karibu kenya!

I’m back at Tenwek Hospital for about 6 weeks. I lived and worked here for almost a year, returning to the states in March 2020 due to COVID.

Now that I’m working full time for Friends of Tenwek, the purpose of my trip is to reconnect with the ministries of Tenwek; meet with Tenwek leadership, missionaries and volunteers; and gather stories and reports for donors.

Survived 5 separate flights – me and my luggage made it to Kenya!!

My airport pickup driver, Harrison, told me it’s been a hard year. Complicated bureaucracy and strict lockdowns have led to unemployment, hunger and despair for many Kenyans.

The glorious view of the Great Rift Valley.

The 4+ hour drive from Nairobi to Bomet.

I’m back in the same studio apartment I lived in for almost a year! Home sweet home. Now I have the fun task of sorting through all the clothes and belongings I left here when I quickly and unexpectedly departed last year.

Also back in long dresses 😀

On Thursday, I celebrated my 26th birthday. Sunrise hike to the top of Mt. Motigo – great way to start another year of life!

Complete with hot coffee.

Some of the missionary kids treated me to a spa for my bday – free of charge 😉

Spent some time with the Threads of Hope women.

Also tried to make cake – lol

All in all, a great day!

My favorite part so far has been to reconnect with old friends, like the guesthouse cook Emmanuel.

And smaller friends, like Nora and Emery Copeland 🙂

The marketplace is still open. Right now, Bomet County is under a curfew from 10pm – 4am. In some ways, life in rural Kenya seems to be proceeding “business as usual” despite the looming 4th wave of COVID.

So fun to be back in Kenya!