1998
These are a few of the questions that have been asked of us as we prepare to return to Kenya. Probably the easiest way to answer them is to provide a little bit of background on who we are and how we arrived at the decision to serve at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya, East Africa.
Aaron grew up as a PK (preacher’s kid) and therefore spent a lot of time serving at his church and in the community. He also saw his mother and grandfather regularly go on mission trips to the Dominican Republic, which gave him insight into the need for foreign missions. The first international mission trip Aaron took was together with Stephanie in late 1998 to the Dominican Republic. This trip opened our eyes to the need for and blessing of serving others
2002
From there we both continued to work towards our undergraduate degrees, not knowing exactly how we would be involved in missions. While still in medical school, Aaron was able to participate in a short-term trip with Word of Life Ministries to Honduras.
Emergency medicine residency did not allow for time for foreign mission trips but later during fellowship, he was able to travel to Jamaica with TEAMS for Medical Missions. Both of these trips reinforced his desire to serve in overseas medical missions.
2013
It was during Aaron’s fellowship that we first learned about the Post-Residency Program through World Medical Mission (the mission arm of Samaritan’s Purse). This program helps to get young physicians to the mission field soon after completion of their training in hopes of eventually transitioning them to long-term sending mission organizations.
We applied, were accepted, and in January 2013, we found ourselves on a plane to a hospital we had never visited in a country we had never seen on a continent we had only ever read about.
2013
Overall, everyone transitioned well to our new life in Kenya. The kids loved the freedom and room to play outdoors with new friends. While challenging, Aaron adapted to a new clinical working environment. And Steph learned how to run a house without many of the luxuries we had grown accustomed to in America (like drinkable water from the tap).
2013
After several weeks, our fourth child and only daughter, Hannah, became ill. It quickly became apparent that something serious was wrong. In the early hours on March 13th, Hannah stopped breathing. Aaron along with other Tenwek missionaries resuscitated her. When she was stable enough to get a CT of her head, it showed that instead of an infectious disease causing her symptoms, it was a brain tumor.
Although we were able to get Hannah to another mission hospital where a U.S. based pediatric neurosurgeon operated on her, she ultimately went to her forever home on March 14th when she was just 13 months old. (To read more about this part of our story, click here.)
Serving in Tenwek for the next 2 1/2 years.
Aaron’s Blog
Stephanie’s Blog