Greetings from Tenwek!  We have safely arrived at the hospital complex after a long couple of days of travel.  I am happy to report that we had no missed connections, cancelled flights due to lightning strikes, or unplanned re-routing to other parts of the globe!  We arrived in Nairobi on schedule, and all seemed to be going as planned.  While waiting for our luggage to come off the belt, I was engaged in checking off my mental to-do list: exchange some U.S. dollars for Kenyan shillings, head through customs, locate our driver, and on to the guest house in Nairobi for a shower, a shave, and then sleep (in a supine position!).  We were so close to the finish line, I could almost taste sweet travel -victory…however, it was not to be!  Out of the 300# of luggage, all arrived with us…EXCEPT for my 35# of personal belongings, and one 50# bag of supplies for donation.  Consequently, all of my clothing is in Paris, while I’m in Nairobi, watching an empty luggage carousel go round and round… fortunately, we have always been cautioned to take an extra change of clothing, and any supplies that we might need to be able to work, in our carry-on bags.  As a result, I am good for about 2 days before becoming revolting.  One of our first stops today (Monday) was to purchase a couple of extra pairs of underwear, just in case!  If all goes as planned, my luggage should catch up with me sometime Wednesday afternoon.  On a more positive note, we DID make our hoped for connection with Matilda this morning.  She was able to come by the guesthouse and visit with us before heading off to her busy day at clinic.  She sends her love to all her San Antonio friends and family…and special hugs to the Tuesday night bible study group!  Marilyn and I spent the afternoon lunching with Barbara Pinkley (a long-term Tenwek missionary of 30+ years), and a new Ophthalmologist, just out of training, who is preparing to go serve with her husband (an orthopedic surgeon) at a mission hospital in Zimbabwe.  We were also able to connect with the IT people at the hospital and get our ID and passwords for accessing the Internet…and the electronic medical record! (what joy!).  We were both able to meet our respective medical teams and start preparing for the days ahead.  As we get ready to settle into our Tenwek “home” for the next couple of weeks, we are reminded how blessed we are to live in the U.S…. where one can drink from the tap with careless abandon, have warm showers on demand, and make a short journey to the “corner store” for any forgotten, but needed supplies.  Not so here…but very livable nonetheless.  Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us…we are very much looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us here, and will keep you posted on our journey.

Good night and love to all,

Randy and Marilyn.

With Matilda at the Nairobi guesthouse