Last 24 hours in Kenya 2021

Dinner at the Doubletree Hotel, Nairobi while awaiting COVID test results.  Marilyn and Dr. Jim Owens, FP from N. Carolina

Celebrating our neg. COVID testing with some Cold Stone Creamery ice cream!

Dear Friends,

Our time in Kenya is coming to an end for another year.  We are currently in Nairobi, resting up for our upcoming trip home.  During our time at Tenwek, KLM airlines (which we were scheduled to fly) decided that a COVID- 19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival in Amsterdam was not adequate.  They have now required that all passengers arriving in Amsterdam (including passengers transiting the country) must now have a rapid antigen test taken within 4 hrs of departure time!  This means that we would have had to have a rapid antigen test done in Nairobi, no earlier than 8PM, for a midnight departure time!!  Additionally, there is no onsite testing available at the Kenyatta International airport, so this would have had to be done somewhere in the community prior to our being able to check-in and board....  Needless to say, we were not going to be able to meet KLM and Amsterdam's requirements to fly, so we had to re-book a flight through another European country with less stringent requirements.  Consequently, we are now flying home on Lufthansa airlines, connecting in Frankfurt, Germany.  Their only requirement is that we have a COVID- 19 PCR test within 72 hours of arrival (which we were already prepared for). Amazingly, we had our testing done yesterday (Friday) at 1PM, and had our results e-mailed to us by 10 PM.  This may be the only thing which has been done efficiently during our month long stay here in Kenya...with the possible exception of our Samaritan's Purse drivers and logistics co-ordinator (thank you Heather Blizek for all your help in getting us re-booked and out of the country!).  We are looking forward to getting back to the U.S., and are not even dreading the 10d quarantine...this should give us time to "decompress" and catch up our mail and communications (and laundry!).  Thanks to each of you for all your prayers and well wishes on our behalf.  We look forward to being with you again soon.

With love,

Randy and Marilyn