Not all mzungu are lost...

Jambo! Habari (how are you)?
So much has happened since my last blog! This past weekend we headed north west to Kakamega for a mini-medical camp with WorldComp. It was an "8 hour drive," but in African time was more like 10. The drive was great (but long): zebras and antelope on the side of the road, and the Kenyan country side is definitely a site to see. Very beautiful. On the way home we also saw monkeys!
At the medical camp we had over 500 patients with only word of mouth advertising. There was a team of nurses, doctors, and pharmacists. It went like clock work. Each screening nurse (myself included) saw over 100 people. 100 people! This is huge for me, even though it was only a small feat for WorldComp, who is used to having over 1000 patients a day at their medical camps. I've never done or seen anything like it. I was able to share the love of Jesus and my nursing skills together at one time. It was the most incredible feeling. Exhilarating and powerful. Reawakening the passion that lead me into nursing in the first place.
We also visited a boys detention center and a deaf home for children. Both of these places are revolutionary for Kenya. The detention center was once practically a slave labor camp, but has been transformed into a rehabilitation center of sorts. The boys are healthy, have school 5 days a week, learn English,  almost all of the boys have accepted Jesus, and are taught trades with the ultimate goal that when they leave the detention center they can enter real life as successful members of society.
Now, the deaf home. This place stole my heart. They are hungry in every sense of the word. The first day we brought beans, little Valentine treats, and heart tattoos. The next day we brought bread, sugar, cooking oil, and a few toys. Their simple joy over receiving bread wrecks me. Their beautiful and eager faces will forever be etched into my mind. The next time I come I will have brushed up on my ASL so I can communicate a little better than the few words I remember from junior high. On a lighter note: I am so pleased to see a home like this when these children would have otherwise been abandoned. Some are brought by their parents, but many are simply found and taken in.
Something way less significant, but still rather important to me: I crossed the equator! This is something I've always wanted to do but wasn't sure how I'd work it out in my life. It was so much fun to take pictures and celebrate the land mark with my team.
Now back in Nairobi, yesterday I was on the labor ward with my roommate Sarah. I'm pleased to say that even for a girl who's not into labor and delivery, it was a pretty awesome day. I had lots of baby time helping mothers get their newborns ready to take home and we helped deliver a baby! Kenyan nurses are very hands on and we jumped right in. Today I was in the Comprehensive Care Center, their clinic for HIV/AIDS treatment. It was so great! They loved having mzungu nurses with them today. I learned a lot, and there were lots of questions about America and offering of cows for mzungu brides. So much fun :)
Our driver Mesh is awesome and has been patiently teaching us kiswahili. My favorite and most frequent words so far: asante sana! Thank you very much, and kasi masuri sana! Very good job. I also really love the word mzungu. It's what they call white people, but really it means one who wanders. This wanderers heart claims the title with pride.  Swahili has been a lot easier to learn than I thought it would be. Hoping that by next time I'll have it down. The most challenging is that each region of Kenya has a different language and culture. So far I've learned greetings and thank yous in Luya for Kakamega and in Masai for when we head to Narok next weekend.
Tomorrow we sleep in! I'm so excited.
Until soon,
Kwaheri (goodbye)
Amanda
P.s.
Prayer requests:
Continued and restored health for my trans and ask the NU nursing teams, continued energy for the weeks to come, and that Jesus would continue to use us to touch lives.