How did you enjoy reading part one? I feel like I am becoming a writer, he he. May be I should do a blog about my experience here.
So, I got in on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday evening I attended a bible study with my boss. I thank God very much that she is a born again Christian. We have devotions every weekday at 8am before we start work. On Friday after devotions and gladi gladi (will explain later what this is), the international staff go to the director's office to pray for the Centre, the patients and everything that concerns this place. That in itself is like one of my highlights. There is just something about those prayers that touched me. I can't explain but it was humbling when we did it on Friday. The director is especially thankful that I joined them being a Christian and we had another doctor who also arrived this week who is also a Christian. So to my director, its like hallelujah, the army is increasing. Apparently two of them have been keeping the prayers on Friday going. So that's a praise report right there. Are you up on your feet dancing? A se pres di Lord en you are sitin don? (I say praise the Lord and you are sitting down?)
So, if you don't know yet, this is a medical Centre for women and children. There is a maternity ward for women with behleh (pregnant women) and there a fistula ward and outpatient clinic for small pikin (children). Some of the international staff live on the floor above the maternity ward and the other lucky or should I say blessed ones like me, live in team house. I say we are blessed because we don't (or should I say) I don't hear the women screaming as they give birth at night. One of my colleagues here in my floor told me she heard 4 of them screaming the other night. I told her, I didn't hear nothing, he he. God giveth His beloved sleep, can I hear an Amen? Anyways, the team house is adjacent to the maternity ward so anyone who does not sleep soundly like I do could still hear the screams.
The team house has 3 floors, ground floor is where the main kitchen is and a laundry room and dining room. I live on the middle floor with 2 other colleagues and one room for the doctor on call. It also has a small kitchen so we don't have to go downstairs to make our own meals on the weekends. In my room I have my own little bathroom (I thank God) and the rest share one bathroom. My room is not very big but it is enough. The closet is big enough, I have a study table, a chair, a little storage wooden thingi (don't know what to call it) and a book shelf (of my own). Oh, most important, there is an air conditioner in the room and a little remote to turn it on/off - how cool is that and I mean it literally. There is a generator in the compound so power for us in not an issue. There are things called power stabilizers in every room and any place there is an electrical appliance. The reason being, power here goes on and off all the time, so it helps protect the electrical appliance. It is like a surge protector but not quite the same.
I have had chance to sit at the outpatient clinic to see how things run there. That is where I learnt to ask the child's name, age and address in Krio all in the first day. That was Thursday. Wednesday I rested and took a stroll to the beach. On Friday I sat in the admin office (where I will be taking over as HR manager) and there came a lady who brought some fabrics for sale. I asked the lady who is assisting the current HR manager to ask her if she has something for someone my size. So I heard her say "na mi boss na smohl uman" (my boss is a small woman) - I swear I do not know who she was taking about....he he. Anyway, that is when it dawned on me that I am going to be someone's boss. It is an honor but scary at the same time. Why? Because there expectations. Expectations, that I will make some improvements around here - whether big or small. The director and the bosses in Scotland say they heard goods things about my work in Kenya and that's why they offered me a job here. So my prayer is that I will uphold those standards and excel here like Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in Babylon. Would you pray with me along the same lines?
I walked to the market yesterday and I could not find what to cook. I do not know how to cook their vegetables and the vegetables we would normally cook are very rare and expensive. I bought two tomatoes for 4,000 Les which is like KES 80 or about one US dollar. We bought a small cabbage today for 6,000 Les (equiv KES 120 or $1.35). So, go figure. The only cheap thing here is fabric they say.
I did my first round of church scouting today. Went to church with one of my colleagues and next week I will go with yet another colleague to a different church and the week after that likewise. It's like the international staff here each go to a different church. So, I will see which I will end up in. May be I will also go to one which no one else here goes to, who knows. Na Holy Spirit I go guide oh (The Holy Spirit will guide). Dat na mi preya (That is my prayer). Impressions of the church here, very loud just like the Nigerians. But I loved their praising and dancing.
I am thinking I will need to do a part three so I can tell you about transportation here. Very different from both Kenya and States. So don't change the channel, part three is coming soon. And I need to tell you about gladi gladi too.
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