Hold your donkeys

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Hold your donkeys! Do I really have a week left? Has it only been two months? And yes, hold your donkeys is the African version of hold your horses. I'm writing this blog with extremely mixed feelings. On one hand, I am excited to return home and see everyone, but on the other hand I am so sad to leave Kenya and all of my friends.
I've adjusted quite well here, I love the food, enjoy the relaxed lifestyle,madea lot of greatfriends, I can even travel on the roads with ease by myself! And more importantly, I'm happy. I love my job. I love working with the people at St. Mary's; Sister Kenda has begged meto stay and even John has offered to pay me to stay for a few more weeks. Its going to be really hard to leave, but i know I have to get back to school.
Anyways, since I last wrote I have delivered 8 babies, including one by myself, vaccinated over sixty children, stitched an eye, head and donkey bite, given hundreds of injections, and seen so much malaria that I can diagnose you by looking at you-no lab tests! and I can even guess the stage of the parasites in your blood. Quite often I am left on myown to seepatients, and even prescrbe their medications.I always check the drugs and dosages with another staff member but it's a crazy feeling to do that on myown. But T.I.A because if you don't then who else will? With that said, I've learned so much here, I feel like I am going away with more than I have given. The clinic threw a party for us when Kasey left, and we were all asked to say something. Everyone said the nicest things about us and thanked us for our work we have done. I said something like, I hope I can take back some of the Kenyan spirit I have experienced here, in that in the face of it all, they never lose sight of their hope.I really hope I can bring that back along with all the other changes I have experienced.

A nurse I work with, her name is Elizabeth, had her husband die a few weeks ago. I saw her a week later, and still can't believe her reaction. She told me, life moves on. When someone dies, you cannot stop living, you have to move on with it. Because life doesnt stop for anyone, they are always with you, and you are always with them. It amazes me that she was able to think like that, only a week after the death of her husband. This is a prime example of the Kenyan spirit. So strong and persistant. I do believe she is one of the strongest women I've ever met. I went to her house last week for lunch and she was still as positive as ever, perhaps more.
Another strength I have observed here is that of childbirth! I think that when the time comes for me, I will have to do natural childbirth. They have inspired me, but I'm in no hurry to experience it yet, but someday.

My favorite part of my day is when m\the roommates and I (which are Christabell and Priscilla; both 22, cbell is Kenyan but goes to Dartmouth, and Priscilla is Canadian) sit down to eat. We tell stories about our countries, or our day and literally laugh for hours. Im really going to miss those. I think shared meals are the most important part of living with other people. Its the easiest way to bond with other people, and we really have.

i'm going back to eldoret tomorrow, with less drama this time i hope. Checkin up on Magda and our projects. I knew I would be back. So hopefully I will write another blog this weekend. Til then xoxo

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