Medical Prep and more

Yesterday was a busy day.Over the weekend we had local volunteers in the town take flyers around to their churches,schools and local hangouts. The flyers read that we would be hosting a FREE medical clinic in Maai Mahiu and the registration for an appointment was being held on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. With a team of well over 20 medical professionals or med students they would be able to see almost 700 people. We figured out how many people could be seen by the doctors and took appointments all day yesterday (Wednesday) and by the end of the day we had filled every spot. Which left those that show up today (Thursday) SOL. It was crazy to see 700 people come through the doors for everything from dental problems,need for eye care, to probably some serious diseases.

Although our medical system in the states isn't that great, the type of treatment that most people recieve here in Kenya is astonishing. It's insane to see medical professionals standing around biting their nails, chatting it up, and just generally ignoring their own patients and people.

Today is Thursday and I am at the office working and I just told the ladies that today and tomorrow will really be the last two days for us to work together. First of all they didn't believe me and thought that I was playing a joke on them but once they realized that I was serious they all got teary eyed adn asked why I was leaving. I got the look that I get everytime I am here from someone that I have grown close to. It's the "will you ever come back" and the look in their eyes that they get when I say yes that kind of says "yeah,sure". I don't know how many years I have to come back for these people to get it. I will always come back. I am trying to mentally prepare myself for saying goodbye to all of the kids and their caretakers Jane,Jane,Martha,Margaret,and Mama Peter. These ladies and kids are the highlight of this trip.

I will admit to being a tad bit homesick but once I leave I know that I will feel like I just left a piece of me behind. I know that it will take weeks to adjust but you never completely do. Atleast I don't. I decided to make a video with each lady today that I will share with you when I get home.I have tons of video that I will be posting by the way.

Anywho,it's kind of a bummer to go. I leave next Wednesday.

THIS IS KENYA- ALSO

I haven't written in a while. We have had two teams here in Maai Mahiu and so we have been pretty busy. Last week the Kansas College Team helped to build a new floor for one of the classrooms and part of the funds that they raised went to purchasing a brand new giant fuel efficient stove for Ngeya Primary! The week went well as the DWC team from Canada had a lighter week of working in the garden and then traveling to Good Shepard Orphanage to play with the kids. They wrapped up their week by having a bbq and slaughtering a goat here in town and then Sunday they all hiked Mt. Longonot!

Saturday we took the Kansas team to Nairobi where they would later catch their flight. Before we got there we stopped by an elephant sanctuary where there were bunches of orphaned baby elephants. We also got to check out a baby rhino! SO CUTE! Two of the girls from Kansas are staying on with us because they will be doing nutrition demonstrations during the free medical clinic next week in Maai Mahiu. We started preparing for the med teams arrival and tomorrow will begin our clinic appointment setting days to arrange appointments for the sick here in Maai Mahiu.

We figured before the madness begins we might as well have a mini vacation day. Mayers farm is about 20 minutes from Maai Mahiu which is shocking because they look like polar opposites. The Mayers farm has a natural spring on premises and that is where they bottle their water. They also have turned old farmhouses into houses that you can rent out for the night. We laid out in the sun, relaxed and then Nathan cooked us a pretty awesome dinner. Had a glass of wine and just chilled out by the fire and told jokes until we were all exhausted. It was a great way to chill before the upcoming weeks.

In other news, I have tried to change my plane ticket but it looks like I am shit out of luck. so i will be heading home next week. I am not sure how I feel about it, I will admit here and there I get a little home sick but I know that when I get home this is the only place that I will want to be. This trip has been so different from my previous trips because I got to live in the community and walk to work everyday. The office here is pretty sweet because most of the time you are mingling with the disabled children and you can hear them sing and laugh most of the day.
Ok I am getting weepy just thinking about leaving so I guess this time will be much harder than I thought. I have had more of a chance to take in Kenya and it will be a tearful goodbye.

P.S. You have no idea how amazing the feeling was to walk barefoot on grass. Something we really take for granted.

Postcards from the edge

Today I climbed Mt. Longonot here in Kenya. It was amazing and while I thought that I was going to die half way up the mountain , I did it. It says 9,000 feet and I felt every step of it. As you got closer to the top you would pass people headed down the mountain that would encourage you to keep going.. "Keep it up.. It's worth it". It was worth it.. Although half way up the view was already amazing enough .. the top of the volcano was the crater and it was the most awesome thing ever!!!

I was pretty impressed that I made it to the top because I suck at hiking.

We made it back in time to shower and hang out and because today was actually clear you can see the stars. I just sat out in a chair looking up at the stars and they are amazing here while listening to Across the Universe by The Beatles. It is days like this that I have to pinch myself and remind myself just how lucky I am to be here, to have this amazing job and experience this beautiful place!!!!!!!!

Here are some pics , ofcourse they won't do justice but you will get the point.

UH O

I think I might be getting sick. I'm starting to feel a little run down but that generally happens at some point when I am here.

In other news, the Kansas College Team has arrived and after spending the night in the London airport I was able to greet them at 6am on Thursday.The team was able to check in and spend the day fighting sleep so that they could beat their jetlag. Today the team is headed out into the town with our local volunteers. They will get a walking tour of Maai Mahiu and end the day by having tea with their volunteers in their homes.Tomorrow we are planning to hike Mt.Longonot so I am really hoping to get some rest so that I can join in on the fun. If you have ever hiked with me you know how much FUN it can be. ha

I moved down to Maai Mahiu which will be my new home away from home for the next couple of weeks and I am pretty happy to be down here.

Other than that.. all is good in the hood.
Here are some pics for you

and one more thing

This summer we are planning a day camp with disabled children from Easter Seals. We have been looking for volunteers within the Austin community.
Each volunteer would take a day off of work and spend the day working with children with mental and physical disabilities.

I think we have about 5 volunteers now and need about 25 more. but no response from the community. It completely bums me out .. just how many people that are out there that can't seem to lend a hand to others. It just makes doing this kind of work really discouraging. to be honest I don't expect anything less from people anymore.

I am actually even more blown away that Austin,Texas would have less people willing to volunteer than San Diego.. really?

these are just some ramblings

blah.

And the madness begins

Well it's Tuesday mid-day here in Kenya and I am in Nairobi after a day of running around everywhere I am finally sitting here wasting time. Tonight my team arrives from Kansas, and we already have one team here. Needless to say this is basically where the madness of summer teams begins. You know keeping projects running, making sure team members are safe and are feeling good about their trip, handling finances and such. I say madness because this is only the beginning and here on out it's team after team after team.
I just got a call from half of the team and they were stuck in London.

Aside from this, everything is going well here. Oh, Nate has kicked me out of his house and I am on my way to stay the remainder of the trip in Maai Mahiu. Ok so he didn't kick me out, but he sure likes to think that he did. :)

I am taking a bunch of videos but like everything else here, the process is entirely too slow. This week I started to get a little mildly homesick, I mean not enough to want to come home but just enough to remind me of what all is waiting for me when I return... my new city, friends, family, a birthday trip with close friends to Vegas, a birthday celebration for both my dad and myself. He turns 60 this year and I turn 30! (Sorry for giving out your age Dad)

I miss everyone, my cat, my car,my apartment but things are going really good here. Every time that I am in Kenya I think to myself.."I could live here". Maybe someday I will.

Some Kenya stuff - Maybe you could care less but I am writing them down. I have to start speaking this language. I have been a total non conformist about speaking the language this time for some reason.

Nyama Choma=Roasted Meat
TaTa= Auntie
Mzuri Sana= Fine thanks
Habari Yako= How are you?
Karibu= Welcome
Asante Sana=Thank you
Habari YA asubuhi= Good Morning
Lala Salma= Sleep well
Kwaheri=Goodbye
La Asante=No thanks
Hakuna Matata=No worries

Some pics from around Maai Mahiu