Homeward Bound

24 January 2011

Dearest Friends and Family,

 “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year;
Give me a light
That I may tread safely into the unknown,
And he replied, “Go out into the darkness
And put your hand in the hand of God.
That will be to you better than light
And safer than a known way.”  Louise Haskins  (One of my mom’s favorite poems!)

I had planned to write you this past Saturday from Maua.  I had so much to share about the hospital and what has been happening, the alternative rite of passage and our wonderful time at home. However, Bill and I are not in Maua but in Santa Fe, NM.  We left Maua on Wednesday night to fly to Albuquerque, NM as my mom was in critical condition and we were praying we would have an opportunity to say good-bye.  As we left Maua in December, returned to Maua in January and left Maua again on 19 January, we were homeward bound.  My mom was also, but the difference was she was bound for her final home.

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Home, Friends and a Psalm

5 December 2010

 Dear Friends and Family,

 Christmas:  “How shall I describe this Holy Night? … it is the remembrance of the most intimate mystery of life, the birth of God in an agonizing world; it is the planting of the seeds of compassion, freedom and peace in a harsh, un-free, and hateful society; it is hope in a new earth to come……This day the smallness and vulnerability of the child and the vastness of our earth will both enter my soul.  I know that without the child, I have no reason to live but also that without a growing awareness of the suffering of humanity, I will not fulfill the call that the child has given me.”  Henri Nouwen

Bill and I are going home for Christmas.  We are very excited about the opportunity to spend time with my 92 year old mom, sister and brother and their families in New Mexico, Corrie and Brent, Lily and Ethan, our daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren, in McKinney, Texas and Bill’s brother and family in Oklahoma City, OK.  We will be gone through mid-January and because it is a “holiday” we will not take time to answer emails. Thus we hope any questions can wait until January 2011 when we return.

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Dreams Do Come True and Giving More Hope

21 April 2010 

Dear Friends and Family, 

“However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.”  John Calvin 

Working at Maua Methodist Hospital has many challenges but there are always so many good things happening, we find ourselves ‘happy dancing’ more and more.  This past Monday the following announcement was made during our combined Chapel Service (on Mondays the entire staff meet together for singing, prayers, a devotional and announcements).  

DREAMS DO COME TRUE: 

“Maua Methodist Hospital has made a GIANT step in its 81 year history.  We have been officially accredited as a Center for Internship Training by the Government of Kenya.  This means the Ministry of Medical Services will post 8 doctors (interns) to the hospital every year for internship training.  The benefits of this “promotion” of the hospital are:

1. More doctors from the Government fully paid by the Government for the hospital.

2. The Government of Kenya will have more keen interest in the hospital to ensure Specialist Doctors are available to train the Interns.

3. It is likely that these Intern Doctors will be posted here beginning around September 2010.” 

This is something we have dreamed of for a very long time and one of the most significant achievements for the hospital.  We will truly be a training center that will be able to provide more and better care to our patients.  We are all so grateful to God for his faithfulness to this hospital.

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Lessons from Home

10 April 2010

Dearest Friends and Family,

“When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.” Ethiopian Proverb

We do pray that your Holy Week was just that. Filled to overflowing with thanksgiving for the greatest gift we have ever received and for the joy the Risen Lord gives each of us.

Bill and I have not experienced a really good rainy season in Maua for over two years. We had forgotten the incredible beauty that the rain brings. Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexicoin the high desert, I used to think one of God’s favorite colors was brown. Living in Maua during a good rainy season I know His favorite color must be green and I do believe we have most of the shades of green He created. We are feasting on His creation and its beauty these days.

It often is warm with sun shine in the morning and then clouds gather during the afternoon and we have rain at night. We have never had such beautiful roses, hibiscus or bougainvillea.

  
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Celebrations

25 March 2010

Dear Friends and Family,

“Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!” Amanda Bradley

Florence Mubichi:  A Celebration of a Life Well Lived

On Tuesday afternoon, 16 March, Florence Mubichi died.  On Thursday 18 March I had the joy and privilege to go with our Hospital Management Team to the Mubichi home to “be with them.”  I had a wonderful talk with Steven, Florence’s husband and her two daughters, Fridah and Ravina.  Along with sharing with the family we had a short service – our Chaplain, Rev. Alice, preached and then four pastors prayed.  It was a very positive time. 

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