One of the joys of being a Rotarian is meeting other like minded people from around the world. I first met Megan MacDonald at the Los Angleles International Convention. Megan was going to study in Kenya for 12 months in Nairobi, my home town. We have become friends ever since and I have been following her blog. Megan has now returned to America and continues to keep us updated on Kenya. Megan writes:
“On February 11 last year I came home around 10 at night and was grabbing a snack before heading up to bed. Suddenly Maureen came into the kitchen with wide eyes saying, “I think my water just broke.” I burst into a fit of nervous giggles before rounding up my housemates and jumping into the car for the two block ride to Nairobi Women’s Hospital.
I remember the distinct honor I felt to be driving this young woman to the hospital and the great sense of responsibility as we prepared for an event I had no personal experience with. I’ll never forget the nurses a few hours later asking me and my housemates how many children we had as we held hands and focused Maureen on breathing through the pain. “None,” we said.
Yet there we were, witnesses to a beautiful birth full of strength, faith, friendship and humility. Out of a forceful crime came this perfect little child, born to a girl who became a woman right before our eyes.
On Christabell’s first birthday while friends celebrated in Nairobi eating Ethiopian food and cake with the birthday girl, I said a prayer of thankfulness for this experience and continued friendship.
Look at our growing girl – in a dress I wore myself as a baby sent with love from her auntie far away.
