June Update 2024

Greetings from a wet and chilly Kijabe! Yes, it is still raining, but we have lots of exciting news to share with you despite the damp weather. 

First and foremost, Emma is here! We are so grateful for a safe delivery and Emma is growing great! She was born on May 28th in Nairobi and was the smallest of our babies at 6 lbs 15 oz and 19.7 inches long. She is sweet and cuddly, we are all so in love. I (Mary Beth) had a brief hiccup with a kidney infection once we returned to Kijabe, but was very thankful for the Kijabe hospital where I could get quick results to tests and the antibiotics I needed to heal. We have been taking things slow and getting used to our new normal.

We were a bit apprehensive and anxious about having a child here in Kenya, mulling over all the things that could go wrong. What if the baby needs medical care not available in Kenya? What if Mary Beth goes into labor hours away from the hospital? Is it even safe to do something like this in a developing country? God doesn’t promise that we will avoid all hardships, but He does promise to be with us through them.

 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Isaiah 43:1-2

Bryce has been able to stay at home for the past couple weeks, which has been such a help as we juggle four kids on limited sleep. He and my dad tackled the task of building bunk beds for the boys as the bedroom shuffle has begun. We have been blessed by a meal train where several friends around Kijabe have provided food for us each evening. The community here is unmatched with everyone offering to help in any way we need. Thank you so much for all the prayers that have been showered on us these past couple months; they were felt, appreciated, and answered! We feel so loved and supported by our friends and family here and in the US.

We have been sharing updates about the rain, floods and mudslides in our area and throughout Kenya. The rain has continued, though not the extreme downpours that we were experiencing a month ago. The water still flows down the mountain steadily, but is mostly continuing down the same paths and not causing additional damage. That being said, efforts of rebuilding have been put on hold until the rains have stopped since all attempts of building bridges or smoothing roads are washed away with the next heavy rain. The devastation in Mai Mahiu was heartbreaking, though it was an honor to see the community of Kijabe come together to support our neighbors by providing food, clothing, and medical attention. We ask for your continued prayers that the rain would stop and rebuilding can begin.

6,093 – That is the total number of books donated through the book drives earlier this year! Words can’t express how thankful we are for all of those who donated books, funds, and their time to help get the boxes ready to ship to Kenya. When we shared with our local church how many books were coming, they were in complete shock and incredibly grateful. We are excited to get the library ready to open for all the children of Kijabe to enjoy! The 98 boxes are in North Carolina waiting to be packed onto a shipping container bound for Kenya. The renovations in the library room were put on hold during the mudslides, but have now resumed. We have beautiful bookshelves and benches circling the room, additional lights, colorful paint adorning the walls, and new tiles laid. The to-do list is getting shorter and it has been wonderful to meet so many people as they work to make the library space beautiful for the children. 

The school year here is year-round with three trimesters. So, the boys still have a little more time before their “summer” break begins. It has been an honor to work alongside the other mothers in our preschool co-op this year and it has been such a great experience for the children. Only one of our seven students had attended a formal preschool before this school year and providing this time where they could grow academically and socially was an incredible opportunity. I am now planning the preschool graduation ceremony which will take place in three weeks and then Owen and two of his classmates will be off to Kindergarten in a couple months! Henry is reading up a storm and can’t wait for his brother to come to school with him. All the rains have brought swarms of different insects, which our resident entomologist, Owen, has thoroughly enjoyed. The most recent insect invasions have been large locusts and grasshoppers. Grace has quickly taken to the role of big sister and is ready to lend a helping hand any time of day or night.

Medical Section

The doctor strike finally ended a month ago! However, our workload has stayed elevated as we deal with the backlog of cases. There are 149 people on the ENT waitlist right now, and with my paternity leave that number isn’t getting shorter. My last case before paternity leave was a nine day old baby (first picture below) with bilateral choanal atresia. Newborns must breathe through their nose, so having both nasal passages unopened is an urgent problem. I took the child to theatre to dilate the nose and place plastic tubes to keep the nose open while it heals. The child was able to be extubated after the surgery, but spent several days in the PICU with continued breathing trouble. I placed a feeding tube through one nostril, leaving only one for breathing. The hope was for the child to feed orally, allowing for removal of the feeding tube, but hasn’t happened yet. I plan on removing the stents in a few weeks, hopefully allowing her to start eating by mouth, and go home for the first time in her life.

May brought a tough goodbye as our senior clinical officer took a position as a manager of a medical outreach program with a nonprofit called Operation Blessing. The job is definitely a step up for him, but he has been an integral part of the ENT clinic for 5 years, so it’s hard to see him leave. We are still trying to figure out the best way to hire and train a replacement. The pizza party pictures were from his going-away gathering.

Thanks for following along with us. To all of our supporters, we are so grateful for the opportunity you are providing to live, work, and serve in the mission field.