Update-b/c I have run out of title names and it's early so I'm tired

*Here’s to more frequent blog posts since Mom and Dad almost called the mission organization because they hadn’t heard from me in a week.*

It’s a bitter sweet moment when patients leave the hospital. We have a few patients that have been at the hospital for several months having their chronic wounds (mostly gunshot) treated. Recently two left in one day. It’s somewhat good because then they are well enough that they can leave, but then it’s sad because they had been here since before I came, so we had all gotten to know them. You also hope that a seed of faith has been planted, and that they leave with some hope. It’s hard to know when people are sincere or just completing a task seeking approval. I always hope it’s the former, but I can’t get too naïve, which is a sad realization. Lots of prayers for them.

On a lighter note…bike riding can be such a trip at times. These roads are like Mario kart obstacle courses. There are chickens, goats, and people always in the street. Wheelbarrows with wide loads plodding along or people carrying long iron beams or tree limbs across the road making you think that you will have to limbo under them. And of course there are a few of the locals who do fun stuff like pretend they are going to walk right out in front of you or shovel dirt right in your path. Every day is a mystery course. One fun thing we got to do last week…for our weekly team meeting, we went to the Tropicana Lounge, got 20 ounce bottled cokes, and watched the soccer game! USA! USA! It was a lovely little excursion.

Over the weekend we finally plucked up the courage to go swimming! The river has risen from the rain so there aren’t as many sandbars and it gets deep fast. We were told there used to be hippos and crocodiles in the river, but they have been extinct there for some time from being hunted…let’s hope that’s not a rumor. But the water felt wonderful and luckily no one felt anything creepy while in the water. My next excursion to complete is to go out on a pirogue—the long thin boats that the river people use. Looking forward to that one.

Jungle Tasting

On Sunday we travelled about 15 km outside of Impfondo to an Aaka (pygmy) village to go to church. This particular village consisted of about 10 mud and thatch buildings, one of which was their church. It was amazing to see how even out in the jungle of the Congo there was a small congregation of Christians. They sang for us and Sarah Speer (a missionary from Canada that has been there for about 25 years) gave a lesson on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; tying in God is present even when there are only a few are believers. You couldn’t help but be in awe at the display of faith. They were also very welcoming, and when we started out on our jungle hike right from their backyard, half of the village followed. They were showing us various trees, leaves, and plants they used for natural remedies for problems from eye infections to tooth aches. They blazed a trail for us with machetes and axes and offered us some interesting treats. Back into the jungle, there was a grove of cacao trees, so they broke open a few of them and let us try the sweet covering of the cacao nut. They don’t refine cacao here, so they dry it and sell it to vendors. I was tempted to try to figure out if I could find out the refining process so we could get some chocolate… We also witnessed how they get a little refreshment when they are out gathering. They cut down a limb of a certain tree or vine (I couldn’t quite ever tell what it really was) and when you tilt the limb a trickle of water comes out. I was wary at first, but then I couldn’t help but try it…it was fairly sweet with a bit of a woodsy twinge to it.

Of course, you can’t go into the jungle without swinging on some vines and climbing trees, so we certainly joined in on those activities. The natives were valiantly trying to explain to us how they lived in the jungle so they reverted to charades, which we could get a good bit of understanding out of. In one instance they were showing us how they put up shelter with a few tree limbs and palm fronds, and one of the women got in with her baby and pretended to be sleeping. I’d say the charades worked quite well. It was fun going with so many people. I thought it would make us go too slowly but it gave me time to actually look around and take in the jungle canopy, the softness of the jungle floor, and the color pops of flora.

So thank goodness that we had that weekend because this past week was certainly a lemon. The week progressively got more exhausting and lead up to a slightly overwhelming Thursday. It was just a busy day in general, then after our shift, Sarah and I took the dressing changes upon ourselves. They weren’t done because there were several surgeries going on, so the surgical team didn’t have the time. So we were at the hospital till late, and thankfully Steven (the pediatrics MD) offered to drive us back to the house instead of us riding back in the dark with bugs flying at our headlamps and into our faces. To make up for our day, we had pancake night early. It’s usually Friday nights, but since we had all had a trying week, we decided to treat ourselves. Getting back up the next morning was difficult, but we made it and got off work at a decent hour. Which was enough to prepare for a second dose of pancake night…we invited the Liberty team, the Harvey girls (Olivia, Claire, and Isabelle), Tabitha Marsh (one of the RNs daughters), and Meduna (a med student from the states that arrived this week). We cooked up a whole load of pancakes, and the Liberty girls even gave us a most special gift of semi-sweet chocolate chips (!!!), so of course, we made chocolate chip banana pancakes! Along with a few pieces of cinnamon toast, makeshift lattes, and multipurpose granola, our pancake night went off without a hitch and had plenty of fabulous conversation. It saddens me that this is the teams last weekend here…they are leaving Tuesday for Brazzaville then for the states next weekend. Having them here was a blessing, in work at the hospital, adding to the mission community, and becoming new friends. If only they could stay longer!

As for staying longer…Twice in one week I have heard the offer to extend my stay. It is certainly something to ponder…

Pioneer Progress

Nothing spectacular this past week except that it was blessedly cool. However, it was a good week to see the progress and improvements in the hospital. There are steps being taken toward having a close observation/ step-down type of “unit” for post surgery patients, so there were some plans and ideas going around about that. There have also been some positive developments with the nursing staff in regards to consistency and dividing up nursing care among the units. An awesome thing was finished this week…we now have sinks in the patient buildings! Well…buckets with spickets and a bar of soap. Before there was a system with water pitchers and bowls, but you needed two people to operate it properly, and it ended up being too cumbersome to be used consistently. But now, there is easy access and now the “sink” is being utilized a lot more! You can find blessings in the smallest places.

The hospital is certainly its own little community. Often within hours of a new patient being admitted into a ward, they are all immediately friends and involved in each others care. If someone doesn’t have a cup for their water, another patient will let them barrow theirs. If there is something going on like a dressing change or an ultrasound, you know the whole room is going to come over and watch and offer their opinion. It’s quite interesting and at times entertaining. Also to be admitted into the hospital, the patients have to agree to have a “guarde malade” which is a friend or family member who is there to prepare their food, get their medicines, and wash their clothes. It’s just amazing to see them all work together and watch the camaraderie that develops. In the states everyone is sectioned off in their private room and seems to try their best to not make contact with any other patients in the hospital. Of course there is HIPPA to remember, but then you want to know what happened to humanity and natural socialization. Curious perspectives.


As for free time, they are showing the world cup in town on a huge screen in the middle of town, so we got to watch the USA game! The locals were more enthusiastic than we were when goals were scored. But I can't believe they didn't give us that third goal! but anyways, it's fun to be able to watch the games even if they are in french!

Free Weekend

So this weekend is completely open, which is nice so I can get some organizing done. The Ralston's are leaving for the states on Tuesday, which means we will be doing our own maintenance stuff and cooking. So Joan, Sarah, and I have to know how to run the whole house on our own. Danielle has been passing on her African-adapted recipes and next week is going to be one big test on how we do. However, I do have bread making down pat! So there is going to be a learning curve going on for the next month, but I think we can make it. A couple things we will be doing to maintain a running household: fill kerosene in the fridge, filter water daily, keep battery water levels up, replace the gazbon (butane tank) for the stove and oven, and several other little around-the-house cleaning projects. No problem, right? Right.

Also, sorry mom, dad, and Lauren for forgetting my headphones! I can't believe the internet was working well enough for skype! Let's keep our fingers crossed for next weekend. But regardless I'm glad I got to see faces! I can't believe I've already been gone for a month! And as for that food picture...going clockwise from the rice: rice (duh), crocodile (a little too fishy for me), mantiok (a root that's dried, powdered, then steamed to get out all of the arsenic), antelope (delicious!), and steamed mantiok leaves (too bitter). I felt I was being pretty adventurous with that meal. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

Random Holidays

Can you guess the items on this plate? This is what we were served at Bibi Star, the local restaurant. It actually wasn't half bad...

So this week a holiday surprised us during the week and we didn't have to go to work today! but since we had to go to the hospital to get internet, we biked over anyway. Not long after arrival we were ask to help out with a c-section. Quite the interesting show...mother and baby are fine. Also this week I have figured out that if you tell the tailor what you want made, he is going to make something completely different. I first got two mens shirts, when I wanted shirt, capris, and a dress. Then I almost got a skirt out of that, but I think he might possibly have the order almost right after I stopped by four times...this afternoon will tell the truth.

B-a-n-a-n-a-s

Since the rainy season it starting up, it was a blessedly cool week, but unfortunately clouds also mean no sun for solar power. It just means a little power rationing. I just wanted to let y’all in on a little bit of African life, topic being sound. So everyone morning at around 3:00 the roosters start crowing. I don’t think they have a concept of morning since they crow and random intervals throughout the day. Around 3:30 or 4:00, the church across the street rings the bell (a rigged up tire rim) a couple times to signify a wake-up call and that church is open for prayer. If there is a holiday around, there is also singing going on, but the best is when they use the microphone to “sing” with. The regular singing is actually beautiful, but it’s when they get a microphone in their hands that they start to scream instead of sing. Fabulous. I kind of thought it would be quite around here except for the occasional car passing by (there are probably only about 15 cars in the town and three belong to the mission). Not so, there is a constant chatter of birds, crickets, bleating of goats, and at night the high pitch call of the bat. The first time I heard the bats, it freaked me out, and I had to put my Ipod on to drown out the noise and couldn’t sleep. They fly around above the ceiling, under the roof, but now know they are there and eating all the bugs, I have accepted their nocturnal charades. Since I’m almost to my third week, I have actually become accustomed to these noises and hardly notice them anymore. They are now just part of nature’s music.

As for the bananas, they need some explanation time since the past week has practically been a festival of bananas at our house. There are apparently over 20 kinds of bananas here, but I think have only seen five and eaten four types. They bananas I would recognize are sweeter than in the states, but still good. Then there are these short fat bananas that are referred to as ‘strawberry bananas.’ They are deliciously sweet with feathery soft peel, and it only takes about three bites to eat one. When they are ready they plump up and break through the peel and you know it’s time to eat them. We have had banana muffins, plantain chips, banana bread, and bananas on peanut butter sandwiches. My favorite this week was the banana crisp! It pretty much just caramelized bananas with an oat/sugar toping. D-lish!

And as a little add on, I personally contributed to a patient's care when I got the hospital for my evening shift on Friday...A baby with malaria had a hematocrit of like five, and they didn't have any blood and couldn't find a donor, so since I had some to spare I donated my blood. Don't worry, it was all legit materials and the lab tech is all about protecting the missionaries, so I knew that they really needed it when he came and asked me. Prayers for that baby would be appreciated. As for weekend plans: possibly a fishing trip and eating at Bibi Star (an Impfondo restuarant) which will be an experience I'm sure.

I also have a shout out for Amber (soon to be Salmon) Fessler! You are getting married in a week! ILU!