Motigo

About three weeks ago a group of people asked Rebecca and I if we wanted to go hike up a mountain called Motigo at 5 am. Well first, I hate hiking and second, I hate waking up early so I really was dreading having to go, but Rebecca and I had made a pact to “just say yes” ( meaning we would get out of our comfort zones and say yes to things that we really don't want to do). So we woke up at 4:45 and started our journey up the mountain so we could make it to see the sunrise. It was freezing cold and I couldn’t see where I was going. We hadn’t even gotten half  way up the mountain and I was ready to turn back around, but I kept going even though I thought I was going to keel over and die and Im pretty sure everyone else thought I was going to die too because of my excessive breathing. We finally made it to the top just in time for the sunset. Turns out I still hate hiking and waking up early, but witnessing the beauty of Gods creation was definitely worth it. 

                 Psalms 113:3  From the rising of the sun to its setting The name of the LORD is to be praised.

Rising Sun by All Sons & Daughters

Maternity Ward

Today I was able to go to the maternity ward and I just want to go ahead and give a big shout out to my mom for giving birth to 3 kids, and any other of you mothers out there because oh my goodness I  have seen it all. I first went to see a c-section. The doctor asked me how I did with blood because she said the first time she watched a c-section she passed out. I went from being pretty confident to praying that God would provide someone to catch me when I passed out. I walked in and the mother was getting her epidural…biggest needle I have ever seen, but the mother handled it like a pro. Then they laid her down and we all prayed over her like we do for every surgery. They started the surgery and it was the grossest/coolest experience. The surgery took about 20 minutes to even get to the baby, but when they finally did pull the baby out it was so neat and a moment I will never forget. They stitched up the mom and took her to another room so she could hold her baby. I'm not going to lie, I had to sit down a couple of times. It got a little hot in there and the smells were a little overwhelming. I took a lunch break after the c-section and then went back to see the natural births. I walked in a small room and there were three beds divided by bedsheets and about 7 nurses/midwives crowded inside. The first lady had already given birth, but was still in a lot of pain. The second lady had an abruption and had to be rushed off to get a c-section. The third lady was in labor and I got to see her deliver the baby! While it was totally gross it was also super cool and it will be something I will remember for the rest of my life. I am going to continue going to the maternity ward this week and maybe to the orthopedics ward next week. The pictures below are babies that are premature or have other complications and staying in the NICU until they are healthy enough to go home. Rebecca and I hope to be able to feed these babies soon. 

Rebecca Wesson Photography

The Beginning

Hello friends and family! I have finally given in to the whole blogging thing so here it goes. I have officially been here for a month now and I have loved every second of it. I have definitely had my ups and downs, but over all this has been an experience that I will never forget. The first month has been mainly just getting settled in and getting the feel of things. The first week I was here my dad took me and Rebecca on a Safari, he got to spend some time with the family I am staying with, and we got to visit and orphanage together. Having my dad here for those first couple of days was a great beginning to my trip and I am so glad I got to share those incredible experiences with him. I started teaching the preschool class with Rebecca a week after we arrived. There are 7 missionary kids, 4 of which are adopted from kenya. Me and Rebecca definitely enjoy teaching, but those kids sure can be a handful! I look forward to seeing how they progress in these next couple of months…hopefully they can learn something haha. The third week Rebecca and I were able to visit The Baby Center (about 3 hours away from Tenwek). This facility is for babies that have been abandoned and now are being taken care of until they can hopefully be adopted. We had so much fun showing these babies the love of Christ and can not wait to go back again! This past week we had the privilege of attending an Indian wedding.  One of the patients that loves Tenwek invited some of the doctors and their families to his sons wedding, so we had a fun 4 hour road trip to kisumu. The wedding was totally different from American weddings and it will be something I will never forget. It was one of the most beautiful and coolest experiences ever. This week I was able to shadow surgeries in the hospital. I was able to see many eye surgeries and help out when they needed me. I also went to the PEDS ward and was able to observe there as well. It is so cool how just one smile can make a child's day. One child was abandoned in the hospital about a week ago. The nurses were taking care of him until the mother came back, but she never came. So our family took the child in and are keeping him until tomorrow. He had a severe burn to his eye, but is quickly healing. This Wednesday Rebecca and I went to Nairobi to help/shadow The Least Of These Ministry. We were able to go to a facility for special needs children and then to a school for k5-5th grade. We played all day and when one child let go of my hand there was one waiting to grab it next. I have never been so popular in my life. We actually signed autographs today haha. We will be traveling back to Tenwek tomorrow so pray for safe travels. Much love, Mal