Tidbits from Kijabe

I really want to start posting well-written, clever, or inspiring posts on this thing, but by the end of the long work day, after spending five minutes (I'm not kidding) jiggling the key to get the lock to the computer room to open, and looking forward to dinner (I might actually cook something tonight) my brain is just a bit too frazzled to compose good things. So, please accept these random tidbits for now. :)

I looked out my front window this morning and saw a white bunny rabbit scampering through the grass. "How cute", I thought, "Kijabe has wild bunny rabbits." (In my defense, I've noticed several families with pet rabbitts - even held a 2 week old one - and I just assumed they were plentiful.) So, I enjoyed the experience of "wild life" and went about my cereal. Ten minutes later, I see my neighbor, an ID doctor, running around the front yard in his gym shorts trying to catch an escaped bunny while his children cheer him on.

Along the lines of that same family . . . the Smiths . . Nate & Kim and Penny, Oscar, & Malachi. . . they are great. I didn't meet them for a few days, but I finally got to go over there Monday evening about 7:45 to greet them and also ask if I could use their phone to call the airport about my bag (more on that later). (I'm learning how to just ask for favors when I need help.) Anyway, I greeted them and they said "Nice to meet you, we are singing, would you like to join us?" I looked around the room and there were the kids in their pjs, Kim braiding Penny's hair, Nate with an old song book and their friend who is visiting from the U.S. this week with a guitar. How could I turn that down? So, I sat and sang with them for about an hour. Random songs - some hymns, some songs from the 60s I'd never heard. It was a really sweet example to me of the way the community of the Body of Christ should be.

I attended a Bible Study last night with some of the Kenyan residents. It is at the home of a couple who worked here for a long time, but are now actually working on some stuff in Sudan and are staying here as they get that started up. Anyway, they are the same family that had me over for dinner my first night and let me walk to church with them on Sunday. They are so great. The Bible study was really a good time. Very informal and the Kenyan residents were really fun. Sometimes, in the ICU, I've had a hard time discerning the humor of the nurses, but last night I was really able to enjoy everyone. A guy named Herman led the discussion on Deuteronomy 10 and it was really interesting. Stuff I had never paused to think about before. We read about how the Levites were set apart to carry the Arch of the Covenant (a great honor) and told that God will be their inheritance. That sounds really wonderful and I've read it that way before, but we stopped to notice the part where it says that, since God would be their inheritance, the Levites would not have a part of the inheritance that the rest of Israel was preparing for . .namely, the Land of Milk and Honey. So, they probably didn't feel like it was such a great deal. They had to give up the seen for the unseen and trust that it would be better than anything on this earth.

I've been talking to some of the other short-term folks about going on Safari. I really want to go to the Masai Mara because I hear it is considered one of the "New Wonders of the World" and it has the most variety of wildlife. But some of the other folks are considering going to Nakuru because it is closer and less expensive. But I really really really wanna see an elephant. I told them this. I just met these people and I told them this. Maybe they will change their mind. I'm not going to go by myself because that is not fun. It may sound silly, but consider praying with me that they will decide they want to go to Masai Mara, too. Or that I will feel okay about going to Nakuru. (I just have the feeling that I will get home and feel sad if I don't go to Masai Mara while I'm here. I mean, I'm HERE.) Anybody wanna fly over and go with me? :)

In regards to my bag, it is actually in Kenya!! It apparently arrived on the flight last night. It is still in Nairobi and they won't deliver it b/c it is broken and will not close, so all my stuff could be spewing out and they don't want to give it to a driver like that. I'm on call tomorrow and this weekend, but I think Steve is going to Nairobi tomorrow anyway, so I'm hoping he'll be able to pick it up for me. I have no idea how far out of his way that will be. I will let you know when I actually have it in my hands, but I am praising the Lord that it is at least in the country!!!

In the hospital, I am still overwhelmed a bit. It's hard to adjust to practice here when you have some stuff but not everything and the stuff you do have, you want to use wisely and carefully because it all costs the patients money. Thankfully, the neonate is doing well and the pediatrician, likely sensing my extreme apprehension has pretty exclusively managed him. The 4 year old I referred to in my last blog died last night. It is very sad. When I arrived this morning there was a new patient with acute oliguric renal failure (not making ANY urine). We tried everything we could but I couldn't get his kidneys to work and his creatinine rose to 10 this afternoon from 3 yesterday. Thankfully, his family has some resources and requested that he be transferred to the national hospital (Kenyatta) for dialysis. i hope he does okay.

I am impressed by the vast variety of people groups here. When I was preparing to come and looking at fact books they always list Kenya as a predominantly Christian nation. I know that doesn't necessarily refer to the actual state of the hearts of the nation, anyway, but I am also finding that Kijabe is in a unique position to minister to an incredible variety of people. Kijabe has gained such a reputation of excellence in care that word has gotten out . . even to other countries like Somalia and Sudan and people raise money and fly here or travel here for their care. It's crazy to think about. This means that there are people of all different cultures and faiths and it is readily visible in the courtyards and the wards. Many of the people here are dressed in rather Western attire - suits, jeans, etc. However, it's not uncommon to also see women fully covered with only their eyes showing, as they are likely Muslim from Somalia or Sudan. There are also many of the Maasai people from the southern part of Kenya and they sometimes dress in a combination of Western clothes and what you think of as more traditional African tribal wear. This lady today was with her son in the ICU and she had on tennis shoes and a skirt but also a traditional wrap and her head shaved and her earlobes had the big holes and ornaments. It was really interesting. It puts Kijabe in a unique place to point people of all nations to Christ. It also make the language barrier interesting!!

Okay, I'm beat. Heading off now. I'll leave you with some of Psalm 86 which I read this morning:

Hear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.

Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.

Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.

Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.

You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.

Hear my prayer, O LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.

In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.

All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. . . .

. . .you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. . . .

. . . Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
--from Psalm 86

Much love to you all,
Nellie

SHOUT OUTS:

RYAN QUANDT, my dear cousin, I rode in a Land Rover last night. It was only about 100 yards from one house to mine b/c it was raining, but still. It was a Land Rover in Africa. And the steering wheel was on the right. Authentic, huh? I thought you'd be proud. I'm sure there is more to come. I'll keep you posted :)

CLIFF & SHARON, I drank some chai last night and this morning. I never liked tea before, but this is really good!! It's been fun walking around knowing that y'all (and Natalee & Wes) were here before.