My Last Christmas!

This has been my Last Christmas in Africa!! On Saturday evening we had a Christmas Hymn sing at the O'Connor's home. (photo to left)










On Sunday was my last Christmas church service at Kanda Alliance Church. (Photo to right)

Christmas Eve I went down to Bongolo Church to watch some of the Christmas program which is always like a Variety Show with many songs, skits, choreographed dances, etc. 

Christmas morning Deborah Walker and I had breakfast together. I made an egg casserole and a coffee cake.

We then opened the gifts we had under the Christmas tree.

In the afternoon we had a Turkey meal with other Americans and one Canadian who work here at the Hospital.

There was also a Bible reading and the lighting of the last Advent Candle.

I have had a very nice last Christmas in Africa. By Christmas 2014 I plan to be living in the States and getting ready for Speaking Tour in January. Then then in the Summer of 2015 when I turn age 66 I plan to "Retire" or refocus on another ministry, yet to be determined.

Surprise Christmas Luncheon!

This noon we had a Surprise Christmas luncheon for our Nursing Students. Normally on Fridays we divide the students into three small groups for Bible studies. But today we had a surprise luncheon with them and then a Christmas devotional study all together . Everyone was surprised. It was fun. Tomorrow half of them leave for a week long vacation. The following week the other half will have vacation.

Here a few photos from today.







Today's Positives:
1. It was fun surprising the Nursing Students with lunch together.
2. I showed a movie on the Life of Christ (Jesus film) at the Maternity this afternoon. There were four people who prayed to the Lord wanting to start following JESUS, starting today.
3. It's FRIDAY!!

Let it SNOW!

Well, here on the equator it does not snow. This is my last winter without snow before I move to Nebraska and winters full of snow. Someone asked my why I plan to retire in snow territory. Well, I've been living away from my family for 40 years. Now I plan to retire near family. That won't be for another year so for now, Let it snow in other areas. I'll keep enjoying snow free living!!!!!!

Today's Positives:
1. I LIKE living where there is no snow!!
2. I'm still on Staycation/vacation. I enjoyed some Christmas and grocery shopping in town.
3. I am now watching, "It's a Wonderful Live" on dvd.

Let is snow..... far away from me!!

To SPAIN and BACK to AFRICA!

This blog should have been posted BEFORE my Thanksgiving blog.

On Monday morning November 18th colleagues and I flew from Africa to Spain where we attended an "All-Africa" conference. It was great seeing people we had not seen for years, and meeting others we had heard about but never before met. We had helpful meetings and workshops. All of our food was included in the price of the hotel, much more food than we needed at the various buffet tables!

Although I was in a tourist area, I was able to do very little site seeing. Friends and I did walk around the hotel where there were cobblestone walkways between stores. On Friday a friend and I took an elevator down to the beach so we could walk on the boardwalk for awhile.

Saturday Nov. 23rd was travel day. We left the hotel at 11am and then had two flights to get to the equator where I live. It took til about 5:30 am Sunday before we got to the guest house. Tuesday we did the ten hour drive down to the hospital where we work on Tuesday.

My left leg/knee that I broke last year swelled up quite a bit all week. It will be good for me to get it home and back to my recliner with my feet up. I did not do extra walking during the week but I did lots of sitting with my feet down. This is not good for a leg that has bad circulation. Others drove us back to Bongolo on Saturday and since then I have been on antibiotics for my leg which seems to have "cellulitis".  Today it is back to "normal".

Also, many people passed around some sort of a respiratory virus during the week. I went to the conference having problems with my allergies but that did turn into a "cold" and with my asthma, getting a cold is never a good idea. My lungs got what may have been a secondary infection. The antibiotics that I am taking for my leg have also helped clear up my lungs! :-)

Here are some photos of me in Spain.

Yep, I broke down and ate a B.K. Whopper! We have NO American chains  in the African country where I live and eating a Whopper was a "little bit of America" to me.



Here is me by the Mediterranean Sea.

Celebrating Thanksgiving!

We celebrated our Thanksgiving Day yesterday, Friday. There were ten of us here: four doctors, three nurses, a Pilot, a school teacher and a Pastor! Oh, we were ten adults and one baby! Our meal was traditional, with turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole down to the pumpkin pie. After the meal we even had an American football game that we had taped off of satellite TV the night before. Here are a few photos.







For an update on my health. My leg is back to normal after a ten plus day bout of swelling. I am to finish off the ten days of antibiotics that I was given for that which is good. The antibiotic is clearing up my aggravated bout of asthma so coughing less.

Today's Positives:
1. I had a nice Thanksgiving time yesterday.
2. My leg is back to normal and my coughing is much less.
3. I am finishing decorating my home for Christmas.
4. A neighbor couple (pilot and doctor) is coming over this afternoon so I can give them some of my extra Christmas decorations. This is my last Christmas in Africa so everything will go at the end of the season.
5. I'm on vacation (Staycation) for another week. YES!!!!!

Have a nice weekend!

 

School, Church and Spain!

The second year of classes for the Bongolo Nursing students started out with a three day Spiritual Retreat. Pastor Konde from the Theological Center in Libreville came to be the special speaker. Our 16 students and we the profs all appreciated his ministry.  The day after the retreat ended the regular 1st Trimester started of classes. Each trimester is ten weeks long, followed by a week of Exams. We are now in week ten so the students take final exams November 11-14th. I am sure they will be glad to be done with theses classes. I know I will be!!

I have been attending the Kanda Alliance Church. About last March a strong tornado like wind took the roof of the parsonage completely off. This photo was taken two weeks ago, with the parsonage in the background and the church to the left. Last week the parsonage roof project was completely finished and the Laypastor moved back into the home. How happy the church members are to have that project done, especially the Laypastor, Wilfried.

On Saturday March 16th I plan to drive with others to Libreville so we can fly out early Monday morning, March 18th. We'll be headed to Malaga, Spain to attend the All-Africa Field Forum. About 330 people are expected to attend the conference, coming from many countries. I will try to update my blog after the conference, letting you know how it went. Thanks for your prayers for safe travel and a good conference.

Pizza from Scratch!

Yesterday a friend from church came home with me so I could teach her how to make pizza  and also how to make bread. It's not like she doesn't know how to bake. She is a Wedding Cake baker and decorator. She just had never made pizza nor bread. Henriette and I had a good time and ended our time together with prayer. While at my house her brother called and he was in town. She left with a pizza so she had dinner all ready to go when she arrived home to find her brother.



Today's Positives:
1. I am sitting here with a sweater on, very unusual on an equatorial African afternoon. This is the coolest summer I can ever remember here and I've been here for 36 years.
2. Only three more computer classes for the summer and then I get a teaching break before School restarts with a weekend retreat that begins August 29th.
3. I also have a pizza from our baking spree yesterday. Most of it is frozen for another time.

Tiring Days!

This week and next I am teaching an afternoon computer class to six Nursing Students and one nurse Midwifery student. Most have never touched a computer before and I have never taught a computer class this large before this. A donation of money towards the Nursing School allowed for the purchase of ten laptop computers. Here is a photo of my class.



After working at the hospital in the morning and then teaching class every afternoon I come home EXHAUSTED.

Tuesday evening I had a few people over for dinner and a movie. One of my visitors took this photo so he was not in the photo.



Today's Positives:

1. Computer class is going well.
2. Although I've had busy evenings the past few days, I am home with no plans but to rest this evening. I think I will even go to bed early.
3. Our weather has been about 70 degrees, humid and cool. NICE for the Equator.

On STAYCATION!

The Nursing School academic year is done. I'll be teaching Computers this summer but not for the next two weeks. I'm taking these two weeks off as a STAYCATION, staying at home. Except that a friend and I will take a three day, two night trip to another town to check out the market and restaurants. During these two weeks I have many projects that I want to work on in my house and home office. Today's project is cleaning my bedroom!

Celebrating One Year!

Yesterday I celebrated one year since my Left Total Knee Replacement (TKR). That surgery was my fifth surgery on that knee/leg within a 3 1/2 month period last year but the TKR was my last surgery. After almost four months of not being able to put any weight on my left leg I was up and walking the next day after having my new fake knee! Praise the Lord!

I have some swelling in that leg and the doctor says that I always will have. When I broke my knee I also tore my main artery going to my leg and that artery had to be replaced by a vein. My circulation is not as good as it was before the trauma. Other than the swelling I have very little discomfort in my knee/leg, not enough to take any pain medicine.

Today's Positives:
1. Yesterday I gave my last final exam of this academic year. Everyone passed my course. I don't yet know the results of the other classes.
2. The Nursing School year is done and the students and profs (me included) are very glad!!!!!!
3. I'm looking forward to two weeks of vacation, starting MONDAY! :-)

Here I am the day after my TKR (one year ago today), my first day to be able to WALK after my knee break:

Right Knee is OK!

My last update was letting you know that I had found a knee brace that fit my right knee (not the one that I broke last year). Well, I used it for two days but the brace irritated my skin so badly that I stopped using it. On Thursday of last week I noticed that I was having very little right knee pain. Since then I have taken NO PAIN MEDICINE for my right knee. That is over a week that I have been pain free!  I am careful not to twist it outward or I feel a twinge but otherwise I am not having the very painful knee that I had had for about three weeks. Thanks so much for praying. I know that it was because of being anointed with oil and prayed over and because of the prayers of hundreds of my prayer partners that I got over this "bout" of right knee pain which was due to a stretched knee ligament. Praise the Lord!

New Right Knee Brace!

Update from yesterday's blog. Many told me that they were praying that I would find a knee brace that fit.

Today Meladee Davis and I went looking for a brace that fit and we found one in the warehouse down by the tennis court. It is black, slips on like a sleeve but has metal braces on each side of my RIGHT knee. It is a good fit, not too tight but it does not slip down. This knee problem is on my RIGHT knee, not my LEFT knee which I broke last year. That knee is "fine", as fine as it is going to get. Now I have two knees to "nurse". It makes getting up and down from certain chairs more difficult but I'll figure it out. It is also harder to bend to pick up something from the floor. Looking at me getting in and out of the car is probably not a pretty picture. I can still drive. I imagine that I will need to wear this knee brace until my knee pain is gone. Thanks to those who have been praying for this new knee problem and also thanks to those who read my blog yesterday and have prayed that I find a brace that fit. Prayer answered.

The Moral of the Story is..!

On May 2nd I was sitting on a plastic chair in the hospital pharmacy. The chair suddenly broke and collapsed sending me straight down to the floor. Four ladies help pick me up off of the floor because with my left knee that will not bend well, I am unable to make that maneuver. I have been hobbling around since then and seemingly in even more pain now. The pain, in my RIGHT (not the broken one) knee.

In preparation for getting an X-ray on my knee tomorrow I went down to the Hospital so the Dr. could write for the X-ray in my medical record book. Dr. does not work tomorrow. At the same time she wrote for the X-ray she did an exam of my knee and diagnosed my pain problem. When the Chair broke and collapsed under me on May 2nd my right knee's medial collateral ligament pulled/stretched.

Treatment? Ibuprofen and rest and use a knee splint/brace so that my knee will bend but not rotate side to side. Well, we went down to the supply department and there was only one such splint/brace. I put it on but it falls down when I try to walk. It is an XLarge. We'll have to look for another one, perhaps in the Surgery department. I will still have the X-ray tomorrow, to check on my osteoarthritis but that is not what is causing my pain these past 18 days.

The moral of the story is, if you are injured and you LIVE and WORK at a HOSPITAL, don't wait 18 days to see a Doctor!!

Here am I sitting with my splint on my right leg. No sense in using this one though since it just falls down to my ankle when I try to walk! The bright side is that I am not X-Large, at least my knee isn't!!



Today's Positives:
1. It was a national Holiday here so I did not have to work at the hospital and could sit for another day, resting my knee. I did give two make up exams but the students came to the house for these.
2. I finally asked a Dr. to see my painful knee.
3. My computer arrived back today from being repaired in the States. YES!

My returned computer!

"Tornado" Update and photo!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about a "tornado" like wind that took the Kanda Church parsonage roof totally off. I was at Kanda again this past Sunday and took a photo of the house, without it's roof.

 

An estimate of the cost of re-roofing the house is a bit over $2000. Almost none of the old roof's materials were salvageable.  Some Christians from other Churches have volunteered to buy some of the material for the repairs.The Kanda Christians have been taking up collections too. I have donors in the States who have given me ministry money so whatever is needed extra will be taken care of by that fund. I'm very glad that no one was hurt when the strong tropical storm winds took off the roof.

Nursing School restarted today. I worked all morning at the hospital an then this afternoon taught my first class of Introduction to Pathology. It is the student's "heavivest" course this trimester. Two students were let go after second trimester, because of grades. That leaves 14 students in the class.

Saturday a friend and I are having a small garage sale and then the following Saturday we're having a big sale. I still have quite a lot to do to get ready for the sales.

Our station Internet has been so slow. I had problems with my Itunes file and our internet is so slow that downloading a new file has not happened. It keeps timing out and only downloading maybe 20% of the file. I'm just glad I can still blog.

Today's Positives:

1. Work and class went well and this evening I've been resting with my feet up.

2. No rain today nor yesterday so perhaps the rainy season is lessening some. The drier it is here, the cooler. Summer is usually dry and cool season.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Have a good day.

From 5K to Wheelchair and Back!

 In July 2011 friend Deborah and I did our first  5K walk using the online training. What a victory for both of us. One week later we did another 5K with along with many others.

13 months ago TODAY I took a misstep and broke my left knee, then tried to catch myself as I was falling and broke my left wrist. Both were out of joint. Two ligaments in my knee had torn. The fire truck and rescue squad came to the house. I got to choose the hospital where they took me so I asked to go to the one closest to where my Mom lived so it would be easy for her to visit me. I also had a good friend, Nancy, who worked in the Emergency room.

The Othopedic surgeon who saw me in the ER said that he would "try" to fix my knee but that I might ultimately need a knee replacement. My knee and wrist were put back in place in surgery. A metal bar was put on my leg so that my knee would not bend. Then I went to the recovery room but then it was discovered that I did not have ciruclation in my leg so I went back into surgery and a vein was taken and turned upside down and sewn in to replace my popleteal artery. If I had been in Africa and had the same accident, I would have had to have my leg amputated!!!!

One week later I had a metal plate and screws put in my wrist to fix my Ulna. Still one week later I had a plate and screws to put my smashed Tibia back together. A half week later I moved to a Rehabilitation Center where I stayed for five weeks. I spent plenty of time in a wheelchair.

I had to learn to use a walker by holding on with my right hand and my left elbow and then hopping on my right foot. There were many muscles that needed strengthening for me to do this very far.  I had physical therapy and occupational therapy.


Eventually I went home, but not to the same condo where I had been living. I needed an apartment that had wide doors for my wheelchair and also a walk in shower. Two weeks later I learned that I needed a total left knee replacement but I had to wait until my Tibia was healed before that June 19th surgery. I had broken my knee on March 5th and had my sixth surgery on June 19th. During that time I was not allowed to put any weight on my left leg. The day after my knee replacement I was up and walking! I still needed weeks and weeks of physical therapy but the photo to the right shows one of the first days that I walked with a cane.

The day I broke my knee and wrist I told my Orthopedic Surgeon that I worked in Africa and needed to get back there. In September 2012 he gave me permission to return and on December 2012 I retuned to my work at teaching Nursing on the Equator. The one needing many Caregivers once again became a Nursing Professor and a Caregiver!!!






Now about that 5K. I do not know if I will ever do a 5K again but I am walking outside for exercise. I need to look down as I walk to make sure that I don't trip on something and fall again. I walk on bad pavement, dirt paths, grassy areas, etc as I walk on the station and from one hospital building to the next. I do try to take a short 15 minute walk most afternoons.

Today's Positives:

1. God has truly been GOOD to me to heal me and allow me to return to my work in Africa.

2. I am working on walking more. I walked 2 fifteen minute laps today instead of only one.

"Progress not perfection"!!

Easter Service with photos!

1 Peter 1:3
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead"... (NIV)

 

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!

 

Happy Easter! This morning I went to Nzoundou Chapel with a carload of people including Pastor Jean Clement, one of the Hospital Chaplains. It was so good to have a Pastor along so he could give the Easter Sunday message and also so he could give communion. The little village rarely has the visit of a Pastor. 

 

 

There were 65 adults and children present in church. That is about twice the number of people who routinely are there on a normal Sunday. 

You know that there are some people who only

attend church on Christmas and Easter. 

There was a lot of good singing, an excellent message with an invitation and some who expressed a wish to follow Christ. 

After the message, Pastor Jean Clement gave communion. He had brought the communion cups and I had brought bread to represent the body of Christ and yes....  Raspberry Crystal Light to represent the blood of Christ. I've seen many drinks used for communion including orange soda. The importance is the meaning behind the symbol.

 

These kids were playing in the middle of the floor during the message. So cute. All the many kids in the chapel were well behaved and lasted the almost three hour service. There was no nursery.

 

Pastor Jean Clement is willing to go with us to Nzoundou other weeks which is great. Because he is one of the Hospital chaplains, he does not have a particular place to minister on Sundays.

Today's  Positives:

1. My Easter celebration started last evening with a Potluck dinner with all the Expats who work at the hospital. We ate and then had an Easter Hymns. It was great with many different languages as we were from the U.S., Canada and four different African countries.  

2. The service at Nzoundou Chapel was well attended and the message well received. We even had a Pastor with us where usually we are lay people holding the services.

3. A number of people accepted Christ today as well as others who came back to the Lord.

They're dead!

Exposed ant tunnels.

About ten days ago I paid a man to trim the front bushes and pull the weeds under the bushes. The bush trim and ground cleaning out revealed that the whole front of my house was filled with ANT nests and trails. Since that day, the big black ants have been coming into my house. I guess they did not like that their ant hills and homes were disturbed. They come in through a crack under a door opens from my bedroom to the outside.


I went online to find what would kill ants but would not kill plants. I found suggestions such as baking soda, cinnamon and corn meal. I have tried sprinkling baking soda on the ant hills but we have had hard rains every day and they soda just gets washed away. When Paul Davis, our maintenance manager at Bongolo came by today I asked him to look at my the hills. He immediately went to the garage and brought back a strong insecticide spray that he used on the whole front of my house, on the ant hills, ant trials, lower part outside of the house, the door where the ants come into the house, etc. He said that it would last a month.

An hour later I looked on the sidewalk on in front of my house. There were a number of big black ants, DEAD ANTS! WooHoo!

Today's Positives:
1. The ants are dead and not coming into my house.
2. I got some sorting done in my office this afternoon.
3. The rains that we are having right now have cooled down the hot, humid weather here. It is rainy season on the equator for at least another month or two. Then we will have three dry months. I wish we could send some of this rain to the drought areas of the U.S.

TORNADO!

Lay Pastor Wilfrid preaching in French with translation into Yinzebi.

I went to Kanda Church this morning. Had to put my Nissan in 4 wheel drive to get through the mud holes. I guess a truck had been stuck earlier. My Nissan got through fine. 

There were 76 in church, half of those were children and youth. It is a very "alive" church. The Lay pastor Wilfrid gave a Palm Sunday message.

A few weeks ago the church's parsonage had been struck by a "tornado" like wind and the whole roof had been taken off. Sure enough, the whole roof was off of the house and on the ground next to it. It had not been well anchored down to the house. Some of the materials will be able to be used again but most will need to be paid for again and they are studying how to better anchor the roof to the brick house. The Lay Pastor was given a room in the house of one of the members of the church. It's good he is single, without a family right now since there is no house for him. Pray that the roof gets put back on quickly though. Oh, and Lay Pastor Wilfrid was not in the house at the time of the storm. Praise the Lord that no one was hurt. ..... sorry I forgot my camera at home today so I could not get a photo of the roofless house Here is a photo of the red brick church. The parsonage is at it's right side but not seen at all in this photo.

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Today's Positives:

1. It rained so much yesterday, I was glad that it was not raining today. It was especially good to have a dry day because the roads were so muddy. How would I have even seen the ruts should they have been filled with water.

2. The Palm Sunday service in Kanda was very good, with a good message.

3. No one was hurt in the Tornado that took the roof off of the Kanda Church parsonage. What the Africans call a tornado is not a twister as in the U.S. It is a tropical wind storm, more similar to a Hurricane but with less rain.

   

Nursing School Graduation Photos!

This morning was Nursing School Graduation for the eight 3rd year students, seven women and one man. It was held at the local church, during the morning service. Here are some photos!

Graduates entering the church doing the African shuffle to music.

Graduates sitting on the front row of the church.

Hospital Staff sang two songs during the graduation service.

American Professors in the Nursing School. I am on the far right.

 

African and American Professors at the Nursing School.

 

Graduate nurses and me.

 Today's Positives:
1. Graduation and the reception afterward both went well.
2. The Power point that I did for the graduation reception went ok.
3. After being on my feet much of the day until 2pm, my left leg swelled more than it had for awhile but this evening it is back to it's "normal". Thanks to my new recliner!



By the way, green is NOT my color. I know, I know, it's St Patrick's Day, right? And I even have a wee bit o Irish  blood in me but what can I say, I wore green because it was the chosen cloth of the graduates!
 

BBQ Dinner for Nursing Graduates!

The Senior class of Nursing Students that I teach will graduate tomorrow. Last evening we had a BBQ dinner. Here are a few photos:

Here is a photo of the graduates plus professors.

Today's Positives:
1. We had a fun BBQ dinner last night. Played the game Mafia and the students seem to really love it.

2. Tomorrow is Nursing School graduation. I need to bake a cake this morning for the reception tomorrow.
3. My computer had the BSOD (blue screen of death) again yesterday but I have been able to save my important files off of it. There is a visiting surgeon here in Africa who will return to the States next weekend. He will take my computer there for repairs. The repairs will be covered by a prepaid service agreement.  I do have a small Netbook that I will be able to use until my main laptop returns.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

My Ship Came In...!

I have lived and worked in Africa since 1977. Every few years I ship items from the States. Since I plan to leave Africa for in December 2014, for retirement, I do not need many things. I December though I shipped two cartons of items for me and two with things that the people had given me for the hospital.

I also "hand picked" a new recliner that actually FIT me. I went to Nebraska Furniture Mart in Omaha and sat in many chairs. Then I took the information down on the chair that fit me (high enough so I could get out of it, long enough for my long legs, high back for my head, etc). I emailed the chair information to my contact in Ohio. She then went to a store near the dock yards and ordered my chair. It arrived at that store THE DAY BEFORE our shipping container was going to be loaded!! WooHoo.
My shipment arrived in the capital city here and then was trucked down to the hospital where I live. I have had the things less than two weeks. It is SO nice having my new chair. Yipee!

Today's Positives:
1. Even though my computer is giving me problems (blue screen nearly every day), I have been able to save my documents off of it.
2. A visiting surgeon said that, if needed, he will transport my computer to the States in two weeks when he leaves. I am doing some troubleshooting yet. Please pray for wisdom as to if I should send my computer or not.
3. My computer's two year service agreement with the Geek Squad is still in effect until August so I will not have to pay for repairs, or replacement parts.  YES!
4. I FOUND my camera I had looked for since Saturday. YES!
5. My Ship came in! YES!

I hope you are having a good day. Stay well.