Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas friends and family!

It seems strange to be writing this letter when it is currently 90 degrees and sunny outside! I must admit I miss the snow, but I anticipate celebrating Christmas here in Cameroon. Since my arrival last January, so much has happened. Work continues to go well. Every morning, I conduct ward rounds, moving from bed to bed, visiting each hospitalized patient. In the afternoons, I consult patients in the clinic. The range and gravity of illness here is occasionally overwhelming, but always very interesting.

With prayer and continued effort, I feel I have reached a place of friendship and mutual respect with my African colleagues. Communication in this culture is still a challenge, but I feel we enjoy one another.

I have been in excellent health since my arrival, which is no small miracle! Thank you so much to all of you who are specifically praying for my protection.

My language skills are slowly improving! I am grateful for my ability to speak French and rely heavily on this language when working. However, the majority of the patients, especially the women, speak only Fulfulde! Usually, I can make my way through a patient history without a translator and can greet and carry on a small conversation.

The members of our team here in Meskine really enjoy one another. We often get together for pot-lucks or games and every Saturday evening is dubbed “pizza and a movie night”. This fellowship and their prayers have been such a blessing during my first year on the field.

I have had the opportunity to see quite a few of the local tourist spots. In the spring, I visited Waza and Kalamalawe game parks where we tracked down herds of elephant and bumped into various birds and giraffe on the way! One weekend this summer, we drove to the village of Rumsiki to hike and photograph it's gorgeous hills and valleys. Finally, for my vacation this past fall, I took a trip to Lagdo, a beautiful lake in the south. I have posted photos of these locations on this blog. You can view them by clicking on the "click here to see my photos" link to the right.

I will be thinking of you all this Christmas. While it is difficult to be far from you, I appreciate the news I receive of your marriages, new arrivals, graduations etc and look forward to being reunited with you soon. May God bless you, thank you for your faithful friendship,

Sarah