The Good News & The Bad News

Hello friends,

It's my first post in the month of May. Things have been very busy of late and they continue to be so.

I started but didn't finish planting the garden. I should finish the planting soon but had to take a break due to workmen trampling through my garden to clean windows. That is now done for another year as is the annual fire inspection. Next will come the annual carpet cleaning. This year it seems like they are doing everything all at one time.  It's all okay because it is better to get it out of the way IMHO.

The weather here has been fantastic. Perfect blues skies today. I had a wonderfully long walk. Something I haven't done in absolutely ages for many reasons. But today was a beautiful, quiet, peaceful kind of day. Not too hot and not too cold and was just right for strolling.

It allowed me to take a few photos to share for Skywatch Friday. However the sun was very bright so the photos have been touched up a bit. Nothing too fancy though as I don't have Photoshop or such like program.

The sky was a gorgeous blue and not a cloud in sight.

I took an extra long walk today and saw places I haven't seen a long time.

I thought these two old houses were a nice subject.

 

I said I had good news and bad news.

The good news is that the weather has been very lovely.  We've had a few cloudy days but we've also had a few very warm  and sometimes hot days.

I love these two old buildings. The top one with it's bay windows is nice.

The bottom one reminds me of buildings in New York City with the lovely red brick.

 I found this beautiful salmon coloured poppy nearby.

The bad news is the weather has been far too hot for this time of year and we've been shattering temperature records, left right and center all across the land.  It has contributed to raging fires in the far north of my province and in the province next door. There are devastating aftermaths and thousands and thousands of people have had to be evacuated.  I heard on the news today that the only way the fire will be extinguished now is if the rain comes. They will need a lot of it.

In my last post I provided some very brief updates  about the young man that many of you are praying for.  If you missed the post you can read it here.

 I learned that the open wound on the boy's face is caused by the tumour. It was the central point from which the tumour grew out of the boy's face and spread.  It was the "stem" so to speak.

The boys release has been delayed because the doctors are trying to ensure the wound heals first and it isn't healing that quickly so they've been trying to help dry it out.  They have also been watching his blood and giving him medicine or supplements (not quite sure which) to boost his white blood cell count. Some of you will know that white blood cells are important in protecting the body against foreign invaders that would cause illness or infections and are needed for recovery. The doctors have also been administering blood to counter the young man's anemia.

The open wound and scarring have made it difficult for the young man to chew and eat but today I heard he has graduated from runny porridge to mashed potatoes.  A friend in Kenya has also been trying to get the boy's chemotherapy administered in his hometown due to the expense of being in Nairobi for long and the expense of travelling back and forth from his home to the big city with escort.

At last today the hospital has said they would release the boy for treatment in his home community as they are satisfied the public hospital is properly equipped. That means he should be released soon pending health clearance and clearance of the hospital bill (a significant challenge).  This is good news and in the "nick of time" because his escort no longer has a place to stay in the city. He was staying with a helpful student but there have been problems with student unrest and new rules from the university administration strictly prohibits guests.

Please continue to pay for this situation if you feel led to do so.

Thank you for coming along on my walk today.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Until next time, enjoy your weekend.

As for me, I am going to try and work on the garden and join friends for a barbeque.

Joining in with

Skywatch Friday

 Floral Friday Fotos

Short Update - Kenyan Missions

Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God.  Remember that nothing is certain in this life. Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NLT)

April 30, 2016 Update:  The boy who underwent surgery and is in a Nairobi Hospital has suffered a setback. He was losing blood. He has a rare blood type and it was difficult to find blood for him (Kenya is generally short on blood so you can imagine the dearth of blood for rare blood types). They eventually found two pints. Please continue to pray for this young man. (Context and details below in the main post.).  May 1, 2016 Update:  The boy seems to be doing better today

Hello everyone, 

I hope this post finds you well. Today is Skywatch Friday but I am not linking up because I want to update about the Kenyan missions as some of you have told me you are praying about the needs I wrote about here. Some have asked that I try to update and so I am honouring that request.

The photo below is of the young orphan boy who had a large tumour growing on his neck and throat.

My friend and I got him to Nairobi for surgery. His surgery was originally scheduled for Wednesday April 19th.  During assessment they found him to be anemic so they had to give him blood.  It took longer than anticipated to address his anemia. The surgery was rescheduled to Friday April 22nd.  It went ahead as planned and the boy is now recovering in hospital.

In the photo below you will see the tumour is now removed. You can see the big scar. I am a bit concerned about what looks like an open wound and I hope and pray that no infection sets in. The boy is under medication.

A friend has travelled to Nairobi to be with the boy, his escort and his host. These are all young men of only 18 years of age. They are all from different village communities. They feel lost and abandoned without any senior adult help and few funds to address the various needs.  I'm glad my friend has travelled on short notice to be with and encourage the boys through this trying time. 

The next thing my friend is working on is trying to arrange for chemotherapy as the boys cannot stay in Nairobi indefinitely. The boys release from hospital is expected early next week pending clearance of the bill.

Keep these boys in your prayers.

Also right now it is rainy season in Kenya. There have been more floods and deaths and buildings collapsing in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya.

 Prayer needs:

1) That all material and financial needs will be met

2) Workable arrangements for chemotherapy

3) Freedom from infections and side effects

4) Safety from floods and rains
5) Peace and comfort.

I appreciate those of you who are interested in praying for these young men. May God bless you.