Visitors

 These past 2 weeks have been crazy busy.  First, Uraia (a paid employee by the church who is a manager of humanitarian projects in the Pacific - and our boss) visits us from Fiji.  He stays 4 days here in Tarawa.  It was great having him here. So nice to have that kind of support!  Then 4 days after he leaves, Elder and Sister Lewis arrive.  They are  Area Welfare Specialists. He is a ICU doctor and a director of a medical school. She is a nurse and a professor of nursing. Both are very impressive people. They work with all health related humanitarian projects in the Pacific area.  This was their first time to Kiribati.  They are such kind, loving people.  Sister Lewis emailed us before coming and said "We have a Costco here in Auckland.  Do you need anything?"  My first response was to say no, but then I started thinking.  We could use some more vitamins.  The food here is very expensive and fairly low quality.  So she not only brought us some vitamins but a huge Kirkland bag of milk chocolate chips!!  Heaven has never felt so close. Of course we will share with all the senior couples here.  

We and the Lewis's toured one of the medical clinics. This clinic is staffed with a few nurses and some nurses aids and is open 24/7 and sees about 200 people per day. Wow. Amazingly dedicated people.  Medical is free to all citizens here in Kiribati.  But the  quality of care is low.  We would like to help fix the building and get them some needed equipment.  

Then we toured the main hospital and met with their management and discussed some of their needs.  We also toured the old hospital in Betio.  But what was really neat that Keith and I hadn't seen yet was the new hospital being built. New Zealand is funding the building of a new hospital.  Phase one is almost complete and it is beautiful.  So nicely done.  I wish we could get their contractors to do work for us. But they still have two more phases to build.  Isn't it great that so many organizations are here trying to help.  World Bank is currently working on a Rx warehouse for the hospital. Australian Aid is another large donor here, along with China.  

Keith and I both had colds this week. Our first illness since we arrived here.  Not bad.  It doesn't help that we keep losing power every morning around 8:00 and don't get it back until 6:00. No power means no A/C, no fans, no internet, no cooking, and no opening the refrigerator door. It gets uncomfortable, but we still love it here. 


Kiribati has the most beautiful sunsets. 

Selfie with Elder and Sister Lewis 


Nurse and 2 aids at the Bairiki Medical clinic

New hospital in Betio still under construction. 
This picture does not do it justice. 

Uraia, Ruth, Arleen and Keith, 
You would think this is a backdrop picture, but it isn't!

Aww - we still got it






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