Reflections and Residency

I've been back stateside for 4 days now and what a busy time it has been! I've nary had a minute to sit down and reflect on the trip. Family, Match Day and reconnecting with friends have taken up a big chuck of time, so I've decided to spend some time away from the hustle of the city to think, pray, reflect and, of course, take in some March Madness. 

- First things first, God put this desire in my heart, and He has made it possible through your generous gifts. I cannot say for sure what the long term impact of my visit to Kijabe will be, but God does and it will be exciting to see the fruit in heaven. 

- I was able to reconnect with some of the friends I had made four years ago on my last trip to Kenya. It was so refreshing to sit and talk and hear what God has been doing in their lives. Saturday I was visited by Chris Amulo, his wife, Dr. Anne, and their daughter Rebekah. What a pleasure it was to see how God had used them in Machakos, moved them to Nairobi and has now given them the task of overseeing all Navigator student ministry in Kenya. This man and his family have had such a positive impact on my life. Rare it is to meet a man as humble yet visionary as this Kenyan. God truly does put us where we can use the gifts He has given us to bring Him the greatest glory. Chris and Anne are marvelous examples of God's faithfulness. It was and is a blessing to count them as friends. 

Sunday night brought me face to face with Naftali Oswago and his wife, Mary, as well as Alex Kiamba and his fiancee, Monica. Naftali is ministering with the Navigators at Moi Medical School in Eldoret and Alex is  in Machakos continuing the ministry that Chris had there along with several other of our friends.  Naf and Mary are living in Nairobi, doing some further study and continuing to get adjusted to married life before heading back to Eldoret. We sat around a table at the Nairobi Java House enjoying whatever caffeinated beverage suited us and talked for hours about the past and about the future. I could feel my spirit stirring within me as we reminisced. Truly, to this continent my heart belongs.

- After two long flights and one puddle jump I was back in Omaha, exhausted. It's difficult to talk about your amazing experience when a) you're really, really tired and b) you haven't had the time to dedicate to process through all that you have seen, heard, tasted and learned. If I talked to you on Tuesday or Wednesday and was not as informative as you had hoped, my apologies.

My dad did make the trek to Omaha, along with my sister and brother-in-law to pick me up from the airport and welcome me. I don't think I realized how much I missed my family until I saw them. I cannot recount how blessed I am to have my family.  

- Thursday was the greatly anticipated match day. I am planning on doing a residency in General Surgery and where I train could have a big impact on my future ministry. The butterflies didn't start until I started to hear where everyone else was going and wondered about the infinite number of combinations of factors that went into making this choice. Too much thinking, perhaps. (Now, the Match is a two way street. I ranked the programs I liked and they rank the applicants they liked and everything is fed into some supercomputer that spits out some compatibility ranking determining where you end up. It seems akin to letting Match.com choose your career.) 

I was pleased to learn that I'll be spending the next 5 years in Dallas, Texas at Methodist Dallas Hospital, close to friends and family. It is a program that allows for broad experience and the chance to get into the operating room early on in my training. It is a great (God-ordained) fit for me and the direction I think my career will go. 

- There is so much more to say about Kenya, the people, the hospital, and what God has taught me, but I hope that you'll continue to be patient with me as I process through all that has happened. Thank you for your ongoing prayers, you are an enormous blessing to me. 

Bless God and be blessed.