Posts

Mimi's post....

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This is Juliette Apiyo.... Soooooo…The past few days in Kenya have been amazing yet busy. On Monday my grandma, my brother, and I went to The Baby Center. The Baby Center(TBC) is a place where kids and babies, ages 1 day - 6, will go if there parents can’t take care of them or there parents have died. Its sort of like an orphanage but the relatives like aunts or uncles can go visit and hopefully adopt them. We went to visit a pair of twin girls who were born at Tenwek. My grandma took care of them last time she was here. Their mother died at the hospital for reasons I can’t explain and their dad is very old and can’t take care of them. By the way their names are Faith and Cynthia and they are about one year old now. They occasionally get visitors like their two aunts and their cousin. We went with Faith and Cynthia’s cousin, Carol. When we got there we went in a room and shortly after they brought Faith and Cynthia to us. They were so cute and look almost identical. I tried holding

Friday in the Special Needs Clinic

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Friday in the Special Needs Clinic….hard work with a big payoff Finally, it is Friday here at Tenwek, the day we have all anxiously awaited and prepared for over the last few months. Our goal has been to make this journey to support Solomon Rop, PT and the Special Needs Clinic at Tenwek Hospital. Making the journey with us is my friend and colleague, TR Goins and my sister- in-law Betsy Hage, who is also a PT. TR owns Abilitations, a pediatric therapy practice in Raleigh, NC while Betsy works for Bill's practice in their bundled care program.   We have arrived with 4 suitcases full of therapy supplies, padding, strapping, AFO’s, club foot braces, toys, and educational materials. But mostly, we have arrived with big hearts ready to serve!! We began our day just like any "female Amercian therapist would”…detailed ideas of how we think things should be, thoughtful treatment spaces with toys placed at arms reach, handouts at the ready to be distributed to families, and eve
Party at the Kipaganga….. Thursday, March 1st, Today I woke up to some bota botas (Swahili word for motorcycle) and a tractor trying to dump rocks on the ground to try and smooth the road out. We live on a hillside beside a bumpy and rocky road into Tenwek Hospital. My dad and mom went to work at the hospital and my mom works with Solomon which he started the Special Needs Clinic. Most of you know my dad is a surgeon. He fixed two broken hips today. One of them was in a bota bota accident trying to go up a hill. He fell and broke his hip!  After lunch I played with Isaac, Nate, and Will.  I got to go to PE with all of them.  (They are homeschooled).  The teacher lets other guests play PE if they want.  After PE I went to play with Nate and Isaac and we played wave tag.  It was really fun.  We played wave tag for a long time which got so tiring.  Then we got to go to the Kipaganga (Swahili for basketball court).  We went to dinner which was Italian night and all the other missio
Isaiah 43:18-19..."Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up in you, do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." We began our day in morning devotion with all staff doctors, residents, and therapists and heard a wonderful devotion featuring the attached scripture.  I have thought of this scripture often today as we began our work in the clinic seeing children with special needs.  Working alongside TR Goins (pediatric PT extraordinaire), Betsy Hage (my awesome sister-in-law who is also a PT), and Solomon Rop (Tenwek PT), with an occasional high five from Bill... it was so easy to see that the Lord is totally doing a new thing here at Tenwek in the Special Needs Clinic.  God is doing what God does best when his people answer his call to serve...he is using us all with all our special gifts and talents to encourage and nurture Solomon's pediatric skill set.  He is using us

We arrived but just not to Tenwek...

This, our first post of our second journey to Kenya.  We arrived last night to Amani Gardens after a full 24 hours of travel.  Our spirits were high this morning to return to the familiar sights and smells (burning trash) of Nairobi.  Our favorite Samaritan's Purse driver greeted us bright and early for our trip to the markets for necessities.  Daddy got his favorite coffee at Java House and I finally had a Stoney soda (tastes like a ginger ale).  Mom wanted to tour Heshima in Nairobi so we went there next.  Heshima is a place where kids with special needs can go and get therapy while their moms work there as teachers assistants, water cleaners, cooks, and jewelry makers.  This co-op is called Dignity Designs.  We will post some pictures later from our time there.  The Hagman family (American) was so nice to greet us and give us a tour of their mission facility.  During the tour we met some of the children who are getting therapy and life skills training.  We met Victor who was the

Hages returning to Tenwek

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Dear Friends and Family, We are nearing our second trip to Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. We will accompany Bill's parents, Marvin and Miriam Hage, who introduced us to this wonderful medical mission in Africa. Betsy Hage, PT (my sister-in-law) and TR Goins, PT will accompany us on this journey as well. We would greatly appreciate your prayers as we prepare our hearts and pack our suitcases. You will hear three different perspectives on this blog. 1) Bill will be working in orthopedics and will be thrust into a busy surgery schedule treating all kinds of injuries. I will work alongside Solomon Rop, PT in the Physiotherapy Department and check in on the Special Needs Clinic which was started nearly two years ago. This clinic is near and dear to our hearts and I will be sharing lots of stories about resilient children who have received help and healing from Solomon Rop. 3) Mimi and Preston will return to learn and play with the mission children and do some of their own "