For those of you who have been keeping up with Amy's blog, she is well ahead of me with her blogging about this trip, especially since this is my first post. I have had very few times since I have been here where the internet was functioning. I have been able to occasionally check my email, but that is about it. I plan to blog in chronological order about the trip, even though I am two weeks behind. That being said, here goes:
Travel days: Sunday 9/12 - Tuesday 9/14
I have to admit that I was really not looking forward to the long flights that would be necessary to get us to Kenya and was hoping I would sleep for large portions of the trip. Alas, that would not be the case. We arrived at the airport about 3-3 1/2 hours before the flight, and that turned out to be barely enough time to get checked in, go through security, grab a bite to eat, and board the plane. The flight to Amsterdam took nearly 8 hours. Sleep was elusive, but I did manage to catch a few winks.
We arrived in Amsterdam at about 8 a.m. and found that our connecting flight had changed gates, so we had to hustle a little. The second flight seemed interminable, thanks to more cramped seating and a sinus headache for the duration of the flight. I was very thankful when the flight finally ended and we touched down in Nairobi.
Arrived in Nairobi about 7:30 p.m., but it took about two hours to get our visas, gather the 12 checked bags and 10 carry-ons, get through customs, change money, and meet the driver. We were blessed to have a lady working on visas who pulled us to another line to speed our passage through, since we had very tired children with us. We also saw God smooth the way through customs for us, since there was risk that customs might hold onto some of the items or charge us to get them through. The customs agent saw that we were taking donated items to Kijabe and let us pass through without looking in a single bag.
As we stepped out of the airport to meet our driver from Samaritan's purse, Gerald, we were greeted by the most pleasant and refreshing cool breeze. Gerald was extremely amiable and helped us load the luggage and get to the Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi, which was a welcome relief to the weary travelers that we were after nearly 24 hours of travel.
The following morning, Tuesday, we awoke at the MGH to a beautifully landscaped lawn and garden. We had a rather tasty breakfast, where we met a missionary couple from Tanzania who were traveling back to the States for a few months. Shortly after breakfast, another Sam's Purse drive, Jonathan, picked us up and took us to the Nakumatt to do our grocery shopping for the month. The Nakumatt was located in an upscale 3 story mall in Nairobi and was a lot like a WalMart, but with higher prices. The shopping trip took 3 hours and cost $35000 shillings (roughly $450). Jonathan told us we set a record for the time we spent in the store.
After shopping was done, we hit the road for Kijabe. The drive up revealed a lot of beautiful scenery interspersed with areas of significant poverty. Along the road we saw many interesting things, including donkeys, chickens, sheep, cows, turkeys, and goats. Many of the animals were wandering about essentially free, though some were herded. We arrived at Kijabe about an hour later, unloaded, and got ready to go over to the Shirleys' (Amy's 2nd cousin) for dinner.
The travel was exhausting, but we were thankful to finally be here. More to come later on the start at the hospital.
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