Mixed Emotions

View from our Apt 7 Window

Warm enough?

Saying "Goodbye"

It is hard to believe that parts of Kenya are having a drought because we have had 4 days of rain, mostly at night but today is a bit cloudy.  The hillsides are very green and really beautiful! It is fun to hear the rain pounding on the roof late at night.

I was quite honored today when one of the patients named her baby Miriam!  Of course she is an adorable, beautiful baby!  The other thing that happened recently is that the father of the twins I spoke earliers about  has come back and is wanting to take the twins home. This is good and bad.  It is good because he is taking responsibility; bad because he is very very poor and it will be difficult to feed and cloth these children in addition to the other 5 he has at home.  In order for him to have the twins  discharged  from the hospital the family must pay the entire bill.  If the bill is not paid the patient can not leave which means that the bill continues to mount.  Can you imagine this in the US?  These twins have been here for 2 months at 1000 shillings times 2 a day; plus the bill for his wife who died. The total bill is approximately 120 thousand shillings which in US currency is about 1200 dollars.  He has already sold one cow and only has one cow left to feed his family.  This is a tragic case, but it is not unusual.  I have no idea how it will be resolved. 

On a happier front the other twins I am helping to feed have terrific moms and are thriving!  We are feeding them through NG tubes and it won't be long before they can go home.  You would get a real laugh out of seeing me sit  in the steamy nursery surrounded by moms who are chatting non stop in the  Kipsigis language. I know that they are talking about the old white mazunga who is sweating non stop!! We are becoming good friends through body language, laughs, and hugs.

Hope you are all having a good day. We send out love
mom and dad
micki and marv