This is Matt again. I got an email from one of the group leaders from SHARE Kenya. I still haven’t heard anything more from Alicia yet. Here’s the email I got this morning:

Monday, November 30, 2009 at 6:15 PM

Dear Friends and Family,

I’m sorry that you did not not get a message earlier – our assistant in Athens was ill today and did not get the message that we arrived safely (Saturday) to pass on to you.  We’re still doing fine – the trip is becoming more interesting every day.

Yesterday (Sunday) we flew over Kenya from Nairobi to Kisumu in small airplanes, so we were able to see the land below.  It was a beautiful, breezy day – not too hot.  It is spring here so everyone is planting gardens and many trees are in bloom.  The Our Lady of Perpetual Hope bus met us at the airport and somehow transported all of us to the Milimani in Kisumu.  Fortunately a truck was available to take a few others or we may not have fit!  We passed cattle, goats and people lining the road in corrugated metal huts which I was told are small shops.  Apparently everyone has something to sell.  The Milimani staff had decorated a cake and made fresh orangeade, which was welcome after that trip.  We waited a long time for our crates of medical supplies and luggage to arrive, but when it did we rearranged things and made our first trip to the clinic to set up.  It was cut short by a major thunderstorm which forced us all back into the bus for a much quicker trip home – speed being critical to avoid getting stuck in the muddy road. This storm caused power outages so we spent most of the rest of the evening by candle/flashlight.

Today we started early and saw our first patients.  We have a crew of interpreters to help translate medical terms – they are a great group.  Fields lining the road for miles approaching the village are planted in rice and apparently helping people make a better living.  Not too many patients were expecting us so we closed the clinic and headed back to the city at noon.  We spent the afternoon doing a variety of things – some visited the hospital, some went to Lake Victoria, some tried to get money and supplies from the local grocery.  We are attending a presentation on tropical diseases this evening.

All the best from the SHARE Kenya crew!