Nurse Natalia

Hello everyone. I know its been a few days since we last spoke. That is because there hasn't been much to talk about. Life here at the Nest is pretty regular and consistent. Without the Austrians here it is just the two of us and we've had to make our own fun. We spend more time going to Limuru town, playing with the kids and chipping away at our large variety of board games that were left behind from other volunteers. Most of them are in German, which makes things slightly more difficult, but we are determined to get through all of them! I don't know if it is Irene's influence, but the volunteers that have been here seem to be overwhelmingly German speaking. Whether they're Autrian, Swiss or German. I'm not complaining; I need more German practice anyway.

Last night, I was all settled in last night for a quiet evening of catching up on much needed reading, when Edith came in to our door looking for some medication. She was really sick and since Christina had been the nurse, our house was stocked full of antibiotics. In the least sketchy way possible, we made sure to safely bring down her fever with the use of some lovely antibiotics. Without going into details, we took care of our ill social worker. She is one of the greatest women I've ever met. She is very warm and welcoming to us volunteers when we arrive. It was the least we could do to return the favor and look after her. 

While we were taking care of Edith, who should walk in but Christina! The Austrian nurse herself had come home. She and her family were spending one last night at the Nest before heading back to Austria. She saw that her work had been done, by nurse Natalie (I think I see a future there) and went to bed. 

 

My quiet evening turned into a night full of surprises. Though I didn't get any further in "Sense and Sensibility" our little house was full of friends and felt more like a home. 

It seems like everyone is getting sick around here. I think it is the weather. (yes, I'm going to talk about the weather some more. It never gets old.) These past two days have been the coldest I've ever felt in Kenya. I actually had to wear a long sleeved shirt! Imagine that! Can you believe the struggles I have to endure?!?! Nah, I'm just kidding. In all seriousness, Limuru is the coldest region in Kenya, and I'm really feeling it. Maybe I'm just acclimating to the temperature. I can't imagine how cold it must feel in Oregon right now. Lucky for me, I get home right when the temperature starts to take an uphill turn. There will be no "hitting of the slopes" for me, nor "Shreddin' the pow" up on Mount Hood. 

All the kids are getting coughs and have runny noses. The staff is having a hard time too. This is cold season, so I'm taking extra precautions to stay healthy. The last thing I need is to get sick. 

We have a new client here staying with us. She has a little boy and she is deaf. It has been interesting trying to communicate with her. Yet another reason to kick myself for not learning sign language. If someone had asked me to describe my expectations of Kenya, I wouldn't have even gotten close to the reality of living here. There are so many things I could not have prepared for, and half the fun is discovering those little mysteries as they come. Yes I should have packed dental floss, (I can't find it anywhere in Limuru!!!) but I still have so much to learn. 

As the elections come closer, we are all praying for peace. I'm not worried about my own safety since the violence is mostly among tribes, but unfortunately I can't say the same thing for my newly found Kenyan friends and companions.

It is starting to get dark here which means the kids playing out in the field in front of our house are being called inside. Maybe tonight I'll finish a few pages of Sense and Sensibility, or I'll start a new book.  Out of Africa by Karen Blixen has been calling my name. If I finish one by the time I leave the Nest then I will leave it behind so someone else can enjoy them. 

Good night and God bless!

xoxo Natalie, or as the kids say, Natalia