So, What Is a Typical Day for Me?

Hello, All:
     A dear friend of mine wrote to me the other day, and one of the questions she had for me was:
"It's hard to imagine what your life is like now - what is a typical day for you?"
     Wow - how can I answer that?  I have been trying to figure out what a typical day is like here since I arrived!  Each day brings new challenges and learning experiences, and, while I have developed some sort of routine, it is subject to change at any moment!  But, here is my schedule for a day that does not have any "monkey wrenches" thrown at me:
Monday through Friday:
5:00 AM - Wake up to crowing roosters and active children - no need for an alarm clock!  Take a shower, have devotions, eat breakfast.
6:30 AM - 12:00 PM - Clinic hours for the children before they leave for school, then hours for the staff and Baraka women.
12:00 - 4:00 PM - Free time - may use it to go shopping, rest, prepare for the Baraka women's Bible study, assorted errands and the unscheduled request for medical assistance.  When my Ugandan friend Andrew, who is a nurse, was here the last three weeks, we conducted physical exams on each of our 82 children, then the staff who desired a check-up.  Our spare time has been spent compiling a well child and sick child exam form, converting it to a Word document, and entering all the data from our recent check-ups onto a flash drive so the medical information can be accessible to anyone who comes after me, and to eliminate random nursing notes left in notebooks and pieces of scrap paper in assorted places on the compound.
This spare time is also often used to take a sick child to the clinic to be seen by a physician.  I also use this time, on occasion, to do health education classes with the staff regarding hygiene, first aid, and a bladder training program for the children who are wetting the bed.
4:00 - 6:00 PM - Clinic hours for the children returning from school, the Baraka women, and any staff who need assistance.
6:15 - 6:45 or 7:00 PM - Devotions with the children and staff  (7 days a week).
7:00 PM - Dinner time and relaxation - often interrupted by children complaining of a headache or stomach ache - usually the two complaints.  Even though I have told the children repeatedly that calling on me after 6:00 PM is for emergencies only, and have discussed what a true emergency is,
our definitions of what an emergency is are still vastly different!  Often times, they just need reassurance that they are really okay, and a reminder to drink more water, and not run and play in the hot sun right after eating.  When I tell them this, however, I get the look that says "What kind of nurse are you, since you are refusing to give me medicine?!"  It's taking some "de-programming" to convince them that they don't need a pill every time they have even a vague and minor complaint!
9:30 or 10:00 PM - Devotions and lights out!
Friday afternoons - Bible study with the Baraka women.
Saturdays - 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Clinic Hours - time off after 2:00 PM - again, often interrupted by children complaining of stubbed toes, or the customary stomach ache or headache!
Sundays - Church at 9:00 AM, grocery shopping and/or dinner out after church - free time the rest of the day - again, subject to change!   Sunday evenings - Bible study group with the high school girls where we usually have a cooking or make-up session, eat, laugh, and try to work in a Bible study or more serious discussion about topics that they are concerned about.  So far, we have learned how to make bread pudding and potato salad - this Sunday will be home-made pizza dough and making personal pizzas - woo-hoo!
     So, there you have it.  As always, this schedule is subject to change if we have to make an emergency run to the clinic or hospital for a sick or injured child.  And, when a child is sick who needs closer attention, I will keep them in the infirmary we have established next to the clinic and upstairs from my apartment.  I care for them during the day, and will often designate an older child or caregiver to stay with them during the night, knowing that I am available for an emergency should it arise.
     I hope this helps you understand a little bit better what I do with my time here.  There is never a dull moment, and sometimes I grump about never having uninterrupted time to myself, but I often get hugs and "butterfly kisses" from a sweet child, and that makes it all worthwhile!
     I hope you are seeing the promise of Spring turning into reality after this long winter.  I am sending some warm Kenyan sunshine your way, along with my love and prayers for you.
     Feel free to leave me a comment - I love hearing from you!
     Love,
     Nancy