September 19, 2018
Mary Hamilton, SHCJ, ministered in Kenya for two weeks this summer. We invite you to read her reflection on this experience below.
By Mary Hamilton, SHCJ
On July 24th, I traveled to Kenya as part of a short-term medical mission trip. I went with a group called Touching Lives Ministry headed by Kathi Evans, from Chester, PA.
We were a team of ten from the United States and joined professionals from Kenya. Together, we formed a team of forty to attend to the needs of some of Kenya’s poorest citizens. We provided medical, dental, and nursing services to over 1,100 people in four days. Many patients came to us after walking for days to reach us. I was in charge of registration and triage. That means that after taking vital signs and listening to their history, it was my job to see that they got to the correct practitioner.
We also provided spiritual services with the help of several local ministers. We would begin each day with prayer at 8:30 a.m., and end the day with prayer at 5:00 p.m. We stayed in a guest house each evening. The most common ailments were malaria, typhoid fever, and other tropical diseases. We were prepared to deal with all of these health issues with medicines that we brought and some that were provided by the Kenyan health department. Following our service, we went on a safari to the Masai Mara where we saw elephants, rhinos, lions, and other wild animals. We stayed in a guest lodge in the middle of the jungle.
Our group flew home on August 7th, after two tiring and inspiring weeks. After seeing what the Kenyans have to face, I am motivated not to complain about life’s circumstances. And the Kenyans gratitude was overwhelming and inspiring given their living conditions — no matter what we did for them, they said thank you.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be of service.
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