Spot the Differences

Remember this game? Staple of kids' magazines, children's menus and activity sheets, you have to identify the subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) differences between two pictures. 

In some ways, it feels like our last four months in Kapsowar have been a game of "Spot the Differences." So much is the same - and yet we were warned, and have certainly found it to be true, that returning for our second "term" has felt very different than coming to Kapsowar for the first time. Here are some of the things that I (Kim) have experienced as a returning long-termer.

The Same:

- Our house: It has been comforting and just all-around nice to return to our home, our kitchen, our comfortable space. We loved visiting friends and family all over N America, and making Seattle our home base. But I also love my cookbooks and craft closet, we love our dog, our games, even our well-worn movie collection (Babe again, anyone?). 

- The work: with all it's challenges, I love my job. It is fun, rewarding, discouraging, and heartbreaking, sometimes all in one day. I wouldn't trade it for any other work - especially studying for a board exam, which is what I spent most of the late summer/fall of 2022 doing!

- The community: what keeps us in Kapsowar is the community - not only the wonderful Kenyans who we work with, but also our smaller Kenyan and N American community living together at the "station." Although most of the members of the community have changed since we arrived here in November 2019, the rhythms and feel of the community, thankfully, has not. We have enjoyed not only being back here, but also helping to welcome others into that community.

- Fat Tuesday! We hosted the 4th Annual Fat Tuesday celebration at our house earlier this week. I'm learning from my experience every year - this year I really simplified by making mostly baked donuts the night before (when I was not on call) and only frying Ollie Bolen (apple and plain)

Gathering for donuts near our avocado tree - another thing that stays the same is wonderful local (sometimes VERY local) produce

Last day before Lent indulgences

Growing kids can eat a LOT of fried (and baked) dough!

Some kids - and adults - were interested in the frying process

The Differences

- New community members: As we anticipated, we left Kapsowar in May with very few long-term community members, and when we came back in November, we were just at the beginning of a season of growth for the community. Dominic was the only N American kid when we left. Now he's one of 16, soon to be 17! It has been truly fun and encouraging to get to know all the new families. And there are still more to come! It has also been a challenge to be some of the community members who have been here the longest. We get a lot of questions, and don't always feel like we have great answers. 

- The responsibilities: Along with the expanding community is a heavier burden of community responsibilities. More decision need to be made, with more people weighing in on that decision-making process. Fortunately, there are also more shoulders to bear the load, and we are really thankful to be handing over some of our tasks to new people with more passion and energy than we have.

- The social opportunities: For us and for Dominic! So far, Dominic has been involved in a Christmas pageant, a play (the story of Esther), and a comedy night - Dominic read (and sang!) jokes out of his joke book before a campfire last Saturday

The tree fort in our front yard makes a great stage

- The climate and economy: On a negative note, Kenya has been hard-hit by drought, which is even effecting our normally very green area in the hills. Lately even the power grid has been effected, with scheduled power outages due to (we hear) lack of hydro-electric power. The economy has had a double-hit from poor crops, and fairing poorly in context of global economic hard times. Locally, people have been struggling to buy basics including food, medicine, and paying school fees. It hurts to see the people around us hurting, and it hurts to know that people in countries around us are in even more difficult conditions. 

We appreciate your support and prayers for our family as we navigate this second term, and for Kenya as we wait for the rains to return! Thanks for reading!

Enmity, and a New Years Resolution

Over the summer, I was composing an email regarding the elections that were happening in Kenya at the time, and I became quite exasperated because Gmail marked one of my words as mispelled. "Emnity." You know, the state of being an enemy of someone. A word that probably isn't used often in day to day conversation - although perhaps more commonly now than twenty years ago.

But, of course, the word isn't "emnity," it's enmity. And at thirty-something years old, with over 25 years of education under my belt, I had the opportunity to face the fact that I have been outright, objectively misreading and mispronouncing this word for my entire life.  

It was a silly, pretty insignificant little thing. Nonetheless it got me thinking about those beliefs, assumptions, opinions, worldviews that become so unquestionable to us. Things that are less objective than simply misspelling a word. Moving to another country and culture does a lot to expose those unquestioned beliefs and worldviews. So does coming back to your "birth" culture after living somewhere else for a while. Some of the things I've been wrestling with are, what does it mean to be blessed? What would Jesus say about individual rights? How can the church try to please God, not people (as Paul taught) but still show Christ's love in the world? Unfortunately Google can't give me the right answers to these questions, at least not as quickly and objectively as the correct spelling of enmity. 

The first part of August, we were in Michigan at a program called AlongSide. The best way I can describe it is an intensive support group, with a combination of lecture, small groups, and individual/couples counseling, all in a beautiful setting with time and space to start processing what we were learning. The program we attended was specifically designed for Christian healthcare workers and their families who had been serving overseas. We had a great experience, and I highly recommend the program (please contact me if you want to know more). My main takeaway from that time, the virtue that I want to try to practice as head into a new year and new season with our team in Kapsowar, is humility. Humility in the face of another culture that I don't understand. Humility in the face of a culture that I do understand, and sometimes don't agree with. Humility as we make decisions for our family, participate in decision making in Kapsowar, and participate in the life of the church. It's a scary thing, to put down in writing an aspiration to humility - it feels a little like telling someone you're trying to lose weight while you're in a buffet line, just opening oneself up to scritiny. 

Someone from the program presented this quote from Augustine. It's a little dense, but worth struggling through:

To [Jesus], my dear Dioscorus, I wish you to submit with complete devotion, and to construct no other way for yourself of grasping and holding the truth than the way constructed by Him who, as God, saw how faltering were our steps. This way is first humility, second humility, third humility, and however often you should ask me I would say the same, not because there are not other precepts to be explained, but, if humility does not precede and accompany and follow every good work we do, and if it is not set before us to look upon, and beside us to lean upon, and behind us to fence us in, pride will wrest from our hand any good deed we do while we are in the very act of taking pleasure in it. 

https://theoldguys.org/2019/07/05/augustine-humility-humility-humility/

I'm not to try to top Augustine, so...here are a few pictures from the last 3 months, in whatever order they fall!

Back home in Kapsowar!

Welcome back party at Maternity - so grateful for everyone who worked really hard providing care while I was away

A blurry picture of our first all-female OR staff!

Enjoying a delicious treat at our favorite restaurant in Eldoret

Continuity of care is a beautiful thing. This patient has lost 3 babies (2 with me) and finally got to go home with this precious gift just days before Christmas.

First day of 3rd grade!

Dominic has learned to make coffee! He left this gift for me after a particularly difficult night of call.

My, how our community has grown!

A quick Christmas greeting

Merry Christmas from Kapsowar! 

Life has been a sprint for the last several weeks. I (Kim) am really looking forward to the return of my clinical officer, Joyce, next month, as well as a short-term volunteer to take some of the load off my work schedule. So instead of a long, picture-filled post, this year I'll write my Christmas list - but starting with the "wishes" that have already been fulfilled!!

🗹 Financial support to return to Kapsowar

🗹 Safe trip back to our home in Kapsowar

🗹 New colleagues to help with the work here

🗹 Passed my OB/Gyn oral board exam!

𝥷 School teacher or tutor for Dominic

𝥷 Fetal monitoring to replace the broken equipment at the hospital

𝥷 A full-time, dedicated station manager for our "station"

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Travelogue, Part 6 - House Building, Philadelphia, the BIG EXAM, and British Columbia

We started October in Seattle with a visit from my brother, John. (I'd love to say the purpose of his visit was to see us, but he was actually there for the wedding of a childhood friend.) His wife, Evelyn, joined us toward the end of the week as well. 

Having dinner after picking up John from the airport

Grandma testing her new staircase (built by John)

Progress!

Dominic has enjoyed getting reacquainted with "old" friends from Seattle, but it wasn't all fun and games. He worked hard with Great-Grandma and finished grade 2, which we celebrated with dinner at Wendy's (his choice).

Playing football

A well-deserved Frosty

Kris and I headed to Pennsylvania for our final meeting with Serge before leaving for Kenya. There we met our new teammates in person for the first time! 

Team Kapsowar!

On October 17, I took my OB/Gyn oral board exam. Still waiting for the results...

The exam now takes place by Zoom.

Dominic made this Duplo creation for me while I was taking the exam.

We headed up to Lynden, then British Columbia, to visit friends and family for the week. The weather finally cooled off and we enjoyed some "fall" activities! 

We took the train back to Seattle, where we turned our attention to packing, getting some last-minute vaccinations and shopping done, and spending time with family. Dominic was able to attend "real" school for a half-day (thanks, Mrs. Wheeler!) and went trick-or-treating for the first time in years.

By the end of this busy month, we were feeling ready to get back to work in Kapsowar. Thanks to everyone we have visited in North America for all the support and fun memories!

Travelogue Part 5 - Washington and Florida (the covid days...)

Our last month in North America is almost over, and we have been staying busy right up to the end! Too busy to write a blog post, apparently.

Here are a few pictures from September. We started and ended the month in Washington state. Kris and Dominic stayed in Seattle for the first week, while I (Kim) headed up to Birch Bay for some "quiet" time to take a board-preparation course for my OB/Gyn oral board exam. During that week, I was able to do a presentation for my Aunt Mary Lou's women's Bible study group, sharing what I have learned  about maternal and child healthcare in Kenya. (No pictures from my week of studying, although you can imagine me sitting in front of a computer; and I completely forgot to take pictures at the Bible study too!) 

No pictures from the Bible study, but I did snap this photo of my Uncle Arlyn's Case tractor collection!

Supervising a lumber delivery for the new house

Kris, Dominic, Mom and Grandma picked me up from Birch Bay and we visited with several of Grandma's relatives. Then after a quick stop in Seattle, Kris and I flew out to Florida for a conference with Samaritan's Purse / World Medical Mission. We were able to do a lot of visiting and networking, and I gave a couple of presentations. We also had a bonus night in Florida after our flight got cancelled, and then tested postive for Covid immediately on returning to Seattle - so Kris and I headed up to Birch Bay to isolate, while Grandma, Mom and Dad took on an extra several days of childcare/homeschool duties.

Presenting at the conference

Meeting up with friends made in Kenya.

Serge, represent!

After recovering from Covid (we were symptomatic, but recovered quickly without complications), Kris and Dominic headed to Montana for potato harvest. They had a bit of an adventure getting there, with a slow Greyhound bus driver and surprise overnight stay in Spokane, but we were thankful for family who gave them a very comfortable place to stay. 

Potatoes

Montana during harvest

I continued to study for my exam and helped a little around the house. And just that quickly,  and with far too few pictures taken to adequately document it, September was over!!

While he was away, I received Dominic's school books for the next school year. We're still looking for a teacher, though!

We head back to Kenya early in November, so we are in the final stretch of visits, paperwork, shopping, packing, and starting to say goodbyes. I'll share more pictures from October soon!