We had a very busy week again this week! It ended with a marathon meeting yesterday (7.5 hours). We were meeting with the architect for the BKCC wing and also we went through the submittals from contractors for pre qualifying them. We had a spreadsheet where we input all of their specifics to try and quantify it all. We now have 7 (out of the 18) that have made the cut. We will widdle that down to 5 on Monday and then we will invite those to bid on the project. It is very exciting to get to this point! We are within a month or 2 of actually meeting the contractor that will build this Children's Center. I know this is boring, but here is picture of us at this marathon!
Have you ever been called Fat and Old and thought it was a compliment? Well, here in Africa it is! If you are called "Mzee," that is Swahili for old man, it is a compliment because you have made it that far. And, if you are called "fat" it is a compliment because you have plenty. Just different perspectives!
Mathew 5:14-15 says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." My friend Ruth (pediatric surgeon) told me about one of her patients father this week. His daughter was very sick and needed surgery. He did not have any money. As is the case here, Ruth operated anyway and made it clear to him that he should just bring what he could. They would take care of her even if he didn't have the money. Eventually, the girl and her family went home. They live a long distance from here. Quite a while later Ruth gets a visit from the man. He had returned this great distance to pay Ruth (the hospital) some of the money that was due. He was so grateful to her for what she had done, that he wanted to give her the money. He had gone home and probably gathered money from anyone of his friends and family that were willing to give. He saw the light in what Ruth was willing to do for his daughter. This is the mandate here for the people of Kijabe Hospital: Show God through the love that you show his people in caring for their physical needs. People that don't know that love can really see it when it is shown to them, and like an insect returning to the street light at night, they are attracted to it and want to experience it again. Sometime in their own lives, they want to shine that love also. It is little moments like these for Ruth and us, that make it all worth it to be doing what we do!
The palliative care building is moving forward again. They started building again in early January. They are just about to finish the forms for the ceiling pad of the ground floor that will be the floor of the second story. When they finish the pad (and it cures for 21 days) we will go on to complete the second floor and that will serve as specialty clinics. Here are a few pictures of the progress:
Africans love the rhythm of the drum. In worship, in life, they love the drum and how it can just keep a steady rhythm. You see it in the way they sing; they will sing a line or 2 over and over again using a drum as a steady beat. It is the continuity in life that needs this drum beat too. We had a blessing of the BKCC wing this past week. It was just a gathering (of the people that count) to bless the beginning of the building. It was not a ground breaking ceremony as we are not ready for that yet. We actually had heard the night before, that there was going to be a ground breaking ceremony for our building, but we had not even been invited! What?! Turns out, it was a "blessing" to get the people involved to "keep the rhythm of it going." We need to beat the drum of the BKCC wing to keep all the people involved, informed and motivate to see the vision that the BK board sees!
I wrote last week about some butterflies I had seen. Here is a picture of a moth that Jim took this week:
The kids celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday yesterday with a pajama party at school! Here is a picture of Timothy and Sallie heading off to school in their pajamas!
Hope you all are well. We sure enjoying hearing from you when you have the time.
In His Hands,
Jullie T.
jimjullliet@AHC123.com
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