The mighty Cherangani hills to the right, rise up between stacks of cumulonimbus. The A1 highway between Loki and Nairobi is like a thin line (but in a desperately poor condition!) straight below between green, undulating hills of the steppe. 

On an inflatable stretcher on the cabin floor is Peris, a woman in her thirties from Torit, seemingly in coma, panting with high pulse. Her sister in the seat ahead is anxiously glancing back every now and then.
    Is it cerebral malaria on top of an acute Typhoid infection? Jane at the wheels up front prayed a short prayer for the woman and our flight before pushing the starter button on the Caravan. Word is that there will be an ambulance standing by in Nairobi upon landing.

By my side, on the most rear seat, is Birgitta, eyes closed, dosing away into deep fatigue. A thin scarf around her shoulders.
    – How does she cope? I often wonder. Tending so wholeheartedly to so many needs around her. When I’m weak and weary, she will often have tender and encouraging words to cheer me up.
    - Let’s mention ten positive things to be thankful about today! – I’m now off to the beading workshop, the bakery and the hotel to pay salaries and their Christmas bonus. Then we have our last teachers meeting before the break this year. Can we meet the LEDO committee around four this afternoon to discuss the distribution report?
    - And yes, then there is Aturo, Benjamin’s mother with polio. We just have to get her a wheel chair! I will call Sammy at the clinic and see whether he knows where to find one. – Can we finish yesterday’s chicken pot? 
    If we can! A second helping of such wonderful food, cooked with so much love by an incredible life-companion, who can resist!

Her eyes are suddenly wide open in her seat. – You know what I forgot! To pay for the construction workers’ Christmas meal! – No worries, there is a solution to that. When there are hundreds of loose ends to tie up before leaving for another home assignment in Sweden then it’s absolutely normal to forget one or two. 

Having just said good-bye to friends and co-workers in Loki, we’re now desperately looking forward to some 6-7 weeks of break from one of our most intense periods in life, even if this, for me, means another abdominal surgery in only a week’s time. And what a joy it will be to meet all our children and grand children as we celebrate Christmas together, in all 24 people. And excitement is around the corner with Liza and Martin expecting their first child in January followed by Anton and Natalie and their second edition in February. What a richness, what a happiness!

Hydatid

Hydatid is a tricky, parasitic decease affecting in particular women in Turkana, even more so in days past. The parasites are normally transmitted by dogs and the infection can develop into large cysts, sometimes on the liver and it is a result of poor health and hygiene. 
    Benjamin’s mother, crippled by polio, moving around with tatty plastic shoes on her hands dragging her thin legs behind her, has had a relaps of the decease. Her tiny litle ”tommy” is drastically enlarged by quite a sizeable cyst. Thanks to our ”Medical Support Fund” from friends in Sweden we’ve been able to have her sent to Lodwar for X-ray and examination and the doctor has now administered the proper medication, hoping it will halt the spread of the decease. But a good wheel chair would do wonders in her situation. Her son Benjamin still has to carry her to the latrine etc. 

Guests rolling in

Firstly there was Sara’s family arriving for 2 nights, taking their daughter with them on the return trip to Nairobi and onwards. We were again somewhat ”childless” - Sara has been like an extra daughter in the household for almost three months. And what a commitment to the children in the pre-school and what a dedication to the work in the community she has shown. What a super duper girl!

Doctor's Bank

Then there was Britten and Cinna, surgeon and rheumatologist from the Doctor’s Bank in Sweden. They had been forced to leave Garissa in Eastern Kenya early due to insecurity and they came almost with no pre-warning to Loki to study the medical and health needs in the area. Visiting various clinics, food distribution in remote villages, vaccinations and pondering upon doubtful medical practices and lots of broken medical equipment gave them ample information for their reports which we pray and hope will impel the Doctor’s Bank to start a relay of medical expertise and support for Loki. ”Where there are no doctors” is their motto and the area has more than 35,000 people without a single doctor!

The Gang of Four

Thirdly there was the arrival of the ”Gang of Four” from the Swedish West coast, Göran with his daughter Sara, electrician, Jonas, professional fisherman with his own vessel VingaFjord, specializing in shrimps and Jakob, ex fish mongler, now teacher of trades, photographer and lots more. 

A week earlier we had received the delivery of steel tubing and roofing profiles, solarcells and a solar driven pump plus 400 metres of water pipe all trucked up from Nairobi. Following a brief introduction to Loki the four went into full swing erecting the platforms for the water tanks at the school and the stand for the solar cells down at the pump. The polyethylene pipe also went into the ground with the help of some 20 local people, men and women, digging the 360 meter long, 2 feet deep trench from the school to the pump site. Remains to mount the tanks and install the pump into the well before water can start flowing in the system.

Water for All

The Gang of  Four had barely left us after two intense weeks of work, until our next visitor, Mikael, chairman of the Water for All organisation arrived. WfA is a personnel association within the multinational company Atlas Copco and they have associations in 12 different countries through which they support various water projects in many countries through monthly contributions from the employees salaries. The company then matches that times two. WfA is our main water project sponsor. Mikael’s professional camera was used extensively to document our progress and he seemed content with what he saw. 

Mikael also promised to promote further support in order to be able to supply water from our system to the nearby villages Nagarakais och Naurenpetet. That is also where Birgitta and some of her missionary colleagues have ”Women’s Meeting” twice a week (many men and of course un-numbered children also attend). We intend to build several ”water points” where the villagers can come and have their jerry-cans filled with fresh, clean water. I also nourish a thought about erecting a couple of ”public showers”. Lack of hygiene and cleanliness continues to be a persistant source of  many deceases and other misery! 

Above - the bore hole where we will soon have a solar driven pump installed

Excellence

Columns are being poured in our molds

The foundation to the primary school has now been poured and my co-workers are busy finishing molding the wall planks and columns. Then there will be a Christmas and New Year’s break before we’re back in Loki by the end of January. 
    I’m proud of how my workers have managed to finish the slab. But they still need constance supervision. The other day I had to have yet another ”serious talk” with them about the quality of some of the elements molded, which did not come up to standards. And this despite the fact that a number of my workers have been with me since the beginning of our construction project. I had to reinstate the strife for excellence. - If you do this well, people will start asking for your competence in help of other projects! 

Children, children and more children

Children, children and more children! Francis, Maureen and Birgitta had spent considerable time to plan and prepare for a Children’s Rally, a full Saturday with games, teaching, singing and rehearsing a small biblical drama to be performed in church the following day. And of course, food and sweets. 
    - How many have registered?  Birgitta wondered. - About 50, was Francis answer. - Good, then I’m sure Sara’s goat will be enough for everybody to enjoy! 
    Do you think anyone was there when Birgitta hurried in around 9 on the Saturday morning? No, finally but one by one, Francis first and then other helpers and the children started trickling in. With rows of siblings in their hands it ended up being 250 kids attending! Food was enough and everybody seemed to have had a wonderful Children’s Rally. 

There are 225 children enrolled in the Hannah-Emuriakin pre-school, where of 1 first grade. Most of these children come from very poor families, some of face multi-social problems. Caretakers may be a blind grandmother, a drunken mother or just very poor family members.
    At the teachers’ meetings a good deal of time is spent discussing some of these pertinent issues. Seventeen children have been identified as clearly under nurished. With the help of money from friends, Birgitta has now arranged for these 17 to get extra food supplements for three months to start with, and in addition hygiene and other necessaires. One of the teachers, Esther, is also assigned to look after their progress of this endeavour.

Ambulance

Jane allows the wheels of the Caravan to gently touch down at Wilson Airport. Dusk is settling over Nairobi. Is there now an ambulance waiting for Peris whose life seem to be languishing?
    Alas, no. Belatedly we see a coming through the airport gate. Not an ambulance but a very small, compact mini-van with no way to lay a patient down! 
    - She can’t sit, I roar in anger! She definately needs an ambulance! At long last, after about an hour wait, an ambulance arrives, not for Peris though but for a medivac inbound from Dadaab. Luckily (!) this is a small child and the generous ambulance personnel come to rescue and we can transfer Peris from the aircraft stretcher to the ambulance. - Please God, bring her back to life and full health! 

Thanks for prayers and support in the year gone by!

and of course - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!

Photo - Mikael Lorin

Karl-Melker was back for a short visit and also had time to help with our latrines