1440 - Finally made it to the post office! All my attempts to say post office in French didn't work...post, postal, etc. My driver took me to the Kelo hospital thinking that I wanted to go there since I'm from a hospital...finally got the point across and learned that it is pronounced something like postAY. Liz and Sonya were there. We were all very relieved to see one another.
1500 - We now have all the mail and packages. Liz and Sonya made friends with the postman that we now call Papa Jacob so that he would be willing to come back when I arrived since the post office usually closes at noon. Liz gave him hydrocortisone cream for his itchy skin problem and a U.S. granola bar. He is happy and knows all of our faces now after seeing all our names on packages coming in.
1520 - We're on our way back home. All of us were too exhausted to do anything else in Kelo...so Sonya found two new moto drivers while we watched the stuff. They look like much better drivers with motos that look like new! I'm with Sonya on one moto. The driver (Jeremy) is sitting on my lap so that there is enough room. At least he's a nice older man, Liz's young driver keeps proposing to her.
1600 - I think I'm going to pass out from pain. I am straining my eyes to see the river so that I can get off and stretch for a few minutes while we cross. Besides the discomfort of not being able to move because of Jeremy on me, my stomach is killing me. Every bump on the road is torture. Sonya helps me try to forget about it, though, as she pretends to fly on the back, flapping her arms and cawing like a bird :) I don't think Jeremy has had this much entertainment from passengers before.
1700 - We are home! I'm so glad to be back in our small village of Bere. We took pictures with our wonderful moto drivers and got Jeremy's number for when we decide to go again. Now it's package time! We all opened them one at a time in front of everyone. I got a package from my school with peanut butter m&ms! Everyone is enjoying a handful of the luxury. I'm still feeling sick though.
1900 - I'm kind of confused, lying on the couch at the American house with an IV in me. I guess I passed out for 20 min. in which time they put an IV in, gave me a shot for pain, and put sugar in my mouth. There's no better place to pass out than in front of 2 doctors and 2 nurses. Greg and Audrey think I'm just worn out from the day and a little hypoglycemic from not eating hardly all day. Well, I'm not too worried...I've passed out before :) They're keeping me on IV fluids all night, so I'm staying at the American house tonight. Liz and Sonya are staying on the floor next to me.
2400 - Woke up with a fever and more pain. Greg came over and increased my dosage of morphine.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
The Whole Story
November ??? (I don't know the date anymore)
I'm finally feeling well enough to write again...and what the stories to tell! I guess I'll just start from the beginning. Here is my missionaries log:
Friday, November 2
0530 - Rise and shine for....a day off from work! Plans underway for a trip to Kelo with Liz and Sonya to pick up mail, do some shopping, explore, etc. Moderate stomach cramps noted, nothing unusual, pain meds. taken.
0700 - Met up with Liz and Sonya at the house after picking up my beautiful reed mat made by one of the TB patients. Sunscreen applied and bags packed...we're on our way.
0800 - Found 2 motos near the market willing to take us to Kelo. One is in pieces on the ground, but the driver is adamant that it is safe after he puts it back together. Negotiations are underway as to price.
0830 - With the wind flying into my face, I'm plastered against my driver and the box strapped on behind me that we brought to put mail in. We just left Bere, with me yelling back at Liz and Sonya that I can't remember the name for post office in French. They didn't have time to answer. I'm on the broken moto...oh well, I always like a little excitement.
0900 - We've arrived at the river. Instead of taking the ferry, my driver headed for the little dugout canoes. I sat on the end of the canoe and watched the muddy water swirl up to within an inch of the top as we slowly were paddled across, the moto barely fitting in the center. I see Liz and Sonya arrive on the other side with the other driver and wave quickly as we speed off again.
0930 - The back wheel of the moto broke. Thankfully we were going slow through a herd of cows, horns brushing my shoulders as we passed. We've walked half a mile to a small village with some men who think they can fix it. I've been given a chair in the shade with 30 kids in a circle staring at me.
0945 - The moto was fixed for about 10 ft. until the wheel started fishtailing again and we realized that the brake wasn't working now. I clutched the moto tightly as we started to increase speed down the dirt road at a bumpy rate until the driver turned the key and we gradually coasted to a stop. I am back to sitting on my chair under a mango tree as they take the wheel back off.
1000 - I'm stranded alone now with the broken moto. The driver handed me his keys, told me "Tu attente asi!" and jumped on a truck going back towards Bere with the wheel under his arm for repair. Liz and Sonya still haven't shown up...I wonder what happened to them.
1040 - Liz and Sonya just passed on two different motos? I don't know what happened to make them an hour behind me. I waved wildly at them. Sonya saw me, smiled, waved back...and continued on.
1130 - Still stranded, I'm conserving water, little sips at a time. Stomach pains are getting worse so I took more meds. I think all my experiences earlier in life have been preparing me for Africa. All the times I've gotten lost hiking, stranded with my car in the middle of the night, etc. It is all a battle of the mind. I could go into a panic over the fact that I'm in a 3rd-world country all alone on a road, barely able to communicate in French (which 3/4 of the country can't speak), running out of water with just a couple granola bars for who knows how long...Or I can just say, as I've learned with all my other experiences, "What an adventure!" and make the best of it.
1230 - Sweat is dripping down my back. Men are trying to hit birds out of the tree with a slingshot. A man across the street is pumping a sewing machine with his foot as he creates a Tchadian dress. School just got out in the village. I now have 74 kids in a circle around me, watching every move I make...I've been here long enough to count them. The two teachers have come to practice their limited English with me. It will help pass the time.
1330 - Hallelujah! My driver has returned with the repaired wheel! They have put it on and we are back on our way to Kelo! Thank you God! Now I'm just praying with every bump that it stays together. I won't even complain about the close quarters, my nose in the drivers ear, and my chin getting bruised from hitting his shoulder with each pothole...and these stomach cramps that just don't seem to be going away.
1400 - Almost to Kelo, we just played chicken with another moto. I felt the woman's skirt whip my legs as we passed.
1420 - We're in Kelo! ....except now my driver doesn't understand that I need to go to the post office.
Stay tuned for the rest of the story....
I'm finally feeling well enough to write again...and what the stories to tell! I guess I'll just start from the beginning. Here is my missionaries log:
Friday, November 2
0530 - Rise and shine for....a day off from work! Plans underway for a trip to Kelo with Liz and Sonya to pick up mail, do some shopping, explore, etc. Moderate stomach cramps noted, nothing unusual, pain meds. taken.
0700 - Met up with Liz and Sonya at the house after picking up my beautiful reed mat made by one of the TB patients. Sunscreen applied and bags packed...we're on our way.
0800 - Found 2 motos near the market willing to take us to Kelo. One is in pieces on the ground, but the driver is adamant that it is safe after he puts it back together. Negotiations are underway as to price.
0830 - With the wind flying into my face, I'm plastered against my driver and the box strapped on behind me that we brought to put mail in. We just left Bere, with me yelling back at Liz and Sonya that I can't remember the name for post office in French. They didn't have time to answer. I'm on the broken moto...oh well, I always like a little excitement.
0900 - We've arrived at the river. Instead of taking the ferry, my driver headed for the little dugout canoes. I sat on the end of the canoe and watched the muddy water swirl up to within an inch of the top as we slowly were paddled across, the moto barely fitting in the center. I see Liz and Sonya arrive on the other side with the other driver and wave quickly as we speed off again.
0930 - The back wheel of the moto broke. Thankfully we were going slow through a herd of cows, horns brushing my shoulders as we passed. We've walked half a mile to a small village with some men who think they can fix it. I've been given a chair in the shade with 30 kids in a circle staring at me.
0945 - The moto was fixed for about 10 ft. until the wheel started fishtailing again and we realized that the brake wasn't working now. I clutched the moto tightly as we started to increase speed down the dirt road at a bumpy rate until the driver turned the key and we gradually coasted to a stop. I am back to sitting on my chair under a mango tree as they take the wheel back off.
1000 - I'm stranded alone now with the broken moto. The driver handed me his keys, told me "Tu attente asi!" and jumped on a truck going back towards Bere with the wheel under his arm for repair. Liz and Sonya still haven't shown up...I wonder what happened to them.
1040 - Liz and Sonya just passed on two different motos? I don't know what happened to make them an hour behind me. I waved wildly at them. Sonya saw me, smiled, waved back...and continued on.
1130 - Still stranded, I'm conserving water, little sips at a time. Stomach pains are getting worse so I took more meds. I think all my experiences earlier in life have been preparing me for Africa. All the times I've gotten lost hiking, stranded with my car in the middle of the night, etc. It is all a battle of the mind. I could go into a panic over the fact that I'm in a 3rd-world country all alone on a road, barely able to communicate in French (which 3/4 of the country can't speak), running out of water with just a couple granola bars for who knows how long...Or I can just say, as I've learned with all my other experiences, "What an adventure!" and make the best of it.
1230 - Sweat is dripping down my back. Men are trying to hit birds out of the tree with a slingshot. A man across the street is pumping a sewing machine with his foot as he creates a Tchadian dress. School just got out in the village. I now have 74 kids in a circle around me, watching every move I make...I've been here long enough to count them. The two teachers have come to practice their limited English with me. It will help pass the time.
1330 - Hallelujah! My driver has returned with the repaired wheel! They have put it on and we are back on our way to Kelo! Thank you God! Now I'm just praying with every bump that it stays together. I won't even complain about the close quarters, my nose in the drivers ear, and my chin getting bruised from hitting his shoulder with each pothole...and these stomach cramps that just don't seem to be going away.
1400 - Almost to Kelo, we just played chicken with another moto. I felt the woman's skirt whip my legs as we passed.
1420 - We're in Kelo! ....except now my driver doesn't understand that I need to go to the post office.
Stay tuned for the rest of the story....
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Thank You!!!
November 9
This is just a short note out to everyone to let you all know that I'm doing ok. I want to write a blog about everything that happened because it is all quite the story and your prayers I believe really helped work things out. I can't describe the support and love I've felt from everyone, it has just amazed me how many people have been praying...pretty much all around the world. I am recovering, slower than I'd like, but that could be because of the fact that I found out I have malaria again. I can't even try to distinguish between all the symptoms now, but I am starting to eat a little, and it is staying down for now. And I can sit up for about 20 minutes before the awful spinal headache comes. I'll write more when I can, right now it is still hard to focus that much and I keep falling asleep or feeling too nauseated to try to type. I love you all and thank you deeply for your prayers! Every day I read through all the comments sent to me to help me feel like I can make it through everything.
This is just a short note out to everyone to let you all know that I'm doing ok. I want to write a blog about everything that happened because it is all quite the story and your prayers I believe really helped work things out. I can't describe the support and love I've felt from everyone, it has just amazed me how many people have been praying...pretty much all around the world. I am recovering, slower than I'd like, but that could be because of the fact that I found out I have malaria again. I can't even try to distinguish between all the symptoms now, but I am starting to eat a little, and it is staying down for now. And I can sit up for about 20 minutes before the awful spinal headache comes. I'll write more when I can, right now it is still hard to focus that much and I keep falling asleep or feeling too nauseated to try to type. I love you all and thank you deeply for your prayers! Every day I read through all the comments sent to me to help me feel like I can make it through everything.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Please continue to Pray for Sarah
Sorry you have to wait longer to get a personal message from Sarah. Thankyou all for the prayers and notes of encouragement, we all know the power of the Great Physician. I talked to her on the phone and she is still very tired and in recovery. Sarah is on antibiotics for the Typhoid Fever and has a hurendous headache from the anesthesia during the apendicites surgery last Saturday night. She also was informed Wednesday that she has Malaria again (a triple wammy).
Satin is trying hard to knock her down, but with all the support she is receiving from all of you with prayers and emails from all over the world, she wil get through this. She has been staying in the American house since last Friday, but has just moved in with the Evangelical Missionaries. The older couple (wife a nurse) will be able to watch over her and provide great meals to strengthen her. Sarah was looking forward to the cooling fans provided by the solar power at their house. With temperatures currently in the upper 90's and all the sicknesses in her body, it will be a little relief.
Pray, Pray Pray... Continue to post comments (she receives all of them almost daily)...Thanks, Terry (dad)
Satin is trying hard to knock her down, but with all the support she is receiving from all of you with prayers and emails from all over the world, she wil get through this. She has been staying in the American house since last Friday, but has just moved in with the Evangelical Missionaries. The older couple (wife a nurse) will be able to watch over her and provide great meals to strengthen her. Sarah was looking forward to the cooling fans provided by the solar power at their house. With temperatures currently in the upper 90's and all the sicknesses in her body, it will be a little relief.
Pray, Pray Pray... Continue to post comments (she receives all of them almost daily)...Thanks, Terry (dad)
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Sarah is very sick: Pray
Please pray for Sarah. She has an unknown sickness or disease which is causing a lot of abdominal pain. Pray for her doctors (Greg & Audrey Shank from Koza Adventist Hospital) that they will have the wisdom from God to cure her. Your prayers and notes of encouragement mean a lot to Sarah. She will receive your comments posted here by automatic email (almost daily now).
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