Nonplussed in Nairobi!

Well folks – when we left the UK a few weeks ago our plan was to send out no more than 3or 4 updates before the end of the year because we didn’t feel we’d have much to report! And yet this is the third in a week for goodness sake! Believe me, our plan is not to wear you down with our constant emails, but we would value your prayers as there’s been another twist in the tale! ‘Delayed in Dar’ was followed by ‘Green for Go’ and we’d love this update to be entitled “Arrived at ABO” - but alas it’s going to have to be “Nonplussed in Nairobi”!

As you know, Ruth was discharged from hospital in Dar on Saturday and given the green light to fly to Nairobi, but we were aware that she’d have to get her blood checked here first thing Monday morning. Blood was duly taken and the results revealed that her INR count was too high. Last Monday her blood was too thick and this Monday it’s too thin! We’re thankful that the treatment has done its job but there is now a need to adjust the medication so that her blood is running as it should be! The doctors here are also rather cautious about us heading off into the wilds of Machakos for ABO and are keen to rule out various other causes before giving final clearance. That has meant further checks including an ECG and several other tests which have abbreviated names!

I

AIM's Mayfield Guest House - our home
for the next 3 weeks!

’m afraid all this means that we need to stay put in Nairobi for another week which does mean that ABO (the orientation course) is now not going to happen for us. Instead we’ve made the decision to hunker down here in Nairobi at the AIM guesthouse and wait for our initial week-long language course to begin on the 9^th August. At this point, that seems a long time to wait! We’d value your prayers: that these tests (Tues & Weds) will go as smoothly as they can; that they don’t show up anything more sinister; that Ruth’s blood would once again flow as it should and that we’ll continue to be flexible and patient in all of this! Thank you so much for ‘holding the ropes’ – we really do feel loved and cared for in all of this, and although I wouldn’t want to promise, we’ll do our best not to be in touch again too soon!!  

“Giveth up forecasting what you plan to do on the morrow for you do not know what a day may bring” (Proverbs 27:1 altered just a tad!)

PS: The first doctor we met this morning was a Coptic Christian from Egypt who happened to be a big fan of SAT-7 – the ministry that Ruth worked for before joining AIM.