New beginnings

If you've been "following" my blog you've noticed blogging is not one of my strong suits... but this is a new year with lots of room for improvement. I think the challenging thing for me when it comes to blogging is that there is so much to say and I just can't think of writing it all. Imma has to keep reminding me that those who want to know would be happy even if I shared a few of the stories I tell him daily. I thank God for Imma and his willingness to listen to all my weird, confusing, and sometimes disturbing events of the day.
With that said, I would like to thank you for your continued support, and although I purpose to do better this year, I still encourage you to email me or send me a message if you just wanna hear me ramble on about the exciting things that are going on in Chogoria, Kenya.

The very first baby to be born at our hospital in 2018

It's tradition for our hospital to give all the New-Year moms and babies gifts to celebrate new life 

On December 31st of 2017, we received reports that cholera had been diagnosed and treated in our county, Tharaka Nithi, and unfortunately there had been one fatality. Through-out 2017 there had been outbreaks in the country, mainly the capital city, Nairobi, but we had no documented cases in our area. This January, one cholera patient came to our hospital and by God's grace we were able to treat her and she recovered very well. I was able to see her at her followup visit in clinic. She and her family were doing great. We have successfully treated a couple of other confirmed cases at our hospital and we thank God that this outbreak has not gotten out of hand.

One of the plusses of working in this small community is that it does not take a lot to coordinate large efforts. The implementors  have direct access to the decision makers, which makes sharing  of responsibilities easier. Coming from a large hospital in Texas, I could never have imagined having a casual conversation with the hospital's Chief Medical Officer (CMO), however here in Chogoria, the CMO, Matron and CEO are always a phone call or a few steps away, and are open to discussions with any of their clinicians. Another huge advantage of being here is that ours is a mission hospital that is meant to serve patients as Christ would have us serve them. This means that my colleagues and I have a unifying eternal objective in all we do.

Our neighbors, treasured friends and colleagues after a Sunday church service 

My sister came to visit us from Nairobi on her birthday weekend, 
which we celebrated with our Chogoria family 

Perhaps the most exciting part of this year so far is realizing how much love this community gives Imma and me. We have found it even easier, now that we are living together as a married couple, to be more involved in the church and community. We are seeing and feeling God's love through His people and are gratefully enjoying the opportunities that He grants us to serve Him. 

Imma and his good friend Phillip; we were visiting his aunt at her farm  

It's customary in most, if not all, of Africa to over-feed your guests. 
Phillip's aunt was not kidding around; she actually sat across from us 
to watch us eat and finish our plates so she could add more  

Drs Dale and Greg have been coming to Chogoria the last 3 years to serve. They are a testament to God's perfect timing and provision. Incidentally, they have been present when we've desperately needed extra manpower, for example this year when we experienced a cholera outbreak and a mass casualty. I thank God for both of them and their zeal to serve others. 

Pray without ceasing...

Today I just have a short post to ask for prayer...

Please for all the missionaries who are facing very emotionally challenging circumstances. Please pray that the peace of God that surpasses ALL understanding guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It has been a rough few weeks with yet another government strike (nurses this time) in Kenya. This means all the mission hospitals are overburdened. We’ve had a lot of tough cases and fatalities due to delayed care and other issues related to the strike; on top of the increase in workload. This has really taken a toll on me and I believe my colleagues as well, both physically and emotionally. But in all things I am learning to praise God. He has sustained us and given us strength to persevere through what we would have never imagined. 

I truly appreciate your support.

My Very Present Help...

After 100 days, the public doctors' strike in Kenya was finally over! Never in a lifetime would I have imagined what the last 4 months had in store. As a private mission hospital we stayed open but lost our government sponsored doctor and all our interns. This left us with a skinny crew to treat the many patients who no longer had the option of going to a public hospital for care. Although working through the strike was challenging on so many levels, it was also very edifying. I have seen and felt the hand of God come to our rescue when we thought we could not be stretched any further. 

There were more heart breaking moments than I could even begin to count but I feel we have become a stronger hospital, a stronger team and certainly bolder witnesses for having gone through this difficult time. Many of the clinicians stepped up and picked up new responsibilities and worked tirelessly without complaint for the sake of the Gospel and their patients. As a testament to God’s perfect timing we were blessed by the presence of several short-term physicians, having planned their trips at least a year in advance.

I cannot even begin to fully grasp the effects that this time has had on my psyche, my intellect and my spirit. Perhaps the most difficult part of it all was witnessing so much death. Daily, we received patients who could not travel to the hospital until it was too late for intervention. I experienced feelings of defeat whenever we had nothing else to offer and yet had to explain to family members that their patient may have had a chance if they had arrived sooner. Through this experience I have learned to rely on God alone; all “other ground is sinking sand”.

I have learned first hand that God really does sustain, and He does provide everything I need, all at the perfect time. Moreover, my perception of a situation does not change this truth (Rom 8:28).

Surviving a zombie apocalypse doctors’ strike

Step 1: Stay prayed up

All operations begin with prayer

Step 2: Obtain basic survival items 

Care package from SP 

Step 3: Armor up!

 Daily encouragement

Step 4: Find other survivors

Fridays are Pizza night!

Step 5: Stay positive 

Standing on His Promises

I arrived in Kenya safe and sound on the 18th of August. Slowly, daily, it hits me that I am finally back in East Africa, like I had hoped, dreamed and wished for so many years. I was fortunate to find my dad here and he was gracious enough to accompany me to my new home, Chogoria where I was ever so warmly welcomed, as pictured above. With every major transition in my life, my family has been very supportive and instrumental in my keeping sanity. My father in particular has been my number one champion and has accompanied me to all my new homes; and I have had many new homes. This time was no different and words cannot express how grateful I am. You see, my dad has absolute faith in us his children. He doesn't just say it but often shows it. This faith and support have given me strength to think myself capable of doing just about anything. I know his love is an earthly representation of my Heavenly Father's love and support that can never be matched (Philippians 4:13).

With Grandma and Uncle Pangras 

Prior to starting ministry in Chogoria I had the wonderful opportunity to travel and visit family. Every time I visit Rwanda I spend tome with my grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins and I am always refilled with this wonderful feeling of belonging in this big big world. Although I grew up very far from them they always make me feel like I've always been there, and are very quick to catch me up and make me feel like I never left. I am also grateful for modern technology that allows us to keep in touch. My family, nuclear and extended, has been instrumental in my ability to achieve anything worth mentioning. They have prayed and fasted for me during the the difficult times and have rejoiced with me as God got me through them. Their love and support are truly gifts from God. I was especially excited to see my grandmother, who doesn't appear to age. I thank God for keeping her and continuing to strengthen her. She makes me laugh and fills me with so much joy and happiness. I enjoyed getting to know my uncles and aunts better and realizing just how fascinating they are. As a child and young adult we sometimes forget that our parents have personalities and are people too! The older I get the more I am able to appreciate them as more than family but as people I would be privileged to call friends.

While enjoying my time off I was also applying and mostly waiting for my permits and license to practice here in Kenya. This process, as anyone who has gone through it will attest, requires a lot of patience and prayer but through my time of vacation, prayer, and family-time I have come to learn more and more to depend on God and His peace that "surpasses all human understanding". I must confess there were times that I was struck by spiritual amnesia and I begun to wonder when and if my licenses would come through, but God has been patient with me as He reminds me daily that He is faithful, even when I am faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). So I continue to wait on Him knowing that He has brought me this far and will never leave nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8). His plans for me are good and perfect and I choose to daily put my trust in Him.

I am now back in Chogoria and have been here for one week. Everyday I witness the path He has made straight before me (Proverbs 3:5-6). He has placed me in a beautiful place with beautiful people and kind hearted co-laborers. I am looking forward to the adventure that he has in store for me here in Chogoria. More to come on this, so stay tuned...

Pyrethrum field where my late grandpa and I walked hand in hand everyday when I was a toddler

As you may already know, I will soon be moving Chogoria, Kenya to serve at PCEA Chogoria Hospital with World Medical Missions, the medical arm of Samaritan's Purse. I will be going through their Post-Residency Program that “allows physicians in all specialties to work alongside veteran missionary doctors overseas for two years, preparing them for a lifetime of service as career medical missionaries". 

My last week of July, I joined 19 post-residents and their families for orientation in Boone, North Carolina. This short week of orientation was intense but at the same time  rewarding. It was very encouraging to be around fellow believers and physicians from very different walks of life who I felt understood me. As I speak to colleagues and friends about my calling for long term medical missions, I seldom get the response "why would you go through years of schooling and residency to work for free", "Why are you leaving a secure and comfortable position to be a missionary?" or "Why would you waste all your acquired skills?". Albeit well meaning questions, they can be discouraging and dissapointing to hear.  I was encouraged by my new peers and their families who shared similar experiences and despite all the pressures, allures, promises and sense of security of this world, have sacrificially decided to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ; To heal both physically and spiritual needs to all peoples, in all ends of this world. I was most impressed by missionary families who have so much to give up to God by moving across the world, what a picture of true obedience! (Genesis 22)

During this week of orientation I was again reminded that the calling on my life is continual; God is constantly calling us to walk with him through this life, whatever it brings. When He calls us to something, he does not and will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews13:5). He will not leave us to our own devices to figure it out on our own. I am so thankful for all those moments He sends His people to affirm and encourage me, to pray for me, to support me in every way imaginable.  I look at the future and I know He has gone ahead of me and made my path straight (Proverbs 3:5-6, Proverbs 16:9). It is with this “blessed assurance” that I am looking forward to the journey ahead of me.  As I prepare for my departure to Kenya on August 17th, I ask for your prayers. Pray for us as we prepare for departure, as we say our good byes to our beloved friends and families. Pray for the confirmation, assurance and confidence to be effective missionaries for Gods kingdom.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"  – Isaiah 52:7