We are at the first of Oct. Can you believe it? I bet it is getting pretty with the fall colors in Michigan. We are just coming into spring and the flowers are in full bloom. There isn't much of a difference in the seasons here, but the flowers sure know it.
This past week was very busy. We started building our transformer building with the stabilized soil bricks. It did not get off to a good start! As the wall went up, it was not stable and not straight! The guys also messed up the pattern. We are putting 50mm gaps in 2 of the walls so that air can circulate through. I had set up a pattern for them to build it by and it was not done correctly. Communications is such a difficult thing here. We have not found the secret to overcoming that problem!
We went to Tenwek Hospital in Bomet this past Thurs. The engineering team wanted to go and see their facility. We went in a matatu (van) packed with 14 people. It was a 3 hour drive on fairly decent roads. Not too bad! We were welcomed by their staff and got to see much of their infrastructure. They are located near a large waterfall. Amazingly, they have a hydroelectric plant and get all of their power from that! We were very impressed. It is a dream around here to be off the grid and have control over your own power.
This is a picture of the hydro plant. I did not get one of the falls since it was pouring!
We also also saw their septic system. It was an actual waste water treatment plant. And, it was pretty in the fact that they have done it like a wetlands system (what we plan on doing).
This is the plant where the black water from the septic tanks is treated.
This is a channel where the effluent flows. It flows down a course of gravel and sand beds to be treated further before it is chlorinated and put into the river.
Joshua, our radiologist, was giddy to see their new CT Scanner. Ours will be here in January and they had plenty of lessons learned for us. They have just commissioned theirs (Sept, 7) and are going through many of the things that we will be facing very soon.
View from "the other side!"
I have to tell a funny story that happened with our house help, Rose. She had been not feeling well all week and stayed home Mon through Wed (you should have seem my house)! She did come to work on Thurs. We left for Tenwek early on Thurs morning, so I left her a note. I knew we would not get back till late in the evening so I asked her to make some cabbage and carrots and another lady was bringing spring rolls and samosas for dinner. When Rose saw the name Tenwek, she thought we were going for ten weeks! She was so worried and wondered how cabbage and carrots was going to last the kids for 10 weeks! She finally asked another worker what it meant and he was able to tell her it was a place not a time. She was very releived that the kids were not going to survive on one cabbage and some carrots for ten weeks!
The kids are doing great. We seem to not see them so much with all the work and their school schedules. We are going to try and spend Sunday together. We have a movie and popcorn scheduled!
We are headed into Nairobi this morning to go to the Agricultural and Energy show. We were told that they have Bio Gas systems there to show off. Please pray that our journey will be safe. We feel pretty comfortable with moving around town, but people always tell you to watch your pockets and purses. Our neighbors were driving through an area yesterday and a man jumped into their car and stole her purse. She pursued him and got it back, but it was very scary.
We have another exciting item on the docket for today. Our friend Njoki is moving into her new house! She finally has a house (and bed) of her own. This has been an amazing adventure for her and a time that she was totally relying on God to provide. We are headed up there after Nairobi to help her move in.
We will be heading home for a visit in about 2 months (Dec 7). That seems so close now. The kids are looking forward to seeing everyone. I am sure we will be ready for a break too (I am ready now)! Take care and we will see you next week!
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
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