Visiting Living room hospital

Jambo toka Chloe! Nina furaha kwa sababu mungu ni mwema.
Hello from Chloe! I am happy because God is good.
 
We are doing well in Kenya and enjoying the beautiful culture, food, and people who live here. We praise God for the amazing ways he is working in the people here and we thank the Lord that we get to be a part of it.
 
We recently got the opportunity to get to visit the Livingroom Hospital in Eldoret, and I was tasked with the assignment of writing about it. This is nearly impossible given that this place and experience can hardly be put into words. I think I speak on behalf of the rest of the family when I say that this was one of the most formative days of our trip so far and an eye-opening experience to be exposed to the realities of many Kenyans who are receiving care through Livingroom.
 
We had a joyful reunion with Juli Boit as she joined us to give us a tour of the hospital. We were in awe of how much the Lord has done and the growth of the facility since the last time we visited 4 years ago. In 2022, Micah’s Guest House, a free housing area for families with kids receiving chemo treatment, was just beginning construction, and we remember Juli explaining the potential of the space. This year, as we walked into a vacant room that once held and will hold child cancer patients, we were moved to tears as we pictured children with such realities being able to stay on such a beautiful campus and be loved on by the gracious Livingroom staff. Juli and our Kenyan tour guide Florence explained to us that the end goal is not always cure for the kids, because they usually arrive with a high stage of cancer already, but rather a goal to take care of them and support their families before and after their loved one has passed.

Our family would laugh because Juli would drop the most amazing sermon and life changing words and then say, “Okay, time to move on!” or “Let’s go take some chai.” The way she articulated her vision and reasoning behind the spaces were so beautiful. Many of us want to take this way of thinking into other stages of our life. She explained that the Lord is not done with the Hospital yet, because she continues to say small yeses to the next right thing, and God will honor that and make beauty within the brokenness of many people’s realities.
Many of the spaces we visited were vacant, as they were finishing construction or waiting on hospital equipment. Each space was specifically designed for certain needs, most of them the only treatment area in many miles around it. My favorite spots were the playrooms and libraries specifically designed for the kiddos receiving treatment. Juli hired an artistic team out of Eldoret that made each space colorful and fun, with little play nooks and games for the kids to enjoy.
 
We got to take chai in a beautiful room that will soon be a study area for college students who are interning at the hospital, and we were joyed to reunite with our friend David Tarus and the other half of the Hillside nursing team. As we sat staring out of the huge windows to the lush Kenyan countryside, we drank our chai and tried to put into words what we had just learned and experienced. What a beautiful day that we got to be a part of in one of our favorite places in the world.
 
One may think that touring a hospital is depressing and anxiety inducing. While there is some sad and sobering realities, because of the beauty of the gardens, colors, and art, as well as the loving staff, the place truly feels like a little bit of heaven. The presence of the Lord is evident in each staff member. I asked Natalie why she kept staring at me during that day and she said, “Because you just look so happy!” It brings me so much joy to see the hope in dark and painful situations. I feel completely at peace when I walk into a Livingroom hospice center. We thank God for the opportunity to visit and are forever changed by what we experienced there. We wish that all of you could also visit and see for yourselves the beauty of Juli’s vision.
 
We miss you and appreciate the prayers! Excited to share more as we continue our ministry in Kip Karen the next few weeks.
 
Tutaonana baadaye (see you later), Chloe 