Habari ninyi

 Hi Y'all,

I finally made it to Mutomo after 30 hours of international flights, 3 hour train ride and 1 hour car ride. The jet lag and travel fatigue is very real.

Nairobi was a large bustling town filled with a diversity of people , lots of traffic and noise. I met with the CMMB staff there. They introduced me to some Kenyan food, it was a fried whole fish smothered in coconut sauce and a side of ungali which is made from smashed corn it is the consistency of thick mashed potatoes. When they sat the food in front of me there was no silver ware! when I asked for silverware they laughed at me. You eat with your hands they said. It was delicious but so messy trying to pick out the bones and you use the ungali to soak everything up because it really doesn't have much flavor on it's own. 

Mutomo is a small town in Kitui county. The town is bigger than I expected but very poor. There  are some old cement block buildings, metal and wood shanties and some lean to type structures at the market. There is only 1 paved road, the main road through town, very few cars, the main  form of transportation is one's feet but there are motorcycles that are more like dirt bikes that zoom every where. They provide most of the transportation service. We are forbidden to ride them because they are considered death traps. The dirt roads are rough , rocky the result of the rains besides being tortuous, watch your step for cow, goat and donkey dung. The animals roam freely around.

I am living in a humble 2 bedroom house, with a small kitchen, gas stove. No hot water, no air-conditioning, no screens in the windows. The electricity goes out alot. I sleep under a mosquito net and have a bug zapper that works well. The cold shower really wakes you up in the morning! I have cows, goats and baboons for neighbors. I have not met the baboons yet but they are not good neighbors, they howl and scream during the night. The town funeral home is located on the hill behind my house so far that is quiet.

The hospital staff has been most welcoming. The hospital is old cinder block, in need of pain and repair. There are a few private rooms but it is mainly wards of 10-20 people. The beds are cots with thin vinyl mattresses. There is no air conditions, no screens so the windows are open  so there are bugs and birds. There is nothing disposable, they reuse almost everything. They are experts in keeping costs down and creating very little trash unlike what we do in the states. I am impressed by their stewardship and creativity. The operating room is fairly modern  and they a CT machine, Xray and ultrasound machine. They are limited to the type of laboratory tests they can do . There is a pharmacy which also supplies prescriptions for the town as well. Despite the archaic appearance, the hospital is reasonably clean, it does not smell and they work hard to provide good care with the little resources they have. There are sweet flower filled courtyards between the wards which makes it a bit more cheerful but also a nice place for patients and visitors to go to visit.

Right now I have a housemate but she leaves tomorrow and there are 2 female pediatric residents who are quite fun, sadly they leave in a week or so. I have been to the market several times. Saturday  market is huge vendors come from all over the county. I have had the best avocados and bananas ever. I have not tried goat yet. They refer to chicken as the road runner, it is very tough and best in a stew. It has been hot around 90. It is still considered part of the short rainy season but I have not seen it rain since I arrived. Water is so precious here. I am told the flowers with wither and trees and grass will turn brown as winter sets in .

Thank you so much to my family and friends who made it possible for me to come here. I have alot of time on my hands to pray since electricity is spotty, wi fi is limited, no TV. I am remembering y'all in my prayers and I feel your prayers and love across the miles. Be grateful for all that you have , take nothing for granted!  Happy Mother's.