Project One

Before we moved into this house we had grand plans for how we were going to repaint it.  We poured over paint swatches at Home Depot (and took many of them with us), we mapped out a plan, we consulted folks who'd had experience in this, and we got pretty excited.  And then we moved in...and went to the US...and hosted Christmas, and just generally got busy. Painting took a back burner to everything else.

Well!  After deciding to tone down our ambitions a bit, and start small, we picked up some paint on Saturday.  The most important room, of course is the nursery.  We've chosen a yellow to go with a lot of the items we already have.  We'll get to painting that in the next couple of weeks.  And we chose a coffee-ish color for the "dining room." 

Of course, I can't really help paint - the fumes are too much for me and Baby. So I was sent outside to water the garden with our new hose.  I wish Kenya had no VOC paints, then I could have lent a hand.

All in an afternoon's work!  It isn't vastly different, but it adds nice definition to the room - we like it! Not bad for "Project One" as Dexter keeps calling it.  I guess Project Two will be the baby's room.  Obviously, we need to get some decorations on this big bare wall.  We're thinking framed photos of...

wait for it .... 

cars! 

unless someone has a different suggestion?

clubfoot

I work with the CURE Clubfoot Worldwide program.  This is a program that was developed in 2005 to help combat the number of children who end up with untreated clubfoot late in life.  Simply put, clubfoot is a birth defect of the bones in the foot - instead of being straight, the foot will turn in on itself (that's the best I can explain it, anyway).  The hospital here in Kijabe began in 1999 and has seen many many cases of children -- up to the age of 18, sometimes 20 -- with severe untreated clubfoot.  Clubfoot is painful and often prevents the children from participating in normal activities: walking to school, chores around the house, etc.  Some must be carried on their mothers' backs until they are 10 or older, thus preventing the mothers from being able to work or care for the rest of the family easily.  No shoe properly fits. Feet get severely scarred.  Surgery is the only option for these children. That, too, is painful. And expensive. And not totally effective.

But, thanks to the clubfoot program children under the age of two can be treated by serial casts, a simple procedure to release the tendon in the ankle, and a special brace that must be worn for a couple of years after treatment.  This eliminates, or dramatically reduces the need for surgery. Children have a better chance of being "normal," attending school, running, playing, etc.  Last year, the clubfoot program treated -- and cured -- over 4,000 children born with clubfoot. The program is currently in: Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Zambia, Niger, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India. 2011 will be a major expansion year, too, thanks to a major grant.

Today, I had the opportunity to take some pictures of children who have clubfoot but are getting treatment. I feel a little uncomfortable to put pictures of their faces on here since they're not my children.  But this will show you what the treatment can look like.

 unilateral clubfoot in a cast 

 bilateral clubfeet awaiting a cast

 bilateral clubfeet in the cast (note: the cast has to go all the way to the thigh in order to be effective)

Steenbeck Brace - a special brace that holds the feet in position. Must be worn for several years to ensure effectiveness.

Getting a cast put on

The best part about this program is that it trains paramedical staff (not doctors) to do the treatment - making it cheaper and also more easily accessible. For example, Kenya has 25 or more clubfoot clinics located throughout the country, meaning that more children are reached, and they don't have to travel all the way to the hospital for treatment.  

The other great thing is that it is fairly inexpensive! For $250.00 a child can be completely transformed and healed.  I'd say that's a pretty good deal!

So, go check out CUREs website and read more about it! :)

they really came

As I mentioned, my parents were here last week.  They are now safely home, where it is 6 degrees Fahrenheit and they await another snow storm of 18 inches.  Is it just me, or should they have stayed in Kenya?  I have this problem of not getting photos of people.  Food and the garden seem to be no problem.  So, on the last day, we quickly took a few photos just to record the fact that they were here! 

 here's our family - 30 weeks! 10 to go! 

 Dexter, Francis & Evelyn, and Margot

The last two photos were taken at the Norfolk Hotel an old hotel in Nairobi that has a very colonial feel to it. We left them there for dinner and a cab ride to the airport.  It is hard to say goodbye, but we'll be seeing them again in April!

progress at Gentle Bells

My parents and a friend came to visit this past week.  My dad learned from his last trip that traveling to Kenya for a weekend is not the brightest of ideas, so they were here about six days.  It is always great to have folks from the US visit, and of course, having my parents here is extra special, and I'm so glad they could come!  But they weren't here just to see me. They were coming to check on the progress of Gentle Bells, the school down in the valley that they've been supporting for the past two years.

The school has vastly improved in the last two years.  It has gone from small, mbati (tin) building on a teeny plot of land to a 5-classroom stone building on 5 1/2 acres of land!  There's still work to be done - beginning a "shamba" (garden) so the school can grow its own food, and making a proper soccer field, etc. Still, this is a vast improvement.

Forgive all the pictures. It was hard to choose just a few.

 new school

 admin building

 in a classroom 

 They must have known I was coming: teaching about proper care of teeth and seeing a dentist!

 Since the area is so poor, the school provides lunch to all students every day

 it is hard not to fall in love with these faces

 boys will be boys: lunchtime soccer game!

football at the foot of Mt. Longonot what could be better?

It is pretty exciting to be a small part of the changes of this school.  We have come from so far and still have vision on going further in time.  We can clearly see how God has provided for the expansion of the school. As usual, His hand is on everything.  This year, 150+ children are enrolled in the school, which means that they're getting a solid education and two meals a day.

Come visit sometime!

a special gift

I am amazed at just how hard it is to fully settle into our home.  After an initial push to get things hung (primarily because guests were coming for Christmas!) we have lagged in the home improvement area of life.  But, with more guests on their way, it was time to do a few more things!

Our room is still looking a little bare, so we hung a few of the remaining frames in there.

 a cozy corner

This is special to me for several reasons.  First, it is from one of the scriptures read at our wedding. More importantly, however, is the time and love that went into making this cross-stitch for us. This was made by a dear friend, a woman who's one of several "mothers" that I feel blessed to have.  Beth has been a part of my life since the beginning, has celebrated all my special moments, and has been an encouragement to me as I've journeyed through life.  Her house is filled with cross stitchings that she's done, and I've often seen her working on one for a gift for others.  Having my own cross stitch from her is beyond special -- this is the only gift that has brought me to tears.  Hanging this in our bedroom is significant because we have the scripture as a daily reminder, but also evidence of the love that surrounds us from afar.

I'm not sure how clear this picture is, but this was either an engagement or wedding card (can't remember now which!) from Erica of 1 Corinthians 13.  I like having these two scriptures in our bedroom as a reminder about what true love really is.  Every time we look at them it can serve as an encouragement and reminder to us. I think there's no better place to put them!

There's still a lot to do -- like the nursery! -- but we'll get around to them slowly and surely.  One thing at a time, right?

sights from the car

Driving* in Kenya is always provides a bit of entertainment.  First, it is harrowing as the roads are narrow and poorly made; there are donkey carts, bicycles and pedestrians to avoid; overtaking -- often too close for comfort -- slower cars into the other lane of traffic is a common occurrence; accidents are not uncommon (in 2010, close to 4,000 people were killed in road traffic accidents.  We see God's protection for us every time we get in a car and make it safely to our destination!).  Some of the things we see are just amusing, though.

* small disclaimer: I don't drive. I just mean driving in general. I'm happily in the passenger's seat at all times.

Please forgive the following photos. Most were taken from the car and I didn't have a chance to get the settings just right. I hope, though, that they'll give you a sense of a drive around Kenya. 

 don't drive your car over the edge

 biking uphill is too hard, and here's this truck with handy ropes, so why not?

 a green farm. I think this is cabbage and sukuma (kale). Thankfully, the drought is over!

 farm stand on side of road

I always wonder who wants to buy fresh fruit from the side of the highway, esp when diesel trucks spew a lot of smoke on them all the time

 sheep skin rugs (and sometimes, hats!)

 turkeys and chickens, too

 will God judge for typos?

 hard to see this 18 wheeler toppled over in a ditch...

 this is a fairly typical sight on Sunday morn.  There's a bit of a down grade and a curve. 

It doesn't take much to send them over the edge

My favorite

This is to a fabulous view of the Rift Valley. 

I just think some of the other directions are a little misplaced :)

I hope you've enjoyed this little tour. There are plenty more things I could -- and should -- get.  I'll continue to snap away as I have my camera with me.

January visitors

It is hard to keep up with blogging! I guess we were still in recovery mode from Christmas and New Year's.  We're recovered now and looking forward to a lot of visitors in January - my parents and a dear friend come next week!

CURE International is where I've been working for the past 5 1/2 years. I began at their hospital in Kijabe, and then moved to their hospital in the UAE.  I'm back in Kijabe now, but working for the Clubfoot Program and am primarily based from home. I'll have more info on that later, I think.  CURE is hosting a big conference for the Executive, Medical, and Spiritual Directors for all their hospitals here in Nairobi.  This means that we have friends coming to Kenya!

On Saturday we drove into the hotel where the conference is to see some friends from the UAE. Jessie & Trey moved to the UAE after we were already planning to leave. Having a couple our age there the last few months significantly improved things for us.  It was wonderful to see them -- and others from around CURE -- again.  We had lunch together with the Medical Director of Oasis, and then went out exploring.  We started by checking out a construction site for a housing complex that Dexter & I had been interested in seeing.  That was a beautiful ride, through back roads and coffee farms.  No photos, sorry. Maybe Jessie will post some on her blog of the coffee. :)  Then we landed at ArtCafe a new coffee shop her in Kenya that serves good food. And Creme Brulee. What more could a girl ask for?

 you gotta love the hurried sign making. . .

 ok, I admit it: I got the tea because I love the way they serve it. this pitcher is so stinkin' cute!

 Jessie & Trey

90 days

Happy New Year!

Today marks 27 weeks pregnant for me, which means about 90 days left in this pregnancy.  I find this incredibly remarkable as the time seems to be going so quickly.  Between being homeless for six months, traveling to the US, trying to settle into the new house, and -- thankfully -- never being sick or uncomfortable, I've hardly had time to really digest the fact that we'll be welcoming a new baby into the world in a few months. 

This has been a very easy pregnancy and I am grateful for that every day. I was sick one day before Christmas which made me appreciate my health all the more.

Being pregnant during the Advent season was/is interesting.  I found myself thinking about Mary a lot in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  What must it have been like to be pregnant with the savior of the world? Could she fully comprehend that?  When I found out I was pregnant I quickly signed up for emails to tell me about my progress (baby is now the size of a head of cauliflower!), talked to friends who'd had children, read books, and tried to figure out just how to deliver.  Mary didn't have such luxuries. In fact, the angel comes to her "Hail oh Favored one..." and then doesn't have the decency to give her a manual on what to expect.  Then she had to travel by donkey in the last weeks of the pregnancy, and deliver (naturally, no doubt!) with no help other than Joseph's.  And she was probably no more than 16.  I feel like I can appreciate Mary a little bit more now, although I know that what she did is truly beyond comprehension. 

But hey - at least she didn't have to argue with Joseph about a name!

We have a lot to do in the next few months but getting the nursery set up and agreeing on a name seem to be priorities.  Choosing a name is harder than I would have expected -- especially when there are two cultures involved. 

Here's Baby, at 26 weeks on Christmas Day.