Where was I? Oh yeah...flat tires. That was the most "excitement" in the flights there at Gatab. Well, maybe not. I flew on Saturday the 5th down to Olerai to evacuate a family from Bomet to Nairobi. As I landed I could see their police escort drive off...things in Western Kenya have not been good (they are calming down now. Many thanks to all of you for your prayers! Please, keep praying for peace, real peace, for Kenya.)
But, excitement aside, it's deeply satisfying to fly here, whether in Gatab or more generally for AIM Air throughout east Africa. The airplane makes it possible to save lives, and to get missionaries to places to touch lives. Flying from Gatab is particularly rewarding, though. The airplane there is a lifeline for the northern district mission stations, providing transport for fresh produce, or for a medical evacuation.
Life in Gatab is very like life on a farm...there's always something that needs doing. The house needs maintenance, the neighbor needs help with a project, the airstrip needs maintenance ... I spent a fair bit of time helping John Woodworth with some of his projects. Alex went a little further up the hill and helped the Heidorns build their house. Susan stayed busy with running our house. There are some new challenges there. First being electricity. The house runs from a bank of 8 batteries recharged by solar panels and a small windmill. The windmill has the advantage of keeping a charge going all night (the wind blows hard most nights there). I got rather obsessive about turning off lights. The batteries are old, over 7 years most of them, and none will show a charge using a hydrometer. The electric load is light, the biggest draw being the refrigerator. But, if a light is left on the fridge may not be running in the morning.
Susan is looking at how to shop for long term...the missionaries up at Gatab typically shop for 2-3 months at a time, since it's a 2+ day drive over what passes for roads here to get to Nairobi and the grocery store.
I haven't said much about church in Gatab yet. That bears a few words. Church the first week was a bit puzzling...the songs are all in swahili or maasai (samburu is nearly the same, the two tribes are closely related). The prayers and sermon are in swahili and a translator gives them in samburu also. The service is long...2 1/2 hours on average. When you walk an hour or so to get to church there's no hurry to go home. Plus it's the social highlight of the week. I'm not sure how deeply the teachings of the church affect people in their daily lives. The other missionaries in Gatab say that they've had an uphill struggle to make church more than a social event. There is some change, slow, but the idea of discipleship, of living what you say you believe, is starting to catch.
Then, of course, there was the Christmas pageant. Herod was my favorite character, swaggering in wearing a gold lame shirt. Mary and Joseph bickered, the wisemen fought and argued...but the story was told. And indeed, in some ways it brought the story to life even with the laughter. These were real people 2000 years ago, warts and all. The Bible says Mary was a good woman, true, but nowhere does it say she was perfect. Doubtless she and Joseph argued. Likewise the wise men, however wise, must have had their differences. And they all, as we did that day (Christmas day) came together to glorify God.
19 January 2008
Gatab, Ngororoi, Loiyangalani, Nolpilipili and other exotic places
Well, we're back in Nairobi. It's been a bit longer than planned, but that's ok. We left for Gatab on the 21st of December, intending to return on the 7th of January, but because of the political situation AIM Air management asked us to stay in Gatab as a reserve for AIM Air...Gatab being peaceful, the airplane easy to get to, and with plenty of fuel (over 1400 gallons on hand). So we ended up coming back on the 13th.
We had a great time there in Gatab! In fact, we're going back to fill in for the other pilot family (they are on home assignment at this time) until they return. No, we're not sure of the timeline.
I got to fly to some interesting places...the Nolpilipili airstrip is banana shaped. Ngororoi is one way..you land uphill (about a 10 degree upslope) and takeoff downhill. The church in Gatab is planting churches at Ngororoi and Nolpilipili, so I flew the pastors there. We also did medical clinics there and in Olturot.
Gatab. The mission station was started about 40 years ago by Howard Anderson, and Paul Teasedale. There wasn't a village there...the village grew up as the missionaries provided water (they dug wells and piped water from the well heads and springs). They started a church there, AIC Gatab. Later a plane and pilot were stationed there to support the northern mission stations: Gatab, Loiyangalani, Kalacha, Korr, Loglogo, and others. Later a hospital was built, AIC Gatab Hospital, and a secondary school, and Haven Home, a boarding home for the school.
Three other missionary families are in Gatab: Jeff and Peggy Heidorn, John and Becky Woodworth, and Friedhelm and Esther Focking. Friedhelm is the doctor in Gatab. John is the station manager and an elder at AIC Gatab. Jeff runs Haven Home. There is also Katharina Dych, the lab tech at the hospital.
Alot of the flights from Gatab are medical in nature. I flew several people to or from the Gatab hospital. When we got to Ngororoi, we were told there was a lady who'd been in labor 2 days. She got flown to Gatab hospital, obviously. Medical flights save, the doctor there estimates, about 2 lives a month on average.
The flights from Gatab tend to be short...30 minutes is a very long one. But the time savings is immense. Loiyangalani is only 15 miles away, about 10 minute flight. It takes 5 hours to get from Loi to Gatab by road.
Excitement...well, every landing at Gatab is exciting. One in particular was...I landed and the right main tire went flat. I never did figure out why. There were no thorns in evidence on inspection, the tube valve was fine... The landing was routine, but on roll out the plane kept pulling right no matter how hard I got on the left rudder and brake. I figured out the problem half way through roll out, but there's not much to do about it except get the airplane stopped. Which I did. John W. helped me get the tire changed and the airplane back to the hangar. It's great having help like that around.
Well, this post is getting long, so more in the next one.....
We had a great time there in Gatab! In fact, we're going back to fill in for the other pilot family (they are on home assignment at this time) until they return. No, we're not sure of the timeline.
I got to fly to some interesting places...the Nolpilipili airstrip is banana shaped. Ngororoi is one way..you land uphill (about a 10 degree upslope) and takeoff downhill. The church in Gatab is planting churches at Ngororoi and Nolpilipili, so I flew the pastors there. We also did medical clinics there and in Olturot.
Gatab. The mission station was started about 40 years ago by Howard Anderson, and Paul Teasedale. There wasn't a village there...the village grew up as the missionaries provided water (they dug wells and piped water from the well heads and springs). They started a church there, AIC Gatab. Later a plane and pilot were stationed there to support the northern mission stations: Gatab, Loiyangalani, Kalacha, Korr, Loglogo, and others. Later a hospital was built, AIC Gatab Hospital, and a secondary school, and Haven Home, a boarding home for the school.
Three other missionary families are in Gatab: Jeff and Peggy Heidorn, John and Becky Woodworth, and Friedhelm and Esther Focking. Friedhelm is the doctor in Gatab. John is the station manager and an elder at AIC Gatab. Jeff runs Haven Home. There is also Katharina Dych, the lab tech at the hospital.
Alot of the flights from Gatab are medical in nature. I flew several people to or from the Gatab hospital. When we got to Ngororoi, we were told there was a lady who'd been in labor 2 days. She got flown to Gatab hospital, obviously. Medical flights save, the doctor there estimates, about 2 lives a month on average.
The flights from Gatab tend to be short...30 minutes is a very long one. But the time savings is immense. Loiyangalani is only 15 miles away, about 10 minute flight. It takes 5 hours to get from Loi to Gatab by road.
Excitement...well, every landing at Gatab is exciting. One in particular was...I landed and the right main tire went flat. I never did figure out why. There were no thorns in evidence on inspection, the tube valve was fine... The landing was routine, but on roll out the plane kept pulling right no matter how hard I got on the left rudder and brake. I figured out the problem half way through roll out, but there's not much to do about it except get the airplane stopped. Which I did. John W. helped me get the tire changed and the airplane back to the hangar. It's great having help like that around.
Well, this post is getting long, so more in the next one.....
15 December 2007
Where did the month go?
Wow it's been busy the last few weeks. Over Thanksgiving weekend we went to AIM's Annual conference, held at Kijabe. It was really good. The food was excellent, the company great, the speaker was very very good...all in all a great weekend. Then back to work and flying. Two trips to Kurungu and Samburu, with a side trip to Gatab thrown in. Then to Marsabit and an unexpected night stop in Kalacha. I'm just back from a trip to Entebbe and Kakira in Uganda. Not, mind you, that I'm complaining. I came here to fly. The list is my excuse for why I didn't post any blogs for the last month!
The trips to Kurungu and Samburu were good. It was good to see the Middletons again, and the stay in Samburu was nice. The Samburu Serena is a very nice place. Gotta get Susan over there. Hmmm.
The second trip to Kurungu, Walt got me up in the morning (I was already awake, just being lazy). "Jay how are you on fuel?" Huh? Where's the coffee... Some men from a village just north of Kurungu had walked in and woke Walt up at about 2am to come and get a fellow who'd been shot in the leg. I ended up flying the guy up to Gatab for Dr Focking to look at. The wound turned out to be fairly minor...the bullet was nearly spent when he was hit (in the knee) or his knee would have been shattered. As it was he could walk and stand on it.
Last week I went to Marsabit to pick some folks up and bring them to Nairobi. First though we stopped at Balesa (about 90 miles north of Marsabit). David had a water project there to check on. The whole family went, leaving me to guard the airplane, and swelter in the sun. It was HOT there! "You have to be back by 2 or we may not have enough daylight to get to Nairobi." It was about a 3 hour flight from Balesa to Nairobi, plus I had to stop and refuel. They finally got back to the plane about 3:15....the truck they were in had broken down on the way back. No way to get to Nairobi before dark (Kenyan rules don't allow night flight by single engine aircraft). So, down to Kalacha, where there's a guest house. There's also a pool (an irrigation tank that got taken over as a pool). The guest house is spartan...a foam rubber mattress with a sheet over it, a camp chair and a coffee table pretty well complete the accomodation. I think it might be the balance for two visits to the Samburu Serena. Dinner that night was 2 day old chapaties and fried goat.
Then it's off again, this time to Uganda, Entebbe to clear customs, and then to Kakira. The Kakira airport is interesting, it's owned by a sugar plantation and is very very nice. I dropped the Duckworths off there to visit a school they are sponsoring, and returned to Entebbe to spend the night. At Entebbe I did battle with the bureaucracy. It's much easier to fly internationally than within Uganda. Go figure. I also ended up linking up with one of the MAF Uganda guys. He had some parts to go back to Nairobi that had been on loan to them from MAF Kenya. Tim Carpenter from AIM Air had met me there (Entebbe) in the morning to give me the paperwork tour, so I was armed for my afternoon battle with the bureaucracy. Then, today, it was back to Wilson.
We leave on the 22nd to go up to Gatab for Christmas. I'm looking forward to it, as are Susan and the kids. It'll be good to get out of Nairobi. The Gatab missionaries apparently have a few flights lined up already, and who knows what will pop up.
So...where'd the month go, anyway?
The trips to Kurungu and Samburu were good. It was good to see the Middletons again, and the stay in Samburu was nice. The Samburu Serena is a very nice place. Gotta get Susan over there. Hmmm.
The second trip to Kurungu, Walt got me up in the morning (I was already awake, just being lazy). "Jay how are you on fuel?" Huh? Where's the coffee... Some men from a village just north of Kurungu had walked in and woke Walt up at about 2am to come and get a fellow who'd been shot in the leg. I ended up flying the guy up to Gatab for Dr Focking to look at. The wound turned out to be fairly minor...the bullet was nearly spent when he was hit (in the knee) or his knee would have been shattered. As it was he could walk and stand on it.
Last week I went to Marsabit to pick some folks up and bring them to Nairobi. First though we stopped at Balesa (about 90 miles north of Marsabit). David had a water project there to check on. The whole family went, leaving me to guard the airplane, and swelter in the sun. It was HOT there! "You have to be back by 2 or we may not have enough daylight to get to Nairobi." It was about a 3 hour flight from Balesa to Nairobi, plus I had to stop and refuel. They finally got back to the plane about 3:15....the truck they were in had broken down on the way back. No way to get to Nairobi before dark (Kenyan rules don't allow night flight by single engine aircraft). So, down to Kalacha, where there's a guest house. There's also a pool (an irrigation tank that got taken over as a pool). The guest house is spartan...a foam rubber mattress with a sheet over it, a camp chair and a coffee table pretty well complete the accomodation. I think it might be the balance for two visits to the Samburu Serena. Dinner that night was 2 day old chapaties and fried goat.
Then it's off again, this time to Uganda, Entebbe to clear customs, and then to Kakira. The Kakira airport is interesting, it's owned by a sugar plantation and is very very nice. I dropped the Duckworths off there to visit a school they are sponsoring, and returned to Entebbe to spend the night. At Entebbe I did battle with the bureaucracy. It's much easier to fly internationally than within Uganda. Go figure. I also ended up linking up with one of the MAF Uganda guys. He had some parts to go back to Nairobi that had been on loan to them from MAF Kenya. Tim Carpenter from AIM Air had met me there (Entebbe) in the morning to give me the paperwork tour, so I was armed for my afternoon battle with the bureaucracy. Then, today, it was back to Wilson.
We leave on the 22nd to go up to Gatab for Christmas. I'm looking forward to it, as are Susan and the kids. It'll be good to get out of Nairobi. The Gatab missionaries apparently have a few flights lined up already, and who knows what will pop up.
So...where'd the month go, anyway?
19 November 2007
Re-registration
We have a new airplane! Sort of. N209KA is now 5y-SIL. We've had to re-register 2 of our aircraft to Kenya registry, and 9KA is the first to get through the process. The other, N756MS is undergoing a major overhaul, including complete repainting, new instrument panel, new HF radio, nearly a complete re-wiring, new fuel tanks, etc., etc.
Anyway, we received the registration certificate today for 5Y-SIL. The airplane joined AIM Air's fleet in the mid-80s when Denny Dyvig flew it from Sudan (as part of the evacuation from Sudan with the civil war there). Denny (and the airplane) are with JAARS, Jungle Aviation And Radio Service, the aviation branch of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Denny's our safety officer at AIM Air, and a truly outstanding pilot.
Another part of Wycliffe is the Summer Institute for Linguistics, or SIL. Thus the new identifier for the aircraft. SIL exists to bring the Bible to peoples who don't have a written language. It began in 1934, started by William Cameron Townsend as part of his efforts to bring the Bible to those who did not have it. Part of their charter now is to work with local people to "adapt or translate literature or publication on subjects such as nutrition, farming, health (including HIV/AIDS), and some or all of the Bible." (From the SIL webpage at www.sil.org/sil )
It's a relief to know that we'll be getting a C-206 back in operation very soon. We've missed the airplane's capabilities, alot. It's exciting that we'll put 5y-SIL back to work supporting missionaries as they live among the people they are bringing God's Word to.
Anyway, we received the registration certificate today for 5Y-SIL. The airplane joined AIM Air's fleet in the mid-80s when Denny Dyvig flew it from Sudan (as part of the evacuation from Sudan with the civil war there). Denny (and the airplane) are with JAARS, Jungle Aviation And Radio Service, the aviation branch of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Denny's our safety officer at AIM Air, and a truly outstanding pilot.
Another part of Wycliffe is the Summer Institute for Linguistics, or SIL. Thus the new identifier for the aircraft. SIL exists to bring the Bible to peoples who don't have a written language. It began in 1934, started by William Cameron Townsend as part of his efforts to bring the Bible to those who did not have it. Part of their charter now is to work with local people to "adapt or translate literature or publication on subjects such as nutrition, farming, health (including HIV/AIDS), and some or all of the Bible." (From the SIL webpage at www.sil.org/sil )
It's a relief to know that we'll be getting a C-206 back in operation very soon. We've missed the airplane's capabilities, alot. It's exciting that we'll put 5y-SIL back to work supporting missionaries as they live among the people they are bringing God's Word to.
17 November 2007
Two Days Four Countries
I was on my way to Mwanza, Tanzania with four folks going to do computer training at a school there. The sel-call on the HF goes off (sel-call lets you ring a specific HF radio. Everyone else on channel can still hear you, but only the one radio rings like a phone). Our ops manager says, "Jay can you divert and after you drop off your passengers, go to Entebbe to pick up three people and take them to Bunia?" But I'm getting ahead of myself.
First the guys going to Tanzania. When we planned the flight there was no fuel in Mwanza so I had to carry round trip gas (about 280 liters or 74 gallons, weighing in at 440 lbs). They were told 20 lbs luggage each, no more. They showed up at the hangar, not customs for the usual metal detector and luggage scans, and they showed up with 20 kg (about 45lbs0 of luggage each. The good news for them was that that day Mwanza had gotten a fuel shipment in, so there was gas there. So...taxi from customs back to the hangar, take 100 liters of fuel off (about 25 gallons), and now there's weight to carry the luggage. Taxi back to customs (beat the passengers there) load up finally and go. Wow.
Then the HF call. Can I go to Entebbe. "Call me when you get on the ground there and I'll talk you through where to take care of the paperwork." Sure, I can go to Entebbe. "Ok, I'll call when I get there." So I drop my passengers off, refuel, file a flight plan and take off.
Entebbe, yep, the same place as in "Raid On Entebbe." They have a fancy new terminal building (3/4 done, that plays in later) getting ready for the CHOGM meetings next week. Land, park, secure the plane, etc. Ok, call the Ops Mgr. No answer. Hmm. Find the restroom. Call again. Still no answer. Ok, let's see what I can find. I found were the file flight plans and pay landing and navigation fees. I wander out through arrivals (I missed the office where we're supposed to leave general declarations (customs document stating what and who we brought and are taking)). Call again - it'd be nice to know where I'm spending the night. Finally, an answer! I'll be staying with the Stairs. Dan is the Entebbe pilot (he's up in CAR on a safari flight for another week though) and his wife Cindy and two daughters live there. I get a cab out to their house, Cindy pays the cabbie (I have no Ugandan shillings). I get a great meal, and fixed up with a room in the guest house / AIM Air Uganda office.
The next day it's back to the airport and off to Bunia. I meet my passengers, the Morrows and Pearl Winterbuck. They're long time missionaries out there. Pearl is about 87 years old and in a wheel chair. Somehow we have to get here (and about 10 huge suitcases) downstairs to the ramp. Remember the building is still under construction? There's no power to the elevator. So... Ed Morrow, two Ugandan airport workers and I carry Pearl, wheelchair and all, down two flights of stairs. Brave lady. Then Ed and I lug the bags down, and I stuff them in the plane. Its a good thing they were missing one from the flight to Uganda, I have no idea where I'd have put it That plane was FULL!
Off to Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. No worries. Except the Bunia tower controller won't SHUT UP!! Three planes are coming in at about the same time. This guy gives us new directions every 5 seconds. Just sequence us and let us fly for crying out loud! Get landed, get unloaded and say farewell to the Morrows and Pearl. (Ed was great to talk to, he was on headset for the flight out...wonderful fellow!) Belagese, the Congolese who works at Bunia for MAF and AIM helped me with the paperwork, and brought out three more passengers to go back to Entebbe. Get them all loaded up, get on our way...tower thinks we're going to Arus. Sigh. Easily fixed, and back to Entebbe.
Land, unload, farewell my passengers (who speak 10 words of English between them) and file paperwork to get home. Take off, and fly along the north shore of Lake Victoria heading home.
Two hours later, I land and put the airplane away. Two days. Four countries. Ten missionaries.
First the guys going to Tanzania. When we planned the flight there was no fuel in Mwanza so I had to carry round trip gas (about 280 liters or 74 gallons, weighing in at 440 lbs). They were told 20 lbs luggage each, no more. They showed up at the hangar, not customs for the usual metal detector and luggage scans, and they showed up with 20 kg (about 45lbs0 of luggage each. The good news for them was that that day Mwanza had gotten a fuel shipment in, so there was gas there. So...taxi from customs back to the hangar, take 100 liters of fuel off (about 25 gallons), and now there's weight to carry the luggage. Taxi back to customs (beat the passengers there) load up finally and go. Wow.
Then the HF call. Can I go to Entebbe. "Call me when you get on the ground there and I'll talk you through where to take care of the paperwork." Sure, I can go to Entebbe. "Ok, I'll call when I get there." So I drop my passengers off, refuel, file a flight plan and take off.
Entebbe, yep, the same place as in "Raid On Entebbe." They have a fancy new terminal building (3/4 done, that plays in later) getting ready for the CHOGM meetings next week. Land, park, secure the plane, etc. Ok, call the Ops Mgr. No answer. Hmm. Find the restroom. Call again. Still no answer. Ok, let's see what I can find. I found were the file flight plans and pay landing and navigation fees. I wander out through arrivals (I missed the office where we're supposed to leave general declarations (customs document stating what and who we brought and are taking)). Call again - it'd be nice to know where I'm spending the night. Finally, an answer! I'll be staying with the Stairs. Dan is the Entebbe pilot (he's up in CAR on a safari flight for another week though) and his wife Cindy and two daughters live there. I get a cab out to their house, Cindy pays the cabbie (I have no Ugandan shillings). I get a great meal, and fixed up with a room in the guest house / AIM Air Uganda office.
The next day it's back to the airport and off to Bunia. I meet my passengers, the Morrows and Pearl Winterbuck. They're long time missionaries out there. Pearl is about 87 years old and in a wheel chair. Somehow we have to get here (and about 10 huge suitcases) downstairs to the ramp. Remember the building is still under construction? There's no power to the elevator. So... Ed Morrow, two Ugandan airport workers and I carry Pearl, wheelchair and all, down two flights of stairs. Brave lady. Then Ed and I lug the bags down, and I stuff them in the plane. Its a good thing they were missing one from the flight to Uganda, I have no idea where I'd have put it That plane was FULL!
Off to Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. No worries. Except the Bunia tower controller won't SHUT UP!! Three planes are coming in at about the same time. This guy gives us new directions every 5 seconds. Just sequence us and let us fly for crying out loud! Get landed, get unloaded and say farewell to the Morrows and Pearl. (Ed was great to talk to, he was on headset for the flight out...wonderful fellow!) Belagese, the Congolese who works at Bunia for MAF and AIM helped me with the paperwork, and brought out three more passengers to go back to Entebbe. Get them all loaded up, get on our way...tower thinks we're going to Arus. Sigh. Easily fixed, and back to Entebbe.
Land, unload, farewell my passengers (who speak 10 words of English between them) and file paperwork to get home. Take off, and fly along the north shore of Lake Victoria heading home.
Two hours later, I land and put the airplane away. Two days. Four countries. Ten missionaries.
01 November 2007
Donkeys & Airplanes
Don't play well together. I flew up to Kurungu today to pick up a lady who was going to the UK. Coming into Kurungu...hmm, something on the runway. Turn final. Hmmm, still there. Get ready to go around. Oh. Donkeys. Add power, buzz the strip about 20 ft up. A couple donkeys run. Most of them are still there, I see as I turn back on downwind. One of the workers at the mission compound comes out and runs most of the donkeys off. Two are still there, standing in the middle of the runway watching the airplane. Downwind. Base (still there). Final (still there). Short final (still there.) Add power, buzz the donkeys at about 10 ft. Go around. They ran this time.
Third pattern's the charm. Donkeys are gone, landing strip is clear. The half-dozen camels at the halfway point weren't interested in coming out of the shade to get in the way. They chewed their leaves and watched me roll past.
No donkeys in sight on takeoff.
Third pattern's the charm. Donkeys are gone, landing strip is clear. The half-dozen camels at the halfway point weren't interested in coming out of the shade to get in the way. They chewed their leaves and watched me roll past.
No donkeys in sight on takeoff.
Orthopedic clinics
Last week I flew the Drs from CURE Int. around western Kenya while they did intial and follow up clinics for children. They work with crippled children, providing orthopedic surgeries and therapy. Some of the cases were pretty horrific.... children badly burned with the scars having contracted and crippled their hands or feet, children with spina bifida or cerebral palsy, or badly broken bones or clubfoot or... you get the idea. Seeing the initial cases was depressing. Seeing the follow ups, after they'd had surgery and - or physical therapy, that was amazing.
One boy, about 14 years old, really stuck in mind. He'd been born with no hands and no legs below the knee. But, his handwriting is better than mine (he has pads where his hands should be and holds the pen in both "hands.") And he plays soccer! Apparently rather well, too. He has shoes made from leather sewn around plastic tubs that fit over the stumps of his knees. The Drs are working on fitting him with prosthetic legs, but the thing that made this guy so amazing was his attitude. He walked in, smiling, glad to be there. He wasn't letting his disabilities stop him, or even slow him down much. Just amazing.
The medical team was ecstatic over being able to fly. The way these clinics ran in the past, they would drive to Kisumu from Kijabe (about 8 hours), do a clinic the next day, drive 6 hours to Kitale after the day's clinic, do a clinic the next day, drive 2 hours to Eldoret, another clinic the next day, then drive 6 hours back to Kijabe, getting in around midnight. The flight to Kisumu was just over an hour, to Kitale about 25 minutes, to Eldoret about 15 minutes, and back to Nairobi about an hour. They've already booked flights for the next two clinics.
One boy, about 14 years old, really stuck in mind. He'd been born with no hands and no legs below the knee. But, his handwriting is better than mine (he has pads where his hands should be and holds the pen in both "hands.") And he plays soccer! Apparently rather well, too. He has shoes made from leather sewn around plastic tubs that fit over the stumps of his knees. The Drs are working on fitting him with prosthetic legs, but the thing that made this guy so amazing was his attitude. He walked in, smiling, glad to be there. He wasn't letting his disabilities stop him, or even slow him down much. Just amazing.
The medical team was ecstatic over being able to fly. The way these clinics ran in the past, they would drive to Kisumu from Kijabe (about 8 hours), do a clinic the next day, drive 6 hours to Kitale after the day's clinic, do a clinic the next day, drive 2 hours to Eldoret, another clinic the next day, then drive 6 hours back to Kijabe, getting in around midnight. The flight to Kisumu was just over an hour, to Kitale about 25 minutes, to Eldoret about 15 minutes, and back to Nairobi about an hour. They've already booked flights for the next two clinics.
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