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.
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| The very first baby to be born at our hospital in 2018 |
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| 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.
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| Our neighbors, treasured friends and colleagues after a Sunday church service |
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| 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.
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| Imma and his good friend Phillip; we were visiting his aunt at her farm |
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| 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 |
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| 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. |
