Thursday afternoon and I have my appointment for my next Covid test

 There have been rolling blackouts all over the countryside today, the power has been out for an hour or more several times today here in Karen, a nice suburb of Nairobi.  Catherine got back with a team from Nakuru, about 2 hours away, and they were having power issues as well.  No one is saying what's going on with the grid.  I was able to get the phone number of the service we use to come and give you a rapid Covid test.  It's only about $30 plus a $15 house call.  When the team and I did ours on Tuesday, the house call fee covered everybody.  Too bad I don't have anyone to split it with.  Actually, Redeemer as a church and my various friends have all stepped up and offered to cover any extra costs that I am incurring and I'm very thankful to be a member of such a generous congregation.

My test will be at 9am and I should know if I'm cleared to leave by 9:30.  The fun will start then.  I'm hopeful I'll be able to get on the flight leaving Friday night, you have to test negative the same day you are flying in order to gain entry back into the States at the end of the trip. It was 72 hours up until last December and then Omicron hit and the rules changed.  If you are planning on any international travel, I would highly advise reading everything you can find on the CDC web site.  It's kind of staggering for one person, imagine leading a team of 9 through it. Each of my team members seemed to come up with some new requirement that I had never heard of right up until we left for Kenya.  It's keeping a lot of people employed, I'm sure of that.

I was able to get quite a few pictures edited today, in between power failures and an occasional nap.  I feel good, but my energy level is still a little lower than normal.  I've been getting lots of texts and social media messages from friends around Nairobi wishing me well and offering any help if I continue here for a while.  I'm assuming if I still test positive tomorrow that I probably won't be tested again until at least Monday.  I've already trimmed my fingernails out of boredom.  Who knows what I might do to my beard!

Not a lot to report from this afternoon other than that I'm glad I get another go at the test.  Please keep me in your prayers that I might accept whatever the outcome is.  In the big scheme of things this is small stuff.  I told one of the other team leaders who is in the same boat as me that this is nothing compared to the travel woes of St. Paul.  Our first world problems pale in comparison to what saints and martyrs before us suffered gladly.