Life at Tenwek

We're in our second week of getting settled here at Tenwek Hospital, and things are going well.  Here's a peek into our new life through a series of pictures.

chameleons continue to be a source of extreme delight

going for a walk along the river

the Mara River, the same river wildebeest cross 

during the Great Wildebeest Migration at Maasai Mara

waterfall and hydroelectric dam for the hospital

strolling along

watching farmers behind our building

boys will be boys!

relaxing on the balcony

sitting up all by himself!

making homemade chicken nuggets

eating homemade chicken nuggets!

Daddy time

bubbles!

first family movie night: The Lion King!

Bubba in front of our apartment

(our place is on the second level)

thank goodness we brought this boy's digger along

playing in the dirt can happen anywhere in the world

our white skin attracts a lot of attention and stares

climbing trees has been a daily activity

chasing butterflies

We're still figuring out a routine, but there have been plenty of activities to keep us busy and happy.  We're so thankful for this time to adjust to life in Kenya.  Having the chance to explore and settle and transition together, before Eli officially begins working, has been the greatest blessing!

Kenya!

We're here!!!  We made it to Kenya a week ago and things are going quite smoothly.  Our travels went amazingly well and the boys have been so excited to be here.  (If you're interested, I just wrote a post on our mission blog, www.storiesinmission.blogspot.com, that tells more details of our journey here.)

Upon entering the Nairobi airport, which has animals painted on the walls everywhere, Caleb was instantly in love with this country.  "There are so many animals in Kenya!" was his mantra for a solid couple days.  His love for Kenya only deepened when we saw baboons on the drive to the hospital, followed by lizards climbing the walls of our building and chameleons to hold for the first time.  At bedtime on our first night here at the hospital, when we asked the boys what they were thankful for, Caleb said, "I'm thankful for going to Kenya!"

Kai struggled a bit more with the transition, which was mostly obvious in his need to carry his snuggle blanket absolutely everywhere with him.  He's always needed that blanket for comfort, and he wouldn't let it out of his sight for a few days after we arrived in Kenya, which was a sure sign that he needed some comfort.  But he's been needing it less in the past few days - he's gone back to a normal amount of needing it - so we know that he's settling in okay.  Kai has fallen in love with the landscape around here.  There are trees to climb and hills to run down and plenty of places to get lost, which has unfortunately happened far too many times already.  We have to keep close tabs on that one, lest his adventurous and fearless spirit get the better of him.

Asa is doing what Asa always does: enjoy life and smile at whoever has the pleasure of holding him :)  The warm weather has allowed him to wear summer clothes, which expose his chunkiness to the world, and everyone around here just loves those rolls!  He adjusted to the time change the quickest and is doing remarkably well.  He's also suddenly become passionate about eating baby food, which leads us to think he won't be thinning out anytime soon.

The missionary community here has been invaluable in helping us get settled.  We've been so grateful for their kindness and their knowledge.  We wouldn't be having such a smooth transition without them.  We feel welcomed and loved and tremendously cared for.  The Body of Christ is a beautiful thing!

So for everyone who's been wondering about us and how we're doing: we're doing well, thanks be to God.  I'll attempt to keep the blogs updated as we continue this adventure!