A Day Trip

Today we took the kids to a resort in Lake Naivasha where we enjoyed time swimming with friends and a relaxing lunch by the pool.

We then decided to go for a walk around the resort grounds and this is what we saw:

A pretty good day!!

A Bunch of Bullet Points

Today you get a bunch of bullet points updating you on our lives because that just seems easier than actually writing a real blog post.

• Last week Erik was asked to present at the monthly meeting of The Kenyan Association of Paediatric Surgeons (we're very fancy in Kenya so we use the British spelling - even though Blogger's spell check keeps telling me it is wrong) or KAPS.  I believe the organization had 6 members, but I guess Erik makes 7.   Erik spoke about minimally invasive / laparoscopic procedures.
• Yesterday Erik traveled to Brackenhurst (about an hour away) to speak at the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS)' Principles of Surgery Conference.  This is a two week conference offering training for the surgical residents that are a part of the PAACS program.  Erik gave one lecture on anatomy and another on trauma in children.
• The big kids are still enjoying school and getting them up and out the door in the morning isn't nearly as painful as it was the first week.
• I'm potty training our two year old.  I'm using the potty training in one day method - this is day 7.  I could use prayers!  :)
• Erik can now add Swahili to the list of languages that he can communicate in and I'm still only fluent in English and Pig-Latin.  Ustmay eepkay udyingstay.

From Erik

This week marked my first week of “full-time” work at the hospital.  The patient volume has been uncharacteristically light, but this is allowing for an easier transition as I learn how the system here works.  The hospital has a brand new suite of operating theaters that is very nice, and while I’ve done a few cases so far, I look forward to an increasing patient load.  One goal of BethanyKids at Kijabe Hospital is to be able to provide broader neonatal care for Kenya and the region.  Unfortunately, many children with congenital defects that are almost always curable in more developed countries die without ever making it to a healthcare facility that has the ability to treat their problem.  The reasons for this are multifactorial but among other things involve delays in presentation, the ability to travel, and the cost of care.  BethanyKids is already known throughout the region for the care it provides for the wide spectrum of spina bifida.  We want to provide hope and holistic healing to families as we strive to increase awareness among the rural communities of Kenya as to the availability of affordable, quality pediatric surgical care at Kijabe Hospital for children with a wide array of congenital problems.

First Day of School

Our older two kids started school this week at Rift Valley Academy.  They both had a good week and are really enjoying being in school.  So far, the hardest part has been getting them up and out the door every morning.  We've sure been spoiled with our homeschooling schedule where we started school around the breakfast table at 8:30 while still in our PJs!