Sunday in Mdawi village

Audrey and I and our roommates & Dutch friends

Pastor- in his Land Rover/Daladala!

Mdawi Baptism

The Mdowi Church- built by Dutch Lutherans

Hello everyone!  It’s been a while but we’ve been spending longer days in clinic and internet has been difficult with uploading pictures.  Here are some highlights of the past week… Last Sunday we were invited to attend a church service and baptism in Mdawi, a neighboring village in the mountains (approx. 5 kilometers from KCMC).  Ard (one of our Dutch roommates – med student studying public health) has spent the last 6 weeks working in Mdawi’s dispensary (a.k.a. outpatient clinic), providing HIV screening and pediatric primary care and health maintenance services.  Ard made connections through his church in Holland with the village pastor and his family (7 kids and 14 orphans).  Pastor Allen Lekey and his wife picked us up Sunday morning at 9:30 am, all of us (Doug, Emily, Haley, Ard, Me, and 2 Dutch girls) climbed into the back of a Land Rover.  The drive took about 40 mins, half of that time just to climb the short bumpy dirt road about 2 miles up the mountain to the village.  We would stop every tenth banana tree… or so to pick up someone walking to church, then the Pastor’s house to let the children jump in.  The land rover soon turned into a daladala!! 

Ard and Pastor Lekey

We arrived to find the service had already started.  The choir was singing and dancing to beautiful music in swahili, we filed into open seats on benches.  Haley made an instant friend, a little girl probably 4 yrs old, who was full of personality and overflowing with hugs and kisses.  It was a delight to see her JoY and ease in welcoming foreigners.  She had no fear or judgment, just love to offer us.  We experienced that type of welcome and hospitality in abundance throughout the day from all the people in Mdawi.

The whole gang, with Pastor Lekey and some of his family