Dinner with the Towetts

Last night we had the pleasure of having dinner with a wonderful Kenyan family, the Towetts. Perhaps we would not have met them at all had it not been for our friends and fellow Missionaries, the Dooleys.

Scott Dooley and his family are working at Kudjip Hospital in Papua New Guinea. He and Logan graduated from the same Residency in Springfield. They were on furlough last December, and we had them over right before we left to come to Tenwek. They had been to Tenwek in 2001, while Scott was still in residency, and became close friends with the Towetts during that trip.

We were thrilled to join the Towetts for dinner and sort of "represent" the Dooleys. Phillip met us on the road and escorted us back to his house in a nearby village. Anne had called me the night before to cancel because the walk is so muddy, but I insisted that we are used to the Kenyan mud now!

I am glad she did finally agree to let us take the walk because we had a wonderful dinner of beef and carrot stew, rice, cooked cabbage, chapati, and what we would call guacamole. They even served us Coke!

Phillip and Anne have come a long way since being Peds nurses when they met the Dooleys years ago. Phillip now teaches Community Health in the Nursing School and Anne is the Head Matron (Nursing Officer in charge of all nurses at the hospital). So basically we were dining with a couple of the uppity-ups here! Conversation flowed easily as he told us how his daughter Faith, who is away at Boarding School in Bomet, and the Dooley's daughter, Allison, became friends and penpals.

Liam talked and talked the whole time. He was constantly on the go running in and out of the kitchen. Phillip and the kids were great with him. He complimented us on the "training of our child," but I was a little uneasy because Liam has just started this squealing/screaming thing when he gets excited. At times he will literally scream as loud as he can! Kenyans kids are so quiet, but Ezra and Mercy quickly warmed up to this loud little boy and played right along!

After dinner we were, of course, served chai. The Kenyans drink it boiling hot literally, but Phillip is used to Americans needing it cooler. Instead of poking fun like some others do, he very kindly poured our chai into a metal bowl, swished it around and carefully poured it back into our mug. This made it the perfect temperature! I found that very thoughtful and hospitable.

It was a great dinner with a great couple. They have been very loyal to Tenwek for many years. We pray many blessings to come for Phillip, Anne, Faith, Mercy and Ezra.