5-2-2014 The Kibera clinic finishes with a bang!

We had our usual breakfast of chicken sausage, cold cereal with hot milk, eggs to order by our cook, fruit, bread, juice and instant coffee or tea.  We were running a little early, so a stop was made at Java House for some real coffee for those that wished.  We arrived and setup the clinic in record time.  I did a devotion based on the one in the Portals of Prayer for today about happiness.  It was based on the Beatitudes and especially about “blessed are the poor in spirit”.  I modified it a bit to compare and contrast worldly happiness with the joy that we Christians have and share that is not based on circumstances but on our relationship with a loving God who gave us an empty tomb to ponder and be amazed by.  Our morning was very steady and we were at slightly over 300 patients in the clinic by noon.  Looming gray clouds threatened all day, but it never rained.  Knowing we would shut down a little early to celebrate the clinic with the volunteers after packing our gear, I never dreamed that we would be blessed with another day bigger than the previous one.  At a little after 4pm, we quit taking in any patients and ended the day at 586 and the week at 2711 people that got vision treatment and the Gospel.  125 people proclaimed Jesus as Lord and the angels are having a big celebration in heaven!

After packing up, we awarded our certificates of appreciation to our volunteers, the evangelists and Pastor James, with each getting their photo taken with me and the Pastor.  The congregation serenaded us with a blessing song and we sang the Doxology for them.  Simultaneous tearful and joyful goodbyes were said, hugs and promises to come back were said.  We loaded up our footlockers into a truck headed for Little Sisters.  We got back to Rosa Mystica, got cleaned up and were ready to walk to the Junction to eat at an Italian restaurant when a torrential downpour began.  We were blessed all week by rain holding off during the amazing clinic and I think the Lord wanted us to know that he had held it at bay for us.  We took 2 cabs the block and a half to the Junction and enjoyed a great meal with Catherine.  Some had baked lasagna, Catherine had a spring chicken, Shirley had veal, Michelle enjoyed a lobster and I had calamari and shrimp with chips (British for French fries).

I am finishing packing up because Charles, Michelle, Shirley and I will be doing a safari in the morning at the National Game Park and need to take our stuff with us.  Afterwards, we will lunch and shop at the Veranda restaurant and gift shop.  Evelyn, the Godly woman from the plane ride from London to Nairobi, has just called and is going to meet us, along with her husband, for lunch as well.  What a blessing that will be.  Howard, Martha and Jane will laze around tomorrow morning, shop at the Junction and will meet up with us later at Little Sisters before we depart for the airport.  I may have one more story before we leave Nairobi, depending on Internet access and how much time I have.  Otherwise, I expect to be able to make another post from Heathrow early Saturday morning London time.  We have had a dream clinic and I praise God that everyone worked well together and we all stayed healthy, despite all the ways one can fall ill from food or drink during any foreign travel.  Many miracles occurred this week and, even though we’re all dog tired, I am already getting excited about coming back to Nairobi in the fall to continue our ministry.  Thanks be to God!