Jarretts Ministry

June 12, 2001

Dear Family and Friends:

Some of you ask when I find time to write. Well, today I woke up at 3AM and after unsuccessfully trying to go back to sleep, I have decided to put down some of the thoughts running through my head before they’re lost forever. Our e-mail has been down and just a few have trickled through this morning. Thanks for writing. It gets lonely out here when we don’t hear from anyone at home for awhile.

Back to Work

After the weekend off, it was time for “getting acquainted” rounds this morning. With two days and three nights off duty, the census on our service has undergone considerable turnover. It’s not as much as after a 4 day off time, but nonetheless, there are many new people. All of the post-op patients from last Thursday were ready to go home today except Marie who had the bladder cancer. She looks very good. Parania is not only still alive, but her bone marrow is recovering! Today her hemoglobin is 8, her platelets are up to 202,000 from 25,000. The 30-year-old woman who has been with her continuously is her sister-in-law rather than her mother. She also has accepted Christ as her savior. She says she will never worship the sun again, and they will begin to attend a church in their district. The husband has not returned for HIV testing yet and has not yet made a profession of faith, but he is due back today. As

June 9, 2001

Dear Friends and Family:

Our time in Kenya for this term is rapidly drawing to a close. The next two weeks will be busy with packing things away, using up leftovers and items from the bottom of the freezer, and a little travel for some of the family. Shirley Alley, Marty, Debbye, and Laura will go to Masai Mara for two nights this week while the rest of us try to hold the fort.

A busy week in surgery

The week in surgery has been busy and challenging. [More “never done that before” cases.] I had a fairly busy weekend on call leading into this week with several cesarean sections and some c-sections avoided with aggressive labor management. In fact, one management strategy was too aggressive for one patient’s satisfaction.

Cherotich, an 18-year-old woman, was having her second child. She has suffered from poorly managed epilepsy for too long a time period; and the resultant brain damage sometimes causes her behavior to be most strange. Last month she was admitted with uncontrolled convulsions after failing to take her medication for awhile. We were able to get her seizures under control, but the family wouldn’t take her home since she was in her 8th month.

On Friday of last week she went into labor. Most Kipsigis women are fairly quiet during their labors -- Not Cherotich. We could hear her moaning and crying all over the maternity ward. Her labor was not progressive despite her activity and protestations. Since her water had been

June 4, 2001

Greetings Family and Friends:

Believe it or not, the girls and I really are still here in Kenya with Paul. I realize you may not have heard from me personally for awhile, but be assured that the Lord has been gracious to include each of us in his work here. Paul thought it about time that he turn over the writing to me for one last time before we return home. Actually, he types [word processes] and I write. [I guess that means I’m still living in the Middle Ages!

Mass Migration

As Paul mentioned in his last letter, we were thrilled to have family [Jon, Sharon, Tom, Christine, and Brad –Sharon’s Nephew] come visit us. It was a dream come true for me and a tremendous blessing for all of us. They arrived on Mother’s Day, making it a most memorable celebration for me. Lord willing, Patrick and Lisa will come someday completing the visits from all our children to share in this family ministry.

As time was limited to 10 days, we crammed a week’s worth of ministry into 1 and ½ days, and then enjoyed a time of adventure and relaxation together. Jon and Tom’s highlight at Tenwek was going to the primary school where Becki and I teach and playing soccer with our first grade class. What a beautiful sight to see my boys in the middle of 80 Kenyan children [lined up in two single lines on either side of their “coaches”] and instructing them with the