My first blog post!

Hello Readers!  My name is Eric Tom.  I am starting this blog because in a couple months I will be headed for Kenya to spend a year doing medical mission work as a volunteer nurse.  My departure is still a ways off, but I don't like the way the empty blog page looks without any posts.  So I thought I’d make my first entry now as an introduction.

Everyone has been asking me: WHY?  Why go to Kenya?  Why volunteer?  This was not something I just spontaneously signed up for.  For a few years now I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind that I’d like to do medical mission work someday.  I’ve been fortunate to grow up living in a land of plenty and privilege.  I’ve never wanted for food, clothing, shelter, access to education, or medical care.  Obviously I can’t provide all these things to the whole world.  But I figure if I can share just a little part of the blessings I’ve had to help even a few people, then I think that would be a worthwhile thing. 

When I graduated from nursing school in 2010 I was ready to start looking into volunteering.  I looked into different organizations, including the Peace Corps, Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Ships, etc.  I also stumbled on a group called the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) which peaked my interest.  Fortunately at the time, I had the good sense and patience not to dash off around the world without any experience.  And so, eager as I was to volunteer one day, I tucked the idea away again and looked for a job.

Huntington Hospital, where I've worked the past couple years.  Looks more like a high-end hotel than a hospital.

For the past two and a half years I’ve been lucky to work at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, CA on the medical/surgical oncology unit.  Working med/surg has allowed me to learn a very wide range of skills.  Working specifically with the oncology population has been a special experience.  People who live with a diagnosis of cancer generally have a very different outlook on life.  I have really loved having the opportunity to get to know and work with these people.    I’ve also had an amazing group of coworkers who’ve taught me so much.  Having worked so closely with these wonderful people over the last couple years makes it a lot harder to leave the hospital.

This is how I looked as I read my letter of acceptance email.  Do I look excited or scared?

When the time finally came to seriously think about volunteering, I went back again to CMMB and researched the organization.  I love the fact that the organization focuses specifically on medical work and sends trained medical professionals to support existing local facilities.  I also love the fact that the group is Catholic.  Not that faith directly affects the volunteers’ work; care is provided to everyone regardless of their faith.  Still, being a devout Catholic myself, I am thrilled to be working closely with a Catholic group.  It is my faith in Jesus after all that inspires me to reach out to help others.  After much research, CMMB emerged as my first choice to work with.  I applied and shortly after was accepted!

I’m still surprised that I’m doing this mission.  I don’t strike myself as a particularly adventurous person.  And yet here I am about to leave everyone I know to spend a whole YEAR in Kenya.  Fortunately for me, English is widely spoken there (part of the reason I applied to work in Kenya rather than South America).  When I opened the email notifying me that I’d been accepted to the volunteer program, I was filled with a (I think) healthy mixture of excitement and anxiety.  Even now I admit there’s some nervousness at the idea of leaving home for a year, but I’m thrilled to be going and can’t wait to start my work. 

I’ve been assigned to work at Mutomo Hospital.  It’s situated in a small town about five hours outside of Nairobi (the capital city) and is under the care of the Sisters of Mercy.  The hospital has 120 beds, but only 100 employees!  The main units include med/surg, maternity, and pediatrics.  I’m sure this will be a huge learning experience, both from a cultural and a nursing standpoint.  I can’t say I’ve had much experience treating malaria or HIV in California. 

I’m surprised how much work there is in preparing to leave home for a year.  Aside from leaving my job and moving out of my apartment, there’s medical insurance to set up, applying for a visa, getting my passport renewed, getting my nursing license recognized in Kenya, fundraising (by the way, if you’d like to contribute to my fundraising, you can go to support.cmmb.org/goto/etom), getting a whole host of vaccinations, booking a flight, and a lot more that I can’t even remember right now.  

Despite all the work and preparation, I really am looking forward to beginning my service.  Look for more blog posts as I draw closer to leaving.   

And please pray for me as I prepare.