Eyes wide with apprehension, she extends the tray of eggs gingerly towards me when I open the door, sliding them imperceptibly closer, while keeping her body as far as possible. I grasp the tray by the edge closest to me, careful not to touch her hands. As she starts to Read more…
We were enjoying being first time parents. At last we were all together at home – Daddy, Mommy, and little son. Joshua was thriving after his 2nd heart surgery and was the happiest, most contented baby I could ever ask for. I felt so blessed. But now the hospital and Read more…
We got the call early in the morning, as I was groggily trying to start my day. When I heard it was the hospital, my heart sank, terrified of the news they might be giving me. But I needn’t have been afraid. “He took the bottle!” the excited woman’s voice Read more…
We were in the hallway of Children’s Mercy Hospital, on our way to see Joshua in ICU, where he had come out of surgery. We ran into his pediatric cardiology surgeon, still wearing his scrubs. To our anxious inquiries, his response was “Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kingsbury, I’m not optimistic Read more…
I’m late posting my blog entry because life events have overtaken me. Life’s like that sometimes. I’m taking a one-time break from my recounting of our early life and work in Kenya to write about something fresh and recent. It may help me process it. I received an email from Read more…
It is not easy having a loved one in the hospital over the holidays. Everyone all around you in people’s homes, in the stores and malls, at church, are all in a festive mood and you feel so isolated, alone in your anxiety and grief. That’s how I felt during Read more…
It was like some sort of premonition. Do mothers have this primal instinct which can detect when something is just not quite right with their babies? I have often wondered about this, especially when reflecting back on the earliest days with our firstborn son, Joshua. We were only weeks away Read more…
Being new to bringing little people into the world, Chip and I thought it prudent to go early to the general vicinity of Kijabe Medical Centre, where we planned for our first child to be born. Having no past history in this sort of thing, our doctor had advised that Read more…
Language…such a fascinating topic, at least to me. Language can often reveal considerable information about a culture – at least what it values. For instance, there are several words for rice in Swahili – mchele, wali, and mpunga, depending on its state, usage, etc. Rice is a big part of Read more…
I have always loved children even when I was one. I started teaching Sunday School when I was only 13 years old. Even though I had only been a born-again Christian roughly a year, I was well versed in Christian teachings, having gone to church all my life with my Read more…