GETTING PAST THE CONFUSION
Setting up for a large camp is quite a chore. We arrived early to get the rooms ready. Today in our Mwiki Camp we have the largest group of medical professionals we have ever had. I’d say there are 70 or more. There are also a large group of volunteers who are helping to manage the crowd. So much preparation has gone into this camp, but if you have ever been to Kenya you’ll know that everything new starts off with a couple of hours of mass confusion. Try as we will to avoid this, it is just part of life in Kenya. At about 11am we settled into our routine and things begin to flow. As I write this we have finally past the point of chaos and I can sit down and relax. Our biggest problem is keeping up with the reading glasses. We have sent out for more several times and used them all. We went through over 100 today and tomorrow we will have to send out for more. There are so many Kenyans over the age of 40 who can’t read. Apparently the high sugar intake in their diet ruins their eyes. I want to thank those of you who donated to this cause last week. There is a big line up again for circumcision. When I get back to the states I am going to look for our very own circumcision kits. If any of you doctors or nurses have a line on those let me know.
Our camp was officially opened by a Member of Parliament. The locals tell me that he is one of the few Members of Parliament who is genuinely working for his community. He is a giver and not a taker. People just cannot get over the fact that all our medicine, glasses and treatments are free. Many people have showed up to see if that was true, because promises have been made in the past and never fulfilled.
The chief government medical officer for this region visited us today. He is a very godly man and he was blown away by what he saw in our medical camp. When he walked into our pharmacy it was like walking into the Kingdom of God. He asked for a special meeting with Worldcomp leaders so he could beg us to work together with them. They also do medical camps but they are hampered by lack of money for medicine. We usually try to stay away from the Government, because they leave out Christ, but this man is unafraid to keep Jesus in the forefront of what he does. Osborn said he has never met a government medical officer like him. Valerie will be very interested in this: Turns out he works very closely with the President’s wife on health initiatives. Valerie has been praying about working together with the President’s wife for several years.
You can’t believe the noise in this neighborhood. There is a major bus terminal 200 feet from the church and for some reason they sit and honk their horns non-stop all day long. There are also about 5 churches in very close proximity. All of them have their sound systems turned up to the max and someone screaming in the microphone. I have a hard time tuning it out but the locals just consider it part of the music of life.
We finally got the Video Projector running and we are now showing the “The Son of God”. I didn’t realize it but this new movie is not available in Kenya. Many people sat crying in their seats as they watched it, but it created a problem because some people didn’t want to leave the movie and go to their appointments.
The Church we are working in is another one of those beautiful churches with nasty toilets. Face it pilgrim, when you come to Kenya you’ll have to be prepared for nasty toilets. That alone will keep some people away, but I encourage you to stand up and face it with courage because we need you here! Seriously, it is really hard to look upon the face of absolute poverty and not be grieved and grossed out. Much of the sickness we see is the result of complications of poverty. And the poverty is created by corruption. As you pray for the nation of Kenya please pray that God will give Kenya righteous leaders. One the one-hand things are so bad that it seems impossible, but as we know “Nothing is impossible with God”.
Sorry I got carried away with my keyboard hope you were able to read this to the end. Thanks again for your support and for sharing in this adventure with me.
More tomorrow.
Richard