Friday Sky Just Before Friday Sunrise & A Missions Report

 
We are officially into the Fall season and the weather is much cooler than it was a few short weeks ago. We have been having a lot of rain and we expect more this weekend. However today is supposed to be a dry, sunny day.  I look forward to it and will run some errands later in the day.

I hope the weather is good for you wherever you are in the world.

I have some happy and some sad news to report from Kenya.

The young man named Livingstone has now had his cast removed. I think they botched the job when they plastered his leg more than once.  He is now taking a few sessions of physiotherapy to reduce swelling and other concerns. The good news is that Livingstone has stopped drinking and accepted Christ as his savior. We are overjoyed for him.  He has been getting visits from a local pastor in his village and getting counsel from others.  Through that and through the love and helps he has been getting during treatment for his leg and for Covid, he has decided on this faith step. He is now making plans as to what he would like to do to earn a living (raise chickens). It's an awesome change and the first time in years that he has a dream and a vision for his future.

Ernest, the other man who we have been helping in Kenya for the past few years, has also fully recovered from a few health issues though his diabetes is ongoing. His most recent health setback was a stint in the hospital with Covid and we're so thankful he has recovered fully. He's  been very anxious to try and get back to work. His doctor advised him to stay out of the larger town center during this pandemic.  For now it means he is only able to earn very small amount of money by cutting hair for the villagers, mostly children. The payment for services is not reliable since villagers have very little money but what he gets pays for his phone airtime. If he could purchase a good set of barbering shears he would be able to do better business. If you are reading this and want to contribute toward buying this item for him please let me know.

Now for the sad news. Pastor Jonah is in hospital after a very bad reaction to his second Covid vaccination (Moderna). His first jab was Astra Zeneca and his doctor recommended vaccine mixing for better effectiveness.  This view is based on studies showing that a vaccine mixture can have a more potent immune response and thus give more protection against the virus.  Though he expected he might have a reaction, especially since he experienced a bad reaction to Astra Zeneca, he certainly did not expect such a serious reaction. 

On Wednesday night my time, I asked him how the vaccination went.  He wasn't feeling well at all.  As he explained his symptoms and showed me photos of his swollen limbs and his swollen tongue, I  became very alarmed.  His tongue which was about 3 times larger than it should be. I immediately told him to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. He went in to inpatient services on Thursday afternoon Kenyan time. I insisted he remain overnight (or longer) in hospital to make sure he is safe.  He is now recovering and resting at the hospital under doctor supervision. 

We covet your prayers for Pastor Jonah's full recovery and for the material needs of Livingstone and Ernest to be met.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday.

Yah, it's Friday

 Happy Friday and happy weekend ahead.

It's been a busy week of errands and trying to find this and that for upcoming birthdays and projects so I'm a bit late with posting.

I captured these sky shots in early morning hours. I'm actually a night owl as that is when I seem to get more energy to do things but I do love to see the sky and feel the cool air in the very early morning hours before the city gets loud and busy.

 

 

 

 

My herb garden is overgrown. Too hot to cook. I guess I should freeze some.

I've slowed down reading but I have a number of books to keep me busy. I'm reading a little out of each one and hope I can finish them all before they are due at the library or unavailable for further renewals. I also picked up these magazines awhile ago. I seldom buy magazines any more but I'm sure I will enjoy them. I especially love looking at nicely decorated spaces and beautiful gardens. It relaxes me.

 

Last weekend I did a lot of meal preparation and batch cooking for the week. It was lovely since I've been feeling rather tired. It enabled me to focus on my errands and a few other things instead of cooking every day.

In the Kenyan mission field, Pastor Jonah has been kept busy with Livingstone's leg issues. Livingstone has been back to the doctor several times for follow up, had his cast redone numerous times and had multiple x-rays done. His leg is not healing very well but then again it's only been just over a month.  I have tried to insist that they stop redoing the cast and expecting Livingstone for such frequent follow-ups but that is how they do business at Kenyan hospitals. In the west that doesn't typically happen since it takes months for leg fractures to heal properly. We'll see how it goes moving forward.

There has been an outbreak of Covid 19 in various parts of Kenya due to mass political gatherings that were held weeks ago.  Certain communities have been hit hard including the one where we focus the missions work, the town of Kericho and surrounding villages.  It means curfews and restricted travel are again in place in much of the country.

Regular readers of this blog will already know that Livingstone has had Covid but was able to recuperate at home with prescribed medicines. Ernest, the other man that had a broken leg, had been hospitalized for weeks but is now okay. 

There is a woman I am concerned about. Her name is Rose. She is 52 years old and several months pregnant. She landed in hospital with Covid like symptoms and ultimately tested positive for Covid. She has been in a small hospital for almost 2 weeks and in need of a great many medicines (I have no information on how these might affect the unborn child).

Another younger woman named Joyce was admitted to hospital with pneumonia like symptoms and later tested positive for Covid.

All these needs at once are stretching my resources since I also try to help certain households with regular food and  helps, 

If any of you are so inclined to help out please feel free to reach out to me. I can be reached at kerichojoy[at]gmail[dot]com. Pay Pal donations can also be sent there. If you experience any problems kindly let me know. I've heard of two people now over several months who have had problems sending donations. They were ultimately successful after trying several times. I could also send you a payment request through Pay Pal if you send your email and how much you would like to donate. I thank you in advance for considering the needs.

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I tired myself out this past week by going out almost every day for hours at a stretch. I'm not used to that at the best of times.  So this weekend I hope to catch up to some chores, some reading and some rest.

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Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your week ahead. 

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday.

Update

 Hello friends,

This is a quick update on my friend Ernest in Kenya. In my last post I shared that he had to be admitted to hospital due to Covid and that he needed help to cater for the hospital costs.

I'm grateful to report that he did not have to be admitted to the High Dependency Unit (equivalent to ICU). He did however need many days of oxygen support, medicines and vitamins. He is currently in isolation and we are hoping that he will be discharged in a day or two. He has been off oxygen for a few days but his oxygen levels have dipped as low as 80 so they keep him for observation and fortunately his saturation levels have increased.

The Kenyan government has National Health Insurance for those who pay for it but it does not cover anything to do with Covid. It barely covers anything to do with a whole host of things but I think coverage is a bit spotty depending on where in the country you live.

With the help of one reader we have covered about $900 US in hospital and medicine. We will need a bit more in the next few days if you are able to help kindly send to Pay Pal at kerichojoy[at]gmail [dot]com. Added:  I've just been informed that the hospital requires an additional $450 (US) and $545 (Canadian) to discharge the patient (built in exchange rates and wire transfer fees eat up some of the funds).

If you are able to send a donation through Pay Pal (the fast way though it still takes 3-5 business days for funds to fully transfer), you may have to try more than once.  It seems the system can be a bit finicky but if you have any concerns you can always contact me directly to see what has actually been received. Thanks so much in advance for your consideration.

I continue to take time off from the blog as I need a rest and I am currently behind in everything including the garden. The personal, digital project I started back in October has taken far more time than I could have imagined and it is ongoing. New target completion date is end of this month or early May. Hopefully I can be back to regular blogging and commenting after that. In the meantime everyone please take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Sad News and Taking a Break

 Hi friends,

I had hoped I would not have to ever report that someone I know has Covid, let alone someone in Kenya who doesn't have resources to fight for his own life.

Some of you will know that I've been supporting Ernest in Kenya in various ways for some years now and I've been looking for someone to take on his monthly support or at least partial support. Sadly I have to report he now has Covid 19.  Though we have been treating him with vitamins and a host of other medicines as prescribed by the doctor, he is in need of more major interventions like oxygen. If any of you have it on your heart to help him please contact me (see sidebar or profile page for contact information).

Ernest at an earlier time dealing with a broken leg

A little more than a week ago a prominent politician in the town where Ernest has to visit the doctor monthly for diabetes check up and medicines, died of Covid 19.  Several other prominent politicians are also now dead of Covid 19 or are in hospital. There is no medical assistance in Kenya for many things including hospital tests and stays for Covid. I am fortunate that where I live the vaccines will be free to everyone who wants one and hospital stays are covered by the national health program. Kenya has over 52 million people. Last month they received the first batch of Astra Zeneca vaccines of just over 1 Million doses from the COVAX initiative. As of 2 days ago 196K doses had been administered.

The plan outlined by the Ministry of Health involved three phases, the last two of which were to run concurrently. In phase one, between February and June 2021, 1.25 million health workers, security and immigration officials would be vaccinated. In phases two and three, from July 2021 to June 2022, nearly 10 million over-50s and over-18s with underlying health conditions and five million of those considered vulnerable, such as those in informal settlements, would be immunised. (Aljazzera News, April 3, 2021)

 I am happy for the blessing of spring Cherry Blossoms

Basically, I will be going offline as I focus and try to deal with the issues at hand both at home and on the mission field as there are many other needs.  

I don't want to spread myself too thin by trying to keep up with blogging so I will take a break from blogging and also from commenting on blog posts. Lord willing I hope to be back here at some point in future.

 

Until then please take good care of yourselves.

🙏🙏🙏

💓💓💓

A Different View

Joining Skywatch Friday today

This week I'm sharing night photos of the sky.  Not day time photos. I was out and about doing errands and just had my phone with me. The phone camera doesn't have great clarity especially at night but it will do in a pinch.  I couldn't go out without trying to capture the beautiful colour and mood in the sky.

I took this photo because I like how the windows in the building reflect the colours of the sunset.

This photo is taken towards the south. Can you see the crescent moon peeking through the branches?

Bus stop in the same general vicinity.

This is a wonderful coffee shop that also has great pastries and sandwiches.

The weather has been dry all week along with blue skies and sunshine. It's a nice treat after so much rain in September and October.  We have now gone for a record setting 13 consecutive days without rain. I hear it may rain this weekend but it is not a guarantee. Next week it should be dry and sunny for most of the week.

The next part of the post is more of a record that I can look back at in years to come when I need or want to reflect back on what I've been doing with my time. Of course it doesn't cover every detail. Only the highlights or the key things taking up time.

READING

In my Bible reading I have now started on 2 Corinthians in the New Testament. In terms of library books I could not get too invested in the book entitled 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Petersen because I didn't have much time for reading over the past 2 weeks.  I was unable to renew the book even once due to the long wait list.  It will have to go into my "read later" list.   In the meantime I enjoyed, Memoirs of a Muhindi:  Fleeing East Africa for the West by Mansoor Ladha. I'm also half way into a book entitled Jackie, Janet & Lee:  The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill.  Once I'm finished I have 2 books on style and fashion to read for a book club I'm in.

PERSONAL

This week I've been very busy getting my calendar organized for November and December. My friend and I have confirmed our tickets for the Christmas concert in mid December.  There are another 2 concerts that I just learned about and they are coming up in a few days.  One is free and one is by donation. I've heard the orchestra before and so I know the concerts will be top notch. If I'm able I'd like to get to at least one of them and am awaiting word about whether a friend can join me.

I've been busy trying to shop the sales on line for some of my clothing gaps for next summer.  Most of the items don't fit well but several of them are perfect. I've also ordered most of the smaller gift items I need to wrap for Christmas.

I have a few medical (colonoscopy and knee assessment for possible surgery) and a dental (bridge replacement) procedures that must be done soon.  In fact, I had a colonoscopy Thursday morning but it wasn't able to properly completed so I must return in 6 months. The doctor found a very small polyp but she didn't snip it right away and when she tried hard to find it later after a full examination of the colon she could not find it again. I really don't look like these procedures (who does?) especially because I thought I was getting the same doctor I had last time (he was very efficient and I felt virtually nothing.  I was disappointed to get a different, albeit nice, doctor today.  In the end  my disappointment was justified because the outcome was a failed procedure.  If anyone (probably many of you) has had this procedure you know it isn't much fun preparing for it or going through it. I am still grateful that we have access to these kinds of detection measures though. We are very blessed in this day and age.

I'm also sorting out an outstanding bill with the dental office.  It should be fairly straightforward but for whatever reason it doesn't seem to be. It involves multiple people at the dental office and one, if not two, insurance companies. The dental staff say my insurer didn't pay all the cleaning costs because some of it is not covered. This is all new stuff for me because my insurance has always fully covered cleaning procedures. This year I even had more cleaning units than every before but now the dental offices want to charge me more.  It makes no sense to me. I figured it was an error but it may turn out to be otherwise.  When I press the patient coordinator, she can only give me a partial explanation which wasn't sufficient.  I told her I want a clear and justified bill before I pay and that I'd like to resolve it before getting the bride work done before the end of this calendar year.  I'm now waiting for a call from the billing department.  It gives me a bit of time to carefully go over the bill they've sent and to prepare my questions.

All this is time consuming.  But I've found when I'm proactive about such matters I end up saving myself money.  For example, for the colonoscopy, when the district hospital staff book an appointment for me they send all the instructions to me including instructing me about the over the counter medicine to purchase to cleanse the colon (Colyte or Peglyte).

In doing some research I discovered that these two medicines appear to be covered by one of my insurers but I wasn't completely sure because of the pharmaceutical name.  When I spoke to the pharmacist I usually deal with, he insisted I needed a prescription. I told him it doesn't make sense to request a prescription for an over the counter medicine but he wouldn't budge so I left things and called the insurer. The staff person was useless. She wasn't the DIN number even though I didn't purchase the product.  I told her what the pharmacist told me. She suggested I just get a prescription. I told her time was of the essence and there was no time to book in with the doctor.  so she wasn't helpful at all. She just suggested the pharmacist is the one who could answer my question by putting in the DIN number to the system. I already knew that wouldn't work with my primary pharmacist because I'd already spoken with him and he knew the answer.

I went to a 2nd pharmacist. They did what the 1st pharmacist should have done. They processed my ordered under my name with whatever information they have to provide to the system and the claim was processed (meaning the medication was covered).  This is a savings of $33.00 (thirty three dollars Canadian) for 30 minutes of my time in 3 phone calls and discussions.  I won't have to repeat these questions because I have an answer. In 6 months I have to buy this product again and (also into the future) so it is a regular savings of at least $33 dollars each time.  When you add together all these small sums of money it begins to really add up.

I also informed my regular pharmacist that he was in error.  He seemed perplexed  and continued to tell me that their system doesn't put the claim through. I suggested it might be their own computer system that needs tweaking.  He agreed it might be the case but I know that he is a franchise owner so he wouldn't be the one to try and resolve the system. It is much bigger than he is.  To be honest, I have heard that this very large pharmaceutical company always acts like they don't know what you're talking about when it comes to coverage for over the counter medicines. It means that other people like me are experiencing the same issues and getting a run around. I have no idea why a company would turn it's nose at money and not try to get to the root of the issue. Perhaps they are like me. Requiring a lot of time to analyze, assess and ponder before acting to correct things or perhaps it is just such a large company that trying to rejig the computer program is too difficult.  Eventually they may get around to it.

In other financial activity, I've finally cancelled some financial products that I've been wanting to cancel for a few years.  I just never was fully ready to cancel them for one reason or another.  Then unexpectedly my financial advisor switched companies this year.  Rather than follow him as a client, I decided now was a good time to make the switch.  He was disappointed but I haven't even met him once in person in over 10 years so I figure I am not losing by moving on.  In fact, I'm hoping to gain something like a more personalized experience.  Now I am caught up with the investment and financial product decisions I need to make.  I will continue streamlining things where I can and making a few adjustments here and there as needed.

KENYAN MISSIONS

Another thing taking time is my Kenyan outreach.

The man name Ernest who was run down by a motor vehicle has had his cast removed. He still has a follow up visit to see if his leg is straight as it seems maybe it is a bit bent. I'll know more about his condition in a few weeks. One friend generously helped him with money to help him buy nutritious food during these months he has been convalescing and it has really helped him. I am hoping that if I am able I can help Ernest to start a small barber business from home to provide modestly for his own needs. If any of my readers would like to help Ernest with food, a cow for milk needs or his barber business, please let me know.

Eunice, the woman with the issue of blood (chronic anemia likely brought on through long term poor nutrition) has been slowly improving on a special diet and on hormone medicines.  However from time to time she has a set back and lands in ICU.  She was recently in ICU for a few days this past week but is now back in the general ward. Since she has been on the special diet and the hormone treatment her set backs still happen suddenly and dramatically but they appear to be shortening. We continue to believe for a complete restoration of health after a time on the medication.

If anyone would like more information please see the link at the top right side bar.  If you are able to make a donation we would greatly appreciate it.

The two boys in Kenya (John and Ian) who I sponsor through Compassion Canada were writing their examinations this past week and I'm hoping to get a good report from them when the test results are in.  Both boys have a vision for trying to achieve more in school and I encourage them in their goal.

Alvin, one of the young men who graduated from Engineering has done very well on his English as a Second Language Test.  He is currently looking for a thesis supervisor whilst also preparing a graduate studies application to a university in Vancouver, Canada.  Carolly, a medical graduate will, as of today, November 8th, 2019, be a fully licensed doctor in .  This is a huge achievement for him and we are very proud of him.I will add some photos to this post once received.

That's it for now. Thank you for your visit. I hope to see you soon in Blog land.

Update - Kenyan Missions

Eunice is the woman in the photo. Eunice is a widow of many years and has raised several children mostly on her own.  Like many people in Kenya, she and her children live in the villages and they eke out a living as best they can. They have little for their own needs let alone funds for dealing with major life challenges. It is a real challenge just to try and eat, let alone eat a nutritious diet.  Other things that we in the developed nations take for granted like eating out, travelling, buying books/clothing/household needs,  medicines and so on are luxuries.  The small amount of funds they are able to make are mainly used for meager food supplies and telephone data. Everyone in Kenya must have a phone of some kind as that is the way to stay in touch, do business and banking.

Eunice is from a village near Kericho, Kenya where she taught Sunday School for over 40 years. She retired from this role a few years ago but before she could enjoy her down time she became sick and has been in and out of hospitals for treatment.  She has been in a private hospital in  Nakuru, Kenya for several months after spending time at the mission hospital in Tenwek near Bomet.  The hospitals are several hours away from her home and family. Her main health challenges are acute anemia and high blood pressure which seem to be health issues on the maternal side of the family.

Eunice's family and I have been trying to get her the medical help she needs and it has been difficult to fully understand the nature of her condition.  Mostly we have been responding to urgent medical needs to keep her alive.  Such interventions include keeping her supplied with oxygen, blood and special food as needed.  But these treatments have only been keeping her going rather than healed any underlying health issues.

Her family and I have been trying to get her the medical help she needs but it has taken a long while to fully grasp the nature of her condition. Thus far we have been able to keep her going and to do the urgent things for her care.   We have been keeping her supplied with oxygen, blood and special food when we can but it has been challenging financially to do what is required.  Whatever we have done has only kept her alive and hasn't addressed any underlying health issues. 

We are now at the point of trying some expensive medications and a more consistent special diet to see if this combined approach will give her the boost she needs to fully recover.  It has been about 8 days on this new regime and Eunice seems to be stabilizing but once again we are running out of funds. We are urgently trying to raise the funds needed so she can get the required treatment for at least another month.

Funds are needed for pay for the medications, blood and oxygen when required, care in Intensive Care Unit and if moved, general ward costs. Since she is in hospital hours away from her home town, we also need a bit of funds for food for her son or daughter who accompany her and visit her every day. They do not live in Nakuru where Eunice is currently in hospital and she cannot be moved due to an unpaid hospital bill.  Eunice actually has medical insurance but the hospital costs are much more than what insurance has paid and what I could add.

Here is a budget breakdown for the next month or two.

Current medicine costs are 5000 Kenyan shillings (KSH) for every 5 days (approx $65 (Canadian), $50 (US), $71 (Australian), $44 (Euros) 39 Pounds Sterling.


Funds are needed for at least one month  5000 KSH  x 6 = 30,000 KSH. Two months is 60,000 KSH.
Approximate costs for oxygen and blood is 7000 KSH (approx $95 Canadian) for each pint of blood or each tank of oxygen.  She will likely need more than one of each.

High Dependency Unit (called in Intensive Care in some countries) or General Ward costs would be additional but for now we seek support for medicines.

For family support costs for one person is as follows:
Food costs are 1500 Kenyan shillings for 2 days or 1500 x 15 for one month is =22500  Kenyan shillings.
30,000 +22500 Kenyan shillings =52, 500 Kenyan shillings minimum per month  ($673 (Canadian), $507 (US), $746 (Australian), 458 (Euros), 404 (Pounds Sterling)

Other costs, travel back and forth to the hospital (5600 KSH per month), occasional travel to home 3000 KSH per month), food (30,000 KSH per month), lodgings (45,000 KSH per month). Approximate cost for one month 83,600 KSH.  Cost for 2 months approx. 167,200 KSH. 

The family expresses gratitude for anyone who is able to contribute.  They realize that it is a completely selfless act. One person cannot do it all but many people working together can do a lot.

Please share this need as widely as you can. Thank you so much.

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Thank you to those who have been touch.

If you would like to contribute you can do so at this link 

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In Other news

Most of you know that Ernest (in Kenya) has been recovering at home from the leg injury he suffered after being run over by a motor bike taxi. 

As of Friday, September 20th he will have the plaster removed from his leg and be able to walk without the crutches he has been using over the past months.

On behalf of his family, thank you to those who helped him with medical costs.

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If anyone would like to help this man he has an ongoing need for nutritious food ($50), diabetes medicine  ($7) and delivery of clean drinking water ($40).  All funds stated in Canadian dollars for a one month period.

You can reach me by email if you would like to help Ernest.

Photos show Ernest at his release from hospital and in the field at home.