January 2009 Mission – Update 1
Eleven of the 18 participants in the Mikinduri Children of Hope Mission departed from Charlottetown on Tuesday of this week. After flying to Heathrow and enduring a 12hr wait they flew 8 hrs to Nairboi, arriving Thursday morning meeting up with the Butt sisters at the airport. Tracy, Cheri, and Cindy Butt arrived in Nairboi Wednesday night with four bags and two wheelchairs- without one glance from Customs.
While fatiqued from the journey, the fatique was easily matched with abundance of anticipation and excitement at the project of fulfilling their mission. We will over the next 3 weeks offering vision, medical, and dental clinics in 4 different communities. The remaining members of the team will join the original group on Friday of this week.
The highlight of day 1 was meeting with Silvanos’s widow Seline and her two children Antionette age 8 and Ron age 11. Silvanos was our prime contact person and coordinator here in Kenya.
The group spent 3 days prior to depature carefully packing to ensure each clinic site had adequate equipment and supplies so as to effectively deliver much needed services to thousands of people in Kenya. Thursday was very much a set up day as 48 hockey bags with all kinds of materials and supplies had to be organized and put out into separate vehicles for each of the 4 clinic locations. The day finished with the delivery to of the bags to the first site Gil Gil in Nakuru. The trip to Nakuru for the most participants was a real eye opener marked by breath taking scenery, roads riddled with potholes and stops to allow Sheperds leading their flocks of sheep to cross the road.
The group has yet to start one mission, yet the appreciation and warmth of the Kenyan people was overwhelming. The community leaders are warm, gracious and appreciative and that will fulfill our efforts to help address many needs and receive gifts from us.
Our morning started at 6am going to the Safari in Lake Nakuru Game Park. Who needs coffee when you have a monkey jumping in your Kombi? We were able to see many varieties of animals including giraffes, frisky bamboos, zebras, warthogs, hyenas, water buffalos, water buck, gazelles, pelicans, flamingos , colourful lizards, and monkeys. With our heads sticking out of the Kombis you could almost hear the tribal drums in the wind.
Now we are packing toys and fun things to take to Ann and Ian’s orphanages, everyone is excited to have to opportunity to feed orphaned babies.
Stay tuned for updates…..