New friends at the hospital

Hey Everyone! How is everything over in Texas? I hope everything is going fine, I am doing great.

I have recently arrived at the hospital. Yes, I am so excited that I am finally here. There are so many kind people here so far I have made many friends. There is Melody who is 12; she is very kind. Melody has taught me so much about the mission and the people here. There is Andrew who is 13 as well, Jamie, who is 8, Peter, who is 12, and Adam, who is 16. They have been so friendly and kind to me.

Our house that we are staying in is unusually large for mission house and so comfortable (feels like home). We have some people that are helping us get adjusted at home too. There is Richard, who is helping us cook. He is so kind, and there is Milcah, who is helping us around the house with cleaning and such. You have to collect rainwater for everything. Even the laundry- you have to pour it into the washing machine and then line dry everything!! They are both from the Kipsigi tribe. I love them both, they are so very kind.

Well that’s all for now,
Georgia Grace

Our medical missions work begins!

We finally made it to our destination! Early Tuesday morning we boarded two small Cessna airplanes for the last leg of our journey from Nairobi to the mission hospital we will be working at for the next month. The flight took us over the beautiful Rift Valley of Kenya. I (Paul) didn’t see much of the scenery because I had my eyes closed the whole way! I do not like small planes! Our pilots (Matt and Jay) are men who have dedicated their lives to help fly missionaries in and out of remote locations, deliver food and aid, evacuate injured patients, etc… What an important (and often overlooked) role in advancing God’s Kingdom. We are thankful to the African Inland Mission air ministry. We enjoy a smooth landing (laugh)on a dirt strip (after we chased the animals away)!

Dr. Russ (a long term missionary surgeon and friend) met us at the air strip and drove us 35 minutes to the missionary compound–a 300 bed hospital with 5 busy operating rooms serving a large portion of western Kenya. Once we were settled and had lunch…Dr Russ asked me to come assist him with an emergency surgery. As many of you know, the situation in Kenya is somewhat tense with a lot of ethnic, political and tribal tension. The patient was shot with a bow and arrow and had a penetrating arrow injury to his left flank. What a privilege it was to listen as Dr. Russ prayed over the patient, prayed over the operation and then we repaired his injuries. Needless to say, less than 6 hours after being at the mission hospital I had my first ever arrow! (See the pics!).

Jenn has done a marvelous job “setting up shop”–she is unbelievable! The kids are doing well. They finish their school work and then have lots of other missionary kids to play with. I have been very busy in the OR.

It’s 8 p.m. Wednesday evening…you guys are in Wednesday night service and I’m heading back to the OR for another emergency. Keep us in your prayers. We will try to stay in touch often. Thanks for all the comments and encouraging words.

Blessings to all!
Paul

This trip was God’s idea

After the ups and downs of last week it is so nice to be in Nairobi this morning-jet lagged and all! Many of you may not know we were scheduled to leave last Friday but all the unrest and violence put our trip in a holding pattern. After months of anticipation and planning, it was so disheartening to see our plans be delayed and possibly even cancelled.

But then the Lord began to gently remind me that this trip was HIS idea and not MY idea. He reminded me that His plans for me are always good and any delay is a part of His design. All I need to do is to trust in Him and trust His timing.

Once I laid aside my plans and trusted His plans, a peace that passes understanding began to guard my heart and my mind. And, over the next few days it was amazing how everything came into place. I am confident that He will accomplish exactly what He wants—both in us and through us over the next few weeks.

Jen

Now in Africa

Hey everyone! We are finally in Africa.  My brother, sisters, and I would like to thank you for all of your prayers and support! We arrived safely last night and are currently staying in Nairobi.

To all of my friends, I want ya’ll to know how much fun I am already having. Yesterday we took two planes; the first plane we took arrived in Amsterdam (that’s in Holland). The second plane we took arrived in Nairobi, though the flight was tiring and our stomachs were empty, we managed to make it to the hotel (dramatic, I know!).

Today I went to have lunch with some of my parents’ friends. We also went to a shop called, Amani. All of the products at Amani are made by African women who have been war victims or women who have been through tough times.

Though I’m having tons of fun I miss all of you terribly and can’t wait to see you again. You have been a big part of making this a more exciting trip for me. I promise to keep you posted and please add a comment so that I know how all of you are doing! I really, really, really miss you.

Hugs and Kisses,
Georgia Grace

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