Nairobi or Bust

We are on our way! Five checked bags, 3 carry-on bags, 3 personal bags, and a baby stroller all at regulation weight and size. It definately took some doing but we are all packed and as ready as we are going to be. We were able to fit all of our clothes in the carry-on bags, that way we had room for the medical supplies, books, and items the missionaries at Tenwek needed.

Arathena did as well as a 2 year-old can do on a 17 hour plane ride with one short lay-over. She didn't cry which we are thankful for, but she was restless at times.

When we had our layover in Paris, Arathena didn't like the milk, we later learned why. At the last hour of our journey she threw-up all over the place. Most importantly she threw up all over her favorite pink blanket and her toy dog Reggie that she got from Dan and Tara :(


Once we got to Nairobi we spent 1.5 hours in line to get our Visas. At this point we are going a little crazy with the long journey (17 hours on plane, 2.5 hours in Paris with 3 bus rides to get from plane to gate and back onto plane), but fortunatley we got all of our checked bags and literally walked right through customs without anyone stopping us to ask questions. I think it is because we looked so pathetic with all of our luggage and child in tote.


There was a sea of people as we exited the airport, but Andy spotted our Samaratin's Purse driver who had a name sign for us. We were told that we would have a car seat in Nairobi, but our driver had never heard of a car seat:) I decided I would just hold onto Arathena for dear life as we traveled to the Mennonite Guest House. No car seat, let alone lap seat belts, don't go well with my profession, but that is what we had, so we made do. We arrived at the guest house around 11 pm and met our friends the Sawatsky's there. The Sawatskys are friend we made in Pittsburgh while Andy was in medical school. They have a 1 1/2 year old son named Eli. Adam is a 3rd year Internal Medicine resident at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and he will be working in the medicine ward at Tenwek. Christon and I will be helping each other with cooking and childcare.

As Andy and Arathena sleep, I am frantically making my shopping list and planning meals for the next month. I had already thought about meals but tomorrow is my big day! Food for the month…agh! There are supplies at Tenwek, but not much locally.

Let the adventure begin

From the receipts I could find so far it looks like we have made:
7 trips to Walmart
2 trips to Target
2 trips to Babies R Us
2 trips to the Pharmacy
2 trips to the Children's Hospital pharmacy
2 trips to Best Buy
2 trips to the Dollar Store
1 trip to Marshalls
1 trip to Gabriel Brothers
Not having to shop till we get to Nairobi will be priceless. But then we will have to shop for all of our food for one month!

Our bags are packed, our house is semi-clean, looks like we are actually doing this. I tried to get my 6 mile run in this morning but didn't have it in me. The day after we get back from Kenya Andy is running the Pittsburgh Marathon and I am running on a relay team. I was hoping to get my miles in before we head out but looks like I might be running in a skirt:)

The first trial of anti-malaria meds did not go so hot for me. I started vomiting violently and was out of commission for an hour or so. All the memories of being sick in Kenya swarmed back to me. What am I going to do if I get sick this time? I have Arathena to care for. Luckily we were able to get another medicine for me, unfortunately it cost $320 for the month...which we didn't budget for:) I am worried that Arathena isn't handling her meds either, she has been out of sorts, but the medicine she is on is the only one that she can be on, so she has to take it.

Since we had most of our bags packed we headed over to the Easter Egg hunt that our church sponsored for the community of Millvale. It was a lot of fun and so nice to see everyone one last time.

We are off to the airport...Arathena has not napped:) here we go

We are off

So we are off to Kenya tomorrow. I have about a million emotions running through me. The most prominent being, “What in the world are we doing? We are CRAZY!” I am a little anxious to say the least:)

Arathena has been a wreck this week, I am praying that she will do well with all of the travel and adjustments with time and culture that are ahead of us.

I have been super emotional this week as well. I wasn’t sure why and I couldn’t put my finger on it. The more I thought about it the more I realized the hardest thing for me about leaving is leaving my mom. I can’t count how many times my mother has unbuckled Arathena’s car seat base without me knowing only to have Arathena’s car seat completely fall over when I drive. Or the number of times I have had to call “clean-up in aisle 9” at Target because one of the Dynamic Duo (Arathena and my mom) spilled something. Arathena and my mother are a pair, but they are my pair. My mom has Alzheimer’s and I am so sad to leave her. She does drive me crazy more than I would like to admit, but I love her so much. I don’t know how she will do with us being gone. Her brother in NJ will be watching her for a few weeks but I am scared that she will not do well with that change. I have wrestled with this for months; do I go, who will watch her, what if she gets sick? At this point I feel even though I don’t know why I am going to Kenya, it is ok, and God will take care of my mother because He loves her. This is where I need to trust and have faith.

We were asked to keep a blog/journal so that when we come home we can debrief with World Medical Missions about our trip. I really don’t know what to expect this time. I know that for 2 weeks the Bemms will be away and Andy will be the only pediatrician at Tenwek hospital and that will definitely be SCARY. I am hoping to help out in the therapy department but since we have Arathena this time we will see how that goes.

I am excited to see our friends in Kenya, but sad to leave such sweet friends here in Pittsburgh.