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!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
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!
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!
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!
Monday, November 24, 2008
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).
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).
Monday, September 15, 2008
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.
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.
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