A Beach Retreat

Pictured above are all of the Samaritan's Purse Post-Residents that are in Kenya currently along with families.  This was the first time we have all been together in one place and what a joy it was!  We gathered in Nairobi on Oct. 2nd to have lunch together - I think it took about 15 pizzas!  We enjoyed hanging out, sharing stories, and encouraging one another.  If anyone had gotten hurt, we probably could have taken care of them - represented here are 3 OB/GYN's, one Med/Peds, one General Surgeon, one Dentist, one Opthalmologist, one Infectious Disease specialist, and 2 Family Practitioners.  I'm so thankful to have this group of people here in Kenya and am sad that over the next year, we will see this group dwindle as we all move on to the next phase.  I am confident, however, that they will remain life-long friends.  Thank you Samaritan's Purse for sending us all here.
The next day, all of us except for 2 families (the Friess' and the Shirley's) headed for Mombasa, which is a city on the eastern coast of Kenya, on the Indian Ocean.  It was my first time going there and I was so excited.  I had heard the beach was beautiful and it did not disappoint.  We went not only for a much-needed break from our respective hospitals, but also for a spiritual retreat and time of reflection on what we've learned over the last year and to seek wisdom for where God is leading us next.  James Paternoster, an elder from a church in Ann Arbor where 3 of the families here went, graciously gave up a week to come and lead our retreat.  He was such a blessing and challenged each one of us as we used the story of Abraham being called to leave all that he knew to go to the land where God had called him to examine our own callings and responses.  It was a blessed week and I enjoyed getting to spend time with all the other post-residents.

We rented 2 houses.  This pool (above) was just outside the bigger house, where we held all of our retreat sessions.  The beach is just on the other side of the palm trees.

A traditional fishing boat

A budding romance? (Anna Fader and Hudson Jones)

These little guys were all over the beach in the evenings

A beautiful beach with the finest white sand I have ever seen

Ednah, my house helper (pictured here with Isaac Jones), went with us to help care for the children during our retreat sessions.  It was her first time to see the ocean and she loved it!  We even got her to venture into the water, which she was scared of at first but then loved it.

James took Alyssa and I out to dinner one night.  We enjoyed our dinner on the beach.

We had one day to just have fun and we decided to rent a glass-bottomed boat.  It was so much fun!  They took us out over coral reefs and then we stopped here and were able to go snorkeling.  We saw starfish, zebra fish, and Nemo fish as well as lots of different type of coral.

A beautiful sunrise - photo courtesy of Alyssa Pfister, there was no way I was getting up that early on vacation :)

It was a wonderful week and I returned to Kapsowar feeling refreshed and encouraged.  Thank you fellow PRP-ers!