Home going

New Home for Cynthia & Faith

Well we are still in the" motherland" airport (Schiphol) waiting our flight so let me recap the last week at Tenwek.  It is always hard to say good bye to people as they cannot understand why we cannot stay longer!  It was also a week of funerals.  Our colleague, Elijah's mother had her home going on Monday and Tuesday.  Kenyan tradition is to pick up the body and have a relatively short service at the hospital chapel which is near the morgue.  Then a funeral procession takes the body to the home place where the person resided and the burial takes place the next day.  It was a very large funeral attended by about one thousand people. Marv and  I did not go to the funeral  as he was covering the hospital and we were both attending the service for Selena, the mother of the twins I have been caring for.  Words do not describe the wailing and the tears for this sweet mother.  Her four older children were inconsolable.   

The next day I brought the twins, Cynthia and Faith to a Baby Center about an hour from Tenwek.  It is run by the African Inland Church and is a beautiful place.  Currently about 52 children between the ages of one month to six years live there.  I was impressed by the cleanliness and the warmth of the care givers.  Saying good bye to those precious babies who had become part of my life was painfully hard.  Oh that I was 30 years younger, I might have taken them home with me!  But it is the best solution for now until the family can make a rational decision about their future.  I am trusting the Lord to help them do this.  

On Thursday, i avoided going to the nursery as it was too painful to see the babies empty cribs.  Instead I ran errands, said good bye to lots of friends, and began to pack for the trip home.  On Friday morning I worked with Solomon, the physiotherapist at the children's special needs clinic.  Betsy and Penny will. Be surprised that he wants to hire me to be his assistant!  It was a great morning.  Solomon does an amazing job with limited resources to instruct and encourage these moms.  My friend Suzie handed out recyclable diapers and rubber pants as another practical ministry.  Solomon is convinced that the Faith Fund which Penny is working so hard at is making a huge difference for these children. He continues to distribute wheel chairs every 

Friday afternoon.  As a result of these chairs he is seeing fewer wounds, more socialization for these children, and  in some cases ability to go to school.  What a blessing this fund is!  Thanks  to everyone who has contributed as you are changing lives.  

On Friday night we had a St Patrick's Day party at the "kipaganga" or the community gathering place.  It was a great way to  see everyone before leaving the next morning.  

So another tour to Kenya has ended but sweet memories remain.  There is much to pray about as I journey home.  So I have physically left Kenya but part of my heart remains with my friends there.  Lord willing, we hope to return.

Thank you for following our journey.

With love

Miriam