Post lunch coffee... I am not an incense person but there is something about the coffee incense that is so wonderful

Thanks everyone for your prayers and texts this past week!! We finally got not only our work permits approved but also our residency cards.. Three trips to various government offices this week but they are in our hands and good for a year!!!!

I also figure if my day job pans out I could get a job writing government forms.. they seem to not mind some creative spelling... creative spelling is my specialty!! Also the picture on the left was taken in one of the rooms where you wait in line (each trip requires three separate rooms with their own lines... how our paperwork doesn't get lost, eaten by mice or burned in an electrical fire is beyond me!!

This week we had the privilege of having a Cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic come out for a few days. He saw about 25 patients including some of the Hope for Korah participants.  This little guy is so cute and close to my heart. He is 6 years old, has downs syndrome and is the happiest, huggy little boy I know here.  As with most downs kids they have heart defects and pulmonary hypertension. He went to Kenya two years ago but unfortunately he was deemed inoperable.  Dr Michel was able to do an echo tho and adjust his meds, with medical management his prognosis sadly is only about three years. . 

Besides a Cardiologist we had a Vascular Surgeon come for three days. In those three days we did 20 life saving AV fistula formation surgeries.  There is no vascular surgeon in the country so those here who need renal dialysis have central lines which are a huge infection risk as well as limited in the length that they can be used.  It was a such a struggle emotionally as the 20 who got their surgeries were so incredibly grateful and hopeful for their future but those who were turned away were so heartbroken. It was so hard saying no, you can not have surgery, as the reality is that they those who did not get the surgery may not be alive by the time we can get another vascular surgeon to come. 

 

Nicole and I tried out Cactus Pears this week... they were good.. lots of seeds tho

Road construction in Korah is coming along.... not fast enough though I think.. rainy season is soon to be upon us and I dread the days of slogging through mud(just call it mud and don't think about what else is in it).  I know I posted about the Hope for Korah Leadership retreat a  few weeks ago but Eve the founder just posted about it to in her blog.. here is the link.. check it out for that and more info about HFK (click the home button on the left)

The video will not load unfortunately but this Sunday Nicole and I had a little to much trust in the blue sky and had been lulled in to complacency by the last two weeks of sunshine.  After church we were caught in crazy rain!! We got soaked waiting for a mini bus, thankfully were in the bus during the hail and then trudged through the rivers coming down the road as we transferred bus... I think the umbrella shall be my most faithful companion in the next few months