The Battle of the Bank

Life has been clipping along here at a steady pace and I realized I haven't updated my avid readers in awhile (that's you Mom;). It has been a 3 week struggle to get my online banking password. I opened an account here last year to reduce the cost of transferring the monthly budget, and realized when I got home I needed an online PIN. Well, contrary to its name, it cannot be emailed-at least not until you've filled out the paper request form. So I patiently waited 7 months while western union continued to make a king's ransom off my transfer fees. So I filled out the form and was told I would recieve it within 24 hours. I did not. Went back to the bank. Filled out the CORRECT form. Still did not recieve. Went back to the bank to ask more questions. Waited. Didn't recieve. Went back again. Didn't recieve. Went to Kisumu branch(farther away and bigger) and found out my branch isn't authorized to issue codes. Started over. Spent 3 quality hours with branch manager and customer service. Was told I would get an email in 24 hours. No such email. Returned to Kisumu. Repeat last 3 sentences. Then.........hallelujah-I got it! After the jubilant moment of signing in......I found out they require you-after securely signing in-to request another code that's texted to your phone to verify its you. Your Kenyan phone. AKA-not accessible from US. I spent a defeated moment with my face down on the table. As I lay there-cheek to placemat-I decided it was time for a short break from this. This epic battle of Bank vs. Jescah will recommence Monday morning.........stay tuned.
Last weekend I got to have a lovely Sunday afternoon off and spent it at the house of my dear friend, Lynet. After the hike to get there, I was honored to find a kuku (chicken) feast laid out. We had a shady outdoor picnic that ended with a delightful food coma and some quality sun-basking.

Vinicent and I are busy constructing a portable rabbit shelter so his bunnies don't have to stay cooped up in their dark little house all day. We trekked the 20 min to the hardware duka and selected our wood pieces, chicken wire, nails and binding wire. We will also be repurposing an old mosquito net. The shopkeeper was skeptical of our plans, but it all makes sense in my head, so what could go wrong, right? I'll let you know how it turns out.

In other news, my doctors have all arrived. Dr. Hardison and his wife. Jess (from Duke) and Sarah and Suzanne (U of Tenn). We are having all sorts of fun.

Suzanne meets the rabbits.

Vinicent, Daniel, and Sarah doing a little evening studying. We'll be honest-the adults have been reading the children's books as much as we've been reading Harrison's Internal Medicine. I've learned all out pre and post-sinusoidal blood flow thought the liver AND how the Rift Valley was formed (thanks National Geographic for kids;).
Now that Jess has carried over the other half of my supply of cloth maxi-pads we are getting ready to distribute them to schools. I met with a new school last week, Ebulako Primary, and they are very excited to get involved in the Pad Project. I have also been busy arranging for the group of nursing students, who are coming in March, to bring pads and teaching to several new schools-as the lovely ladies back home are producing pads faster than I can bring them over. YAY! It's a problem I am happy to deal with ;) Keep up the good work!
Love love,
Jessie

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