Hello friends and family.
I know you are all waiting to hear the final plan for Aissa’s future. Thank you for your patience. Our team is making this decision carefully, understanding the full impact it will have on her entire life. We are praying to know the will of God and are looking at this situation from all possible angles. It has not been easy, but this process is necessary.
After our meeting today we have stated as a team that we are ‘heading towards’ placing both Aissa and her sister at the Bethlehem Foundation for the school year. Many important questions are still left to be answered however, and Andy and I will make one more visit to the orphanage tomorrow.
In addition, the orphanage’s social worker will be invited to visit Aissa’s village in the coming weeks to ask the family if they are willing to send the girls away for their schooling. This meeting will be very important.
So please, please pray. Thank you.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Thank you CCBC!
Thank you Calvary Chapel of Battle Creek!
Your boxes arrived right on time and I was able to assemble and distribute your goodies to the pediatrics ward before leaving Cameroon!
Thanks to your generosity, each package consisted of crayons, color pages, candy, a toy, hair pretties and an additional item such as a toothbrush or stickers:-)
Aboubakar is 5 years old. Last year, he swallowed lye, an ingredient used for making soap. This chemical burned his esophagus (the pathway between the mouth and stomach) so badly that he can no longer swallow. The hospital has placed a tube directly into his stomach so that he can be fed. Missionaries on our team are currently mixing enriched porridge to be given him through this tube and surgery to open his esophagus is being investigated. Please pray.
She was all smiles...
...so was he:-)
This baby doll liked his stuffed monkey.
Demonstrating proper Pixie Stick technique...
The many precious stuffed animals you sent were delivered to a grateful vaccination team who will use them to entice the village mamas to bring their children in for regular immunizations! In addition, the beautifully knitted baby bonnets and receiving blankets are being kept in the maternity ward. Once a mother has completed all of her prenatal visits, and after delivery in the hospital, she will be given her gift.
Once again, thank you for your generosity and kindness. We are so blessed by your efforts. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Your boxes arrived right on time and I was able to assemble and distribute your goodies to the pediatrics ward before leaving Cameroon!
Thanks to your generosity, each package consisted of crayons, color pages, candy, a toy, hair pretties and an additional item such as a toothbrush or stickers:-)
Aboubakar is 5 years old. Last year, he swallowed lye, an ingredient used for making soap. This chemical burned his esophagus (the pathway between the mouth and stomach) so badly that he can no longer swallow. The hospital has placed a tube directly into his stomach so that he can be fed. Missionaries on our team are currently mixing enriched porridge to be given him through this tube and surgery to open his esophagus is being investigated. Please pray.
She was all smiles...
...so was he:-)
This baby doll liked his stuffed monkey.
Demonstrating proper Pixie Stick technique...
The many precious stuffed animals you sent were delivered to a grateful vaccination team who will use them to entice the village mamas to bring their children in for regular immunizations! In addition, the beautifully knitted baby bonnets and receiving blankets are being kept in the maternity ward. Once a mother has completed all of her prenatal visits, and after delivery in the hospital, she will be given her gift.
Once again, thank you for your generosity and kindness. We are so blessed by your efforts. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Goodbyes
To bike or not to bike, that was the question…
I had recruited Kerri one of our missionaries who speaks fluent Fulfulde to help me say goodbye to my language tutors who live in the village. Now, how to get to her house? The roads were likely to be muddy from rain the night previous and I was way out of practice with this particular mode of transportation!
In the end I decided to be brave. I dusted off the community bike used here on the compound and walked it to the ‘repair shop’ just outside the hospital gate. The ‘shop’ consists of a few guys working on motorcycles under trees which give shade to the oil-stained sand around them, but they have the all-important tire pump, and that was just what I was after. Tires re-inflated I was ready to go, dodging puddles, lizards and chickens on my way to Kerri’s house.
The visits went well. After ducking into two compounds and seeing a total of four women, the conversation often ended in the same way;
“You’re leaving us so soon Sadatou, (that's me) are you tired of us?”
“No, I’m not tired of you at all, I will miss you, but I am ready to see my baaba (father) and daada (mother).”
“Will you come back?”
“I hope to come back to visit friends, but I am not sure if I will work at the hospital. I am still praying to know God’s will”
“You must come back! Do not forget us Sadatou and practice your Fulfude…”
The visits were lovely, the weather was beautiful and as I rode home, mothers greeted me and their children ran waving into the street. Kingfishers flashed from branch to branch in all of their turquoise splendor and the hills in the distance sported a sprinkling of green thanks to the recent rains. A cool breeze blew over the village and I wondered again why I would ever want to leave this place.
It is part of me now.
Will anyone understand this? Will they understand how certain sights and sounds suddenly bring me back to a village in Africa? Will they see how this experience has changed the very person that I am, how I think and react, how I live my life?
There is One who was with me the entire time. He is a constant which never changes, His is a presence that will never leave me, even after I return to my ‘other’ life. I remember this and am comforted. This is all a part of the missionary deal, this paradox of emotions. Soon I will be home to hug my baaba and daada and as difficult as it will be to leave, that will be so, so good.
I had recruited Kerri one of our missionaries who speaks fluent Fulfulde to help me say goodbye to my language tutors who live in the village. Now, how to get to her house? The roads were likely to be muddy from rain the night previous and I was way out of practice with this particular mode of transportation!
In the end I decided to be brave. I dusted off the community bike used here on the compound and walked it to the ‘repair shop’ just outside the hospital gate. The ‘shop’ consists of a few guys working on motorcycles under trees which give shade to the oil-stained sand around them, but they have the all-important tire pump, and that was just what I was after. Tires re-inflated I was ready to go, dodging puddles, lizards and chickens on my way to Kerri’s house.
The visits went well. After ducking into two compounds and seeing a total of four women, the conversation often ended in the same way;
“You’re leaving us so soon Sadatou, (that's me) are you tired of us?”
“No, I’m not tired of you at all, I will miss you, but I am ready to see my baaba (father) and daada (mother).”
“Will you come back?”
“I hope to come back to visit friends, but I am not sure if I will work at the hospital. I am still praying to know God’s will”
“You must come back! Do not forget us Sadatou and practice your Fulfude…”
The visits were lovely, the weather was beautiful and as I rode home, mothers greeted me and their children ran waving into the street. Kingfishers flashed from branch to branch in all of their turquoise splendor and the hills in the distance sported a sprinkling of green thanks to the recent rains. A cool breeze blew over the village and I wondered again why I would ever want to leave this place.
It is part of me now.
Will anyone understand this? Will they understand how certain sights and sounds suddenly bring me back to a village in Africa? Will they see how this experience has changed the very person that I am, how I think and react, how I live my life?
There is One who was with me the entire time. He is a constant which never changes, His is a presence that will never leave me, even after I return to my ‘other’ life. I remember this and am comforted. This is all a part of the missionary deal, this paradox of emotions. Soon I will be home to hug my baaba and daada and as difficult as it will be to leave, that will be so, so good.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Zoe!
I got a package in the mail today.
In that package was an envelope marked "for Sarah Root"...
And in that envelope was a lovely necklace made for me by one of my favorite cutie pies:-)
Thanks sweet Zoe, you made my day. I'll be home to hug you and your little blondie sisters soon...
The blondies, clockwise from Zoe in the pink is Cari, Sarah and Emma.
In that package was an envelope marked "for Sarah Root"...
And in that envelope was a lovely necklace made for me by one of my favorite cutie pies:-)
Thanks sweet Zoe, you made my day. I'll be home to hug you and your little blondie sisters soon...
The blondies, clockwise from Zoe in the pink is Cari, Sarah and Emma.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Bethlehem Foundation
This morning I took a trip to the "Bethlehem Foundation", a local Catholic orphanage. I spoke with Sister Rosa, the director of the facility as well as their social worker and one of the nurses who works on site.
I shared with them Aissa’s story, from her arrival at our hospital in May, 2009 to her reconstructive surgery in Togo. I showed them my photos of her miraculous recovery and asked if they might be willing to house Aissa and her sister for the school year. They readily agreed.
We discussed the particulars such as cost of room and board. The monthly amount of approximately 50$ includes not only food and housing, but all medical care, schooling fees, clothing and incidentals. The older children usually attend the village elementary school which is just around the corner from the orphanage, and has a student to teacher ratio of <40:1. The younger children attend kindergarten classes on site.
We will gather as a team next week to make a decision about where to place Aissa for the school year. Please pray that we would all be at peace and that God would give us his wisdom.
Thank you.
Front entrance to the center.
Chapel at the orphanage.
Medical offices on site used for evaluation of sick residents.
"Home of Joy" If she goes to the orphanage, this will be Aissa's home.
Kitchen.
Bathrooms:-)
I shared with them Aissa’s story, from her arrival at our hospital in May, 2009 to her reconstructive surgery in Togo. I showed them my photos of her miraculous recovery and asked if they might be willing to house Aissa and her sister for the school year. They readily agreed.
We discussed the particulars such as cost of room and board. The monthly amount of approximately 50$ includes not only food and housing, but all medical care, schooling fees, clothing and incidentals. The older children usually attend the village elementary school which is just around the corner from the orphanage, and has a student to teacher ratio of <40:1. The younger children attend kindergarten classes on site.
We will gather as a team next week to make a decision about where to place Aissa for the school year. Please pray that we would all be at peace and that God would give us his wisdom.
Thank you.
Front entrance to the center.
Chapel at the orphanage.
Medical offices on site used for evaluation of sick residents.
"Home of Joy" If she goes to the orphanage, this will be Aissa's home.
Kitchen.
Bathrooms:-)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Please pray
We visited Aissa today.
After driving over an hour on serpentine roads and crossing many dry riverbeds, the scenery began to look the same and I was thoroughly lost. Fortunately Andy who was driving had his bearings and we finally parked and walked to Aissa’s home. The area where she lives is quite pretty, the huts are all huddled together and constructed of smooth earth and stones, and the village is bordered on all sides by rocky hills.
We crested a large boulder and saw Jean. He went into a nearby hut and called the little bird who came running. She was more subdued that I expected. She immediately held up her arms and I picked her up off the ground, noting that she seemed lighter.
We were greeted and invited inside to sit down. Aissa immediately settled herself on my lap. We made small talk and I gave the bird the coloring pages and crayons I had saved for her. She was pleased and began on them right away.
Aissa’s face is healing well, the stitches have wiggled their way out from around the graft as expected and the small wound under her right eye is clean and almost closed. However, she has developed a bacterial skin infection due to poor hygiene, was struggling with a bad cold and had lost weight.
We trimmed her nails and measured her arm circumference as a way to monitor her growth. She has had chronic ear infections in the past, so I took a look today. I could not see much through the wax and was concerned she may develop another infection with her current cold.
We were given permission to take photos of the family compound and as I walked around with my camera, Aissa followed, arms outstretched. This clingy behavior usually means she is feeling a bit insecure and is not really sure of what is happening.
As I was leaving the compound, Aissa asked me for something to eat.
We gathered together and prayed over the little bird. She sat in my lap again and I held her close, asking God in his mercy to protect her, knowing this may be the last time I see her for years. As we left, we assured the family that one of our pediatric nurses would be back in two weeks to check on her and reiterated that if Aissa became ill, we had an agreement with their neighbor to drive them to the hospital on his motorcycle. Upon arriving, their transport would be paid and her care would be free.
Jean walked us out and on the way asked if we could give them food. He is a farmer, and because he was in the hospital during the last rainy season with Aissa, he was unable to plant his fields. No crop means no food and now, whatever stores the family may have had are completely gone.
They are hungry.
We told him we would discuss the problem and he was displeased. He stated that if he was not given food, he would have to leave Aissa ‘like her father did’ and go to Garoua. We perceived this to be a threat, as there is no way he could find the funds to make the trip. We left, agonizing over the tension encountered so often here in West Africa between desiring to meet basic human needs, yet not create dependence. We cannot fully trust Jean, while he has done extraordinary things for Aissa, this is not the first time he has made threats in order to get his own way and he is a known alcoholic. I prayed that God would give us wisdom as we made our way along the path.
Before reaching the car, we passed the local Lutheran church, a mud building with a tin roof. The pastor was sitting outside under a tree and as we walked up to greet them, his wife spread out a clean mat, gave us a fresh bowl of peanuts and invited us to sit.
We talked for a while and found that the church has bags of millet grain the staple food in this area, for sale. We paid Pastor Andre, and arranged for him to help Jean purchase a sack of grain within the next couple of days. God answered my prayer for wisdom and immediately provided for Aissa and her family. They will have food soon. The agreement is one bag a month for 3 months, until the harvest. If the bag runs out before the end of the month, in case they feel pressure to share with neighbors or to sell the grain for money to buy alcohol, we cannot purchase them another.
Pastor Andre then pointed out the local school and shook our hands before we piled into the car. At the school we met the director and took photos of the classrooms. We talked about cost and learned that the local student to teacher ratio is 50:1, which is not bad for this area.
I hope to visit the local Catholic orphanage this Friday where I will be asking about placing Aissa and her sister in their facility during the school year.
How can I summarize? The little bird is healing well after her operation, despite a minor respiratory and skin infection. She has lost weight because the family doesn’t have enough to eat, but God showed us the way to temporarily care for this need. We have a pediatric nurse visiting regularly for the coming few months and have secured transportation for her to get to the hospital if needed. School is in Aissa’s future, although we are still deciding as a team where to place the little bird and her sister this fall.
However, my heart’s cry is that Aissa be loved. We can put food in her stomach, treat her for malaria, enroll her in school but who will love her? Who will pick her up when she desires to be held? During our time on the ship, I saw how she blossomed under such love and affection, how she transformed into a radiant, joyful, exuberant child.
This was not the child I saw today.
We desperately need your prayers. I will keep you updated.
Village school
Carrying Aissa back to her home.
Aissa's sister.
Wanting to be held.
After driving over an hour on serpentine roads and crossing many dry riverbeds, the scenery began to look the same and I was thoroughly lost. Fortunately Andy who was driving had his bearings and we finally parked and walked to Aissa’s home. The area where she lives is quite pretty, the huts are all huddled together and constructed of smooth earth and stones, and the village is bordered on all sides by rocky hills.
We crested a large boulder and saw Jean. He went into a nearby hut and called the little bird who came running. She was more subdued that I expected. She immediately held up her arms and I picked her up off the ground, noting that she seemed lighter.
We were greeted and invited inside to sit down. Aissa immediately settled herself on my lap. We made small talk and I gave the bird the coloring pages and crayons I had saved for her. She was pleased and began on them right away.
Aissa’s face is healing well, the stitches have wiggled their way out from around the graft as expected and the small wound under her right eye is clean and almost closed. However, she has developed a bacterial skin infection due to poor hygiene, was struggling with a bad cold and had lost weight.
We trimmed her nails and measured her arm circumference as a way to monitor her growth. She has had chronic ear infections in the past, so I took a look today. I could not see much through the wax and was concerned she may develop another infection with her current cold.
We were given permission to take photos of the family compound and as I walked around with my camera, Aissa followed, arms outstretched. This clingy behavior usually means she is feeling a bit insecure and is not really sure of what is happening.
As I was leaving the compound, Aissa asked me for something to eat.
We gathered together and prayed over the little bird. She sat in my lap again and I held her close, asking God in his mercy to protect her, knowing this may be the last time I see her for years. As we left, we assured the family that one of our pediatric nurses would be back in two weeks to check on her and reiterated that if Aissa became ill, we had an agreement with their neighbor to drive them to the hospital on his motorcycle. Upon arriving, their transport would be paid and her care would be free.
Jean walked us out and on the way asked if we could give them food. He is a farmer, and because he was in the hospital during the last rainy season with Aissa, he was unable to plant his fields. No crop means no food and now, whatever stores the family may have had are completely gone.
They are hungry.
We told him we would discuss the problem and he was displeased. He stated that if he was not given food, he would have to leave Aissa ‘like her father did’ and go to Garoua. We perceived this to be a threat, as there is no way he could find the funds to make the trip. We left, agonizing over the tension encountered so often here in West Africa between desiring to meet basic human needs, yet not create dependence. We cannot fully trust Jean, while he has done extraordinary things for Aissa, this is not the first time he has made threats in order to get his own way and he is a known alcoholic. I prayed that God would give us wisdom as we made our way along the path.
Before reaching the car, we passed the local Lutheran church, a mud building with a tin roof. The pastor was sitting outside under a tree and as we walked up to greet them, his wife spread out a clean mat, gave us a fresh bowl of peanuts and invited us to sit.
We talked for a while and found that the church has bags of millet grain the staple food in this area, for sale. We paid Pastor Andre, and arranged for him to help Jean purchase a sack of grain within the next couple of days. God answered my prayer for wisdom and immediately provided for Aissa and her family. They will have food soon. The agreement is one bag a month for 3 months, until the harvest. If the bag runs out before the end of the month, in case they feel pressure to share with neighbors or to sell the grain for money to buy alcohol, we cannot purchase them another.
Pastor Andre then pointed out the local school and shook our hands before we piled into the car. At the school we met the director and took photos of the classrooms. We talked about cost and learned that the local student to teacher ratio is 50:1, which is not bad for this area.
I hope to visit the local Catholic orphanage this Friday where I will be asking about placing Aissa and her sister in their facility during the school year.
How can I summarize? The little bird is healing well after her operation, despite a minor respiratory and skin infection. She has lost weight because the family doesn’t have enough to eat, but God showed us the way to temporarily care for this need. We have a pediatric nurse visiting regularly for the coming few months and have secured transportation for her to get to the hospital if needed. School is in Aissa’s future, although we are still deciding as a team where to place the little bird and her sister this fall.
However, my heart’s cry is that Aissa be loved. We can put food in her stomach, treat her for malaria, enroll her in school but who will love her? Who will pick her up when she desires to be held? During our time on the ship, I saw how she blossomed under such love and affection, how she transformed into a radiant, joyful, exuberant child.
This was not the child I saw today.
We desperately need your prayers. I will keep you updated.
Village school
Carrying Aissa back to her home.
Aissa's sister.
Wanting to be held.
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