October Wrap Up

Hello everyone, 

I trust you all had a good week. I've had a very busy and productive week. Much of it has been spent catching up on a lot of little things that needed to be done and it feels good to get some of it out of the way.

I also was able to get a flu shot out of the way. It's a good thing too because most of the pharmacies here seem to have run out of the vaccine and they don't know when they will get more.

I went out on Hallowe'en evening to get my flu shot at one pharmacy. When I got there I learned they were all out. I took these night photos of the autumn leaves as I made my way to the pharmacy. I thought the autumn leaves looked so pretty with the night lights shining on them.

The big structure you see in the distance is a heritage building that is undergoing repair. The workers fully enclosed the building and are now wrapping it in plastic so that the work will be protected from the wet and rain over the winter months.

I took a photo of the moon but it is only a speck in my phone camera.

Since it was Hallowe'en a number of people on the streets were in costume.While I was in the pharmacy there was a man wearing a Little Red Riding Hood cape. Can you see him at the end of the aisle in the photo below? I'm sorry I wasn't able to get a full view of him for you.

 

Thankfully the night in my neighbourhood was very quiet other than the fireworks that went on until the wee hours of the morning, I heard that wasn't the case in the downtown area where the number of people gathered to drink and party; all while standing too closely together and not wearing face masks.

On Tuesday,  I took a trip to the library to return several books and pick up one more.  Since Covid I've been reading mostly digital books.  But not every book is available as an ebook.

The most recent book I read, A Recipe for a  Perfect Wife, was a very satisfying read though I found the ending unexpected and a little bit unfinished. It did not take away from my enjoyment. Basically this book is a dual story: one of the homemaker/would be writer who purchased a home in rural New York along with her husband.  The other story is about the previous home maker who lived in the house during the 50s. Basically the new home maker finds the old letters and recipes of the former occupant and begins cooking and dressing like a housewife of the 50s. The basic premise is that the life you see a person living, is not necessarily the life you think it is. In both stories, the women are trying to find a balance and an independence in their lives that neither of them actually have.

The next book I hope to read is called Elizabeth and Her German Garden written by Australian-born writer Elizabeth von Arnim.  It was first published in 1898.  It's a year long dairy of the author's experiences in learning to garden and about her social life. The book is very popular and has gone through numerous reprints over the many years since it was first published.

I'm also reading The Little Common Sense Book of Investing. In this book the author, John C. Bogle is basically trying to teach the reader to invest in index funds rather than waste time and money on investment managers and timing the markets.

Besides reading, I continued with deep cleaning and a little decluttering here and there.  Recently I ordered a few items on line which didn't fit (rain shoes and a long sleeved top) and so along with the time spent to look for just the right thing to order, I've had to spend time preparing the returns by mail.  In addition to on line shopping I made a trip to a brick and mortar store where I purchased a carpet cleaner. I haven't owned a good carpet cleaner for many, many years and have only been using a lightweight steam carpet cleaner.  It does keep things looking better but really doesn't give a good cleaning.

Lately, the carpets have been bothering me a lot. I thought maybe it is time to replace them but I do not have the funds for that, nor do I want the upheaval that would bring right now.  After reading the reviews on the carpet cleaner I took a chance and purchased the one in the photo below.  I was so eager to find out if it worked well and I didn't even take the time to pre-treat stains.  I have to say I am very pleased with the results.  In the photo you can see the reservoir of dirty water after cleaning the high traffic areas in the front room.  I intend to do another more thorough cleaning before I decorate for Christmas.

Update on Kenyan Missions

Eunice continues to be in private hospital in Nakuru.  She hasn't improved much in the almost two years she has been there though we continue to hope and pray for more improvement.  I guess one would say she is more or less stable though from time to time she has a downturn and needs blood and other medical interventions and medicines.  We still hope to move her to her hometown.  However it is yet to be determined when and how, or even if, it will be  physically possible once we find a spot for her in Kericho town.

Some of you might remember Ernest who got run down by a motor vehicle last Spring. He recovered with the help of a donor who reads this blog though his recovery was very slow.  A few short months after his full recovery he suffered a bad slip in the mud.  He fell and fractured his leg. Due to him trying to break his fall, he also suffered a dislocated joint. He was attended to at the local hospital and was recovering at home. On the day he was to have his plaster removed it was discovered that his leg was very inflamed and that he had a blood clot. They tried to help him at the local hospital but in the end transported him to the missions hospital near Bomet. The doctors there were able to help him though it was touch and go for awhile. He is now back and home and will be getting daily physiotherapy with the help of his brother.

Pastor Jonah also did not go unscathed. He had a terrible cold and some kind of infection. At first we were afraid it might be Covid,but thankfully the tests were returned negative. Instead he had some kind of bacterial infection which cleared up after a week of medicines.  I think this is the same bug I had when I last travelled to Kenya though Jonah also had a very bad cough.  Sadly, a cousin to Jonah also lost her husband to cancer this past week so it has been a very sad week for the family.

I've heard from my sponsored boys in Kenya and Ethiopia. Sadly, John who is the eldest, lost his mother to a brain tumour. She had been sick for a few years but I didn't know that she had a brain tumour. The boy's family is now preparing to lay the mom to rest. Thankfully the children and their father are not sick.  

Ian, the other boy I sponsor lives in Solai near Nakuru.  He too is doing okay. 

Wondimu, the third boy is from Ethiopia and he and his family are also fine. 

I give thanks that all the boys hey are safe during these challenging times. My heart aches for John and his little brother. They are so young and now have to go without the love of their mother. At least they have a father who seems active in their care. I think the father has had to take a bigger role than usual in the care of the children due to the mother's long term illness.  I know the father himself has been going through a tough time emotionally. No doubt the stresses and concerns of his late wife's illness over many years has caused him both emotional and financial stress.

Last but not least, the young Engineering graduate I was hoping would come to Canada to study was accepted for admittance into the Engineering Board of Kenya. He had to pay an application fee and wait for 4-6 weeks after submitting documentation. Then the Board wrote to him to let him know he was accepted and to provide registration instructions.  In a few weeks he should be fully recognized as an engineer in Kenya.

With this post and updates, I say a final goodbye to October.  It's been a good month for me despite the challenges we all face, the delays involved in dealing with my personal business and the issues faced by those I care about. I pray that November will be an even better month, not just for me but for those in Kenya, my family members and loved ones near and far and all of you dear readers. Stay safe.

 Thank you to those of you who pray for and support the missions in Kenya. May God richly bless you and enlarge your territories.