A Thankful Heart

“Real heroes don’t save the world, they serve the world.”   --Linda Bird

Dear Friends & Family,

The rain has continued and our world reminds me of a sparkling necklace with crystals of every shade of green. Though our rainy season came a full month late and some farmers did not have enough money to buy more seed, there will be crops which will reduce costs of staples, provide water for living and prayerfully eliminate starvation in our area. Recently when walking past the Hope Companions Office I found Reegan with a pile of plants that a group of young people were taking home. When I asked what was happening Reegan explained that he had bought sweet potato plants that are partially grown and was giving them to the Hope Companion farmers for planting as if the rain continued for another two weeks they plants would definitely yield a crop that could be used for food and sold. One week has passed and we have had rain every night but one. Since the middle of April we have had 40 inches of rain.

On 9 May 2011 plans had been made for my replacement, Sabera Makena Muriuki, to begin work with me. I was most excited and spent as much time as possible in April preparing for her. On Sunday, May 1st Sabera called and told me her father, Nashon M’Mukiri Ngaruni, had been admitted to our Medical Ward and could I visit him and then call her and tell her how he was doing. Though his condition did not seem too serious at the beginning of the week, by Friday it had changed. Friday night he died. I was so thankful that Sabera had been able to be with her father and family member’s part of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Though her father was 87 years old, he had been well and strong and his death was a great surprise to the family.

On Thursday, May 12th Sabera’s father’s funeral was held at their local African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) about 14 miles from the hospital. I went with the group of nurses and staff representing the hospital. We met at the hospital mortuary for prayers with the family around 10am and then left for the church.

After a very nice service in the church we moved on to Sabera’s oldest brother’s home where the burial took place. The families land is located high in the hills. On one side we could see the top of a hill with thick forest and on the other 3 sides we could literally see mountains 200 miles away.

We all enjoyed a delicious meal prepared for literally hundreds of people by family, friends and neighbors. Sabera’s oldest daughter, Joy, gave the eulogy both at the church and at the burial service. Friends from Maua, Nairobi and many other towns and villages gave brief talks about how wonderful Nashon M’Mukiri was and what he had meant to the family, the church and the community. Then there were pictures taken of all the family members and friends standing with the wives and Nashon’s coffin. He had 2 wives, 18 children, 67 grandchildren and 38 great grandchildren.

After the pictures and a short and excellent sermon Nashon M’Mukiri Ngaruni was buried. It was a traditional burial with the coffin being placed in the dug grave and then family and friends putting a hand full of dirt in the grave and finally covering it with live flowers and wreaths brought from Nairobi. Sabera’s middle daughter, Mercy 10 year old, was not at the funeral but had remained in boarding school in Embu.

The hospital group left the home around 4:15pm. A truck had parked behind us so we waited until the owner came and moved his truck. We traveled about one mile when we came upon a vehicle with a flat tire. The road was for wide enough for one vehicle only so we waited for the tire to be fixed and then moved on. After another 2 miles we met a large truck but fortunately we were close to an area where the truck could back up and pull completely off the road. There were not many areas like that so we were fortunate. We were home by 5:30pm and I was so thankful I had the opportunity to attend the funeral and meet Sabera’s mother, brothers and sisters and to be present with her during the funeral service and burial.

This past Monday, May 16th, Sabera reported to work and we began working together. There is so much to teach and so much to learn but she is so capable and easy to work with that the coming months will definitely be a joy. She will make a very good Quality Improvement Officer and is certainly the answer to my prayers. I thank God for the hospital’s willingness to hire a full time Quality Improvement Officer to replace me and am especially grateful for Sabera. She trained at Maua Methodist Hospital and has worked here since that time. She has just completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Kenya Methodist University. God’s goodness never fails!

The first mission work team of the summer led by Kathie Mann from Tomball UMC in the Houston area arrives 2 weeks from yesterday. It is hard to believe that it is already team time but we are most excited about our 12 teams that will come from June 4th – mid-September.

We need your continued prayers for the hospital, its leadership and staff. What an incredible blessing that we serve a God that can do far more than we can ask or think.

In His grip,

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

"I sought to hear the voice of God And climbed the topmost steeple. But God declared: Go down again, I dwell among my people."
--Louis I. Newman THE VOICE OF GOD