Does It Snow In Kenya?

Passports are in place, plane tickets will be purchased within days, and we're making our packing lists. We're going to Kenya!!

a photo from the Tenwek Hospital website

I'm so excited my hands are shaking as I write this. We've been talking and praying and dreaming about it for so long that I cannot believe the time has finally arrived. (I wrote about it in February in this post.) God has thrown doors wide, wide open and we're busting through because there is no way we're passing on this opportunity.

We've watched over the last few months as things have fallen into place to make this trip possible. Okay, we haven't just watched, we've had to push in some cases. I'm so thankful to be married to man who has a strong vision and whose desire to make that vision happen is just as strong. He met with many people and had long phone conversations to make this come together. Pete had to make sure that there would be US board certified physicians in Kenya to oversee his work and then had to work hard to make our trip a part of his residency training. And he (and God!) made it happen. Half of our time away will count toward his training, which means his time in residency will only be extended one month this summer.

the arrow points to where we'll be living

We're still nailing down our exact travel dates, but we'll roughly be gone January 13 through March 8. Those are the dates that Pete has open. He'll be working at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya. Tenwek was founded in 1937 by World Gospel Misison, the same organization I spent a year and a half working with in Honduras in 2002-2003. The hospital is well-established and is known for offering high-quality care to many who can't afford it. (Their gynecology unit has 72 beds!) They also train Kenyan doctors and nurses who then go out into other parts of Kenya to serve small communities. There are lots of great photos on their website if you click HERE.

Tewek Hospital

We'll be traveling under Wold Medical Mission, a part of Samaritan's Purse, which was established by Billy Graham's son, Franklin Graham. They take care of all of the travel details like flights, visas, Pete's medical license in Kenya, our apartment, insurance, and so on. While Pete works in the hospital, I'll be exploring daily life with Ella and Sam. I hope to befriend other women in the area (missionaries, doctor's wives, and nationals) and tag along on everyday trips like shopping at the market and going to church. I also hope to check out some of the local schools to get an idea of what the school system is like for future teaching opportunities. I'm also curious to see what school might someday be like for Ella and Sam. So much to do in two months!

in Bomet, Kenya

Some of you know our long-term plans but some of you do not, so here they are. Pete will finish residency in late July of the coming summer. Then he hopes to work in the area for two years while we pay off school loans, find a large organization to work under, and prepare to move to Africa. There may be another exploratory trip in there, too, as we're not exactly sure which part of Africa we'll be going long-term. We have lots of questions, but we hope the trip this winter will answer many of them.

hoping to see a few of these

 I've been waiting years to go abroad with my family. Practically my entire life. I've known this would be my path since I was very little, but I sometimes can't believe I actually get to do it. Now I have a strong, determined husband and two amazing little ones that will be traveling with me. How am I so blessed?

Ella talks about going on a plane to "Acita" after Christmas to see zebras, elephants, and giraffes. I hope she gets to see those things and so much more. One thing I can promise she won't be seeing, though, is snow.

our little man in his passport photo