Joyous Goodbye

Dear Family and Friends,

It is bedtime and we are leaving early in the morning for Nairobi but I just had to send one last blog and tell you about my most amazing day!  It began early when Marv came to the nursery and told me that Joyce, the mother of the darling little girl I have been feeding, was better!  Joyce has been psychotic for the last 3 weeks due to renal failure and has shown very little interest in her baby.   She thought that Marv was a witch doctor!   I had to see for myself and so I took her baby to the ward and it was true.   There was light in her eyes, she wanted to hold her baby and her smile was infectious!  It was the first time I cried today when she embraced me and said Asante. (thank you)   Words fail to express the joy I felt at this miracle!  She said "God is good!" Thank you  for praying for me!" It truly was a miracle!   At the noon feeding Joyce came to the nursery with her sister who has been caring for her and feed her baby via NG tube for the first time.  It was the second time I cried today!

At noon we had a party with chocolate chip cookies for the moms in the ward and cake for the staff near the nursery.  After we finished they urged me to come back to the nursery at 2 PM.  When I came  all the moms had gathered in the hallway and wished me farewell with a lively African song.  Then they wrapped a blanket around Marv and me and continued singing.   It was the third time I cried today with tears of joy.  

I wanted to especially thank the two moms of twins that I helped take care of by giving them something to remember me by so I asked them to meet me privately in the office.  Anne, the head nurse, helped interpret for me as I gave them each a Bible in Kipsigis and told them that I hoped that they would raise the twins to love Jesus.  They were both overwhelmed. I don't think that anyone had ever given them something before!  Belaney, who is tall and stoic, sobbed in my arms.   Mercy, tiny and quiet hugged me tight.   Again, God is good!  It was probably one of the most profound experiences of my life in feeling the power of God's love. 

So dear ones, it has been a wonderful month full of blessings beyond belief in a tiny, steamy, over crowded NICU in Tenwek, Kenya!  Thanks for being a part of it.  We leave early in the morning and fly to South Africa for some R and R.  We are excited to see a country we have always wanted to visit and thrilled that Betsy will be with us.

love to all,

nana and poppy

Micki and Marv