"Against All Odds"

Friday morning, April 11th, I was scheduled to fly from Omaha to Chicago and then to New York City before then flying to Africa. I had reservations on American Airline, an airline that was canceling many flights last week. In looking at the Weather Channel, I saw that it might snow in Omaha on Friday and it was supposed to be rain stormy very near to Chicago. I had not looked at the New York forecast. God is a miracle working God and I knew that I could get back to Gabon “AGAINST ALL ODDS”. I asked people to pray. A verse came to mind. It was Joshua 1:9b (Bible in Basic English) and states, “Take heart and be strong; have no fear and do not be troubled; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,”

On Wednesday before those flights I called the travel agent. She said that I was not scheduled on an American Airline’s MD80 plane, the one that was grounded last week. I was scheduled on two other planes. She said to call her on Thursday to see if the flights were still ok. On Thursday she called me instead and told me that she had noticed that she had double booked my flights, on American Airlines through Chicago but also on Northwest Airlines through Minneapolis. She had never canceled the Northwest reservations!!! Thursday she arranged to transfer my payment from American Airlines to Northwest and I soon received a new e-ticket!
Friday I flew Northwest Airline from Omaha through Minneapolis to JFK in New York City. From there I flew to Casablanca. In “Casa” I left the airport and was picked up by a nurse friend of mine. I got to meet two girls she had raised. We went to the beach and watched one of them have her surfing lesson and then ate lunch together before I was driven back to the airport for my flight from Casablanca to Libreville. What fun it was to see my friend, “her kids” and also to see Casablanca!
I arrived in LBV on Saturday night at 11:30pm and rode down to Bongolo Hospital yesterday with someone going. I said that “I ARRIVED”. My two suitcases did NOT arrive on my flight. They came the following day, after I had already gone down country. Both had had their TSA padlocks removed. They will come down country by truck sometime in a week or so.
Praise the Lord that I arrived in Gabon despite American Airline’s grounding planes, bad weather, etc. I arrived home “Against all odds”! Thanks for praying!

Family Visits

Last week I had visits from three brothers. Larry and his wife Leslie were in Omaha the evening of March 24 until the morning of March 26th. We had lots of fun chatting and going out to Applebee's, Chipotle's and Pepper Jack's. To the right see a photo of Larry, Leslie and I in the March wind of Omaha!

During the weekend, March 29-30, I had visits from brothers Glenn and Bill. Glenn came with his grown daughter Kristi. Bill came with his grown daughter Loni. We visited the Village Inn, China One Buffet! We also visited my Uncle Dean and cousins. See a photo of Glenn, Carolyn, Uncle Dean and Bill.

EASTER Weekend

I'm now on vacation in Omaha. On Saturday my step mom and I went to cousin Roxanne's home for "Easter dinner". I was able to see my Uncle dean and cousins. Easter Sunday Mom and I went to church at the 9am service. We went to dinner at step brother Bill's house and stayed most of the afternoon. We rested in the evening. Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

AIDS Outpatient Clinic

This photo is of the new AIDS Outpatient Clinic at the hospital. We have finally received official permission to order Anti-Viral medicine against the AIDS virus and to open this clinic. Pray that the medicine arrive quickly and pray for wisdom as to how to proceed with opening the clinic.

Tour in Western PA

Thanks for praying for my trip from Bongolo Hospital to the States from Feb. 22 to Feb. 25^th. Although we had a flat tire on the way to the Mouila airport, everything else went smoothly. I arrived in Pittsburgh, as did my suitcases. A lock was missing on one suitcase but I think that nothing was missing. Thanks again for praying.

I am already at my fifth church of this tour. I am traveling with Don Kramer, missionary to Taiwan. Although we are on opposite churches we are sometimes transported in the same car or taken out for dinner together. I had not met Don before. I will be on speaking tour through the evening of March 19^th. I’m scheduled for a total of twelve churches.

March 20^th I plan to fly to Omaha for three weeks of vacation. I have several plans for those three weeks including a medical exam, visits from friends and some relatives and shopping. My flight back to Gabon is for April 11-12^th and I am supposed to ride back down to the hospital with Becki Thompson who will have just arrived back in Gabon from a trip.

The Nursing students are nearing the end of their sixth week of a ten week trimester. Jacob has been having so many problems with grades that he likely will not be able to pull up his grades to be able to continue into the next trimester. Oscar is also having problems but may be able to pull his grades up. Pray for both of these students as well as the other ten.

I taught the first half of this trimester’s Theological Education by Extension (Bible) class to the student nurses and Karen Fitch is finishing out the class for me. During my last class time with them student Eveline’s water burst and she went off to the maternity to deliver a big baby Boy. The other students told her to name her baby after me because she had been in class at the beginning of “labor” so I have another namesake in Gabon. I guess that they spelled his name a little differently but in a manner easier for pronunciation in French. Good thing since she had a boy! Oh, Eveline and her family are are refugees from the Congo Braazaville and has lived in Gabon for about six years.

I updated the Bongolo website quite a bit in February and so far in March have not had time to do much. If you haven’t checked it out recently it is found at: www.bongolohospital.org.

I went from the warm equator to snow in Pennsylvania. It snowed every day for the first five or so days that I was here. Then we had a couple of nice days. Now it’s getting cold again. I was very glad that I had had my winter coat and boots sent to PA from Omaha! I’m looking forward to Spring, and I just got here!

Have a good day.

New View of Hospital

Below is a new view of the Bongolo Hospital. The two story building is the new AIDS Outpatient Clinic building.