Hello, world!

Dear friends, family & supporters,

This will be the blog of one Kim & one Eleasa as they prepare to go & then go! to Kapsowar, Kenya for their first year medical elective & medical missions trip.

We’ll be flying out of Brisbane on Sat. Oct. 24th, 2009, stopping over in Dubai before arriving in Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. We’ll be spending 4 weeks (Oct. 27th – Nov. 20th, 2009) in a rural missions hospital in Kapsowar, which is about 8 hours away from Nairobi by public transport. We’ll be going through the missions organization Africa Inland Mission (AIM).

Hopefully we’ll be able to share with you a glimpse of the things we see & the things we learn & the things we do while we’re on the continent of Africa.

So be sure to keep this page bookmarked!

 

eleasa’s post-trip thoughts #5

entitled “say what you need to say”.

read here!

 

eleasa’s post-trip thoughts #4

entitled “in the house/home/family of God forever”

read here!

 

eleasa’s post-trip thoughts #3: initiative

read here!

Something about being a doctor gives you cred, respect, veritability. I suppose it’s all those years spent in school, sometimes 15+ years. And that fancy “Dr.” at the start of your name, and “MD” or “MBBS” at the end of your name.

I remember one of the reasons I wanted to study medicine & become a doctor was to have a platform on which I could stand & make my voice heard for the voices that are often muted or not listened to in this world — the orphans, widows, impoverished & victims of the sex trade, injustice & oppression.

Here I stand years later, God having moulded that conviction into something more sustained & more Bible & Cross-centred — that it is not by my might that I can break cycles of poverty & sin, but only by God’s grace. Because first, I am just another sinner, and yet, having turned from sin & toward His grace, I am able to say I am free of the guilt & power of sin, and love & serve a new Master, who I can also adoringly endearingly call Abba Father. And I desire to bring the hurting & the broken to this God & Father.

I’m still wondering where & how — people keep asking me what I want to specialize in & whether I’m going to return to Canada or stay in Australia — but specifics are far from being answers. All I can say is that I have seen from the example of others, and I am convinced that every Christians, no matter their socioeconomic status or ethnicity or geographical location in the world, is in a position to take initiative to bring the truth & hope of Jesus Christ into wherever they work.

people from the Kapsowar & surrounding area working together to build an operating theatre that will allow more people to get the surgical treatment they need to keep living

At Kapsowar, Dr. Christina was my example of someone who, out of love for God & His people, took action — & in such a joyful way. Creativity & initiative just flowed from her mind & heart into a tangible form of giving to the people of Kapsowar — getting her parents’ small group at church to raise money for a playroom to be built in the children’s ward at the hospital as a Christmas project; plans to convert the dingy & cold D&C procedure room in the female surgical ward to a friendlier, more spacious & sunnier room in the maternity ward; ideas to improve the female ward physically — all for the sake & benefit of patients. She showed me that a believer becomes a disciple becomes a lover becomes a doer.

I want to be the kind of person who stands firm in my convictions, rooted in the Truth in His Word, steadfast in my faith in Jesus Christ my Lord & Saviour, and who can care for, listen & do, all to bring in God to heal His people wholly through & through.

 

eleasa’s post-trip thoughts #2

entitled “communication”

read here!

 

eleasa’s post-trip thoughts #1

entitled “first, make disciples”.

read here!

 

our last weekend in kapsowar:

Um, yeah, hello again. It’s been a while hasn’t it? Reasons being…

(1) The laptop we would’ve been able to use has been out of service for a good week & a half now.

(2) There’s just been so much going on that there hasn’t been enough time to update about it all!

This past weekend was our last one in Kapsowar! & quite full on — so it was quite bittersweet.

On Saturday morning, Kim & I woke up at 5:30am for a 6:30am start to climb Kipkinur, which is a 4.5 mile hike up to 10,500 feet, or 3,000 feet above the town of Kapsowar. It took us 3 hours to climb up – and UP it was. There were some uphill climbs that I’m pretty sure were at a 60 degree incline. If it weren’t for our fearless leader Mama Brian, and our friends Bruto, Festus, Jacob & Violah, no way Kim & I would’ve made it up. As for me it was my first hike ever (that I’d consider a REAL hike) and this is definitely not one for amateurs, so I feel quite accomplished & proud of myself. The view at the top was breath-taking & alive & all worth it of course, and we spent an hour on the rocky look-out, taking in the sight of the forests & hills & valleys & towns afar, singing hymns, eating mangoes & chips, and goofing around, taking photos. It was spectacular.

We climbed back down in 2 hours, & got back right before 2pm, took quick COLD showers (’cause we didn’t have time to wait for the hot water tank to heat up) & then headed over to Michal’s house for some fresh mango&papaya juice while we discussed how best to get to Chebiemet to visit the children’s home there.

So that’s how I got my first ride in a real matatu, while Kim had her first picky-picky (motorcycle) ride. A matatu is basically any vehicle you can get a ride in & stuff as many people as possible in. Drew, the surgical resident, counted 26 in his matatu to Eldoret. He’s also the owner of a picky-picky (made in China), which Kim rode on the back of to get to the children’s home.

The building we stepped into in the village of Chebiemet is home to children with disabilities — from clubbed feet, to missing limbs, to congenital hip dislocations. Four wheelchairs are needed, but only 2 of the children actually are sitting in wheelchairs — actually, one of the “wheelchairs” is a plastic lawn chair attached to 4 metal wheels. This is just ONE of the needs.

I deeply wish I could share phtoos of all of these places & people with you all. It’s been such a RICH and FULL time, and words only say so much.

One thing I’ll leave you with is to please pray for Kim & I as we decide which needs to financially contribute to before we leave Kapsowar this Friday. Now I’m off to get my first lesson on how to make ugali & sukuma wiki!

 

women

I’m sitting in the “medical library” room in maternity ward that is actually now just home to a copy of Harrison’s & some other med textbooks, and this computer on which our portable internet modem (from Safaricom) works! And there is a massive daddy long legs crawling on the wall in front of me… haha, which reminds me that Kim has a good story to share involving flying termites. Hopefully she does.

I’m following Dr. Christina (ob/gyn) this week, and yesterday was crazybusy & quite surreal. I saw my first delivery ever (!) (yes, I’m a n00b), I scrubbed in (!) for the first time into surgery, and assisted in a vaginal hysterectomy (!) (By the way, I learned that “hyst-” is a term for “uterus” which is where the word “hysteria” comes from… oh, women.)

Women young & old walk into the maternity ward. I can’t tell their ages based on their appearance. Mary, the woman who comes twice a week to sweep the house, do the laundry & get some groceries, looks like she’s a grandma, but she’s 37. Mothers as young as 23 already have 3 babies. Bearing & having children is highly valued here. 

And yet, we get a case like yesterday’s. Yesterday, a lady in her early 20s, came in to the maternity ward. She looked so young. Based on her history, Dr. Christina suspects strongly that she has cervical imcompetency, meaning she can’t bear her child to full-term, and so they end up being born prematurely. This has happened to her twice already, and both babies, being born prematurely, died. You’d think that at the first sign of another pregnancy, she’d come straight away to the hospital to get help. But no, she’s already 22 weeks into her pregnancy when she walked into the ward yesterday. 22 weeks! The best course of action for her is a cerclage, which is basically a stitch like a draw-string around the cervix to keep it strong & stable & able to hold the baby until hopefully full-term. Cerclages are best done early in the pregnancy. And, of course, she doesn’t show up today. I’m praying that she shows up tomorrow.

Another thing I can’t understand is the practice of female circumcision / female genital mutilation / cutting. Almost all the women who come into the maternity ward are circumcised. I asked Christina about it & she says that depending on who you ask, there are different reasons given. Some say it’s a traditional practice, some say it’s for aesthetic reasons. But from the scar that I saw as a result of the circumcision, I can tell you, it’s not pretty. And it increases risks of C-sections & postpartum haemorrhage. I just don’t understand.

[Edit] We visited Michal’s house on station on Friday night — she’s the “mother” of many of the medical students who have come in the past & the ones here now. She’s a funny woman. She had a book from AIM about the AIC’s perspective on female circumcision. If I have time, I think I’d want to take a read of that book.

 

spiritual food & prayer points:

Pastor preached on Ecclesiastes this morning. A great reminder on how all things under the sun are meaningless without God.

Christina & Drew (the ob/gyn & surgical resident) meet Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays at 8am to pray for their patients & for the day. I am humbled by their servant hearts & how much they love God & His people here.

Wednesday mornings are chapel at the hospital. All the hospital staff that I’ve met really have a joy in the Lord & in doing work here to care for the patients.

I encourage you to read the prayer points we have on our other page. Some additional things to pray for:

1. The doctors here at AIC Kapsowar Hospital – 2 local doctors + 3 North American missionary doctors – that they would be encouraged & strengthened for the daily challenges of the patients they care for, and that they would continually be filled by the Holy Spirit with love from God the Father, for Him & for His people.
2. The children living at the orphanage we visited yesterday – that they would grow up strong in God their Father, rooted in love for Him & His Word, and filled with hope for their future, living lives for Him.

 

one week in kapsowar, part 2:

Finally, Kim & I resurface again with an update! It’s actually been so good & refreshing for me not to have a laptop to worry about & internet to fall back to here in Kapsowar. Each day here has so far been filled with new learnings, new friends with such hospitality, amazing stories of lives lived & travels, & heaps of greetings of “Habari!” with the response “mzuri”.

Last time we updated, we were in Nairobi. Early on Tuesday morning, we took a taxi to the North Rift Valley shuttle office, and boarded our matatu for a 5-hour trip to Eldoret. Kim & I & our luggage & box of medical aid took up the 3 seats at the back (we had to pay for the extra seat). It was quite scenic along the way & I saw my first zebras!

Arriving in Eldoret, we were thrust straight into a bustling city, with people in & out going about their daily business. We were met by Drs. Christina & Ben & his wife Cathy, who are American & Canadian respectively! It was our first time actually walking around in a Kenyan urban centre. And we actually ate at a Chinese restaurant there, which was actually very good! (It was Dr. Christina’s birthday wish & treat.) Met the chef & his wife who were Mainlanders. We wondered how on earth they got to this part of the world — & I’m sure they were wondering the same about Kim & I! Visited a great, cute li’l souvenir shop owned by friends of previous missionary from Kapsowar, so they gave us good bargains, and Kim & I each found good finds. Then bought groceries at Tusky’s in preparation for what we wouldn’t be able to find in Kapsowar — peanut butter, cereal (we got the cheap brand-less corn flakes), instant noodles, capsicums, apples, frozen chicken.

The trip to Kapsowar was in the Kapsowar Hospital’s ambulance, carrying 13 people + our luggage + bags & bags of groceries & purchases from town (Eldoret). And wow, that was the fastest, bumpiest ride OF MY LIFE! Turns out the road from Eldoret to Kapsowar was left unfinished due to political neglect, & thus lack of money. Whereas there’s another road that’s paved beautifully but goes another direction from Kapsowar, but barely anyone uses it. Go figure. Welcome to Africa.

As Kim said, I’ve been following the 2 Kenyan doctors here at the hospital –from the paeds to female & male surgical & medical wards to the HIV clinic to the outpatients department. One of the things that has struck me is the lengths & distances people go to to even just see the doctor, and the immense cost they are willing to pay. The average pay is 200 Kenyan shillings a week, which is<$3USD (1 USD = 72 KSh) & one consultation costs 1600 KSh alone. Being admitted has daily costs, beyond the cost of any meds you’re prescribed. Still, patients want admittance. I was in the consult room with a young lady who came in with a headache, but other than that, had nothing else of medical significance. Yet she still wanted to be admitted to the ward! After 20 min. of consultation, Dr. Kinyua finally admitted her, & I sensed that there was an underlying social issue at home that drove her to want to stay at the hospital overnight. Dr. Kinyua agreed, and suspects depression as part of her problem. Many of the female medical patients come in complaining of headaches, but look sicker than the clinical exam & investigations actually say. Many of their problems are psychological, but Dr. Kinyua says noone, nurses nor doctors, want to take the time to delve into counselling these patients. It makes me think about psychiatry as a possible interest…

Visitors are loved here! Everyone keeps telling us this. The children who live at the station ( as in ‘mission station’ that’s part of the hospital) are always coming up to our house, knocking on the door or at the window. We were told not to spoil them too much with sweets or stickers, ’cause they could come demanding for more.

We had a humbling & amazing time at the orphanage yesterday that Kim talked about already. I have more words than I can share now about our time there.

And I am sunburned at last! I didn’t think I’d catch much sun with Kapsowar being 7800ft in altitude, but hours of hiking (in a long skirt!) + my hypersensitivity to sun due to taking Doxycycline (malaria prophylaxis) has done it for me & Kim! We are tanned from 2 hiking treks. And I loved it – the scenery is beautiful & the gardens & croplands (of maize mainly) make the hillsides a venerable quilt. It’s amazing how they can garden along the steep slopes here!

People here have the best names – all from the Bible. There are 3 Shadrachs, met a Hosea, James, Solomon, Salome, Hezekiah, Mary, and Zephaniah (who is a very cool dude).

We attended the AIC church next to the hospital this morning – English service was pretty small compared to AIC Ngong Road (in Nairobi) but the Kiswahili service afterwards looked to be pretty hoppin’! They had Gr. 8 kids from 5 schools visiting so they could be prayed for, so they had to move the service to the field outside the church. And of course, Kiswahili worship music is very lively with all the hand-clapping & the swaying & the call & response. We will definitely have to check out a Swahili service another Sunday.

Dr. Ben & Cathy, the lovely Canadian couple from Vancouver, invited us over to their house for Sunday dinner tonight – roast chicken’s on the menu plus their smoked salmon that they brought! We are seriously being taken care of here. Then we’re having Bible study afterwards – definitely an answer to our prayer for spiritual nourishment whilst we’re here. Okay, time to go home to cook some veggies to contribute!

 

1 week in kapsowar

So it’s been a week in kenya! The most lovely couple from Vancouver has graciously allowed us to us their laptop and internet credit so that we can update a bit on our life here.

As always the case, though, too much to tell but too few words.

This past week Eleasa was following two kenyan doctors working in Paeds and Internal Medicine. I was following an ob-gyn doctor and I’ve already seen and learnt more than I could imagine: deliveries, broken bones, complications from HIV, and I’ve even scrubbed in on a surgery! Perhaps due to the tough life, Kenyan women have developed the most resilient characters. They work so hard so that they could support their families; a family of 8 children is not uncommon. Sadly, a lot of times their husbands are either unemployed or sick or simply unable or unwilling to help support the family. Some women have unfortunately lost their premature babies or carried a dead foetus in their uterus for 3 weeks before they felt pain and came to the hospital. It was such sad news for the mothers, yet there was no crying nor blaming God. It was very encouraging to see them holding themselves up and moving on with life. They couldn’t allow themselves to be defeated, b/c there are many other children waiting to be fed at home.

Yesterday, we hiked for approximately 1-ish hour to the orphange supported by the AIC church. We were told that the kids were very excited to meet us and were eagerly waiting since 12pm. (we didn’t get there till almost 3). The orphnage was very very basic, with 1 room with one table and a few benches, another two rooms had nothing but wall and doors/windows. The dorms were divided into boys’ and girls’ dorms, each had about 6 beds with a piece of foam as the mattress. There are 25 kids but there is not enough beds and mattresses. Nothing is enough there. Not enough plates, not enough pens, not enough sugar for chai, not enough clothes, not enough everything. What is enough for them? Jesus.

The kids sang us two songs and their geniune love for Jesus and the joy in their singing all brought us to tears. We went to bless them, but instead, we were blessed by them much much more. It was very humbling for us to see how much joy they have in life despite practically having nothing. Most kids have no parents. Some, however, do, but they either come from a single parent family or the parent is disabled and is unable to take care of the kids. The couple that runs the orphange, as we suprisingly found out, was not paid at all. They are missionaries. So the doctors are going to ask for help from their home churches back in the States and Vancouver.

After church today, we went on another hike. Kapsowar Hospital is surrounded by various mountains, and the farms are arranged so amazingly nice, making the scenery breath-takingly beautiful. During our hike, we would come across local people. The kenyan kids are just hilarious. Some of them are very bold and would actually come up to us and want to shake our hands. Some would see us from afar and yell out “how are you? how are you?” Some are so shy that when they saw our cameras, they run and hide. Some others would actually mimic our western accent when we greet them in Swahili. One common thing is they all stare when they see us.

What else. oh food. We haven’t yet to try the kenyan staple food yet, that is, Ugali. It’s made of corn and it’s apparently very blend but it fills you up nicely. So it works quite well for the Kenyans.  We have been having Chai for the past week, and the Kenyan way to go with Chai is this triangular fried donut thing called Mungazi. Every day between 10-11 is Chai time, so during that hour, it’s quite hard to find nurses when we need help with translation or just to get some medications from them for the patients during an operation. Chai time trumps everything.

We’ve been invited over for dinner by the ob-gyn doctor as well as the couple from Vancouver. We’ve had pasta, lamb, mexican and tonight is going to be chicken. We’ve only had to cook for ourselves one night. We bought some vermicelle in Eldoret before coming up to Kapsowar and naively thought it was the same kind of vermicelle we are familiar with. So I thought I was so clever and I soaked some vermicelle in water before cooking it. 5 minutes later, the dried vermicelle became a blob of sluggish noodle that looked like a mop (said Eleasa) b/c i could twist it and squeen water out of  it. Ok fine, we decided to go ahead and pan fry it to see if things would get more normal. And it didn’t. The blob remained blobby and the addition of water actually made it even more sticky. I failed. So second attempt was to just directly put the dried vermicelle in the pan. The noodle would just stubbornly turn sticky after adding water. So i read the package in the hope of getting some cooking instruction, and there was instruction.

“Brown in pan for 5 minutes, keep stirring so it won’t get burnt. can add nutmeg and venilla essence.”

That sounded like something sweet. And yes, the vermicelle is actually a type of dessert people make in kenya. DESSERT!? we would have never thought of that. So I managed to throw in some carrot and cabbage and onion try to flavour it up with some soy sauce. Eleasa was kind enough to eat it and said she actually liked it. Good thing the chicken drumsticks turned out much more edible. Oh, speaking of cooking, our stove does not have built-in fire-starting thing, so we need to use matches to start the fire. same goes with the oven. real fire. nice.

OH. Eleasa just came in with good news, we finally figured out how to make international calls with our mobile! Hence I shall run to my phone and call my parents!

Btw, we’ve had two movie nights so far in the US doctor’s house, with makeshift screen made of a white bedsheet. It’s been fun. Yah…talk about ‘tough’ life in Africa eh?

ok, time for Eleasa to update!