BY APRIL BERESFORD

This trip is drastically different than my medical mission trip last year to Valladolid, Mexico. For one, I speak Spanish; I don't speak Swahili. For two, the mission in Valladolid ran like a well-oiled machine. Everyone had a job, and although we remained flexible to the needs of the mission and the clinic, I had a clear idea of what the day was going to be like. Plans here seem to change like the wind, and it's hard for me, and my type A personality, to roll with it. I'm trying hard, but this is so far the biggest challenge for me.

This is the 'midway point' of my trip. This is Day #6 of my 12 days away from home. I am really, really missing my family right now. I got a text from home that said that Michigan is getting pummled with a really bad snowstorm. It's hard to imagine it when I am sweating through my second outfit of the day. Somewhere between here and there has got to be a happy little spot where the weather is just perfect.

Today we didn't see any extremely ill patients, which was a relief for me. We again saw around 200 patients, and this included a few of the MCF children. When we finally worked our way through the day's crowd of villagers who had come for medical care, we visited with the youngest members of MCF and did a quick little health check on each one. We looked for rashes or scrapes, and asked them if there was anything bothering them or if they had any concerns. 99% of them didn't. They each got a toothbrush and toothpaste, a sticker, a multi-vitamin and deworming medication. A couple got antibiotics and a couple got asthma inhalers, but that was the extent of it. When the kids all came to the clinic is really the highlight of my day. I had the biggest smile on my face and cherished the time I got to spend meeting them.

I am trying to soak up the Kenyan culture every chance I get. I really enjoy learning how other people live. Here life is quite different than my life in Michigan, but different is not always bad. There are lots of life lessons to learn here, and I am so happy to be living and eating and serving and learning with my brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe.

I only know a few words in Swahili. Here's the list (prepare to not be impressed):
Karibu: welcome
Kuja Hapa: come over here
Umeshindaje: How has your day been?
Sasa: How's it going? (informal)
Habari Yaku: How are you? (formal)
Nyanya: grandma
Babu: grandpa
Dada: sister
Kaka: brother
Asante: thank you
Kwaheri: goodbye

I have an explanation now for the barking at night. I was trying to figure out how the two dogs I see during the day can cause such a large ruckus at night. There are about a dozen dogs that life in a kennel behind the kitchen that sleep during the day and are set loose at night to roam the MCF property and drive away theives and wild animals. They go out around 10pm and come back for breakfast and naps at 6am.