"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse."    --Henry Van Dyke

"Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends." --Richard Bach

"Since nothing we intend is ever faultless, and nothing we attempt ever without error, and nothing we achieve without some measure of finitude and fallibility we call humanness, we are saved by forgiveness."                     -- David Augsnurger


Dearest Friends and Family,

Once again we are preparing to leave home to go home.  Our hearts are filled to overflowing with gratitude and thanksgiving for your loving kindness, your willingness to open your homes and churches, your check books, your arms, and your hearts.  This has been our best home assignment and what a joy it has been to travel the 14,575 miles visiting 82 churches and spending time with old friends, new friends and family.  We have appreciated each church we have visited, each opportunity we have been given to share about the work and people at Maua Methodist Hospital. We have enjoyed incredible fellowship, amazing music, and memorable opportunities to participate in worship services, Sunday School, UMW meetings, youth happenings, district training, conference annual meetings and the list goes on and on.  We have been surrounded and sustained by prayer, embraced and welcomed with loving kindness and have been amazed and overwhelmed by your generosity.  We are so thankful for each of you we have met along our way.

Saying good-bye is always difficult.  There is never enough time to see and do what we would like with everyone or to talk in all the churches and groups that invite us.  We have had more time than ever before and for every minute we have had we are thankful.  We have made hundreds of memories - memories of our supporting church families and the special time we had in each church; memories of time with friends and family; memories of the fun, laughter and fellowship we have greatly enjoyed along the way; ah yes, memories that will last us until we meet again.

In the last few days I have been recounting our journey.  I realize that in being with so many people along our way, I would definitely need to ask for forgiveness.  If I have not thanked you personally for a kindness or gift, please forgive me.  If I was too busy or did not answer your questions well or at all or was inattentive, please forgive me.  If I did not spend time with you, please forgive me.  Please forgive me for anything I have done that has in any way hurt you.

I do want to give you a quick report about family:  Bill's arm has completely healed and he is doing very well.  Mom's right hand, wrist and arm are still in a brace but she is living on her own again and doing remarkably well.  I was so thankful she could stay with my sister, Jeannie, and husband, Larry, for a few weeks while she recuperated.  Needless to say she was missed by her many friends.   Lily and Ethan are playing soccer now - we saw both of them play games this past weekend.

Maua Report

We do understand that Maua received much rain, in fact so much that the bean harvest is poor BUT the maize harvest is good and it seems there will be food (maize - field corn) to eat.  We are so thankful for your prayers and for God's faithfulness.  The hospital is suffering as about 60% of our patients cannot afford to pay any of their hospital bill.  Also the hospital has lost many staff members as the Government received money through the Clinton Fund to hire staff and was offering a higher salary than the hospital could possibly offer. (Always two sides to a coin - good and bad!)  We are so grateful to all of you who have given to the Maua Methodist Hospital Service Fund to help the hospital pay for the patients' that cannot afford to pay.  Please continue to pray for Maua Methodist Hospital and for Haiti.

Recently I went to have my hair cut.  I had some pictures and talked to the hair dresser about what I wanted.  We both spoke English and I understood everything she said and was certain she understood everything I said.  However, when I left the shop my hair was 2 inches shorter than I had hoped.  Every time I looked in the mirror I saw my grandfather!  Ahhhh!  Have you ever had a bad hair day?  I imagine most of us have and how incredibly blessed we are to be able to lament over something as insignificant as hair. To have a mirror to see myself is amazing but to spend time grieving over my hair cut is a luxury many world inhabitants will never have or even imagine.

When we arrived in the USA 10 million Kenyan's had been and were at risk of starvation and I can tell you thousands died. It is presently estimated that over two hundred thousand people were killed in Haiti. To our great sorrow two of them were Dr. Sam Dixon, head of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, and Rev. Clint Rabb, leader in The United Methodist Church's extensive mission volunteer program.  The next time you have a "bad hair day" please pray for those who are starving, homeless, hopeless and those who are mourning. There is good news about having my hair cut so very short;  I won't need another hair cut for months!  I can spend my hair cut money to provide food or medical care or build new homes and lives. The money that most spend on a hair cut could feed one of our AIDS orphans and send them to school for 2 - 3 months or pay a big part of a hospital bill.

Bill and I have the privilege to speak at the Advance Committee meeting in Irving this coming Thursday.  Please pray for us.  Then we leave for Kenya on Saturday.  The next few days here will be totally consumed with packing and preparing to leave.  The first weeks in Maua will be so busy unpacking and catching up with all the work we left.  Febuary is one of my busiest months as we do a full hospital assessment.  All this to say I will not be checking emails daily or answering personal emails for quite sometime. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

I have a tradition with my grandkids, Lily and Ethan. When I tell them how much I love them, I stretch my arms as far as they will go to provide a visual picture.  As I talk about leaving them, I use the same gesture to show them how much I will miss them. As we leave the US , and return to Kenya, Bill and I want to show you how thankful we are for your kindness, generosity, love and prayers. Thank you! We are prayerful we will see many of you in Maua before we meet again here! Thank you for everything you have done, did and will do. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for each of you.

Jerri & Bill Savuto
Maua Methodist Hospital
P.O. Box 63 -- 60600
Maua, Igembe South
Kenya, East Africa
0728451643

"Church isn't where you meet. Church isn't a building. Church is what you do. Church is who you are. Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ. Let's not go to Church, let's be the Church."  --Bridget Willard