A day in the life...

WOAH! Today!!!

12:22am I finally go to bed after working - planned the agenda for a BIG meeting scheduled with Dr. Bongo - the Ministry of Health representative for the district. He is coming to our facility - Nyametaburo Health Center - probably hasn't been there since it opened 15 yrs ago. 

6:30am I wake up to my watch alarm and want to continue sleeping.

6:48am text message wakes up - Nelly says - the man with the nets is in Migori! 

On Feb. 18th Nelly and I placed an order for 1000 Insecticide Treated Nets for the people in Nyametaburo and Nyangiti! We are planning to sell them for 40 shillings (we bought them at 270 shillings - 75 shillings = $1 US). We will host a meeting next week with the Nuru Health Reps to teach them some things about what we are asking them to do - take nets to sell to their Nuru group members and families, and then sell to the community. We are subsidizing the price greatly! But we are so thankful to have the opportunity to do this because we can PROTECT people from the malaria causing bite. 

6:49am I message Nelly back telling her I will meet the truck in Isebania and come with them to the facility.

6:50am I kick it into HIGH GEAR! I am so so sleepy, but going a million miles a minute. I have to meet the truck in Isebania because they do not know the way to the facility - and we don't want to have to rent another truck. So, I am changing clothes, fixing my hair, telling Jake good morning and I'm leaving soon - the nets are here, I'm printing 8 copies of the agenda for today's BIG meeting, I'm making some tea, and asking Jake to make me a piece of peanut butter toast. 

I had to pack so many things - my computer, all my notes for meetings that day - with Dr. Bongo et al. and also with Nelly afterwards. I take EVERYTHING to the field with me - including the computer My bag is super heavy. 

7:10am I pack my toothbrush and toothpaste, grab my rain jacket, book bag, tea in my REI travel mug (thanks Britt), holding my pb toast in my teeth, and  Jake and I start walking the hilly goat path to Isebania.

7:25am Jake and I arrive at the Boda Boda station where we see the vehicle (van) packed with nets, and some gentlemen standing together with the bodas. I ask for Mr. Kamau, and this man starts shaking hads with me and greeting me in all these KiKurian greetings. I ask if he is Mr. Kamau, and he says yes, I ask again, yes, ask another way, and yes. Uh...ok. He seems strange. Jake is there, I introduce him, and Jake's saying...uh, are you sure that that's the guy. It totally wasn't. It was some rando. (rando = random person) This guy in a suit who was standing 1 inch away for that whole time, comes over and starts talking to us. This is the very nice Mr. Kamau, net supplier. 

7:30am I find Abraham at the Boda Station, and ask him to take me and lead the van to Nyametaburo. We go down the dirt roads and the view in incredible that early in the morning. The dew is still on the ground, and there was a lingering layer of fog in the valley. I cringed every time the van picked up speed behind us, and the boda struggled along the way. 

HILARIOUS (to me) - so I'm picturing my friends in their morning commute - Starbucks in the car drink holder, bag in the front seat, cell phone to their ear....it's pretty much the same for me this am.... Huge back pack on my back, one hand holding my REI travel mug, one hand calling the Doctor to ask him to send someone to open the gate so we can unload the nets, while I'm trying to wave to children, greet people walking on the roads, occasionally reaching back to steady myself on the Boda as we go over large "speed bumps" along the dirt road ;) I laughed with myself at how much I love that this is my morning commute. 

7:50am Arrive at the Health Center - Gate is locked. Walk with Mr. Kamau and his collegue, Nelly and I to a local Hotel where we just sit and talk about his company, nets, our partnership in the future, etc. The Hotel has an open door at the front, with a netted fabric covering the opening (the usual here) and the back door is open - occasionally we see a dog running thru, and there's a cat under the table. The mama is making Chapati (friend bread/dough in a tortilla kinda way - but WAY better). People are milling around in the "town square" and Counselor France comes to tell us the person with the key has arrived.

8:15am 6 people line up in assembly line form and we unload the matatu of 1000 white 5x6 conical insecticide treated nets!!!!!! YEAH!!!! We sign the receipts of the nets, and of the 50% left for payment for the nets. We take some pics. Say goodbye, and the van leaves to go back to Nairobi.

8:30am I literally am jumping around in a circle laughing and slapping hands with Nelly. I'm serious. WE HAVE NETS!!!! It was such chaos to get them, and now there are here. Nelly and I sit down and discuss our upcoming meeting with Dr. Bongo et al. This is a VERY impt. meeting and we need to get a lot of questions asked and answered. We decide that we can't really focus, and need to go take chai and chapati before our meeting ;)

9am we go back to the same mama's hotel. And now have some time to sit and it's just us...for 1 minute. I hear something, some crying, and it's coming from the back door area (opens up to rental apt/rooms). There's a small open compound there. I hear the cries, and perk up, and all of a sudden, the dog we saw earlier goes tearing thru the hotel towards the cries. I IMMEDIATELY GET SO EXCITED!!! "Nelly, are their puppies??? Can you ask her if there are puppies??" THERE ARE!!!!!

She takes us to the pups - 5 puppies. 4 black, 1 tanish black. 1 week old (is what she said, but I think a little more) Eyes aren't open yet - one little runt by itself so of course I held it and then snuggled it with the brothers and sisters. and one crying in the corner so snuggled that one and put it with the others too. The pups mom was fine with me holding the pups ... I asked ;) HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY!!!! I love puppies sooooooo much! For real, this was the highlight!

Nelly and I get back in the hotel, and people start rolling in. 2 guys, 1 guy, 3 guys, one lady, etc. Every plastic chair is filled, 3 guys are sitting on rolled up sheet metal for roofing. Everyone has the same order - Chai and Chapati. I remember this mama, and ask Nelly if she is the one with the son who came in for the Quinine drip and stayed all day at the facility. It was. 

9:30am Back at the Health Center - Nelly and I discuss with Dr. Sangara our Agenda for the meeting. Warning him that I will be keeping everyone on track, and I know this is the MOH, but I will be getting to these Agenda items, not his if he intends on trying to commandeer the meeting.

9:50 Nelly and I sit in the mosquito net room ;) making sure we have all our ducks in a row for the meeting. All the papers we need. All the questions we need to ask. After that Nelly and I pack our things and read the Devotional for that day - my "Jesus Calling" book - so good! recommend it! Anyway - the First line is "I love you for who you are not what you do." perfect right! All these things going on, and God isn't doling out his love as a result of what we do - just loving us because we're his. ;) Nelly prayed for us, for our meeting, and it was beautiful! She's amazing!!!! I felt READY! and after a morning like this.... that's pretty unbelievable....

To be Continued....

 

Do you ever have a theme song for your day?

Today, as I was leaving the field after a day of Hygiene and Cleanliness of the Compound training, I started singing this Ben Harper song, and realized there was something deeper going on inside. These were my thoughts…

I am blessed to be a witness….

Truly… why am I the one to be blessed to witness this. Every scene is a story….

The silhouette of a young girl carrying an empty bucket – a picture I want to take, but instead ask God to help me memorize it’s beauty…

The old muzai that leaning so far backwards to wave to me that he almost fell over…

The children balancing loads on their heads, removing their hands that were helping steady the load to wave to me…

The little girl sitting and drawing in the dirt, looks up with smiles and waves as I ride by…

The family all outside cooking and enjoying the last of the daylight, and calling out to me as I leave until tomorrow…

The children who are screaming to me across shambas so I will wave back….

The mamas carrying the daily wash on their heads, and greeting me warmly as I ride by…

The two boys who are jumping and yelling and waving wildly at the sight of me – they were sitting in a shallow puddle bathing…

The man carrying a tree down the goat path I walk home on, who is willing to let me pass first…

The boys bathing at the spring down in the valley about 100 meters from our home…

The amazing smell as I turned a corner on the path…

My neighbor who lovingly greets me as I return home from the day – he rushes to open the gate for me so I do not have to exert the effort…

The literally – HUNDREDS of faces I see everyday that smile at me as if I’ve done something other than just BE.

I wish I could paint the picture for you.

Only by the grace of God go I...go I. 

I am blessed, I am blessed. I am blessed, I am blessed. I am blessed, I am blessed. I am blessed to be a witness….

I love my job!!!

(I've been gone for a while....but WELCOME BACK to my amazing adventure.)

 I can not tell you how many times in the past 2 weeks I have said that! I do, I love it…even when I’m sitting at my desk, staring out the open door, and staring to cry because I think I can’t do it, God never fails to show up big and reaffirm to me that YES, indeed it was I that was called and he has every bit of faith in me. He reaffirms that he knows the way, and all I need to do is keep walking; he will show me the way.

Today was my FAVORITE DAY! Maybe ever! I went with Nelly to do home visits. I have a set of questions. I often deviate from them depending on what enters the conversations at the homes I visit. Today was especially great, we had 2 home visits. Let me tell you  some highlights about them.

This morning I visited Sabasi (a chairman of one of our Nuru groups) and he spent over an hour answering our questions – He was interested when we asked about Family Planning, so Nelly explained it to him. We were walking away from his home, where 9 people live: he, his wife, their 2 children, his mother, and 4 of his siblings (his mother’s oldest is him at 24 yrs, and youngest is 4yrs). As we were walking away, he said we had entered into his father’s land. I said, “You don’t have to answer this, but I want to ask why doesn’t your father live with your mother.” He laughed and told me that his father has 8 wives. Until recently they all lived on one compound (think different houses but one plot of land – LOTS of sharing space and other things) but about 3 months ago, his mom built a compound (theirs has 2 houses: one is the mother's and one is Sabasi’s). 

I asked if he has noticed a difference in his family’s health since they moved, and he emphatically said YES. Not as much diarrhea or malaria. We talked more about his dad, and he said he has 65 children. I asked him if with that many siblings, he had a chance to go to school, he said only to Form 1 (9^th grade) – I asked why, he said he came home one day and his dad had found for him a wife to marry. He was 15! And he didn’t want to get married! So he left Kenya, and crossed the boarder to TZ – found work in a hotel, worked there for 2 years, then was transferred to Dar es Salaam, and worked there for 2 years. He then got married, and returned to his home place – now he and his dad are friends and he says “and if he gets mad – I am old now, so it doesn’t matter.” He told me he will only have 1 wife, and he only wants 3 children because he wants to send them to school. He recognizes the link between number of children, and education level reached.  I asked what he wanted to be when he was younger and he said “A Kenyan Policeman, but I did not get to finish school.” WOW! I was so humbled to see this 24 year old so mature and wise in how to raise his family differently than his father had raised him. A joy to meet him.

 

The afternoon held a meeting with the Health Reps, which sadly - due to a miscommunication- only one person attended, but I was happy to see him because I had just mentioned to Nelly about him being someone to look at for leadership in our Health Program. ;) We met and then departed. He to his home, and Nelly and I to discover another home to visit. We literally just roll up on someone’s shamba (farm land), find their home entrance say “Hodi” (can I enter) and go in and ask if we can ask questions. It’s fabulous!

 

So, there were 2 mommas – I thought I’ll kill 2 birds with one stone – 2 home visits asking each of them the questions. This turned out to be a little difficult as the 2^nd lady was not very vocal. What happened as we sat and talked was incredible! Not only did other momma’s come in, with their kids, but the kids from that compound came in. I am not kidding when I tell you at one point there were 20 kids in there with us. A slanted dirt floor room with 3 chairs, a small bench, and some kind of farming tool that a lady sat on. These people were not in a Nuru group – and our afternoon was FULL of teaching. We asked questions, but as issues arose Nelly stepped in and taught. It was AWESOME! She had an opportunity to talk about  Respiratory Tract Infections and Malaria (causes and prevention), Bed net treatment and care, Child Immunizations, Boiling water before use, Birth Spacing and Family Planning, Diarrhea and ORS. Visiting a clinic when sick - treating the cause not the symptoms. And on, and on....So many things! I was so proud of her.

And towards the end is when about 25 people were in the room, and I piped up to say – “this is an announcement for EVERYONE ….” At which all the kids got excited cause everything else had been towards the mommas. And I explained that hand washing is the number one thing to do to prevent disease. I explained why, because diseases are passed from hand to hand (and I shook the momma’s hand) from hand to mouth (pointing to a kid with hands in his mouth) from hand to table (and I touched the kids hands on the table in front of me) and I told them when they should wash their hands with soap and water. I encouraged them just to try it and see if their families got healthier. 

I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooooooo much! I love my job! I can’t believe I get to do this, and teach this! I love it so much!

The momma who’s house we were at asked if I would wait so she could milk a cow and make me chai. ;) I had to get going, but what hospitality. I departed from the house after asking EVERYONE in the room to freeze and taking pictures of every nook and crany where they were standing or sitting. I wanted to be able to remember this day always!

How did it get to be December?

My last post was on Thanksgiving, the day that we graduated our first class of Nuru Health Representatives!!!!!

 The day before that we graduated ALL the Nuru members for attending Base Education Agriculture Training!!!

I attended my first Nuru Health Representative's training of THEIR Nuru Group on Malaria Causes, Signs/Symptoms, Prevention, and Treatment. 

We gave treatment tabs and a needle and thread to each Health Rep to use on the nets of the group members. I saw a completely RIPPED up net - OH MY GOSH! I HAVE GOT to get a supply of nets to this place.

We said goodbye to Jake this week, and now we are all packing and getting ready for our last 3 days in the field, before our Christmas break back in the States. Man, I'm going to miss this place and these amazing people!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thanksgiving here is obviously a little different...for one...it doesn't exist ;) 

Believe me, we spent time talking about all the people and things we are thankful for, but there's some differences. 

1. You're eating turkey. We're seeing them rummaging around the garbage heap downtown. (pigs too incase you're eating ham, they're here in the garbage too).

2. You're watching (or playing football). We've got no TV, and we're working hard! We've got a couple weeks before we leave for Christmas break, and today was a big day for me! Finished the 3rd and final day of the training for the 1st Nuru Health Reps! 25 graduated today, and cute is an understatement!!!! It was AWESOME!

3. You're eating Sweet Potato casserole with the marshmellows on top. We've never once seen a marshmellow here, but we HAVE seen Sweet Potatoes. And people eating them RAW! Straight up apple style. Jake did say in a moment of unconsciousness while dreaming of SPC, that he could "make" marshmellows...how? ;)

4. You're having dessert and passing out on the couch. We ate out because we have no gas for the cooker (in 2 towns for 3 days we haven't been able to find any) and we ate chai and andazi (a type of bready donut like thing) for "dessert" and came home to watch an episode of West Wing on our less then overstuff couch with several pounds of dust on it.

5. You're riding in cars and maybe listening to Christmas Carols, and seeing the Macy's day parade. We rode in a car today (to the dispensary to get stitches in Nicole's hand - random stretching accident with a deep cut caused by the iron sheet roof on the choo) and we saw some Christmas decoration... Garland, on the heads and necks of some girls coming down the road in a HUGE celebrating parade - These girls had just been circumcised, as is the tradition here. 

But for all the differences...the commonality is ... I'm thankful! I have incredible things to be thankful for. My incredible relationship with Jesus, my gift of a life fully lived through the knowledge of God's awesome love and grace for me, adoring family and friends who are partnered with me in this journey through prayer that unites us and connects us across the miles, an AWESOME team I live and work with - simply incredible people - the kind that inspire you to live excellence, a friend who seems to get me and so eloquently lay out BIG things in amazing writings - Emerson!, a beautiful life that I wouldn't change ONE thing about, a crazy life here in another country that seems to be such a fulfillment of a deep promise in my heart. I am alive! I am loved! I am God's kid! I am aware that I am blessed beyond belief. It's a good day to be thankful - as is everyday! 

{{If you are interested in using your resources to support Nuru please visit our website www.nuruinternational.org We are in need of financial support for our programs. We are seeing the results, and we are so thankful to be here doing this work. Even thankful to "miss" thanksgiving day, as it seems we are living it everyday.}}

Training day two!

Well after yesterday I was prepared for the chaos....NOT! I stayed up REALLY late trying to compare the list of health reps I had with the list of 51 Nuru Groups and the specified health rep - did they attend my training, did they attend the Base Education Agriculture training, is their name spelled right, are they even in the same Nuru group on both lists, what is their individual number that I need to write on their training graduation certificate...this took ENTIRELY too long. But hey...it had to be done...I'm sure there's a better way to do it than to hand write each group out, but at 1am I really couldn't figure out what it was. (Today I created a spreadsheet, and that was even before Nescafe and a shower). 

Random interjection: Why do I get random calls at 9:30 pm two nights in a row? Jake just had to rescue me from the phantom caller. People here are relentless. If you don't answer they CALL BACK! a lot!

This morning this is just a small number of chaotic things...the list I hand wrote turned out not to be the info Jake could use, so I redid it (I was committed - wanted it done before he left at 8:30 for a meeting). I finally sit down to eat something at 9:30, and right at that time Philip who is leaving has to talk to me about something. I finish and put a kettle of water on the stove to boil for a "shower" and the gas goes out. Philip is going to the town where you can get gas so I try to really fast, take the fitting off the gas tank so he can take it with him, explaining to him he'll now need to take a taxi instead of boda boda.  As I'm working, Philip and Nicole are discussing something, Eunice is in our house filling out graduation certificates, someone is outside yelling for us to greet them, and I notice that perhaps the reason the gas stopped flowing was bc the tube had a HUGE gash in it. So, I'm trying to find and attach our new hose (I'm still in my PJs) and test the gas tank to make sure it's not out of gas. All before Philip leaves. People are asking what I'm doing...I'm trying to do it quickly...I have to boil water to pour it on the tube to make it go over the fitting (little trick my dad taught me ;) If you need anything plastic to be malleable just get some Hot water on it). Boiling water takes me finding the electric kettle first. 

 ===== OK GOD!!! You've got my attention. Today's gonna be chaos huh?! thought so ======

After some more delays, I finally take a "shower", START thinking about my training, try to call my trainer Nelly (no phone connection), start walking to Isebania to get a Boda Boda, get my handouts and more phone credits at the local printers - realize I don't have enough money to PAY them!!!! ask for an IOU, get on Boda Boda and go to Nyametaburo. 

I work from my "office" for a while...the grass outside of the Health Center.

Then Lunch at the local hotel (hotel = food joint, no sleeping option) and Nicole is there, and Doug and Jake roll in a few mins later. The place is PACKED with people we know, and it's kinda fun to have this moment together. Nic has to pay for me (no funds) and I go to the church for our 2nd day of training.

Nelly and I did a review of the Malaria info from yesterday, and then we taught them how to treat nets. The tabs to do this are free! and we also talked about sewing holes. This is the part of the day I love!!!! (except for not wearing ANY sunscreen and having the REDDEST nose I've ever had) The are so engaged. They are participating. They are all standing really close. They're awesome. I pray they love being a part of the change for their community. 

After this we're back in the classroom to talk about the 2nd most common cause of morbidity here...Respiratory Tract Infections. Made em roll their backs and pull up their knees while sitting to try and breath as deep as they just had when I had them sit up straight. Nelly told me after the training that they did not know a lot of what was taught, and they were amazed to learn about it. They didn't know about Mucous, about the components of the respiratory system, about the presence of infection if the mucous is yellow or green, about the dangers of smoke and dust to breathing. 

I love teaching, even being witness to teaching - Nelly ROCKED IT! and is wonderful is so many ways. We had some people show up today that didn't yesterday - they have to make it up. And tomorrow they will graduate as a certificate carrying member of Nuru, and Thursday they will graduate as the first group of Nuru Health Representatives! In-freaking-credible! 

This is me saying "how many holes does your net have to have for a mosquito to get it? One! It only takes one." Nelly is holding up the needle and yarn (no thread) for a volunteer to show how to sew holes. 

All the chaos of the day can not take any of the joy of doing what I feel most alive doing! It's so amazing to live fully alive! 

What was I thinking....

Did I actually think that it would take less than 2 hours to make 80 copies for my training today? 

Did I actually think a note on the school's wall and door (to tell them to go to the church) would be ABLE to be read by half the people attending the training?

Did I actually think that Nelly would be able to stop injecting babies and seeing patients to go and train 37 Nuru Health Representatives?

The answer is....well, I was hoping! But somehow in the back of my mind I expected a little chaos. Ok, a lot of chaos. 

Today I started Nuru Health Representatives training; Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday of this week from 2pm to 5pm in a church down the dirt road from Nyametaburo Health Center. The topics are Malaria and Respiratory Tract Infections (2 of the BIGGEST causes of morbidity in Nyametaburo Sub-Location). Thursday will be general health info, and logistics about how THEY will train. 

See the Nuru Health Reps are selected for each Nuru group to go and learn, and then come back to the group and teach. Also, to represent the concerns and ideas of their group. Really, we're doing this! THIS is the work that for YEARS I have wanted to do. Train the trainers, empower, teach, etc. I'm stoked. But I have to be honest....Satan was being a total turd today, and was trying desperately to steal my joy and give me anger and lack of trust. And why wouldn't he? I've been sent on a journey - to do work for God. To love the poor. To help the people in Kuria, Kenya. And why would Satan want God's love lived out like this? Not that I'm anything - I'm not. But God in me...Well that's a force to be reckoned with. And to be honest, I SAW his power show up today. 

For real?! a) 2 hours at the printers when I was supposed to be planning with Nelly, b) trying to go to lunch before our "uninterrupted" planning time, and there being no food, c) sitting in a room to talk and locking the door and having a family member come to the window 3 times and a breast feeding daughter brought in, 4) getting to the changed venue and there being NO one in sight to unlock the door. Really?! You'd think there was a lack of planning...there wasn't. It was planned. This just all "came up." Sneaky, really sneaky. But I wasn't gonna let the anger, that so desperately wanted to take over,  get the best of me. I called Doug to pray with me on the phone. 

I CLAIMED a verse that was written in a card months ago, and sent we me before I left, for me to open on THIS day - from my friend Paul - "In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the spirit, because the spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." Romans 8:26-27  -- Man I was weak! and I had NO idea what to pray. So I asked for the spirit to intercede on my behalf. I prayed everything I could think of, mainly asking God to take it. It's for his glory anyway, not mine. And I trust him that he LOVES the heck out of these people and wants to see them healthier. 

Not to be "verse happy" but there's another spectacular verse that I claimed for myself and my heart today - all that means is that I Trusted that it is truth and I asked in faith to receive it's promise- Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

No lie! That is exactly what happened! God's peace washed over me! In a chaotic moment, prayer WORKED! I knew it did, I'm thankful I have a job and a life where I have to rely on God and on my team to get thru it. THAT'S what's important, not the result, but the process. Not the destination, but the journey. How did you fight? What happened when you got slammed to the ground? Who did you run to? 

My training, was not mine. It was incredible, and I'm not that good. I serve a Big God who is though! Nelly knocked it out of the park - and how, I don't know. She's a mom of 3, an aunt who has welcomed her niece to live with her, a wife to Bonaface (sweet name huh), and a nurse who has been the ONLY person to work at the Nyametaburo Health Center for the last 8 days - the 8 days before training, she lives on less than 3000 Ksh a month ($40 a month,  $1.33 a day), and 20 minutes AFTER she finished training and was debriefing with me she got called back to the health center to see the 10+ patients that had been waiting since 1:30pm to be seen! She rocked it! And I know it was the spirit inside her, and a God that loves the heck out of his people!

37 people showed up. They had some interesting comments and questions - and I'm PROUD they felt comfortable to ask and share things like: Malaria is caused by eating bad Mangos, and you can treat it with Avacado leaves, and Pneumonia is a type of Malaria. Those are all the random ones, but people also asked - does the insecticide on the net harm people, what should I do if I sleep outside so my cattle won't get stolen, can you pass immunity to someone else, are injections best to treat malaria, and more. 

Tomorrow I will have them teach me at the beginning of class as a review. We will treat a net, teach about Respiratory Tract Infections (RTI), and again, rely on God to show up! I love my job!!!

Pictures: I took these while 5 groups of 7 discussed: types and signs/symptoms of Malaria, causes, treatment, prevention for Pregnant mothers, and prevention for everyone. Yes, that tambourine is our paperweight. And Nelly is in the yellow with the group of mostly women in the 2nd pic. Nelly = rock star!

Random truths: I am coming to you from a dirt floored kerosene lit room (how do we have internet) and I have had LITERAL ants in my pants 2 days in a row. That is all!