Happy Birthday Rachael!

Some kids in Malava wanted to say Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day! Remember when you turned twenty-one and got a cake made out of candy and we played with the pinata in the backyard! Miss you tons buddy

Well other than the fact that Rachael Valley becomes a year older, theres not much for me to report. Life has been pretty normal around here recently. I did get my final birthday package last week, filled with great new reading and listening material. Big thanks to everyone who sent something for my birthday!

Last Friday I made my second driving trip to Eldoret, skipping the epilespy clinic to take one of our clients-Luka- to see a pediatric cardiology at the teaching and referral hospital. It was an incredibly long day since I first had to get him from the hospital in Kakamega where he was admitted, drive the two and a half hours to Eldoret and then drive him back. But it was really important b/c he's suffering from failure to thrive and the docs at Malava and Kakamega just can't figure out why. So I took him to get an echo and see the cardiologist. I have to say that the Moi Teaching and referral Hospital was clean and efficient. In an hour we got in, paid, had the echo and talked to the pediatrician. There was nothing wrong with his heart, which I guess is good and bad. Good b/c fixing heart problems can be VERY expensive and this is a very poor family. But on the other hand, we still don't know whats going on with his malnutrition.

The weekends was relatively uneventful. Went to Kakamega on Saturday and got some new movies. Sunday I made brunch at the boys house (chili...yum) and watched the Exorcist whie it stormed outside. This week at work has been nothing out of the ordinary and today was slow, so tom and I sat in the office and studied Swahili. Next weekend is a four day holiday weekend and I think we're going to go to Mt. Elgon for the weekend...so there should be some good pictures of wild elephants. This weekend we might take a hike up to the ridge that runs along all of the western province. Its part of the Nandi escarpment which runs along all the way up from Kisumu.

Hope everyone at home has a wonderful memorial day weekend and the beginning of summer!