Please accept my apologies for being so delinquent! Time just flew by after our family arrived at Tenwek and I was often busy at night typing blogs for my grandchildren to send to their schools. So much happened that I really do not know where to begin. Each year is a different experience and this one proved to be no exception. I did not have as much to do in nursery as in years past but my relationships with the nurses continued to grow and thrive. They love hearing about life in the U.S. and they help me understand their lives as well. We lost 4 babies and had several very sick ones in the NICU. I bonded with the mothers of two of the babies, Poline and Susan, who both lost their little girls. The shock of an illness, the journey towards reality, and finally the acceptance of death is so difficult. This is especially true when you are far from family and facing it alone. I am so thankful that I was able to befriend these sisters in Christ and perhaps help their journey a bit. I know that they enriched my life.
Mudding a house was truly fun! It was also so wonderful to share this experience with Penny, Mimi and Preston. Those little ones were very brave and open to being a minority among a sea of black faces, many of whom had never seen a blonde child before. During that experience I believe that my grandchildren learned that we are all God's children. I relearned how big and inclusive our God is. What joy we felt to be able to build a strong home of mud for a woman who had lost her home in a fire.
The cow blessing was so powerful. I hope that you saw the pictures on the blog. The Forum class at First Presbyterian, Wilmington presented this black and white cow to a widow with seven children. It is a beautiful cow, part Friesian(Dutch like the Hages!) which made it extra special. The class donated two other cows as well but we were only able to actually see one. I know that that two others will also find good homes.
Penny , our daughter in law, is an occupational therapist and worked very hard in the clinic for disabled children. These kids are often the forgotten little ones in third world countries. She was thrilled to be able to have a special chair built for little Enoch who had never been able to sit up before! There were lots of tears when we all saw that life changing event for him and his family.
Our son, Bill, an orthopedic surgeon, was challenged with many surgeries unlike those he has seen in the US.
Mimi and Preston loved meeting the children of missionaries and formed fast friendships! They also loved visiting the orphanage and seeing their school as well as their dormitory. Each day was a learning and growing experience for them. In fact, Mimi thinks that she wants to be a missionary now!
At the end of our Tenwek stay we went on Safari as a family. Seeing the beauty of God's creation through the eyes of our children and grandchildren was a memory we will always cherish.
Now we have spent a few days in the Netherlands finding our roots! It has been fun but we are ready to come home to our family and friends. Thanks for sharing this journey with us!
Miriam, until next year, Lord willing
