Agape Project International Medical Camp

(There is so much to write about that I will be splitting it up into different posts over the next few days.)

From August 2^nd through the 10^th, we were honored to be a part of a medical camp team. 

Last year, we met up with Gary, the leader of Agape Project International, USA.  We have mutual friends who suggested we meet while he was in Kenya and relatively close to us.  We were about ready to move to Tanzania, but wanted to meet Gary and see what his ministry was all about.  We loved talking with him and liked his ministry that combined medical missions with evangelism.  His heart for Kenya is huge and God is really using his ministry here.  We toured a clinic he is involved with and George gave him some feedback on the lab.  We exchanged information and told him to call us if he ever needed help.

A few months ago, we saw an email about an upcoming medical camp API was putting on.  We emailed him and offered George’s services as a lab technologist if he needed it.  Gary wrote back and said yes.  They had never had lab services at a camp before, but Gary was excited about trying it out.  Without electricity and lab equipment, George would only be able to do rapid diagnostic tests (malaria, pregnancy tests, blood sugar and urinalysis), but he could also help out with injections, pharmacy, translation and anything else they needed.

We knew George would go for sure, but Eli and I were iffy.  I wanted to be there, but logistically it would be difficult (more on that in another blog).  After much prayer and thought, we decided Eli and I would come too.  On Friday the 2^nd, we left Moshi and met Frank and John in Nairobi.  They are two Kenyans who help with API work.  We picked up Veronica, a Kenyan nurse who moved to the US many years ago, and headed to Limuru where the API team was busy working at their home base.  They had lots to do to get ready for the camp.  Most important was packing medications into individual prescriptions so they would be easy to hand out.  With over 70 medications and over 1000 patients expected, there was a lot to do!  We met the other team members from the US there – Leslie, Gary’s wife, Taryn and Brianna (from San Diego) and September and Sue (from Washington).

After we settled in, we went to Brackenhurst, a local conference and retreat center, for dinner.  Going there was such a treat.  The grounds were beautiful and the food was delicious.  They know how to cater to the foreigners for sure, especially ones from the US.  There was a lot of Mexican food on the menu.  I had yummy nachos and a quesadilla.

The next morning, we were up early to go to Eldoret where more prepping would be done for the camp.  It took about six hours to get there.  On the way we stopped at a place for lunch that I had been to before in Naivasha.  It was fun to be back there and have a yummy milkshake! 

Once we got to the place we were staying, a Bible School, the team began more medicine packing and other preparations for the camps.  The place was pretty, but rainy and cold!  Limuru was cold, too.  We were not prepared for that.  I had no pants, socks or close toed shoes.  It took a long time to warm up.  I was chilled to the bone.  While there, we met four more team members – Dr. Charles, Dr. Douglas, Brigid, a nurse, and Charles’ son Freddy, all from Kenya.

On Sunday, we attended church in Eldoret and met Pastor Shadrack.  The service was really nice.  After, we headed to his house for more fellowship.  There we heard the story of how he went from successful engineer to pastor.  It was a neat story.  Later, we went back to the Bible School and continued with preparations.

Monday morning, we packed up everything and left for Metete, the location of the first camp.  We would be there for two days.  The church where the camp was located was a ways off the road and the cars couldn’t make it all the way.  So all the boxes and equipment had to be hauled by foot.  Once the supplies were brought in, the stations were set up and the camp begun.

People had heard we were coming so they were there waiting.  From start to finish, it was a busy day.  Many people came out (over 300) for treatment.  (more details of the camp in another blog).  Many also came to know the Lord that day too.  I had the pleasure of praying with patients as they came out of the church.

That evening, we packed things up and headed to our next hotel in Kakamega.  It was located at a Catholic conference center.  This place, too, was very pretty.  The staff was incredibly kind, the food was great and the showers were hot!

The next day two days, the camp continued at Metete.  Thursday and Friday, the camp was at another village about 45 minutes away.  Every night after camp, medicine would be brought in to be re-packaged.  Some days, the team stayed up until 11:00pm getting ready for the next day.  Devotions with the team were done in the morning and evening as time allowed.

I was at the camp Monday and Friday.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I stayed at the hotel with Eli (again, more on that later).  George was very busy doing lab tests, injections and helping in the pharmacy.   

Each day was incredibly busy.  Each person worked tirelessly.  I don’t know how they did it.  The days began at 6:00am for 6:30 for breakfast and ended after 10:00pm.  The team was great.  We truly loved getting to know them all.  

It felt so strange to leave on Friday.  All the work was done.  It was an incredible week.  By the end of the week, over 1300 people were seen and over 160 people came to know the Lord. 

On Saturday, the team dropped us off in Kisumu along with Taryn, who was flying to Nairobi.  We look forward to keeping in touch with everyone we worked with, American and Kenyan.  We are so thankful for the work the Lord did through each of them.