Greetings from NK

It has been while since I have written and so much is happening I know I have to fill you in.  I couldn't be here without your support and prayers. 

I have been hearing the question "what are you going to be doing today?" more and more these days.  It is a good thing.  Rachel has been with us for five months.  She is working hard in the clinic and loves to spend time with neighbors and the missionary kids.  Sarah, has been with us almost three months now.  Wow.  Thank you Lord for providing these co laborers.  Sarah's belongings arrived from the USA this month.  She has been busy making her house a home.  She has lots of little helpers as the Lippy children are finishing their school responsibilities for the year and looking for things to do.  If I have something going in my day that either one can tag along or do, I am too happy to ask for the help.  Daily deposits, counting money. rolling coins, counting medication into little bags,visiting the sick and attending an occasional naming ceremony help keep Rachel and Sarah busy.  I am truly thankful for their help.  Sometimes they get rewarded for getting my work done and they get to practice driving the car in the bush!  I remember when I had to learn to drive a standard.  Now I am teaching others.  I know you are all thinking "scary", and you are glad you aren't on our bush roads.  Rachel, Sarah and Julee (the oldest of the Lippy children) are all doing very well. 

Ndungu Kebbeh Health Centre remains a busy place.  We are officially opened two days a week.  God has allowed us to maintain our good testimony to the surrounding area.  I am often called on for an emergency or to refill some medication for a patient that just couldn't arrive during clinic hours.  We sent the ambulance to Esau Health Centre 17 times to help those that had needs in the off hours of the clinic.  (Most of these cases were labor cases.)   Please join us in praying for employees.  SJ has had a particularly hard month.  His father, his father's best friend and his father-in-law died within a month's time.  SJ also had an accident during this time hurting his hip. 

I continue to enjoy making home visits.  I am getting a reputation (a good thing).  During the month of April I was able to make 44 home visits.  Most of those I see can not make it to the clinic on their own.  Recently I have been asked to help an individual who was discharged from a hospital in Dakar, Senegal after spending a few months in the hospital in Banjul.  He is NOT wanting to be readmitted.  I have been doing what I can and each time I go, I pray with him and his family.  I have enjoyed the outreach these home visits have provided.  On Friday, Michelle Lippy and I will be going to one of the compounds that I visit to share about God.  We are excited.  Please pray with us that this time will be protected.

My computer is a necessary link for communication both with you and with perspective visitors to The Gambia.  I am really excited to be working with Cedarville University's Nursing Department in providing an opportunity for two nursing students.  They will arrive in July and spend a month with us.  I am praying that God will provide a wonderful experience for them.  (Gail and Bethanne)  I am also in communication with a few others.  As a field we have several needs.  God recently blessed us with a Teacher's Helper for Michelle.  Michelle is excited to be able to spend some quality time working on learning Wolof.  Bethany hopes to arrive by the end of July.  She is raising her support.  Another area of need is for a couple to come and "fill in" for a few months at our guest house in Banjul.  The Robison's are due for furlough in July of 2011. If you know anyone who might be interested... let me know!  The guest house has air conditioning, electricity, back up generator, and wireless internet!  (How is that for an advertisement?)

So as you can figure out, most of my days are filled with a little bit of everything.  I praise the Lord for the strength He gives me.  As I write this I was visited by members of the District Health Team (local medical branch of the country, similar to the Department of Health.)  We had a good discussion, they are asking for additional services, pray that God will give us wisdom as we seek to obey His leading.  You never know what the day may hold.  I am glad I have the assurance of God's love.  I am also so very glad that nothing catches Him by surprise. 

Michelle and I are reading Mark 5-8 this month.  One of my favorite parts is when He sends them out by twos.  Pray for Friday!

Thank you for making it possible for me to serve here in The Gambia. 

Sarah Arrives!

A month ago I came to Banjul to pick up our newest teammate. Rachel and I oriented Sarah to shopping for a months worth of supplies. We took things at a nice pace as Sarah had had a busy month in the USA prior to her arrival here.

After almost a week in Banjul, we headed home to Ndungu Kebbeh. The ferry wait wasn't bad. It was while waiting ON the ferry that I realized we hadn't photo documented Sarah's arrival. The picture that accompanies this post is Sarah on her return to Ndungu Kebbeh.
Welcome Back Gal!

I AM BACK!

It looks like I have been in cyber silence for too long. I am hoping to get back into the habit of blogging.
So, what can I tell you? It was a busy fall in NK. We had many quests and are very thankful for two new arrivals. Rachel arrived in November, believe it or not, her first weekend in the country she won a RAM. Yeah, it lives in her backyard. We are neighbors, so basically it is right next door. Some days I think it may end up as dinner yet! :) Rachel had a month to study Wolof and is now working in the clinic.

Sarah Damick arrived the first weekend in February. She is a career arrival so will be learning Wolof for a year before joining us in the clinic. Very exciting times!

I have been making more and more home visits. I love them. I like being out and about in the village. This month I made more than 25 visits. It sure does keep me busy. Julee and/or Jessica come with me. I look forward to afternoons when we can stop at a last compound for the day and have time for a nice chat and tea.

I am currently on vacation in Banjul. It is a dream vacation... except for the visits to the dentist. :)

Until next time, have a great week.

Clinic News...

I am looking forward to meeting with Jean when she returns to NK after her vacation. THe clinic is closed for its annual summer closure, allowing the employees to work in their fields. I have spent some time in the store room (a balmy 120 degrees with the humidity to match!) and some time in the office working on the computer and finances. I spent that time in front of a fan!

Clinic reopens the 4th of August! I have made home visits to my home patients. Some didn't get more medication when the supply I gave them ran out, some did. I praise God that all of them were here to welcome me back. Two of them told me they seriously thought that when I returned they would be gone. God is good!

Technology and reality.......

I don't have a working phone line. Yup, I didn't have one when I left and it is still silent. I hear through my coworkers that even if the phone line worked... the internet service is overloaded and they keep getting kicked off. SO, I have traveled to Barra once last week to check email and today, I traveled to Senegambia (the other side of Banjul, guest house area) for an email encounter and to check out a set of triplets for Adelia. Sorry, no pictures, but they are adorable. They weigh about 4 pounds each. So tiny, yet perfectly formed.

Village Times......

One of my favorite things to do is walk to t e village and visit with friends. I have taken advantage of the summer clinic closure to do just that. It has been a blessing to walk by and stop and chat with folks on the way. When did you return? I hadn't heard you were back? How is your mother? How is your father? How is Kumba (aka Ruth Wood)? And the list goes on. I have talked with families that have been through some difficulties with illness, births of babies and even the death of loved ones. The crops are in the ground, the fields are being weeded and the rains are good. God is so good in his provision for us.

The Realities of Life in NK.....

I love living in NK. I love the people; I love the laid back pace... if only I could really adjust to it! Wouldn't it be great, no real time clock?

I began the week by putting away my belongings. Always a fun challenge, made even more fun by finding new and interesting things in the house. I knew from phone calls with Michelle while I was still in America, that I had a guest in the house while I was gone. He liked Tupperware and brown rice. Jogab had cleaned all the kitchen cupboards. What a blessing, I just had to reorganize and put things back where they belong. Apparently, my guest had made himself at home... he liked my bed, but Michelle and the girls had cleaned that up. I also discovered that he liked the bathroom closet, my dresser, and the trundle bed. Oh, what a discovery that was! I went to put a blanket over the extra mattress and found droppings and cockroach wings galore. ugh! Not a pleasant finding. Praise God I am babysitting the remaining pet cat on the compound and she is a fierce warrior. I have not seen any evidence of sharing my dwelling with my former guest!

Return to Ndungu Kebbeh...

It was a long flight and a long day.... I left my parent's home at about 8:30 am. Several flights and airports later... I arrived at Yundom International Airport, The Gambia. I was met by a long immigration line and a wait for my baggage. I called over a porter and began using my Wolof. (It wasn't too rusty, I had used it several times recently... thank you Ruth and Joanne!) Finally the bags arrived and it was my turn to join the long line to have my baggage x-rayed and searched once again. I alkmost made it out of the airport, but I was called back. I hadn't given the man my baggage stickers, BUT I did remember where they were.

I was met at the airport by our mission director Barney Robison. We had a fairly short drive to the guesthouse; he caught me up on what has been happening. It was now 7 pm, 3 pm the following day for you all. Adelia, Barney's wife, had dinner about ready... what a blessing. I made a quick trip to a nearby grocery store adn then it was off to slumber.

Nothing really prepares you for the blast of air you feel as you leave the plane behind and prepare to descend the stairs. It is just hot with a lot kmore humidity than there was in February. By the time you get into the airport, the sweat glands have kicked in. The guesthouse has air-conditioning; I think I slept well that first night. I know I took a big nap the next day.

Friday and Saturday I continued to adjust to the time and temperature changes while stocking up on groceries for the next five weeks. I returned to NK after church Sunday morning.

The ferry is always an interesting experience. Some day you all should come to Ndungu Kebbeh and experience the ferry. I actually had a very nice wait. I think it was only an hour: I was able to reaquaint myself with my friends who sell material and outfits there. They didn't give me too hard of a time when I said there was no money to buy today. They knew I would be back.

I was driving our ambulance which had been in for service, I drove it onto the ferry and they packed the cars and trucks onboard. An hour later I was in Barra. THe road crew has been busy and there is a detour up. It looks like there is going to be a paved road right up to the ferry entrance! Just in time, as it is rainy season. You can lose a small carin some of the potholes/lakes around here. I picked up some bread in Barra and then drove the last forty minutes to Kebbeh. There, I was greeted byt he Lippy family, Jean and Deb. It sure is good to be home. Michelle had Jogab prepare my house for me, I even had clean sheets and a made bed!

Today, I received this email from a friend who is going through some rough days. God is giving her the strength to face the challenges she faces each day. She thought I might need to be reminded of my roots. FYI.... I can relate to much of this.
My friend writes, "Thought you might get a kick out of this one or at least it will cool you off a bit...."

Jeff Foxworthy on Upstate New York…..

If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights a year because Saranac Lake is the coldest spot in the nation, and Syracuse get s more snow than any other major city in the US, you might live in Upstate.

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from October through May, you might live in Upstate New York .

If you get 131 inches of snow in a week and you comment that 'winter's finally here', you might live near Oswego in Upstate New York.

If you instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year, you might live, bundled up, in Upstate New York.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, you might live in Upstate NY.

If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you have worn shorts and a parka on the same day, you might live in Upstate New York.

If you have had a lengthy phone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in Upstate New York.


YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE UPSTATE NEW YORKER WHEN:

"Vacation" means going South past Syracuse for the weekend.

You measure distance in hours.

You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again.

You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them.

You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.

You can identify a southern or eastern accent.

Down South to you means Corning.

Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new shed.

You go out for a fish fry every Friday.

Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

You find 10 degrees "a little chilly." and 55 is shorts weather.

You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your Upstate New York friends and to those who used to live here and left. -- (chickens).

God Blesses

November 11,
June through November is really rough in The Gambia. The rainy season started back in June. The temperatures are now, hot, the air is humid and the rains are decreasing. One of my missionary friends that live in Banjul commented in the prayer letter, "Praise God for no rain in three days!" It is true, the rains are decreasing. It remains hot and humid though. The crops are in the fields and the time for harvesting is coming. The last several years have not yielded a good crop. The cash crop is peanut; they also grow millet. Prior to harvest the food supply from last year has finished. The price of rice has sky rocketed. We used to pay about 300 Dalasi, it is now over 900 Dalasi for a sack of rice. Rice is usually served for lunch and dinner. Rice may also be used to make a poridge for breakfast. It is not uncommon to have friends coming to the door to ask for help with something for dinner. They have no money for anything and they didn't have lunch, breakfast or dinner yesterday.



In May, we had some guest from the home office of ABWE come for a spiritual retreat. One night, we were sitting under the night skies discussing our neighbors and their hardships: the lack of food, the increase in the cost of rice. Our guest offered to share this concern with his friends in Europe as well as in America. Since then we have been praying for God to provide the monies to purchase rice for the people in The Gambia.

God provided over $21,500 for the Gambia rice project. The village of Ndungu Kebbeh and our employees were teh first to receive the rice, each head of the family was given a full sack (5o kgs). Since we still had rice and money to purchase more, we went to nine (9) neighboring villages and gave each family provider in those villages a half sack of rice. Each bag of rice that was given was accompanied by a booklet in Wolof that shares the gospel story from Creation to Christ. Many reports have come from people who have read the booklet and even read it to others. Thousands of people have heard the gospel in the last few months. PRAISE GOD.

PRAISE GOD

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that there was a young man that was sick and would need to go to Dakar, Senegal for cancer treatment. Samba has had several weeks of treatment. He returned to The Gambia a few weeks ago and his father wanted to have him meet with us to express their thanks. Thank you for your prayers, and thank you for the financial gifts that were given to help with his treatments. He will be returning to Dakar in three weeks for evaluations and possibly more treatment. As of now, he is eating, playing with the other boys in the neighborhood and enjoying being home with his family.

Strange Signs......

The other day my friends and I were headed to the pool and we came across this sign. We were a little shocked by who funded the sign.

















I know I wasn't too pleased to see the efforts of "Our Tax Dollars at Work."


My FAVORITE African sign says...
AMY's Beauty Boutigue, We Beautify to DROP DEAD GORGEOUS. I haven't wanted to go there for a haircut yet!

Getting Ready for Another Adventure!

Life is a great adventure, isn't it? I love praying for God to give me the strength and wisdom for the adventures I will face in the coming day. They can be something!

I arrived in The Gambia a month ago. What a month!
The plane that I arrived on also carried my coworker in the clinic, Teresa, Dr Joel Lundberg, his wife Wendy, youngest son and oldest daughter and a family friend, and Dan, Bridget and Hannah Byrum, future hospital administrator. We had a fun weekend getting supplies together and heading out to NK. The biggest challenge... low tire pressure due to the weight of our baggage. As I was climbing out of the van to have a looksie, I noticed a small gash in the side wall of the front tire. So, I prayed the van all the way home and God was gracious. No blow outs!

Shortly after I arrived, I heard that the medications I had ordered back in April, were FINALLY paid for. There were lots of problems with the wire transfer. With in a week, I received an email that the medications would be arriving the very next day by air freight. I was a little excited (not in a good way) about that. How was I going to get to the Airport. Praise God for Dan being here. I sent him and our Gambian driver across the river/ferry in our ambulance. They picked up Max and went to the airport. Several hours later... the shipment arrived and they were able to take it home. We didn't have the proper paper work, but the man let Max and Dan take the medications with their promise the paperwork would be there the following week. (This was a Friday.) So, on Monday I went to Banjul and spent the day hanging out with Max waiting for a man from The Gambia's Central Stores to report in at his office. All in all a long day. Again God's protection was around me as I heard about a horrible accident at the ferry that killed several pedestrians (I was a pedestrian passenger that day).

The Gambia is receiving free Malaria medications from Global Funds. Because we work with The Gambia Health System, we are given this medication. (A really good thing as it is VERY expensive.) The World Health Organization wants us to stop using Chloroquine in hopes that the amount of resistance can be lowered. I spent Tuesday in Essau at the referral hospital trying to get our supplies. I took Dan, Bridget and the young gals along to tour the place.

I haven't spent much time in the clinic recently. Dr Joel has been a great blessing and I have been able to step out to get some things done that I have had on the back burner. Last week Joel's family returned to the states and his friend and former Gambian missionary came out to work in the clinic for two weeks. Kurt is a blessing in many ways. He can speak the local language (still! there is hope for me) and he is a handyman who has lived her before. Joel and Kurt will be supervising the clinic this weekend as I head to Banjul for team meetings.

Last week I had the pleasure of driving our ambulance around town delivering rice. Some of you may know that the price of rice has just risen unbelievably. Our neighbors have had poor crops for several years. They are having a very hard time feeding their families. It is very common to have someone show up at my door and say they haven't eaten in a day or two, can I give them something for their dinner. This is a heart breaker as the number of requests for help far out weigh my financial means. The US Dollar has fallen here in The Gambia and a 110 pound bag of rice that use to cost about $20 is now selling for $43. A family unit will go through a sack of rice in 2-4 weeks. You can see the hardship this may bring.
A few months ago we started asking God to provide the money to give each person responsible for providing the rice, a bag of rice. God provided! Last Thursday we delivered over a three hundred bags of rice. We are praying for the opportunity to give to our employees and then to a few of our neighboring villages. Along with the rice, we gave a booklet explaining salvation from creation to Christ. Pray with us that this may be an opening for some to search the scriptures.

Tomorrow's adventure... another trip to Banjul. This time for field meetings. As always I have already started praying for our ferry crossing. Kurt and Joel will be holding down the fort. AND great news... the Lippy family have returned to The Gambia. They will be settling in this weekend. No meetings for them.

I will try to post some adventure pictures in the near future!
Thanks for reading.....

A Packed Full Three Months...

I can't believe it has been three months since my last BLOG. Okay, I can. I know I haven't gone on Blogger.

I left The Gambia in the middle of June. The rains had just started. The clinic was closed until my return the second week of August.


I arrived safely in the US and was met at the airport by Darlene Gabler. We first met in candidate school. Darlene is a church planting assistant in Mexico City, Mexico. It was such a blessing that God allowed us to meet up. Darlene drove me from Baltimore to Harrisburg. What a friend! We had a great visit as we shared what God has been doing in Mexico and The Gambia.


My first assignment in the US was to attend the Medical Mission Interface at ABWE. My goal was to present The Gambia to recruit individuals willing to come out for short term stints, 2 weeks to a year or two. I had a great time at the meeting. I praise God for the many contacts made and the one who is coming out in October.


This summer was full of many special blessings. One such blessing occurred at MMI. I was able to be present when Dr Irene Alyn, Dr Lois Baker, and Dr Caroline Carlson received an award for their volunteer service with ABWE in Medical Missions. Drs Alyn and Baker were two of my instructors when I attended Cedarville University. What a special opportunity to be able to be present.

After my meetings at ABWE, I went to see an Endocrinologist for my blood sugar problems. It was very interesting. I had a LOT of blood work done, both before the appointment and afterwards. I returned a month later for my follow-up appointment and heard a lot about what I don't have. It was fun to ask the doctor, "but what do I have?" The answer: Reactive Hypoglycemia. The treatment: a diet of protein and good carbs (just a bit). He suggested taking a prescription over with me, that would help if the really low blood sugars returned. I am thrilled that God has seen to it that my blood sugars have stabilized again. I have been to the store to buy supplies for a meter as well as the prescription. I was a bit blown away with the cost of things. Praise God He isn't caught by surprise.

My time in Harrisburg finally came to an end. My sister and nephew drove up from West Virginia to take me to the mountians. The last 7 miles included 45 turns at a 9% grade incline. My ears popped 15 times. I was sure I was going to have altitude sickness. The Gambia is just above sea level; the mountains are beautiful though. (After you get rid of the road induced nausea.) The stars were very nice, but they are beautiful and so bright in Ndungu Kebbeh.

I enjoyed my time with my sister. My parents came up for a visit. It was great to see them again. I was able to go to a wedding in Jamestown, New York. I made a whirlwind trip. It was great to see the folks at First Baptist Church Cherry Creek. Thank you for letting me share.

I returned to my sister's new home to help her prepare for her daughter's wedding that would be the 2nd of August in Schroon Lake. I also prepared to return to The Gambia. Then it was time to head to the Adirondacks. I got to see a lot of mountains this trip. Jessica and her fiance traveled over from Ohio and met us there. We had a great week preparing for the wedding.

The wedding was officiated by Pastor Herrmann from a supporting church in Thurman, NY. It was great being able to see so many supporters. Thanks for your prayers.

As I prepare to return to The Gambia I am excited about what God has been doing this summer. A few weeks ago I received the news that the Lippy family will be returning to The Gambia in three weeks. God is good! Pray for the Lippy's as they prepare to return to The Gambia and start language school.

I am looking forward to having a short term visitors from America throughout the Fall. I have volunteers lined up for 2-6 week stints now through the first of November. Pleasae pray God would send help in November as well.

Thanks for your prayer and your encouragment. I am sorry I didn't get to see many of you.

I love Wednesdays...

Because Wednesday is the official start of the clinic week, I feel like most of my weeks have two Mondays. Some weeks that is okay, and some weeks it is by calling upon the grace of God that I get through it.

Today was a fun Wednesday. I arrived at the clinic pretty much on time. (Major miracle... I hate mornings.) I have prayer with Teresa, find where I am on the John tape to play for the clinic patrons... and read that section in my Bible before heading out. The yard men meet me, I forgot their key, so had to go home for it. They decide to whitewash the last of the clinic building today. : ) The whitewash job should be finished by tomorrow!! The three guys have been whitewashing every building on our compound. They started about 5 weeks ago. (They have had time off and they have done other jobs, but it has been five weeks.)

Half way through our clinic day I plan to meet with our staff to tell them about our summer plans. I missed judged my patient load and didn't get to talk with them until about 11 am. After chatting with the staff, I saw a few more patients and then headed to the cillage to pick up Joanne. We were going to go talk to the head of the Village Development Council, about the summer closure. I take Joanne along, not for moral support, but so that she can clean up my Wolof. We had a great time with Malik... who is Joanne's son. (All very gambian here... her namesake, is Malik's mother... therefore, it could be said that Joanne is his mother. She is my mother too. I remind her of that sometimes.) On my way back to the clinic I pass a woman and her young son and he has a huge wrap on his head. Turns out he was getting Mangos out of a tree and was hit in the head by a stick. Nice gash! I had them get in the car and took them to the clinic andthen sewed him up! I finished seeing patients at about 2 pm, just had a quick bite to eat and now I am off to the office. I have a man coming to get our butane bottles this evening. Another man is coming to fill in a sink whole (a tree used to stand there... until we burned it out... it burned for weeks.) My yard crew should be back any minute to start the lst of the touch ups with whitewash. What a day!

The sad news is... the humidiy is coming back. It was 95 degrees with 705 humidity in the clinic today... that would be about 122 degrees. : ) Praise God for showers and running water!

Chat at ya later!

Relaxing Weekends Gone in a Minute.

Teresa liked heading to Banjul for a treat so much last weekend that she suggested we do it again. I was game. It has been pretty hot here in NK, I wondered if I could talk her into going in for a day or two and going to a pool. It was easy to talk her into it. So, Friday afternoon, we packed up our stuff and headed out. It would be a very relaxing weekend. We weren't going to take a car, we had no shopping to do. Arriving in Barra, our ambulance driver dropped us off a the ferry, when we bought our ticket we discovered they were already in the process of loading foot passengers. Praise God, we didn't have to wait in the hot sun. Upon arrival in Banjul, one of the two taxi drivers I have used in the past and trust found us at the ferry and offered to be our taxi. We introduced him to the fruit cocktail drink and a schwarma sandwich at the KING OF SCHWARMA downtown Banjul. Delicious. Then it was off to the money exchanger, the roadside veggie stand, and the grocery store. We arrived at our place in Ker Serin in rare form. Friday evening was a relaxing time. Saturday noon we spent the afternoon at a new to us pool. As patrons of the restaurant, you can use the pool. We never had, but it was great! No one around, very quiet. Saturday evening... more rest. Sunday, church... what a blessing the music is to Teresa and I. One of the families that has been attending has a teenage son who plays the flute, another woman who attends with her husband plays the keyboard. I think both of these families are from Korea. Other Sundays we may have a violinist, and maybe a guitarist. In Ndungu Kebbeh it is accapella, so we are always blessed to hear the instruments.

After church, Teresa and I headed to one of our favorite hotels, great pool, okay food. I hadn't been there since I returned to The Gambia. Strolling down the side walk I hear my name... (not unusual.. but my English name... very unusual. It was the lady from the front desk, I may not have been there in two years, and since the quest house opened up I haven't stayed there... but I am still known. (pretty cool!) The pool was indeed great and the owner has made several improvements. The only improvement we saw in the area of the kitchen was a great new seating area. (Yup, the food was still lacking, but great pool and the price was right.)

After two wonderful days of relaxation Teresa and I braved the return to NK. Adelia, our team mate that runs the guest house, drove us the Banjul where we ran some errands and then she took us to the ferry. It was exciting to see a ferry lined up at the dock. That is until I ran into one of the sellers I know... she told me to go have a seat somewhere. It would be a while before we would leave... the president was crossing. We waited a total of 2 hours, as we waited we counted our blessings....1) we weren't under the direct sun, we were fairly close to a ceiling fan, 2) the bathrooms weren't near by (you can figure out why that would be a blessing) 3) we didn't have a crying, wet baby on our backs... Arriving in Barra, we were able to get a taxi (opting for a private one not a bush one) and were home in no time. It is hot, there is a slight breeze, the shower was great and it is good to be home. Oh, but the best was that on the way home we passed all the school kids that were waiting at the side of the road for the president to pass by. He made a detour north and then will come this way. As the driver passed the school children in our village and they saw me sitting in the car... you could hear them start to chant... Maam Soxna, Maam Soxna. What a welcome home!

The work week starts as soon as I open my door. I need to find something for lunch first. Have a great week.

How Do Your Tea Times End?

Today, being Monday, is a favorite time of mine. I actually look forward to Monday afternoons. Tea Time. No, not the British flair. There are no biscuits or scones. Gambian Style Tea Time. It doesn't happen at a specific time everyday, except at my place. Mondays from 4:30-7. Anyone who comes can join the fun. I like to tease that the national beverage in The Gambia is Attaaya. (Chinese Green Tea, but believe me this form has caffeine.) They brew it in little teapots. Then add a lot of sugar. When it is nice and strong, it is poured from one glass to another, to get a nice head of foam. Then the two glasses are rinsed with water and the serving begins. : ) Each Monday, my friend comes to brew the tea and have a chat. Today, she arrived a little later than usual and was in a bit of a hurry, no time for tea, let us just do the milk (warmed and then mixed with sugar, add a little vanilla and YUM!) So, I agreed, that was okay with me. Then I learned she had a baby naming ceremony celebration going on at her compound. So, she brewed, we all chatted.... by the end there were six adult women, one teenage gal and five young girls. We all enjoyed the milk.

My friend left and told me that next week she wouldn't be able to make it, but in two weeks she would be back. I stayed and chatted with the others and then slowly they left. It was a little early and still light out. So, I picked up my magazine and settled back to enjoy a rare quiet moment. About twenty minutes later I looked up to see my friend walking back into the compound and behind her was a horse and cart. I saw about five young men on that and behind it was my friend's husband, who is one of our ambulance drivers. My friend then told me, her son (most likely a nephew) was hit in the head with a metal door. It fell on him. I did a quick assessment and asked her husband to get one of our Gambian staff nurses to ride along with them in the ambulance. I ran for supplies and started an IV, by the time I had the patient ready for transport all the necessary staff had arrived. I worked right at the horse cart. (I just brought out the supplies I would need.) My coworker Teresa thinks she needs to follow me around with a camera. I was starting the IV as she came upon the scene.

By the time they arrived at the referral hospital, the man was awake and when asked where he was he said he was at my house. I am not sure what to think of that... my house looks like the inside of an ambulance. No, I took it as a good sign, he knew my name and that that is where he would go for help. Pray for BD. He stayed at the referral hospital just long enough to get into their ambulance for the ride to the city hospital on the other side of the river. Again, I am praising God for the resources he has given us to help our neighbors.

You just never know how Tea Time may end. Now we know why my friend needed to leave early and why the rest of the group left earlier than normal. God has an amazing plan!

Things that bite...

Okay, years ago when I told my family I was going to be living in Africa.... there was some laughter. I HATE bugs, spiders,snakes,etc. I have done pretty good here, by the grace of God. I have seen a few snakes, most of them are dead when I see them. (PRAISE GOD) I have lizards living in my house (they eat mosquitoes that carry Malaria, so they are welcomed). I have had the rare scorpion, centipede, baby snakes, and a critter from the mouse family.

I woke up this morning to find this cute(?) little (okay, I added the fly swatter so you could see he isn't exactly little) critter, dead at the side of my bed. Apparently he was under my throw rug and met his demise because he couldn't see what was landing on him.

The last few mornings I have awoken with strange bites. We are now wondering if this is the culprit. I don't want to really think about it. I took the photo across the street to my tomaa and she said yes, they bite. Deb says that they bite but it doesn't bother you right away and then it gets sensitive to pressure. YEAH! That's the one. He feasted on my leg the other night, three right in a row.

Gives new meaning to sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite.

Thanks for your prayers.

APRIL 2008
Lately I have had my hands full. No, not with Adama and Awa, but I thought they were a cute picture of full arms. Their mother is a dear friend and this is her second set of twins. The older set is now five. Hadam also has a three year old girl. She really has her hands full.
I am very thankful for your prayers and partnering with me in the ministry here in The Gambia. It has been an interesting time. I will give you a review of the last few months.
January
Wow, it has been a long time. January is suppose to signal the start of the quieter season at the clinic We really haven’t seen that as I am still being called in frequently for children with severe Malaria. Once in a while I get called down for an adult that needs medication and couldn’t make it during the clinic hours.
One of the encouraging things that happened in January was a visit from our regional administrator and his wife.(Ron and Ann Washer) They brought along a couple who are looking to change fields of ministry. It was a blessing to hear about their many years of service in Zambia.
I was making home visits to a few patients in the NK area. One of my patients came from the city to be treated here and refused to be transported to the referral hospital. When he was much better, I did finally convince him to go, he needed TB testing. I enjoy the home visits as it gives me an opportunity to get off the compound and into the village; all though the late at night home visits aren’t as much fun. Teresa usually joins me on these as my chaperone and driver.
February
For a short month it was packed full of things. I found myself making more home visits and getting ready for our quarterly field meetings. These were held in Banjul and the three of us packed up and went across together. We had some fun shopping. You would have enjoyed a picture of the vehicle when we returned to NK. I (sitting in the back seat) was part of the baggage.
During our team meetings, it was decided that I will return to the USA in June to attend MMI (Medical Missions Interface) and represent The Gambia. Please pray with me that I would present the clinic ministry in God’s view and that God would provide short term help in the form of Dr.s and nurses to come to The Gambia and help during the busy rainy season.
During this month I was also preparing for short term help in the form of an MD and maintenance on the compound in NK. How much whitewash do you need to buy for all the buildings we have? We made a guess and I have two big buildings and three small buildings to go. I think we guessed pretty close. God blesses!
On a family note: My niece, Jessica Fish, emailed me; she is planning an August 2nd wedding to Patrick Gernert. The wedding will take place in the Adirondacks. I am planning on spending my yearly vacation in the USA so that I may attend this happy family event. I am praying that I may be able to touch base with my supporting churches in that area while I am there.
March

God has been quite faithful to the three of us gals out here in Ndungu Kebbeh. We have experienced safety as we travel, safety from the snake that wanders our compound, joy in our work and God blesses us in that usually only one of us is sick, or physically down at a time. The other two are great at encouraging the one that needs help. Our prayer meetings can get very lengthy as we share with each other the joys and heartaches of our individual ministries. Praise God this month saw the believers returning more faithfully to Bible study and I was able to start a Bible time for the children at the Literacy Centre’s Library.
This month saw the arrival of the Marrie family. Stacie was a BIG encouragement in the clinic. I know we didn’t keep her quite busy enough (I was thankful it was quieter) and she would have to call me for in the evening and night visits because we no longer have an interpreter on the grounds. I did send for her one time. The guard (who really doesn’t speak English) arrived at her house, knocked at the door and said “Doctor, Soxna, Lopitaan you come.” And come she did. I kept Jim busy with various unpleasant maintenance projects. I was also busy this month doing electrical work at the Literacy Centre (I changed out their inverter) and plumbing work on the compound with Jim.
I started the kids Bible time at the library and it was cancelled for two weeks due to Easter break. We had a quiet Easter celebration. The Marrie family doubled our church attendance. We viewed a few clips from the That The World Should Know series by Ray Vander Laan and Focus on the Family. It is a great video series about the Holy Land. We then had an Easter meal together and lots of fellowship.
April
April continues in the steps of being a busy month. Stacie Marrie led an In-Service Day for the clinic staff. It was a fun day, a bit hot in the classroom and Jim would say it was really hot where he spent his morning… a hot aluminum roof. The staff enjoyed their lecture topics and the Gambian meal that followed. I was a little run ragged by the end of the day; my house had three cooks and the clinic staff traipsing through. It was a fun day and I am glad we were able to offer this training to our staff.
The Marrie family left on the 10th of April. We hope they get to return to warmer weather than what they left. After spending a few 100 plus degree days here, forties may not feel so well. I praise God it is still cool in the mornings and evenings. The Marrie’s would laugh when we would mention getting a sweater or blanket.
Praise
1) The Bible club with the neighborhood children has started and I have over forty in attendance each week.
2) The Marrie family came and they were a blessing in the clinic and doing a lot of work around the compound.
3) The believers have begun to return for regular Bible study.
Prayer
1) The young woman who needs to have emergency surgery is still waiting. The family said the doctor will now do it on 21 of April. Thank you to those who gave money toward her surgery. I will keep you all informed as I hear.
2) MMI June 19-22, I will represent The Gambia. I am asking God to provide short term help for the months of August through December. I have eight weeks remaining: mid Sept- mid Oct and the month of November. Pray for my travel and time with Family and churches. Pray for transportation needs to be worked out.
3) I am having difficulty with my hand and arm. I am not sure what is going on, I have resumed all my therapy.
4) Pray for my meeting with the Department of Health regarding my returning to the US this summer. Also, pray that God may fill those gaps in the fall with short term MDs and/or nurses so that we can open the clinic full time and open the hospital.

Phil 3:14 As I serve God here in The Gambia, I press toward the mark.

Another Crazy Period of Time

I think I should change my goal of writing a blog frequently. I have had to crazy a life.

I should share some of the successes God has given to me and my patients. One of our bakers is a diabetic. He was really sick in February and our Gambian staff treated him. When he did not improve he came to see me. I was able to check his blood sugar and discovered that he was out of control. I sent him to Banjul. The Drs there treated his pneumonia and sent him home on his oral diabetic meds and had him purchase a vial of insulin. He was then told to see me the next day and I would start his insulin. HA-HA. NOT! I adjusted his meds for a week and read up on insulin. I prayed a LOT. Finally, I had to face it, he needed insulin, but not as much as the dr in Banjul thought. I reduced it and gave him his first injection, explained what to do if he felt like his blood sugars were too low. That started my twice a day trips to his compound. I was able to decrease the insulin dose further and teach his wife and daughter how to give the injections. I had to go into Banjul to pick up Dr Marrie and family, so I left the medication filled syringes with him. His daughter did a pretty good job while I was away. Praise God I was able to continue to decrease his insulin and now he is feeling great and on just oral medications! God is good. The family tries to give me the credit, I won't take it. It has opened the door for talking about God and how HE provides. Yesterday I saw the baker in the clinic. He is feeling and looking great. He told me his children would be bringing me something that afternoon. I received the nicest loaves of bread I ever saw. They were tasty.

I recently saw a four month old whom I had treated at home for an abcess when he was just a newborn. He is growing so fast and is so big now. His mother and I gave praise to God for helping him.

Dr. Stacie, Jim, Ryan and Megan have returned to the US of A. It is lonely, (aka quiet) here now. Teresa and I miss Megan, she was full of energy and fun to have around. I would love to rematch Ryan in ping pong. I think we are even, two games a piece. How did I let him leave the country with that score. HMMM

Before Stacie left, we had an In Service Day for the clinic staff. It was a fun, hot day. Stacie gave three lectures, I only gave one little one. I over saw the good stuff, breakfast and lunch!

Well, Blogger won't let me up load the photos I have for this post.... so until later. Have a wild one!