Monday, January 28, 2013

Photo Tour of the Hospital

Stephen and Ian in radiology.

Our photo tour of the hospital is on facebook.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Monday, January 21, 2013

Quick Update

Today, if all goes as planned, we leave Impfondo for Brazzaville.
Sarah Speer, as Field Director, will be keeping the team in Impfondo working together smoothly.  She has been such a great help to us in our transition.  She will be spending more time at the hospital, and keeping her community health projects functioning at the same time.

Dr. Laura Foudy will be taking on the medical responsibilities with help from visiting doctors.  She will be pulled in many different directions.  Pray for strength and wisdom for her!

As a family, we have a lot of adjusting to do.  We've packed our things, said our good-byes, and are now ready for the next step.  After more than three years away, things in the US will seem different to us.

As always, thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. 

Friday, January 18, 2013

Monday, January 14, 2013

Thoughts on Home



We started doing reentry preparation with the kids, and it has us all thinking about what "home" is.  We talked about "passport" country and "host" country, differences, and what home means to different people.  It was interesting to hear the kids thoughts on the subject.


Ian doesn't feel quite like Impfondo is home, but he wants to. He said that this is where he will spend most of his life, so he wants it to feel like home. He still feels partly like the US is home, and partly like here is home. He'll miss the warm weather, the outdoors, seeing the hawks in the sky. But he is looking forward to re-experiencing some of the things he misses from the US.



Isabelle expressed similar sentiments, but decided that for her home can be anywhere she stays for one month. She'll miss her friends, her room, her water-bed, the cats. But she's looking forward to time spent with grandparents, cousins, and friends left in the US, eating familiar foods, getting new toys. Out of all the children, she is the one who craves stability and is most easily overwhelmed by change.


Caleb said he feels like US is home. I don't think he's ever fully forgiven Africa for not living up to his expectations. He was expecting lions, giraffes, hippos, just like a safari. After we arrived in Congo, he wouldn't believe for a long time that we were in Africa.

Since he was only three when we came, he doesn't remember a lot about the US. He's heard us talk about the things we miss. He wants to belong to the land of grandparents, McDonalds, hot dogs, toys, and hotels with swimming pools. I just hope that will be all he desires.



Stephen added that he feels like home is wherever his family is.

I feel the same. Except it's never really that simple.

My idea of home is also where I'm comfortable and settled, where I can blend in and live an average, unexceptional existence. Where I don't stand out for my white, white skin and my fumbling, stumbling search for words.



For me, though, home is more about the people than the place.

I've always like the quote by Robert Frost, "Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

As we've moved and traveled and changed our plans what seems like a thousand times, we've always had this. We have the anchor of our families in the US, who are there to love and care and support.

Anytime we want or need to come "home," they are ready to take us in.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Monday, January 7, 2013

January Update


We enjoyed our fourth Christmas here in Impfondo.  It's still hard to be away from family and all of the comforts of home, but it does give us more of a chance to focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
The last few months have been even busier than usual.  Stephen was the only doctor here for November and December.  We were glad to see Dr. Laura Foudy return at the end of December!

Our plans to leave Impfondo in January have been complicated by the fact that all commercial flights to Impfondo have been suspended until further notice.   We've been able to arrange a charter flight with MAF for January 21, just two weeks from today.   Let the countdown begin!

Since the summer, we've been working to make our transition as smooth as possible.  It's difficult since our mission staff keeps shrinking, and there aren't enough people to do all the work.  We have to do the best we can to prepare those who will remain here.

We are working on plans for our time in the US.  This week, we will be posting the dates we will be available to visit churches.  Please let us know if you would like us to come to your church.
Stephen and Aaron


The electricity situation at the hospital continues to hover between very bad and critical.  Aaron Ernst is spending six months here in Impfondo working at the hospital, and his mechanical knowledge and work have been invaluable.

We received news this weekend that the container containing the new electrical equipment from the US was packed.  It should ship sometime in the next two weeks, and begin the slow voyage to Impfondo.
Dr. Harvey, hard at work packing the container.

Henri and Joyce Samoutou have been working on New Sight, the new eye clinic.  Henri has been seeing patients in his office and preparing to start elective eye surgeries January 14.

We have continued to see many cases of malnutrition here at the hospital.  I stopped our series after my "poster child" for follow-up care died.  I will continue the series eventually.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support for our family and our ministry here.