Rose & Janet Update

 Hi friends and fellow bloggers,

Rose has now been discharged from hospital as of Tuesday morning, January 11, 2022 Kenyan time.  She has to return for wound care in 5 days then again in 2 weeks so she has not gone home yet. She is staying with a friend so she can be closer to the hospital. Hopefully it can work out for the doctor to make home visits in future for wound care and follow up.

 

New mothers and newborns need a lot of things. We've helped Rose to purchase the above items and other necessaries to help her get underway.

Kindly continue to keep her need in prayer.

We also continue to seek prayer for Janet. 

She is the lady who was chased away from her ancestral home when she had to move back there after her failed marriage. Her brother dismantled her roof, burned the house and threatened her life. Janet has 4 daughters and is trying hard to make a go of a shop selling hair products and related grooming items.

Her brother is in jail and charged with some criminal offenses for what he did to Janet. He is a poor villager so he has been unable to raise the bond until he awaits trial. The bond is extremely high for a Canadian let alone a poor villager. While her brother has been in jail, Janet and her daughters feel much safer.  However she needs continued prayer for several things 1) business success 2) emotional and spiritual strength 3) stability for her daughters and 4) funds to eat and send them to school.  

She is also being pressured by the village elders who are now realizing that Janet's brother could go to prison for a very long time. They want Janet to speak to the police on behalf of her brother. As you can imagine, this places her in a very difficult position. She needs prayer for wisdom and strength concerning this matter also. I have shared my views and thoughts with the Kenyans who have been my hands and legs to help Janet through this time. My assistance to Janet will end soon and it would be nice if I could find someone to help her with monthly needs. Would you pray about whether you could be her help? Thanks so much.

It's Done!

Hallelujah!

As of Thursday, Kenyan time, Rose has safely delivered a baby boy.  Rose had to have a C-section and she will be released soon to recover more fully at home.  Her husband has raised about half of the required funds which will need to be paid prior to discharge. 

Mom and baby are doing well. I'm sure Rose is most relieved given the challenges of carrying to term. I'm grateful for those of you who prayed for Rose and her child.  We are overjoyed that the long drama of pregnancy challenges is over and that baby has been safely delivered. I learned that Rose had not been expecting another pregnancy. In fact for the past several years she was quite certain that her child birthing years were finished.  I know that happens sometimes for mature, older women.  But baby's conception and destiny are not a surprise to God who gives life and I'm thankful to be a part of the safe entry into the world.  I hope I get a chance to travel safely to Kenya and back after Covid and see the baby myself.

 

Quick Changes in the Weather & Short Kenyan Update

I'm easing into 2022. Most people seem to jump right into their activities, plans and goals once the New Year arrives. I tend to slide into the year and take things slowly.  

The main priority in the very early part of the new year is putting all the Christmas decorations away and catching up on any housework that may need doing after making two big holiday dinners (Christmas Day and New Year's Day) within a 7 day period.  This year we had turkey dinner for Christmas and glazed, roasted ham for New Year's dinner. It was all good and appreciated by family but it takes me days to catch up with all the washing up afterwards.

I mentioned the new planner I ordered but it won't arrive for another 10 days or so. In the meantime, I'm just using a wall calendar to keep things organized. I've got several appointments this month but due to inclement weather I'm postponing an appointment here and there.

This is what the sky looked like on January 3, 2022.  I really liked the colour in the sky.

The next photos show how it looked when the snow started falling again. It snowed for a few hours and stopped in early evening.  We're supposed to get another wallop of snow on Wednesday night.  How quickly the days change. 

You can see in the bottom photo that the snow is coming down very thick and fast.  In fact the snow sounded a bit like rain.  I guess that means the snow was filled with water and it was raining 'icicles'.  At least it is considerably warmer than it was a few days ago when I was having trouble keeping warm enough indoors.

I'm thinking I should try to clean the bird bath and the feeders for the birds but until the snow eases it's a bit pointless.

How is the weather where you are?

Do you do anything special for our feathered friends?

 

Late breaking Kenyan Missions of Hope update:

Some of you may remember Rose, the mature, pregnant woman in Kenya. She has had a difficult pregnancy and almost lost the baby once or twice. She is now in the hospital in Kericho, Kenya awaiting delivery. The doctor will do a C-section and Rose will remain in hospital for about 5 days. Health insurance will cover approximately one third of the cost (or 30,000 Kenyan shillings of the total 100,000 shilling cost). We need to raise the rest of the funds. 

Please keep Rose, the unborn child, her health care team and the financial needs in prayer.

Sad Happenings & Christmas Loading

I'm checking in after several days recuperating from double ear infections.  The ears seem to be getting better but I've had to reschedule my ENT appointment at the hospital. They don't see patients who exhibit cold or Covid like symptoms. Thankfully I have been rescheduled before the end of this month.

I have sad news. 

Pastor Jonah (in Kenya) lost another family member. Rebecca was his aunt on his father's side and the eldest remaining member of the family on his father's side. She was a strong, fearless woman who did her very best to keep her extended family on the straight and narrow path and to encourage them all to live in unity. She had been battling a number of health issues including Covid 19 at the end.  She didn't want to be a burden on her family and when she found out they were planning to sell family land to meet the hospital bills she refused further medical interventions, primarily oxygen, to hasten her demise.  Kindly keep this family in prayer. Medical costs in Kenya are beyond the ability of many, many families. This woman's husband is a retired police officer. In Canada, police officers get well compensated and have a decent pension but in Kenya that isn't the case though things are slowly changing for some. The family is raising funds for the accumulated hospital expenses (accrued over many months of going back and forth to hospital), mortuary fees and funeral expenses. For now they have raised enough to pay the hospital costs.

On this side of the ocean, I learned from the brother to a long time pen pal and prayer partner of mine, that my friend Arlene is in critical condition in the hospital. Due to several underlying health conditions, she cannot have surgery and she has directed that no interventions are to be made. Arlene lives near Orlando, Florida where she moved to be closer to her brother as she got older.  Her brother is now overseeing her affairs and readying her for hospice care. Arlene was a very dear friend.  We met on line on a Christian website where I met many lovely people who were sharing their knowledge with one another as well as praying for one another. After some time the website developers switched their website to paid church membership only, meaning only churches could join.  Arlene and I were no longer able to stay on the website but we remained friends and  prayer partners.  She prayed so many times for different needs in Kenya. In fact I was just going to write to her and update her on different things when I received the sad news from her brother. In the last 2 years I did not burden her with prayer requests due to her age and failing health but she did ask me from time to time about things and I liked to share any good news with her.  Update:  Arlene died on Friday morning Eastern Standard Time, November 12, 2021. Her brother Stuart informed all of her email contacts. I'm grateful he had access to her email otherwise I would not have known.

Both of these wonderful ladies will be greatly missed for the wonderful care they displayed to their loved ones and to humanity in general.  They both had kind hearts and those of us who loved them have the hope of seeing them again some day.

 ~~~

Though I have received this sad news in the last few days, I have been keeping busy with the day to day needs here at home too.

I've only been running out to purchase groceries or to  pick up parcels. 

I'm also trying to get my calendar organized with all the various appointments and follow ups so that I can assess when I might fit in a cultural event or two before Christmas. I bought a pass to the Christmas Market and I can go anytime after the middle of November up until Christmas. A friend and I have made plans to go together once she is on school break and I'll probably go once or twice alone. This will be my first year attending the Christmas Market which is held outdoors.  I have some other ideas for things I'd like to do but it will depend on how I'm feeling. I've already missed the concert I booked for last Sunday so I don't want to book and then miss out again.

Some of you may have seen my post for Tuesday 4.  The topic related to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think that subliminally I was thinking about holiday foods and also the cold weather makes me want filling and warming foods.

So today I cooked a ham dinner with potatoes au gratin and roasted cabbage.

I have enough left over for at least 3 or 4 meals, 2 of which will be ham soup with beans/lentils or split peas.This kind of soup is just the thing needed for cold, wet days and nights.

Wednesday was a very nice, dry day but prior to that it rained buckets for several days.  It's going to rain again all week but next week the forecast is for dry weather. I always look forward to a dry day here and then once the rainy season has started.

~~~

The Christmas card list is getting drawn up. I've got letters and a few parcels to prepare and I also need to draw up a list of small monetary gifts I'd like to send to several people in Kenya including Rose and her new born baby to be. 

 ~~

I also need to stay alert for Rose's delivery. Some of you might remember when I wrote about Rose and her pregnancy complications.  She had been doing fine and was at home but doctors are concerned about her ability to give birth without complications arising.  So she has moved temporarily from the village area where she lives, to the town of Kericho where she is staying with a friend until it is time to delivery the baby. This way she is close to a well equipped hospital in case special interventions or a C - section are necessary. I would like to add her to the Christmas list because she will need to stay in hospital for several days necessitating a larger than normal hospital bill for a typical expectant mother. In addition, the new baby will need some things.

 

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.

Beautiful Light This Week

 Hi friends,

Popping in to the blog after a time away because I captured a beautiful sky today and a yesterday.  Now that the heat is not quite as intense, I find the light very beautiful. I get out bit more now that Covid restrictions have largely lifted. I still take precautions as most people do and all places have protocols in place as a condition of re-opening.

The very intense weather we've had this summer has been very hard on the garden. I've also had a real problem with sow bugs this year and they have chewed up most plants with leaves and thus the plants haven't thrived at all. I'm grateful that some things survived despite the challenges.

Updates:

In other news, I've been off line a lot during the past few weeks.  I wanted a break to try and enjoy what's left of the summer and restore my equilibrium.  I've found it a pretty stressful time this summer. In addition to dealing with Covid like everywhere else, my province has also been dealing with intense heat for several weeks.  We are dealing with a large number of wildfires across the province and the destruction of several villages and towns and many people are now homeless.  I'm not directly impacted by the fires but I know people who are and of course, I just feel for the people who have lost everything since I don't think they are getting the help they need from our elected officials.

I wanted my niece to visit late summer but the wildfires mean that this has had to be put on hold indefinitely because of where she lives. We are just waiting to see what happens from day to day and maybe we will manage to get a visit in before the warm weather has come and gone. 

In the meantime I've been dealing with other things like small house projects and organization. I've been slow to get things done due to the heat. I'm still hoping to get a lot done before the cold weather sets in.

One of my favourite things to do is read and I have been doing a bit of that.  The books below have been completed recently and I would recommend all of them. The first two books are works of historical fiction based during the time of the Last Empress of China, Empress Dowager Cixi. These books have different perspectives on Empress Cixi but both are very interesting. The third book is a biography of American Bob Gersony, consultant to the US government, who lived a very interesting life working and reporting on the major conflicts of the world.

The next book is one I came across  when scouring the internet. I came across someone who had recently read the book and though she didn't say much about it she seemed to enjoy it. I'm always open to following up on books I hear about and it happened to be at my local library. I didn't much enjoy the opening chapters.  I became annoyed with the constant references to water and watery things  but it is a major theme of the story. I'm about a third of the way through the book now and I enjoy it much more.  If the title intrigues you, have a look at this review which is far better done than what I could say in a couple of words.  This book definitely has it's fans. As for me I'll reserve my final verdict until I'm finished reading the entire book.

Last but not least, I've been dealing with many needs in Kenya amongst the people that I  know or the people that they know.  I've been trying to deal with them without any outside help and I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed. When you are dealing with life and death situations and with people who are in desperate situations, it can be very, very difficult to turn away from them.  It is a lot for one person to deal with at any given time. I'm still praying for regular and consistent helpers but that is all in God's hands.  In the meantime, I continue doing what I can.  

Livingstone in Kenya is still in plaster and has returned to the doctor for another x-ray and follow up. I'm not quite sure how long he will remain in a cast but it generally takes 3 months minimum for healing and I'm guessing in his case it will take longer due to lack of nutrition and health as his starting point. I mentioned last time that the mature pregnant woman named Rose had to be rushed back to hospital after being released for Covid treatment. She was in great pain and bleeding. I'm happy to report that she stabilized and went home again. I'm praying she will be okay until she delivers her child. We purchased all the school books for 3 other of her children and they returned to school several weeks ago. It's very challenging for parents to ensure their children can go to school. Even though primary school was made free several years ago, there are a host of other costs involved. Most students are boarded out at school and so the parents must pay for everything involved in that and if students are in day school there are still costs involved like school books, uniforms and so on.  Thank you to those of you who prayed over these needs, especially for Rose and her unborn child. We give thanks that Rose has recovered from Covid. There have been other people who need help with food, air time and other essential needs. It always amazes me how some people are able to get by when really pushed to the wall. This is a huge reason why many of the people in the villages do not plan for tomorrow. One can only deal with each day as it comes when you don't know if you have the funds to deal with all the basic needs. Education is a constant concern for parents as they struggle to keep the children in school but medical needs are always overwhelming. The costs are simply too great.

I'm hoping in the next few weeks to make some progress on various small projects around the house.  The projects are small but they tend to take me a lot of time and there are a lot of projects. Whatever doesn't get done today will get done another day. Even so it would be good to get things done.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday today.

Prayers Needed & Update Regarding Pay Pal

 Hi friends,

 

This is just a quick update to let you know about the missions needs in Kenya and to ask for prayers.

Livingstone's crutches broke and needed to to be replaced. Jonah purchased some in Nakuru and shipped them to Kericho Town. This was an unforeseen expense but the crutches have gone through a lot of use as they have been used by two other patients we have helped. Cost for crutches and delivery was about $67 Canadian. I am not quite sure when he will go for followup and that always requires x-rays and usually plaster is redone. Please pray his bones will heal.

Rose, the older lady who is with child was discharged to home for recovery from Covid. To date we have spent about $400 Canadian on her medications but she is not doing well. At the moment she needs oxygen support and we are trying to provide that. Cost for one tank is usually around $50. Canadian.  There are oxygen shortages in Kenya right now so that is a bit concerning but we are trying to get oxygen to her. Update:  As of Monday evening Kenyan time, Rose was transported to hospital in Kericho. She was trying to get to the mission hospital in Tenwek but couldn't make it that far as her situation has deteriorated. We will do our best to help her.

Right now at home, we have a lot of wild fires burning and a number of them are not under control. One entire village burned to the ground and 2 people along with it. Firefighters have joined us from several provinces and today more firefighters arrived from Mexico. 

Update:  If anyone wishes to donate to the Kenyan missions, I've now created a direct link to Pay Pal for that purpose. I've also updated the blog page and references. Hopefully this will resolve any sending issues.  Here is the new link

paypal.me/snapthatpenny

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.

~~~

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.

~~~

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your week ahead. 

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday.