And more... :)

Hospital Room

This will be used to transport Elliot to the Maternity ward

Cleaning the floor

Glenda is waiting.

Elliot being transported to the maternity ward. No elevator!

Elliot on oxygen

He is being monitered

Brother and Sister

Elliot is still connected to tubes.

A delighted sister!

Days before the birth, Tiffany is getting Elliot's shoes out

Tiffany showing Elliot a toy car already!

Welcome Back!

Leaving the Hospital soon.

Elliot's cow lick!

Father and son getting Vit. D!

Stan holding Elliot. Stan was a preemie weighing less than Elliot did. Look at his size now! 

Tiffany

Swinging

In town and yes, this cow is alive!

Cows laying on the road

Cows near a pile of smoldering junk

  Dear Friends,                                                                                               7/12/16

  Greeting’s from Kenya.

  Little did I know what the end of last week and the beginning of this week held for us. The pregnancy was going so well and we felt so blessed. One of the questions that we carefully evaluated before we committed to come was how would it be to have a baby born in Kenya? We felt God wanted us here and the safest place to be is the center of God’s will. We did not feel we could blindly say no to the call to come.

   Recently Glenda started having some complications that concerned us and we did some research and thought we knew what the problem was. We were still several weeks away from the due date and we wanted our little boy to wait to come. Things turned for the worse on Friday around noon. I had brought Maurice to the compound to pick some books up and when I came to the house I had a surprise. Things were not well! Glenda called the Doc and she wanted her to come in. Wayne finished taking care of Maurice and transported him, and I took Glenda to the Doctor. Dr. Bonyo is so so so easy going and did not seem to be concerned, and she caught on that Glenda was scared. In fact, the blood pressure gave it away. It was high before Dr. Bonyo checked her and after she checked Glenda she took it again and it had come down. She prescribed antibiotics and sent us home. We were dealing with infection and a prolapse. Sat. P.M. things turned for the worse again and the pain Glenda was experiencing was excruciating. Tiffany had tears well up in her eyes from seeing her mother in such terrible pain. We cancelled our plans for a out to eat evening with some friends and headed for the hospital. Dr. Bonyo came and we talked about our options, Strict Bed rest for a few days with a possible c-section, strict Bed rest for 2 weeks at home with risks of the baby getting the infection etc. We felt at peace with the advice we received from here and from the States that it is better to have the baby soon. We were in the Hospital Sat. night. On Sunday morning, Dr. Bonyo came in and they started Glenda on steroids for the baby’s lung development with plans for c-section on Monday. Clara stayed with Glenda while I went to have the message at Lela. I arrived while they were still in Sunday school. I was blessed by the love and support I felt from our church! Monday morning the c-section was completed with a healthy looking baby boy named Elliot Layne Yoder that weighed 2.5 KG. (Figure it outJ) (He now shares a birthday with two of his aunts, Teresa and Janelle. They are my youngest siblings and are both expecting. Teresa is due now and Janelle in a few weeks. Elliot was supposed to be the last of the three but he was the first! The last shall be first!!) Elliot’s breathing became labored and the pediatrician  wanted to talk to me. He said that my son is having some complications with his lungs. That is not what any pleased dad wants to hear. I appreciated his willingness to take steps to try to ensure he would be ok. He was put in the incubator, given oxygen, fluids and antibiotics. Glenda was still having terrible pain after the surgery and they gave her different pain meds but it would not take it away. Thanks to Wayne for remembering that a catheter caused his dad terrible pain. Guess what! They took her catheter out and almost immediately her awful pain she was experiencing left! Glenda was not able to hold Elliot until late last night (Monday). This morning he joined us in the room and it has been a joy to spend the day bonding and connecting with him. Last night Wayne’s brought Tiffany in and she seemed so excited about him. He was in the incubator and she could not hold him. This morning Wayne’s brought her in and she was delighted to hold her brother! We are happy that she loves babies! But Elliot is so tiny that it would not surprise me to much if she would decide she needs to carry him sometime.L Tiffany traveled to Nakuru with Wayne’s today and they will return tomorrow. We are grateful that they have taken her under their wings in this time.

  We are at a good Hospital and were blessed to have a private room with an Air Conditioner. Overall our experience here has been good. It is good to understand the culture because there are things that are very different and take a lot of time. That is life here. Our private room is much like it would be in the States, but we do not need to walk far until we are starkly reminded that we are not in the States. There is a security guard in the parking lot, 2 at the entrance door, one at the entrance of the maternity ward. Outside the gate there are lots of people walking, riding, and vendors etc.

  Life here has been a stretch and God has been good to us. We feel the church at Lela has accepted us and we are connecting with them. The fellow missionaries have been a blessing to us and we want to be a blessing to them. Please pray for the need we have for 2 families here. If you feel that maybe, even a little maybe, that God wants you here… by all means answer the call!

  It sounds like we may be able to go ‘home’ tomorrow. Many people have prayed on our behalf and we thank-you for caring about what we were going through and lifted us to the Father. May God Bless your lives!

   JoeAllen for the Rest

  P.S. Photo’s are on the blog and we hope to add more in several days. joeskenyanjourney.blogspot.com

  Later- we arrived home on Wed. the 13^th. There was a very tiny baby in the incubator room when Elliot was in there. He was still in there today. His mom looked like she could have been with a Islamic Faith. My heart went out to the baby. We prayed for the baby and also tried to make so the mom could get a 25 Bible Story Book. Most of the people are thrilled to receive books like that!