sweet potatoes in your house, you got to find a lot of new and exciting ways to use them in recipes. She had made us all sweet potato cookies earlier in the week which were phenomenal, so Emily had the idea of sweet potato poptarts. I gotta say they were pretty good and we all had a blast cooking it up in the kitchen! Also, I’m going to LOVE scones in England in February! Carolyn and Joanna-thank you for your warm hospitality and cooking for us when we needed a break from the guesthouse. We are going to miss our new friends!
Carolyn and Emily with the monster of all sweet potatoes
Laura and Joanna showing off their amazing scones
Final product: Sweet potato poptart with a cinnamon glaze
I also want to share some pictures from our Sunday adventure into the town of Bomet with Cecilia, a visiting surgical resident. We went to do some shopping at the supermarket as well as search for me a wrap I have been wanting since I got here. I love the fabric the women use to make very versatile wraps: a wrap around your waist, your shoulder, your head, or to carry your child. It's awesome! Needless to say, we were very much out of our comfort zone shopping in this town....it's not your typical shopping scenery.
The Chemist shop aka The Pharmacy
Stands where fresh produce is typically sold
The supermarket we shopped at, Radiant Supermarket
Shops right outside Tenwek
Emily got to celebrate her 26th birthday while in Kenya. We celebrated a couple days early with a large table filled with great food and terrific guests. It is amazing how quick you get to know people here and form relationships. It was a fantastic time of fellowship and celebrating Emily’s special day of birth!
Dinner of 14 random people brought together from all over the US
Emily with all of her birthday cards
Emily and I with Vince and Dolly, adoptive grandparents :)
The past week has been an absolute blast for Emily and I. We have really enjoyed our time here working with all of the staff in our departments. The Pediatric team of interns and consultants was absolutely amazing! I am going to miss every single one of them and I am forever grateful for them taking the time to teach me. I also have a praise to share: my little guy I talked about earlier that I saw in the hospital every day for nearly three weeks (not including the weeks he had been here prior to me joining the Peds service) finally went home! He was all smiles his last few days here and I pray that he keeps improving.
NG tube taken out and he went home, Praise God!
Maureen, Peds MO intern, and I on my last day of work
As I left the hospital today for my last day of actually working, I had probably the most adorable thing happen to end my time here. I was headed down the hallway to the stairs when a woman and her daughter (probably about 8 years old) came around the corner. The daughter caught sight of me, her eyes widened, she took in a quick deep breath like you do when you’re in shock about something, and she silently says, “A mzungu!” I couldn’t help but smile! She started smiling and wanted to shake my hand, her face just in awe like I was a magical creature you only hear about but never see. There are some people who really are amazed by white people and they take pictures so they can share with their friends and family back home how they saw one. (Yes, Emily really had that happen in the surgery ward.) Either way, it brightened my day even more to know that me, just a silly white person aka “a mzungu”, brightened hers. I’m going to miss this place….
God Bless everyone!