Friends,
After two days in Amsterdam and one in Nairobi, we arrived safely at Tenwek hospital early afternoon yesterday (Saturday)! We had great flights and all twelve (yes, I said twelve!) of our bags arrived safely! As they say in Kenya, God gave us “journey mercies” and we are thankful for your prayers. I really admire Jenn as she organized and packed everything needed for the children’s school, all our clothes, probably 200 pounds of medical supplies, spent hours at various markets in Nairobi gathering the food and supplies we will need for 3 months and then unloaded it all and got us settled into our home away from home. Needless to say, I couldn’t do what God placed in my heart to do without her willingness to make those sacrifices.
I so enjoyed the daytime flight from Amsterdam across the entire northern part of Africa. We made it across Europe, then down the western coast of Italy, across the Mediterranean sea, across hours of the Sahara desert, crisscrossing the Nile river numerous times, across Sudan and finally to the green hills of central Kenya. In northern Kenya there was a spectacular thunderstorm to our west and then probably one of the most magnificent sunsets I have ever seen. All those incredible colors–pink, orange, gray and bright blue were intensified by the setting sun shining though the high arching clouds of the thunderhead.
It was such a blessing to be greeted and welcomed by some of our many friends here at Tenwek. Lisa was at the gate waiting for us, Carol had cinnamon rolls ready for us, and Sarah was already cleaning and setting up our house as we arrived. Across the fence I heard “Dr. Osteen” in that deep voice that could only belong to Geoffrey, one of my good friends from the theatre (OR). We had dinner with our friends the Whites (long term missionary surgeon and his family), breakfast with our friend Barbara (missionary nurse for almost 30 years), and lunch today (Sunday) with Anna (a missionary nurse from Japan). But the welcome I remember most was when little Angela and Alene (4 and 6 year old Kenyan friends) first caught glimpse of their friend (and my 6 year old son) Jackson. Those were the brightest eyes, the biggest smiles, the loudest giggles and warmest embraces of all!!
I start my day at 7am tomorrow at the hospital. The kids will settle into their school work in the next few days. And Jenn will make plans for ministry at several of the orphanages in the area around the hospital.
Keep us in your prayers. We will do our best to keep you up to date on our journey.
Blessings from Africa,
Paul