"...it means no worries for the rest of your days!"

I LOVE AFRICA! My heart is growing more and more each day for this village and for the people of Saikeri. As I am building relationships and learning about the community and pouring more and more time and effort into the clinic I am wondering how I will ever be able to leave! This past Thursday I headed into Nairobi so that I would be ready to head out on safari early the next morning. Since I was going to be in town for a few hours with nothing on my schedule I decided to give Amanda a call just to see if by chance we could meet up and have dinner and see each other for the first time in SIX months! To my great surprise she was able to take off the rest of the afternoon and meet up with me! We planned on meeting at this little mall in the middle of town that is pretty well known. I got there first and had to wait for a few hours because naturally it's a little difficult to meet someone half way around the world at an exact time. I have never been so anxious and excited in my entire life! When she called to tell me she was there I automatically started crying before I even saw her! So by the time she turned the corner and we saw each other I was an absolute mess! We both just started running to each other and I caught her in my arms and held her so tight as we sat there and cried and just made a huge scene in the middle of this mall. After I finally collected myself and both of us were able to pull away we just started dying laughing and kept looking at each other and saying “I cant believe you are here!” The guy from Amanda’s team that rode with her to the mall said that that was the best thing he has ever seen and it was literally from a movie or something! What a sweet sweet time! The rest of the night we just spent laughing and eating and skyping our family and just being sisters. We also we and ordered ice cream which ended up being so incredible that I ordered two, yes two, cones!  I treasure our time together so much!

The next day we headed off on our 4 day safari! Let me just begin by saying that it was one of my favorite things I have ever experienced! I was in a van full of 9 girls and our guide, who was every bit of what you would picture a safari guide looking like. He was one of the most enthusiastic people I have ever met and had a huge passion for all of the animals and was dressed in tan from head to toe. It was like he just jumped out of Animal Planet. The tents that we stayed were absolutely amazing. I called it an African resort- hot showers, great food, beautiful scenery, a bed! It was awesome! We saw SOOO much- giraffes, elephants, cheetas, hippos, wildebeests, zebra… everything!!! I will spare you the details of describing everything that we saw because I could go on for hours and I would never be able to accurately describe every detail. There are just no words! The second day was a full game reserve day (6:30 am to 6:30 pm)! Lets just say that I am pretty sure I never sat down the entire time we were driving around! I was always on the look out and wanting to be the first to spot something… not too surprising. The first few days we were at Maasai Mark game reserve which is basically thousands and thousands of acres of beautiful land and hillside with some dirt roads for “suggested” driving paths. The last day we went to lake Nakuru National Park. Many of you know that I hold a special place in my heart for national parks considering that I am a Junior Ranger at nearly every national park in the U.S. thanks to my mom’s dedication to the program and consistency in making each of us kids fill out the booklets and participate in a very embarrassing ceremony at the end of the park tour that everyone in the information center would watch. Thanks mom. So, I HAD to ask if they had a Junior Ranger program at this national park because the thought of adding a KENYAN badge to my collection was just unimaginable. Unfortunately, they had no clue what I was talking about. Despite that one shortcoming the park was incredible. It was much more of a jungle feel than Maasai Mara. There was a huge lake in the middle of the park that was filled with pink flamingos and surrounded by zebras, water buffalos, monkeys, giraffes, little pumbas, hyenas, and so much more somehow all living together in harmony!

Never in my life have I felt more like I was living in the lion king that this past weekend. Everything constantly reminds me of the songs, the characters, the scenery… its crazy! So, naturally I automatically think of my sisters and I performing a dance to “I just cant wait to be king” for Papoo and Grandma Anne when we made our big road trip out to California one year. I couldn't help but sing the opening circle of life song at least 7 times each day, usually just in my head.

This week I had been planning to head out to a slums sight about an hour outside of Nairobi to set up a medical camp there with some girls that I met on the trip. It was one of those things that I nearly felt obligated to do it because I wanted to “make the most” of this African adventure but I realized on my way home from safari that making the most of a trip doesn't necessarily mean going to the most places. I prayed about the decision most of the way home from the safari and really felt like the Lord was calling me to go back to Saikeri, my little village in the middle of no where, and finish all of my stay there. It was such a strange feeling but I almost felt homesick for Saikeri and the family that I have formed here. Maggie, our host mom, and I have gotten so close just over the past few weeks and I feel like I have so much more to learn from her and so much more that I want to pour into the community. I have built some wonderful friendships with the other volunteers that are here and really feel like this is where the Lord wants me to continue my mission! He has given me unbelievable favor so far and a huge heart for the people! So… here I am! Back in business at the Saikeri health clinic, seeing patients and makin friends! When the other volunteers saw me ride up on the motor bike yesterday that all came and welcomed me and just made me feel so appreciated and at home. One of them later told me, “you have no idea how happy I am to see you!” SO sweet! Thanks Jesus for placing that so clearly on my heart!

One of the best parts of the entire weekend was Monday night cause I was able to spend Amanda’s birthday with her! Another time that I will treasure forever. It was just too cool to see all of her team love her so well as they threw her a giant party with cake and everything! After her birthday party we just crawled into bed together and talked the night away until we both completely passed out. As much as I cried when I saw her, I cried about 10 times more when she dropped me off at the Matatu station and I had to say goodbye. It was so hard to know that I wont be seeing her for so much longer but incredible to spend just that short amount of time with her this weekend! Praise the Lord for bringing us together and providing favor with our schedules! He is doing such mighty things here and I feel like I have been blessed beyond measure!

ok now for a few medical updates! im still absolutely lovin runnin the clinic and seeing patients! Unfortunately the baby that I was "supposed" to deliver came while i was on my safari! bum deal! But i still have one more week so maybe we will have a surprise delivery! ha! The other night I had just gone to sleep when suddenly i heard banging on my door and someone yelling "mayana! mayana! wake up! someone is bleeding all over the place from his head and cant breathe and just is laying on the ground outside!" I jumped out of bed and put on my headlight and calmly walked down towards the clinic, reviewing my CPR training in my head the entire way down. I reached the patient and Maggie told me that he got in a fight at the bar and there were machettes involved and this man was stabbed in his hand and the top of his head was sliced and he was completely drunk so dont even bother doing a neural assessment. I someone laughed to myself as my instincts kicked into high gear! After completely assessing him and examining the wounds I turned to Maggie and said that he for sure needed stitches across his finger and some butterfly bandaids would work for the rest of the wounds. Her response was "what size sutures do you need?" WHAT?! me? I casually responded and added i needed sterile gloves and instruments and before long i was stitching away! just to clear the air... no, new graduate nurses are not taught how to suture at all. I figured if i could sew then I could certainly suture and i had seen it done before so... no big deal! :) I absolutely loved it! He was a very easy first patient considering he passed out on the table before i even started. He left the clinic that night with bandages across his hand and a huge turban bandage around his head. I had no doubt he would be back very early in the morning and i was so right! He actually strolled in around 8 to piece together the night before and brought his friend, another victim from the big fight, to have his hand looked at. Unfortunately, he needed a set of stitches too!!! yes! I was not at all hesitant to call out the size i needed and off i went, sewing away! they were laughing after and said that they would have to get in another fight so that they could come back! ha! oh goodness. only in kenya. I had another young girl the other day come in with stomach pains and surprise surprise... pregnant. I didnt think you could be 4 months pregnant and have no idea but its a common trend around here! I am really hoping to get a dopplar out here soon! Well... one more week. Im so excited to see what the Lord has in store for me!