Tuesday, May 13, 2014

An Update from Mary-----

Mary Britton headed out to Nairobi on Friday night... She has arrived safely and is settling in.  She'll be there till early Sunday morning... then she'll head back to Uganda.  Here is her update...... 


Here I am in Nairobi of all places!

It was a 15 hour bus ride, in part because of the safe driving of the driver! He drove very slowly and never overtook unless it was very safe to do so. For that I am grateful! We arrived at the border exiting Uganda around 3a.m. And entered Kenya about an hour later. After standing in line for an entrance visa I looked around for the "facilities" and found only locked latrines amidst darkness. The border guard suggested I go "just behind there" to ease myself. "Behind there" was the darkness beyond a row of lorries and containers to which I said "no way!" a woman alone venturing into that darkness???? "I can hold it!" apparently he was more compassionate than I supposed him to be as he pleaded my case to the driver who stopped the bus just for me only a few minutes further down the road. I was called off by the conductor who lead me to the washrooms. "How embarrassing" I thought to myself, "the whole bus knows where I'm going, truly I could have held it!" but, when i exited the latrine I found a line of my fellow bus passengers waiting their turn. I guess instead of being embarrassed I should have been happy to have been the catalyst for others' relief!
The ride was a bit uncomfortable, but not impossible. At 2p.m. I arrived at the designated stage and finally met Aunt Lucy, who said she was alone.  Suddenly as we were loading the taxi, aunt Ketty came jumping up behind me and gave me a wonderful big hug with lots of joy-filled squeals. They had tricked me into thinking Aunt Lucy was alone!  Aunt Ketty did not look or act like a cancer patient. She looks healthier than 3 weeks ago for sure! And her energy as she related a conversation from today with a guest house worker shows that at every opportunity she is continuing to share the gospel. She freely also shares each day at the hospital. Her treatment is coming along very well as she is improving with every day. She spends every day mon-fri getting treatment and is sleeping well at night without pain. The one struggle this week was a mild asthma attack dispute to the cold temperature of the radiation room. After using an inhaler, she was fine.

Once back at the guest house they fed us our saved lunch and as we laughed together, a woman greeted us as she poured a cup of tea. We learned she is also from Uganda. She is on her way to Ethiopia to train some people to work with the scripture union.  As she walked away Lucy said, "safe journey, Beth!" and I suddenly realized I knew her. No, I had never met her, but another missionary had forwarded me the blog address about three months ago of two dear friends who are working in Kampala with scripture union. In some of their blogs they talk of the sweet blessing they have found in co-worker, Beth. I was extremely impressed with the heart of this woman, Beth, of whom I'd read, and now, in God's timing I am meeting her in person in Nairobi! But, that brief meeting was not all, but she ended up at our table for dinner! 

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