Traveling Mercies

We're in Kenya!  We left home Saturday afternoon from Raleigh Durham to Atlanta, Atlanta to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Nairobi!  We arrived in Nairobi around 9 PM Kenya time which is 8 hours ahead of EST.  

After disembarking from our giant, filled to the gills, 747 we were herded into buses which took us to the visa area. We had been told that the process was going to be really smooth because we had gotten our visas online.  Not so.  We waited in the same old long lines to have our passports stamped.  On to the baggage claim where we luckily found all four of our 50 pound pieces of luggage without too much trouble.  We pushed our overladen trolley towards customs where all the fun began.   In eight years we have never had trouble in customs, not so this year!  We stated that all our medical supplies, used clothing, baby blankets and baby caps were all donated.  Nonetheless they wanted to know how much we paid for them!  We stated again that we had not paid anything for them .  Sixty dollars and at least a forty-five minute delay and we were on our way to find our driver.  Fortunately Tony was right there waving his welcoming World Medical Mission sign with our names on it!  We loaded the van and began making our way through Nairobi traffic which is actually fairly manageable at 11 o'clock at night!   The Mennonite Guest House, now called Amani Gardens, was our welcome  home for the night.  The grounds there are beautiful with manicured flowering gardens.  I wish that we had more time to spend there and enjoy that oasis in the middle of the city.  We had a nice breakfast and then Jonathon picked us up for our shopping spree prior to heading to Tenwek.

First we went to Nakamutt, Kenyan equivalent to Walmart, and then to the Butchery and the Produce store apply named Zuchinnis.  Again we loaded up the van and began our four hour trek to Tenwek.  The roads seemed noticeably worse from a year ago.  Many more potholes!

We arrived about 3 PM and were greeted by various friends who happened to be passing by.  We are staying in a different guest house this year.  It is very nice but much smaller than the apartment we enjoyed last year.  It certainly is fine for a month.  Today I plan to get unpacked and pretty much take it easy.  It takes a few days for me to adapt to the 6000 feet altitude so I won't be taking any long hikes today.  Hopefully, I will make it up to the nursery and greet all my friends there.  Marv was off at 7 AM for rounds so he is way ahead of me!  

Sorry this is a mundane report but I wanted you to know that we are here safely and that all is well.  Miss you already,

Love

Mom