New Restaurant in Town!

Although I am in a town of about 10,000 people, there are hardly any restaurants and definitely no familiar chain restaurants. The ones that are here are usually run by one or two people. About a week ago, I got invited to a new restaurant in town. It is run by a woman from the local church plus another woman who she hired to help. Although the menu did mention chicken, when asked what was available, it was fish done about three ways. I had a whole fish cooked with a tomato sauce and on top of a mound of rice that had been prepared in the tomato sauce. Here's a photo:



By whole fish, I mean that the head and tail were still on it. I did not notice the eyes so perhaps they had been taken out. :-)

My House in the Jungle PLUS!

I often say that I live on the Equator in the jungle but this photo will give you a better view of my house. It is the long white duplex next to the brick home, overlooking a river leading the the waterfall. I can hear the water rushing over the waterfall from my home and sometimes I have to really listen carefully to know if it is RAIN I hear or the WATERFALL. Rain can really be loud in the "tin" roof of my home, even though the attic mutes it. I have no glass in my windows, just screens, wooden slats and bars. The bars are placed at the same level as the wooden slats so I can not see them from the inside. They do protect against thievery though.



I'm having fun spending ministry money, money people have given to me to give to various projects where I see fit. Since I will leave for retirement at the end of the year, I am using up the monies that are in my account, even as every month more dollars comes in. What a blessing from the Lord, but also a responsibility to use the money wisely. Here are two of the recent projects.

The Kanda church has a young pastor who does not have any furnishings in the parsonage. I had a table and chairs made that will stay in the parsonage for his use, and also for future pastors. Here is the young pastor with a few of the members, trying out the new table!



I have already written about the new ceiling that the Nursing School is getting to get rid of the bat dirt infested old ceiling. It is my donors who are paying for that ceiling. It already SMELLS better in the school!! The work will finish this week.



Thanks to those who give to my  "Work of" ministry account!

Staying Away from Nursing School!

So why would  I be staying away from the Nursing School? I've still been going down to the hospital to check on half of the students who continue to work, even though the other half are on vacation. BUT, the nursing school itself is getting a make over. It has had bats living in the attic for YEARS so this week all the ceilings are coming down and new ceilings going up. The holes in the attic screens were patched so the bats can't get back in.  I'm allergic to bat dirt so I'm staying clear. I did take a few pictures though. These two photos were taken of the first room of the school after the plywood ceiling was down, while the bat dirt was being swept out. The second was of the men finishing up the new ceiling finishes in that room.





Three new ceiling fans will be installed in that large classroom. The one that was there before only helped the few people sitting in the center of the room. Now we profs will have our own fan as before we got no air!!! WooHoo!

Today's Positives:
1. The ceiling renovation project is happening this week in the Nursing School, including the installation of three new fans!
2. There are no nursing classes for the next four weeks so I have time to work on other projects. One project for me will be doing 20 hours of Continuing Education for my Nursing license renewal.
3. Our hottest season here on the equator is March and April and those months are nearing and end (not over but nearing an end).

Midwifery Graduation!

Yesterday was graduation day for my one midwifery student. Grad was held at the Maternity with midwives and doctors present. After cake and pop the new grad and her friend  came over for a midafternoon chicken dinner and a movie. At the end of the day I was totally wiped out and needed to sit in my recliner with my legs up!!

Here are a few photos:

Radio DJ?

The Hospital just got licensed to start operating a new Hospital Radio FM station which will be broadcasted to our patients. We already have a few French programs on Christian life, health talks, etc. Previous to having the license all the work was done of installing radios and speakers on the porches of all the wards so we had been awaiting this license.  The one problem is that the frequency that we were given permission to use for testing out our system some months back is not the frequency that our final license gave us. Now we have to figure out how to change the frequency in the radio equipment.
I realize that I do not have many months left in Africa but I volunteered to help out someone else get started at this ministry. The problem being of course that so far no one else has volunteered to do it. Here is a photo of me taken on Friday as I checked out the equipment. No, I have never done this in the past.

Dr's Visit Results!

We have a visiting Orthopedic surgeon at our jungle hospital so I was able to see him, having my first ortho check for my knee in 14 months. I had had an Xray in September which showed extra bone growth over my left replaced knee but an Xray this week showed no more extra bone growth so that was good. The Doctor said everything looked good, both metal and plastic in my knee. He examined my leg and said all was well, that my degree of knee bend was more than 86 degrees but less than 90 degrees. He did not have his angle measuring instrument with him. I had measured 86 degrees in Dec 2012.

The counsel that he gave me was:
1. Take good care of my knee because to replace it again would be extremely difficult.
2. NEVER fall. He told me that several times.
3. Walk as much as I can. When I asked how much he just said to walk as much as I can.
4. Walk on flat surfaces, not up and down the mountain that I live on. No worry there, I always drive up and down the mountain!
5. See an orthopedic surgeon every 2 years to make sure that the plastic in my knee is not wearing out. He said that the plastic can be replaced without doing the knee replacement again. He said that even if the surgeon says to come every five years, that I should see him every two years.
6. Continue to take my medicine for Osteoporosis (I take Boniva).
7. Continue to do a knee bending exercise because I still have the possibility of improving my knee bend.



I was very satisfied with my check up as was the surgeon.

I'm keeping plenty busy here. Doing a lot of meals for company as we have quite a few visitors. Teaching nursing students. There are only two more weeks of school and then final exams. The next quarter then starts right away the following week.