These past few months have been a blur. A total, complete, blurry blur. But I was able to pause and look back at the blur, seeing things in better focus, as I sorted through photos while creating a photo book for our HMA activities.
Life is always extra busy in Chogoria during the first few months of the year because of residency-related events and hosting numerous visitors, but this year we added the major transition of going back to the States for HMA into the mix and life became truly chaotic. We very much limped to the finish line of this 2-year term and were thankful for a much-needed reprieve when we landed back in the States and were able to come up for breath. We've subsequently dived headlong into HMA activities but I want to pause and remember the major happenings in Chogoria during the first few months of this year.
I started the year by preaching in church! I've thought about this opportunity for a long time, and the Lord opened a door for me to preach for the first time back in September. In truth, I was volunteered to preach with only 24 hours notice, but I ultimately agreed and was able to pull out some notes from when I had led Bible Study earlier in the year and it went well. The Lord was extremely gracious. I didn't preach again until the new year, but I was glad for the opportunity and am looking forward to preaching more in the future!
January was insanely busy with hosting all of the new Family Medicine residents in Chogoria to spend 2.5 weeks doing back-to-back trainings before they can begin their clinical rotations. They took 5 courses, including BLS, CALS, PALS, ACLS, and ATLS, as well as a course on the history of Christian medical ministry and the intersection of their faith with their role as a physician.
It was an intense time of learning, but they came away encouraged and prepared for the work ahead of them in the residency program. They also enjoyed getting to know the faculty and each other better. We really try to do our best to host them well in Chogoria, creating memorable and fun experiences in the midst of all the training.
Part of the training includes the annual goat lab! This is always a highlight because it's so memorable, plus it provides an opportunity to celebrate the end of the intense training period with a goat roast. The goats are anesthetized and the residents learn hands-on skills such as placing a chest tube, performing a tracheostomy, and suturing.
We also took them all to Mt. Kenya National Park for a day during the free weekend. For most of them, it was their only chance to visit the park, plus it got everyone out of Chogoria for a day where they could breathe deep of God's creation and rest their souls. The trip to the mountain is always a highlight! Our families tagged along and a good time was had by all.
In the midst of the resident training events, our friend Simone came to visit us in Chogoria for the first time! What a joy to have her with us for a few days and show her around.
Another major event that occurred over the course of six weeks was that I finally taught a Kenya History Class! This class has been years in the making as I thought about how to teach our kids the complicated history of this beautiful country they call home. I had to study a lot for myself, and could have kept reading and reading, but finally had to call it and just do my best to teach the material I had. I taught the class over six weeks but could have honestly spent an entire year teaching Kenya History. There is just so much to learn! I didn't learn anything - anything! - about African history in my public school education, so it's a personal goal of mine to learn more about this incredibly diverse and impactful continent.
I taught the kids about pre-colonial history, colonialism, the independence movement, political history, missions history, geography, and more. We went to Mt. Kenya National Park and learned facts and cultural myths about the tallest mountain in Kenya. We took a field trip to Nairobi to visit the national museum (and discovered a photo of Clive Irvine who started Chogoria Hospital in 1922!) and also to hike through Karura Forest after learning about how Wangari Maathai and other members of the Green Belt Movement helped to save the forest from destruction by corrupt politicians. We watched a documentary about Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest marathon runner on the planet and a Kenyan hero. We did art projects and baked goodies and had countless meaningful conversations about how people impact each other in their present time and also leave impactful legacies (for good and bad) for generations that follow. We covered so much material and it was amazing, truly amazing. I'm so thankful for these homeschool kids who listened and learned eagerly!
Speaking of the co-op, we also celebrated Snow Day! This year we took the kids to a pool in a nearby town and let them swim the whole morning. It was a hit!
The co-op had a guest teacher one day when Eli spent an afternoon teaching Wilderness Medicine. He taught them how to find, assess, and extract someone who'd been injured in the wilderness. He also taught them how to treat heat exhaustion, and how to build a fire. Suffice it to say, everyone loved it!
During one of our last weekends in Kenya, we drove north of the mountain to visit a former Family Medicine resident and her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, who are doing medical ministry in a predominantly non-Christian area. It was so encouraging to spend time with them and hear how God is leading them. A dear WGM friend also came with us and we had a grand time together, spending a night at Samburu while we were in that part of the country.
The last thing I'll mention (even though there's still more I could talk about ) are the 5th annual Chogoria Olympics! A favorite event of the year, we had a great turnout as always and more memories were made.
Now that we're back in the States, we're in full "HMA mode" and are regularly on the road to reconnect with many people and talk about life and ministry in Chogoria. Talking about Kenya helps us remember and reflect and rejoice in this calling of ours. We are thankful.
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