A visit with Leonard

Penny and I went to see Leonard at Mercy Clinic in Olmekenyu last Thursday and had a great visit. Leonard is the 12 yr boy who has TB and as a result the disease caused him to suffer an eating a way of his nose and vocal cords.  For those of you who don't know his situation, he took a  hit to the face by a ball and then came in to contact with Tuberculosis while in a local hospital. His parents had tried for 3 years to get the correct diagnosis and treatment,but failed with the existing health care system in a rural area. So KMO and it's partners combined together with prayer,funds and some determination to finally get a diagnosis for Leonard. Leonard has been on TB medication for  4 months and will continue to take medication for 2 more months. During the visit, Leonard teared up and shared with us he is back in school and has experienced some improvement with his vocal cords. Hopefully Leonard will get a skin graft to make a nose for him after completing the TB drug regime. He had not been in school because of the shame of the disease for 2 years. We can't wait for the team to see him that saw him last year and see how good he looks.

The next day we went to the home of a North Carolina missioner family that we had meet in Narok. They live at the Masi Mara game reserve gate that we go through every year. It is Travis and Laurie Sawyer and there 3 girls Sarah, Summer and Savannah and another on the way. They are with the African Inland Church (AIC). It was good to be around people that sounded like me. Country! They are a very sweet family and he can work on anything and has such a supply of tools like we had never seen. He has a Chevrolet truck that they shipped over with 3 years worth of parts, 2 4 wheelers. They have a big time. There view was unbelievable, they sit on a hill over looking the game reserve and you can see for miles.

There smallest one Savannah is 1 year old and isn't used to seeing white people. She keep running from us and crying. I thought that was so funny we are used to the african children that don't see whites crying but I would have never thought of a white child doing it. There are 3 families that live there on the compound. We meet 1 of the of the other families they had been there for 12 years and had 4 children they seemed to be around the ages of 14 to 6. 

It was good to see how they all lived. Travis and Laurie use solar, wind and generators to run there place. They brought all there appliance etc with them from the states. We were advised not to and for us I think we made the right decision. They live in the bush and we live more in town. He helped us with KMO's generators and was a great help. We had lunch with them and ate American food sloppy joe's with homemade rolls, and fried potatoes. That was so good for me. When there families come I think they bring a lot of food items with them. 

Travis talked of a medical clinic way back in the bush built by a retired dentist that looked like a dentist office in the states. The man that built it wants 12 dentist to sign up for 1 month a year and come back that same month every year. They had very nice looking places to stay and high tech equipment. He had pictures of it.

We had a very good visit and am sure Dollie and I will be back to see them again and we have invited them to come and see us. We learned a lot more of the cultural every time we run into Americans that have worked here for years. Good information. They have been here 3 years and will go home on the 4th and then be back for 3 home on 4th.

Thanks for all your prayers and taking your time to read our updates.

Blessing to all

Penny and Dollie