Easter at Tenwek

So 2 weeks ago I finally made it out to Tenwek. Since myarrival in Kenya on Jan 4 I have been living in and around Nairobi. Between mypracticum, language school and recommended travel restrictions during electionsI have not been able to make the 4 hours (1 way) trip to Tenwek, my futurehome. Finally with Easter the opportunity came.

I enjoyed the drive out, the rains have caused Maasai landto turn green and beautiful. I arrived at Tenwek, dug my lab coat, stethoscope,and pulse-ox out of my bag and out of the door and up the hill I went,  heading to the hospital. It was great to greetold friends and to get back to work. It had been months since I have dealt withpatients, touched a ventilator and used my critical thinking skills as I triedto make things work. In some ways it feels like I never left as so many thingswere the same. However there were new faces and other things that made me feela little like a visitor again.

The weekend at Tenwek was also a great time to reconnectwith my Tenwek family. There are new faces to the family who I had yet to meet.I met some of these families as the kids ran around,  and met the adults as I ran around the hospitaland attended various Easter services.

Since then I have returned to school I have just over 3 weeksof class left. This week was busy studying as I wrote a test and prepared for adevotional on Thursday morning. By the time you will be reading this post Iwill be skipping school again as Tenwek’s annual retreat is this weekend. It isa time of rest and relaxation. Spiritual and community growth as well as anopportunity for me to get to know all these new faces better without the stressof hospital life.

One other thing I am hoping to retreat from is the bugs. Ihave been writing this cowering under my mosquito net with the light off as therains have driven all sorts of bugs into the house. The light attracts them andthis evening I had about a dozen flying termites in my room. I think my flip flopweapon killed them all but I am enjoying the (false) security of my mosquitonet.

should have kept this guy, as he would have eaten some of the bugs

As well as bugs in the house the birds are quick to fly in though a  open window or door. The other day I turned around to see these 2 standing in my room. 

The great GREEN Rift Valley

Tenwek Easter Cross