Short Break

 

Hi friends,

I'm popping in to let you know I have to take a short break.

The other day while on my way to an errand using the city bus, I was in an accident due to heavy braking by the bus driver. Though I was seated, I went flying across the seats in front of me, smashed my face, not once but twice, into a hard plastic casing. I mostly injured my face, lower neck, right thigh and knee. After a trip to the Emergency Room, I am now recovering at home. 

All should be well, but I;ve been referred to the plastic surgeon due to broken bones in the face and an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist for an issue in the right ear. They said the bones should heal but the follow up is a proactive measure.  While I was in the hospital I was thanking God that I live in a country where all the testing, medicines and so on are covered by the government and not out of my own pocket (unless you count the taxation of the citizenry that raises the funds to pay for all government expenditures). 

At the ER admittance desk there was signage posting the costs of various medical procedures for those that don't have medical insurance which would mostly apply to foreign visitors. I didn't have time to read it but one item dealing with some kind of heart treatment jumped out at me because the cost was almost $8000 (eight thousand dollars).  It gave me pause and made me appreciate that I don't have to pay for anything hospital; not the CT scan, EKG, oximetry test, blood work, ER bed,  nurse and doctor services, painkillers and a small snack.  The bill would have been substantial even though I was only there for about 5 hours.

Over the many years I've been doing missionary outreach with the very needy in Kenya, I've learned not to take anything for granted and to be grateful for my many blessings.  On that note I want to update briefly about the urgent Kenyan prayer needs.

Pastor Jonah is now at home recovering after spending 5 days and 4 nights in hospital due to the severe reaction to his second Covid jab.  His recovery is slow but steady and it is encouraging that his appetite has returned.  

A few weeks ago I wrote about Pastor Parteleu from a small village north of Nakuru City.  He is of very slender build and has been having a very difficult time keeping food down.  A few weeks ago he travelled to Nakuru for various tests and was hosted by Pastor Jonah.  His return visit was for the purpose of scheduled surgery but he was only able to raise a portion of funds. Since he could not raise the funds, he was given the run around, sent here and there, given a different diagnosis and ultimately he returned home without any resolution.  His situation is very sad but not uncommon in Kenya for those that don't have money for medical care.  This is one of the reasons I now focus on medical needs there despite all the other important needs.  But it is difficult to keep up to all the medical needs due to the high cost and I do not currently have the funds to help Pastor Parteleu.

Last but not least is Livingstone.  The doctor recommended he go to physical therapy to help the healing of his leg. We've managed to send him to a few sessions but he will likely need more.

Please keep these men in your prayers. 

I'll be back to regular blogging after I've recovered a bit.

God bless.

🙏🙏🙏

A Snapshot of the Last Few Days

It's peach season in British Columbia and lately I have been craving peaches. I purchased some to eat about 2 weeks ago and over the weekend I purchased a 10 pound box of peaches for canning. I haven't canned anything in years so I took my time reviewing the process.

First I had to take the big canning pot from it's resting place and thoroughly clean it before I could sterilize the jars. It had accumulated so much dirt and grime due to no enclosed storage and no ventilation in the kitchen for a dog's.  The actual canning process was a bit messy because even though I purchased the peaches the night before I did the canning, they were likely sitting at the store for one week before I purchased them.  They were a sale item and I  bought them on the last day of the sale.  When I opened them up they were going a bit soft.  Have you every tried blanching, then peeling and slicing, slightly mushy peaches? It gets a bit messy but oh so yummy.
 

I canned 10 - 500 ml jars in total. It wasn't cheaper than buying a can of peaches at the store due to the cost of the peaches and also having to buy the jars and lids. Fortunately I already had the big pot for sterilizing and canning. At least now I have a supply of freshly canned peaches to satisfy my sweet tooth over the coming winter (I know, let's not think about winter just yet, lol). The added benefit is I used the smallest amount of sugar I could get away with. One can actually can without sugar but it affects taste, colour and shelf life.

The finished product. I could have packed them a little more tightly.

 

In  some of my more recent blog posts I've mentioned that I have all these household jobs and projects I want to accomplish.  I don't seem to be making quick progress on them but slowly and surely I am getting things done and will ultimately achieve most, if not all, of my goals.  the majority of the projects are small and one category of projects is mending.  Anyone who mends knows they usually have a pile of things that need mending when you can find a few moments here and there.  I tackled a  small mending job on a hand towel.  About 2 years ago I purchased a set of expensive towels that were supposedly made from high end cotton.  Within a very short time the edges on one of the  hand towels significantly (see the first photo below). I didn't know whether I could repair it because there was very little of the edging border left. I did my best and I'm hoping it will hold together (see the second photo). This repair was done by hand stitching not by machine.  Trying to sew such a narrow border by machine would have probably been more obvious of a repair and also more of a finicky job for me.

Homemade green (and fruit) flavoured smoothies and cappuccinos have been on  my menu this week.  I've had my eye on a Nespresso machine for quite some time.  I saw it recently for a good discount so I snapped it up. Now I have to stock up on coffee pods which are super expensive. But I'm also going to get some refillable pods to cut down on both the cost and the environmental waste.  So far  I've made 2 cappuccinos and one larger cup of coffee and I really enjoyed all. I also continue to enjoy the smoothies. This one is banana, strawberry, vegan protein powder, MCT protein powder, ice and water. I didn't want the banana due to the sugar content but the bananas are going bad and I don't need any more frozen bananas.

I mentioned the book below in my last post and it is now in the completed pile.  I give this book a 4 out of 5 mainly due to what I thought was a clever plot line and a heroic feat in bringing all the puzzle pieces of the story together.

I went to a new specialist doctor recently and this is what the waiting room looks like. I loved the views from the lobby looking toward downtown Vancouver.

 

Signage to keep people apart in the seating area.

Last but not least on the home front, here is a collage made of  my garden and sunrise photos taken on Wednesday, August 25, 2021. The garden never really bloomed properly this summer and some things didn't take at all. I think the intense heat was to blame. The other blame goes to the great many sow bugs that were looking for something to eat. I didn't realize that was the issue until very late in the season. I'm so happy that the garden is still giving colour though my plans to sit outside on the patio and relax this past summer season did not pan out at all. I hope next year will be better.

In Kenya, we have been helping a pastor who has travelled from the outback areas of Marigat Town.  Pastor Jonah was able to host him for a few nights in Nakuru, Kenya.  

The two pastors at the hospital (Jonah in the blue, Pastor P in the brown).

 

Pastor P is from a very small village and receives little by way of stipend so having a safe, free place to stay while in the big city of Nakuru is a huge burden off his shoulders.  He has been experiencing stomach troubles and had to go for endoscopic procedures and other tests at one of the city hospitals. He is being tested for cancer amongst other things but we are hoping it is an infection that can be treated through antibiotics. 

The drinking water that comes from the well where Pastor P lives is not suitable for drinking.  This is a real pity because it is the well need Pastor Jonah brought to my attention back in 2007.  We helped in the early days of the to get an engineering report done and to raise awareness with organizations that might help to undertake the well project.  There were many others who helped along the way including people from Israel who ultimately built the well. Even though the water is not really suitable for drinking, the people still drink it because they have no choice. I heard that the Kenyan government is trying to see what can be done about the water situation.  I don't know exactly what the government is doing or whether it is actually serious about doing anything because the community had been left on it's own regarding water needs for a great many years.

Livingstone will return to the doctor in Kericho next week for follow up concerning his broken his leg. He has been in a cast for 3 months now and has been sticking close to home because he is a patient who also recovered from Covid. He is doing well for the most part. 

Livingstone and Pastor P need our prayers as does Rose, who is with child. So far she is also doing okay at home. Pastor Jonah also needs prayer support as he has a lot on his plate. Right now he is waiting for the hospital to get a new supply of vaccines which are arriving in Kenya imminently if not already. His doctor wants to give him a different vaccine (vaccine mixing) this time. I think this is a good idea as it will mix AZ and Pfizer and I've read that early studies show this boosts effectiveness of AZ by 6x. However I've just heard on the news that people who mix vaccines are prevented from entering certain countries or they have to quarantine due to the fact that some governments don't recognize mixed vaccination as 'full vaccination'. Everything is so complex. We pray for wisdom in this regard.