Well the adventure has begun!!!! I didn't sleep well last night because I had slept on the plane. I was on the internet til midnite then slept a few hours & about 2 a.m. if started POURING RAIN & I woke up & rained almost all night. We ate breakfast & then left Nairobi at 10 for our 3 hour drive to Nakuru that really took us 4 hours on some small unpaved roads with some REALLY crazy drivers...my new Kenyan friend Zippee (thats what I call her - her real name is Zipporrah) tells me that driving here is pure madness & all about survival & she is right...all cars converge to the same point on round abouts its like a standoff as to who will edge the other out & of course we were doing all of this is on a "bus" - more like a oversized & very old van.
On the way we stopped at an overlook of the Rift Valley - it was green & lush & beautiful. At that stop some Kenyans had "stores" selling items they have made. Despite the fact Zippee said I was overpaying I just had to but a few things - she said many of these people live on $1 a day - mind boggling. As we drove we passed all sorts of people just sitting or standing on the sides of the roads or in the grassy areas & many people walking in all directions & I really have no idea where they were headed. I saw some women w/ bushels of sticks on their backs, men with donkeys & goats, people on bikes & all sorts of slums with a variety of things being sold on the roadside - it was very humbling. We got stuck for about 20 min where they were doing roadwork - it was a little crazy & we even saw a baboon on the side of the road.
We got to our hotel & its a little nicer than the one we were at last night which is great since we will be here for 10 nights. It was nice to get unpacked!!! I feel like I am very well stocked & have a pantry, pharmacy, medical supply area & kids clothing & toy dept all in my room - my poor roomate - her name is Polly & she is a "visitor" on the mission until 4/7...she "bought" the trip at an Op Smile Auction. We are right across the street from a "marketplace" with local vendors. Zippee took me & about 8 other Op Smile team members & she did all our negotiating in Swahili for us - unfortunately one of the locals heard my name & seeing I was making purchases all of a sudden everyone was calling "nancy" come see me - it really was overwelming. One man Moses made me promise to come back & buy a tie from him to help him feed his 3 boys...I told him I would be back & I will.
Zippee is teaching me Swahili - dont be too excited so far all I know are things you can learn from the Lion King - Jambo=Hello, Rafiki=Friend, & Hakuna Matata...more to come! We have a team mtg tonight from 8-10 & then tomorrow our wake up call is 5:30, breakfast at 6 & we leave at 6:30 to be at the hospital at 7 & set up the screening area to Open at 8 until 6 pm. I am told that people will already be there waiting when we arrive & many will have traveled several days walking or on bike or burro to get to us - that in itself brings tears to my eyes & as I think of the rain (its raining again) I think of people walking in the rain today & tonight to get to us. I find my thoughts are totally focused on the mission now knowing that starting tonight that is my purpose for being here.
I will blog again tomorrow if I can but the power here (& in the area we will be working) goes out several times a day as does the internet. Still no text messages rec'd & fyi I am 11 hours ahead of Calif (8 hrs is from the east coast). Love you all!
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