This last weekend I had the opportunity to go to the eastern coast of Kenya with the staff of CTC. It was an amazing experience filled with laughter and good conversations. This was the first time for me to see the Indian Ocean, and it was a lot of the staff's first time to ever see any ocean! The ocean was bright blue with white sand...just beautiful. Passing the time was easy and relaxing. We spent the long weekend swimming, playing soccer and frisbee on the beach, and having fun dancing and playing darts.
It wasn't all pure enjoyment though. We went on the trip with the purpose of learning and forming CTC culture and learning about good communication. The meetings we had were very good, but it was hard to pay attention with the double doors wide open with a magnificent view of the ocean! I caught myself daydreaming a few times while we were having discussions. Haha!
My brother Zane leaves tomorrow. I will miss him a lot. This has been the most time we have spent together since I was very young. It is good to be with family and close friends. It's important to have people around you who care about you.
We have another team coming in on the 4th of July!!! The team is the American Sewing Guild team. They are going to come and teach the women of CTC some new stitches and how to make some new bags to be able to sell in the US. This will be a very different experience for me seeing that the last couple of teams have had very hands on projects: medical camps with the team from Dell Children's Hospital and construction with the Team from Whole Foods. I will be glad to have a change of pace. I hope to have more time to post some of my other experiences when I have more down time.
Big Love to all of you!!! And thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
First Week! Medical Team and Maasai
It's much quieter here at the Transit Hotel now that the Medical Team has left to go back to the United States. The team consisted of 12 nurses, doctors, and others who helped out at a local clinic in Maai Mahiu (the name of the town CTC is based in). The only way to describe the dynamic of this team is to use the word 'family.' We all became so comfortable with each other so quickly! This led to amazing times being had and to great work being done!
I worked alongside this team more as a team member than a team coordinator, which is now my official position starting today. I went with them to tour local hospitals in the surrounding cities and when they worked at their clinic they had me filling prescriptions with the pharmacists! The main clinic we put on was in Maai Mahiu and the second clinic was a temporary one in Oitti... Maasai country!!! What amazing people! What amazing culture! What amazing food!
It is hard to describe in words the experience we had there. In a way I felt at home! It reminded me of my time at the ranch in Coleman, TX. The Maasai are a ranching community and their tribe is the most important thing in the world to them, just like family was the most important thing to those I met in Coleman. I also found warmth with the people that I met there. There was no aggressive nature that I sensed from any of them. I only sensed a deep desire in them to get to know us, their new and unfamiliar guests.
They were beautiful people. They didn't have much, but what they had they shared. We were invited into one home, which is dark and made of mud and wood, to eat lunch and have a coke!!! Imagine that!
I have adjusted well, am sleeping well, and am very much enjoying my time here.
We are actually going to visit the Maasai again tomorrow with a Physical Therapist also named Joel... Joel Mark Manwill. We are going out to see if he can help the tribe and their children with special needs.
I worked alongside this team more as a team member than a team coordinator, which is now my official position starting today. I went with them to tour local hospitals in the surrounding cities and when they worked at their clinic they had me filling prescriptions with the pharmacists! The main clinic we put on was in Maai Mahiu and the second clinic was a temporary one in Oitti... Maasai country!!! What amazing people! What amazing culture! What amazing food!
It is hard to describe in words the experience we had there. In a way I felt at home! It reminded me of my time at the ranch in Coleman, TX. The Maasai are a ranching community and their tribe is the most important thing in the world to them, just like family was the most important thing to those I met in Coleman. I also found warmth with the people that I met there. There was no aggressive nature that I sensed from any of them. I only sensed a deep desire in them to get to know us, their new and unfamiliar guests.
They were beautiful people. They didn't have much, but what they had they shared. We were invited into one home, which is dark and made of mud and wood, to eat lunch and have a coke!!! Imagine that!
I have adjusted well, am sleeping well, and am very much enjoying my time here.
We are actually going to visit the Maasai again tomorrow with a Physical Therapist also named Joel... Joel Mark Manwill. We are going out to see if he can help the tribe and their children with special needs.
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