Our first glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro peeking through the morning clouds was a sight I will never forget - truly breathtaking! I can see why Kenyans are so proud of their treasured mountain - it is truly spectacular.
It was good to get away after a very busy and demanding week here. My Ugandan friend, Andrew, is a nurse who I have served with in medical ministry several times when in Lira, and he has been visiting me for a few weeks. It has been a blessing to have him partner with me to do the yearly physical exams on the kids - especially for the boys and male staff here who are more comfortable being examined by a male nurse. It was quite a chore to get all 82 children's physicals done in the last week, but with Andrew's help, we were able to complete the task. I was glad to examine the children individually, and get to know them a little bit better. We found two girls who have some irregular heart beats that would have gone undetected had we not done these exams, and will be taking them to the Dr. this coming week for further evaluation. Another little girl has sickle cell anemia, and we found that her eyes are a bit jaundiced, and her liver is somewhat enlarged, so we will take her to the Dr. as soon as possible this week, too. We will also be returning to Kijabe Hospital this week with the woman who is being seen for infertility, and may take the girl with sickle cell there, as well, if she is well enough to put off seeing the Dr. until the 21st when we go to Kijabe.
One little girl, Kendi, who I wrote about before, just about broke my heart this week. During her physical exam, I mentioned again how much it touched me that she wrote me the lovely thank you note for caring for her when she was sick shortly after I arrived in January. I also told her that I thought that God has something very special planned for her life, and has blessed her with some wonderful gifts and a beautiful heart. I then quoted some of the verses from Isaiah 43 where God is telling His people that He knows them, has called them by name, and that they are precious in His sight, and that He loves them. I told Kendi that He knows and loves her, and has called her by name, and that she is precious in His sight, and mine, too. Kendi then hugged me, and began to cry - big, clear tears that rolled down her face. All I could do was hold her - I had no words to say - and she held onto me for about 20 minutes, silently crying and hugging me. It was so precious. Kendi didn't explain what she was thinking, or what made her cry - I suspect she was missing her mother. But, I didn't feel that I should question her at that time - what she needed was just to be held and loved, and it was my privilege to do that. It was such an honor to share God's love, and mine, with her, and I hope she was blessed by our time together. What she can't fully understand is how much she touched and blessed me, too, and I am humbled by this gift of love to me.
Whenever I grumble that I have been interrupted during dinner for the third time in a week because of a little one's request for something for a headache or tummy ache, I remember Kendi, and the fact that all these children really need, in most cases, is a motherly hug and reassurance that they are loved. It's that simple - and that profound.
I have attached some pictures from our safari - I hope you enjoy them! Thank you for your prayers for me and the ministry to which God has called me. You are precious to me - and to our Father. In His love -
Nancy
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