Karibu

Me buying too many things from Lydia's shop!

Karibu means "welcome" in Swahili, and this word probably describes the people of Kenya best. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the people here. As I walk through the hospital I am greeted with a handshake at every corner. A less formal greeting involves a kiss on both cheeks. If an individual walks in late to a meeting (which happens a lot here!!) it is not uncommon to see that person walk up front and greet everyone with a handshake, whereas we in the U.S would likely try to sneak ourselves into the back row without being heard. Jan Ryder described the Kenyans to me as "wanting peace with everyone". Another local Kenyan told me that "Kenyans welcome everyone and love everyone". This is certainly true! I wanted to share with you all a few stories of people I have met and their generosity.

On Friday I was finishing up a busy day on the wards and in the NICU. The pediatric clinic was still overwhelmed with patients so I went to help see the last few patients of the day. A young couple with a 14 month-old daughter, Deborah (it is very common for Kenyans to have both a Kenyan name and a biblical name), was waiting very patiently to be seen. I introduced myself as an American physician who was spending a few short weeks here at Tenwek helping out with pediatrics. Immediately the mother and father exclaimed their appreciation for my being here and repeated over and over how blessed they were to be able to see me on this day while I'm only here for 3 weeks. I thought to myself, "believe me, you are not lucky to see me! There are many physicians here much smarter than I am!!". At the end of the visit, they insisted that I come to their home for a traditional Kenyan dinner. I was on call Friday night but they will be coming by the hospital to pick me up on Monday evening and take me to their home for dinner. I can't wait!

Yesterday, I had the day off and decided to explore the grounds more. Tenwek is located in the highlands amongst beautiful rolling hills. There is a river nearby with a large waterfall that actually is used as the source of hydroelectric power for the hospital! I don't think this hospital would be able to function at its current capacity without the hydroelectric power from this waterfall. ( If you are interested in reading more about the history of how this power source was discovered and utilized you can read about it in "Jesus M.D." or "Miracle at Tenwek").  I was crossing a bridge over the river when I ran into a girl named Clara. Clara told me that she was 14 years old and lived nearby. She was orphaned and was at a boarding school. She described to me how when she was young and her parents were both dead she lived with her brother and her grandmother. There was a quarrel in their family regarding land. Clara's cousin was so angry over the land that she actually severed the leg of her grandmother and later cut open her stomach! (I have learned unfortunately that this is a very common practice here. Many patients come to Tenwek with missing body parts that were cut off during an argument). Clara found herself at Tenwek and during her time here was introduced to Jesus. She is now "born again" and is so thankful for God and His saving grace! Her grandmother is not yet saved but Clara is telling her grandmother about Christ's love every day. Clara offered to help me with my Swahili while I am here!

Clara

Lastly, Amy and I were doing some shopping yesterday at the local market. We met a woman named Lydia who started selling her crafts years ago to put her four children through school. She had beautiful pieces of art (of which I bought too much!!). Her husband also did carvings. She introduced us to her son, Asante, which means "thank-you" in Swahili. She said that she named him Asante to thank God for the blessing of a son. She then introduced us to her husband, who when he learned that Amy was trying to learn to play guitar and that I enjoy singing, offered to give her a guitar lesson on Tuesday evening and asked that I come to sing along!

Tenwek's waterfall

These are just a few examples of the welcoming I have received here at Tenwek. It challenges me to examine my own life and ask how I am impacting the lives of people around me by welcoming them into my home, or my activities, and showing them Christ's love. I wish that everyone back home could come to Kenya and experience this time of love and welcoming! It truly is unforgettable and I think it gives us a glimpse of what we as a church should be exemplifying.