We are starting our blog again, as we are bound for the DR Congo again for another four weeks from October 14 to November 13. We have been asked to return to continue the work which we started in March. This morning, I have been up to the Congolese embassy in King's Cross and collected our visas. I had less trouble this time than previously, only three trips being necessary despite the fact that the procedures seem to have changed since March. Next time, if there is a next time, it will only be two trips, as I have found that the application forms are available on the Internet!!
Our international flights from Heathrow to Entebbe, Uganda are booked and paid for. We use a specialist mission travel agency in Holland to arrange these flights, and they have an arrangement with British Airways, which allows us an extra 23kilos of baggage free of charge for mission supplies. We have taken up this offer and will be taking various items out with us for the mission.
Our MAF flights from Entebbe to Bunia are booked, but still have to be paid for by international money transfer. This is a bit more complicated than just paying with a credit or debit card but can still be done over the Internet.
Tomorrow evening, we will be giving a presentation to those attending the Congo Field Conference at Bulstrode. We will be talking about our experiences and showing pictures not only of our work but also of the fantastic work done by Drs. Philip and Nancy Wood, with whom we stayed and shared so many experiences.
I don't anticipate that there will be much activity on the blog until we actually arrive in the Congo on 15 October but keep looking.
I will close now. God bless. And thank you for your interest.
John
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Monday, 5 April 2010
Back In the UK
Hi to everyone who has followed our time in the DRC via this BLOG,
We are trying to settle back into the routine here following our return to a bright but very chilly UK at 6.00 am Thursday morning. The return didn't start too well when we decided to get a taxi home rather than getting Tim up early. The taxi driver claimed he diddn't know where Uxbridge was and asked beligerently is we lived there, then proceeded to take us on to the M25. I commented that I thought that they (taxi drivers)did something called "The Knowledge" and knew where places were and that really stirred things up. The truth is that they expect to pick up fares into Central London and don't like short journeys from the Airport to places where they are not likely to get a fare.
Good Friday we had a Male Voice Choir engagement at which Janice sang a solo. Her voice was in good shape considering how little singing she has done over the last month and the rendering was very moving. Our choir leader decided to include a quartet piece that was not on the official programme. I am one of the voices in the quartet. We had practiced it some time ago before we went to Congo. It was well received so I think we did it justice.
Shopping at Sainsburys just highlighted the fact that most of the food on offer is processed in some way and not the raw materials for cooking as we have been used to in Bunia Market. (rice by the 50 kilos and beans and peanuts by the 5 kilos)
Everybody was very welcoming at Church on Sunday and anxious to hear how we got on. Sunday the 18th will be the day for us to tell the church, Janice in the mornking and me in the evening.
Thanks to all who followed our progerss, particularly those who were able to jump throught the hoops and post comments and those who were not but Emailed us in stead.. You have no idea how encourageing it was to here from you all.
This will be the final posting for now. We will let you know if we start posting news again.
May God bless you abundantly as He has us through this amazing experience!!!
John
We are trying to settle back into the routine here following our return to a bright but very chilly UK at 6.00 am Thursday morning. The return didn't start too well when we decided to get a taxi home rather than getting Tim up early. The taxi driver claimed he diddn't know where Uxbridge was and asked beligerently is we lived there, then proceeded to take us on to the M25. I commented that I thought that they (taxi drivers)did something called "The Knowledge" and knew where places were and that really stirred things up. The truth is that they expect to pick up fares into Central London and don't like short journeys from the Airport to places where they are not likely to get a fare.
Good Friday we had a Male Voice Choir engagement at which Janice sang a solo. Her voice was in good shape considering how little singing she has done over the last month and the rendering was very moving. Our choir leader decided to include a quartet piece that was not on the official programme. I am one of the voices in the quartet. We had practiced it some time ago before we went to Congo. It was well received so I think we did it justice.
Shopping at Sainsburys just highlighted the fact that most of the food on offer is processed in some way and not the raw materials for cooking as we have been used to in Bunia Market. (rice by the 50 kilos and beans and peanuts by the 5 kilos)
Everybody was very welcoming at Church on Sunday and anxious to hear how we got on. Sunday the 18th will be the day for us to tell the church, Janice in the mornking and me in the evening.
Thanks to all who followed our progerss, particularly those who were able to jump throught the hoops and post comments and those who were not but Emailed us in stead.. You have no idea how encourageing it was to here from you all.
This will be the final posting for now. We will let you know if we start posting news again.
May God bless you abundantly as He has us through this amazing experience!!!
John
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Is this the final posting?
Tues. 30th March.
I’m doing some afternoon typing, and we hope to get our final Blog diary from the Congo off to you this evening.
We seem to have been here for a lifetime! But tomorrow we will be setting off on the first leg of our journey home. If there are no April Fool Day Flight surprises, we should land at Heathrow around 6am Thursday!!
Tomorrow we will be leaving this fascinating country and people, and many new friends. The last few days have been very busy, and particularly for John as he’s been finalising the computer work, and instructing the College Staff in the use of the programmes etc.
We have also had many invitations to people’s homes for ‘farewell meals’....including one this evening. And Nancy and Philip have arranged similar meals here; all featuring Congolese food, which we have thoroughly enjoyed during our month’s visit.
Nancy and Philip are amazing people, as are so many dedicated missionaries. Without being here to witness everything, it is impossible to imagine the amount that is packed into every day. Via our Blog we have tried to give you an insight into the work undertaken by them. They are totally dedicated for caring for the sick, preventative medical work and the education and training of the young Congolese people as Nurses and Doctors to improve the conditions and welfare and to serve in their own country.
DR Congo has many, many highly intelligent people among the very poor and throughout the whole range. But so many cannot afford education beyond junior school. Nancy and Philip support individuals and families as well as the Hospital and Clinics via the support of WEC and their own Home Churches and individuals etc. Our admiration for them is vast.
Some Emails have asked how my ankles are faring!! Well, they’ve taken a hammering I guess with all the walking on rough paths, and climbing in and out of the high 4x4 car!!! But miraculously haven’t hindered all that was needed of me!
By the way, the baby I saw born by caesarean has survived and is now flourishing. As well as the various practical Hospital and Clinic work I’ve done, I have also spoken/encouraged staff and students with their English.
Enough now, it’s over to John for a Final contribution.
See you in the UK soon!
Love and thanks for all your interest and prayers,
Janice.
Well, I have nothing to add to what Janice has said except to say that so much is achieved with so little of the resources we in the West take for granted, and with such grace!!
Truly AMAZING GRACE!!!!!!!!!!!
I had intended finishing work this morning but transferring the programme to the school’s computer threw up one or two problems with the format and language. Sorting it out was also a problem because the operating system on the school computer is in French. So I was relying on knowing where things are rather than the written directions! Mind you, language has been a problem all the way through. The blame for that is mine more than anyone else’s. So a return to the school was necessary this afternoon just to tidy up.
I have left them with a copy of the programme to play with for “training” purposes and trust that when they come to actually use it in July when the students finish they won’t find any bugs!!
It truly has been an amazing month. So we will see you soon back in the UK
God’s blessing on you all.
I’m doing some afternoon typing, and we hope to get our final Blog diary from the Congo off to you this evening.
Janice with Moses the gardener.
We seem to have been here for a lifetime! But tomorrow we will be setting off on the first leg of our journey home. If there are no April Fool Day Flight surprises, we should land at Heathrow around 6am Thursday!!
Tomorrow we will be leaving this fascinating country and people, and many new friends. The last few days have been very busy, and particularly for John as he’s been finalising the computer work, and instructing the College Staff in the use of the programmes etc.
We have also had many invitations to people’s homes for ‘farewell meals’....including one this evening. And Nancy and Philip have arranged similar meals here; all featuring Congolese food, which we have thoroughly enjoyed during our month’s visit.
Nancy and Philip are amazing people, as are so many dedicated missionaries. Without being here to witness everything, it is impossible to imagine the amount that is packed into every day. Via our Blog we have tried to give you an insight into the work undertaken by them. They are totally dedicated for caring for the sick, preventative medical work and the education and training of the young Congolese people as Nurses and Doctors to improve the conditions and welfare and to serve in their own country.
DR Congo has many, many highly intelligent people among the very poor and throughout the whole range. But so many cannot afford education beyond junior school. Nancy and Philip support individuals and families as well as the Hospital and Clinics via the support of WEC and their own Home Churches and individuals etc. Our admiration for them is vast.
Some Emails have asked how my ankles are faring!! Well, they’ve taken a hammering I guess with all the walking on rough paths, and climbing in and out of the high 4x4 car!!! But miraculously haven’t hindered all that was needed of me!
By the way, the baby I saw born by caesarean has survived and is now flourishing. As well as the various practical Hospital and Clinic work I’ve done, I have also spoken/encouraged staff and students with their English.
Enough now, it’s over to John for a Final contribution.
See you in the UK soon!
Love and thanks for all your interest and prayers,
Janice.
Well, I have nothing to add to what Janice has said except to say that so much is achieved with so little of the resources we in the West take for granted, and with such grace!!
Truly AMAZING GRACE!!!!!!!!!!!
I had intended finishing work this morning but transferring the programme to the school’s computer threw up one or two problems with the format and language. Sorting it out was also a problem because the operating system on the school computer is in French. So I was relying on knowing where things are rather than the written directions! Mind you, language has been a problem all the way through. The blame for that is mine more than anyone else’s. So a return to the school was necessary this afternoon just to tidy up.
I have left them with a copy of the programme to play with for “training” purposes and trust that when they come to actually use it in July when the students finish they won’t find any bugs!!
John with Aaron the anaesthetist.
A meal with Melkizadek and Rose.
God’s blessing on you all.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Latest News from Bunia DRC
Hello, again! It’s Saturday afternoon 27th, and I just have some time to type some Blog news with battery power before we get a meal ready for the usual Doctors English speaking evening! Family and friends know that I am not an ‘early morning’ person, but a night one! So, I have had to be in complete reverse in the Congo! Breakfast a 6.30 am and bed around 9 pm or earlier!!
For example, this morning I had showered [cold water of course] before breakfast; then a 15 minute walk with Nancy and Marguerite to the Tailors [more outfits for us!] and back home; then off by car to the Bunia market for the usual big Saturday morning shopping [John stayed in computing today]; then I was dropped off at the Church to go to a typical Congo wedding and free to take all the photos I liked.....and what a spectacular wedding, like nothing one could ever imagine!! All that packed in BEFORE lunch at 12.30!!!!
Wednesday morning I was at the Hospital fixing my labels in the Pharmacy and women’s ward, helped in the ward by a couple of handsome male nurses, and watched with the usual Congolese enthusiasm by the bedridden patients!
I spent the afternoon with Wendy at her Physiotherapy clinic in Bunia [walking there and back]. A fascinating assortment of patients! And I spent Thursday morning at the clinic in Bunia town with Nancy at her surgery/outpatients session. 31 patients seen and treated between 8am to 1pm!! All ages with a variety of problems: Diabetics, lumps and bumps, infections, TB, Aids......some to be sent on to see Philip re surgery etc. The people walk for miles, or by motorbike taxi, and sit happily and without complaining on the veranda from maybe 7am until they are seen!!
This will amuse you: Nancy explained that when she says” I will give you the Coca Cola test”, it’s the finger prick blood test for “Glucose Tolerance”!!!And when she says” I want you to go to the weight loss clinic”, it is the Aids assessment clinic!!
Friday morning at 7.15 it is off to the weekly Church Service for the College Nurses. We had been asked to sing and give a testimony. They all ‘knew’ us because we’ve been every week, and they know we love there amazing singing. We sang “There’s a New Name Written Down in Glory” as it’s got a ‘swing’ to it!!! You expect clapping and arm waving and possible cheering for all kinds of situations, but WOW, the clapping and cheering etc. after our singing was more on a par with having scored the winning goal for England in the World Cup!!!!! The Congolese exuberance is amazing to hear and behold!! Then we were asked to sing it again at the ‘Thank you/farewell’ meal and entertainment they put on for us at the College in the afternoon.....more cheering and their wonderful spontaneous laughter, especially when I demonstrated that I would have to sing in England with the step and arm movements [and hip wiggling!] that they do!! They joined in the chorus too!! John will mention some more about the ‘Farewell Meal’, but family will know that i don’t like to think of my meat as animals or birds that were once running around, and especially not recently alive and well!!!....read on!
And thank all family and friends who have emailed us. It’s seemed a very long time since we were able to email anyone at any time we liked, or pick up a phone and talk!
Janice........now over to John for his contribution!
Hi to you all.
It’s now Sunday evening, 6.50 and we have had a full day again, but more of that later!! As you will gather Janice is having a much more varied and exciting time than I am! I did take a morning out to visit the hospital during the week to see the patients and conditions there but usually, following breakfast at 6.30, I am at ISTM (the Nursing College) by 8.30 where I work on the Computer Programme until just before 1.00. No one takes a mid-morning break but I have coffee brought in for me!! Walk home for lunch takes about 20 minutes. Following lunch I walk back to the college for about 2.30 and work through till about 5.00 then walk back. I have got to the stage where the staff will be able to input each student’s marks into the database and produce an end of term certificate without having to type all the details into a Word template as they do now with all the possibilities for transcription errors. If I can I will try to include a copy of a certificate with this Blog.
The farewell at the college was a full blown evening meal and Janice and I were given a special piece of chicken as honoured guests – the gizzard or crop – which signifies that the chicken was killed specially for us! Another sermon there I think!! We were also given a gift, an African carving of a canoe with two people in it with a load of fish. The people are Janice and I and the fish are the results of our work. Janice was also given a dress length of material with some significant decoration!
Church this morning at 9.30 to the French language service with three choirs taking part; (the men’s’ choir were in a different outfit again, that’s three we have seen!). Nancy took us out for a buffet lunch. Our evening meal was with Jonathon and Janine (Jonathon is a Director at the college). They live in a property on a 7.5 acre plot which the college are hoping to buy and develop into a new campus with office accommodation. The site is on the edge of town with stunning views across the valley to the hospital.
Our time here is coming to a close and tomorrow I hope to give some instruction on using the database, document the instructions and maybe add another group of students to the list of those they can produce certificates for!
Many thanks go to those who have followed our blog and also to those who have commented on it; also to those who have emailed us. Your prayers have enabled us to tap into that inexhaustible source of strength that is available to us all if we commit ourselves wholly to God.
God bless you all – see some of you soon! (on Good Friday)
John
For example, this morning I had showered [cold water of course] before breakfast; then a 15 minute walk with Nancy and Marguerite to the Tailors [more outfits for us!] and back home; then off by car to the Bunia market for the usual big Saturday morning shopping [John stayed in computing today]; then I was dropped off at the Church to go to a typical Congo wedding and free to take all the photos I liked.....and what a spectacular wedding, like nothing one could ever imagine!! All that packed in BEFORE lunch at 12.30!!!!
Wednesday morning I was at the Hospital fixing my labels in the Pharmacy and women’s ward, helped in the ward by a couple of handsome male nurses, and watched with the usual Congolese enthusiasm by the bedridden patients!
I spent the afternoon with Wendy at her Physiotherapy clinic in Bunia [walking there and back]. A fascinating assortment of patients! And I spent Thursday morning at the clinic in Bunia town with Nancy at her surgery/outpatients session. 31 patients seen and treated between 8am to 1pm!! All ages with a variety of problems: Diabetics, lumps and bumps, infections, TB, Aids......some to be sent on to see Philip re surgery etc. The people walk for miles, or by motorbike taxi, and sit happily and without complaining on the veranda from maybe 7am until they are seen!!
This will amuse you: Nancy explained that when she says” I will give you the Coca Cola test”, it’s the finger prick blood test for “Glucose Tolerance”!!!And when she says” I want you to go to the weight loss clinic”, it is the Aids assessment clinic!!
Friday morning at 7.15 it is off to the weekly Church Service for the College Nurses. We had been asked to sing and give a testimony. They all ‘knew’ us because we’ve been every week, and they know we love there amazing singing. We sang “There’s a New Name Written Down in Glory” as it’s got a ‘swing’ to it!!! You expect clapping and arm waving and possible cheering for all kinds of situations, but WOW, the clapping and cheering etc. after our singing was more on a par with having scored the winning goal for England in the World Cup!!!!! The Congolese exuberance is amazing to hear and behold!! Then we were asked to sing it again at the ‘Thank you/farewell’ meal and entertainment they put on for us at the College in the afternoon.....more cheering and their wonderful spontaneous laughter, especially when I demonstrated that I would have to sing in England with the step and arm movements [and hip wiggling!] that they do!! They joined in the chorus too!! John will mention some more about the ‘Farewell Meal’, but family will know that i don’t like to think of my meat as animals or birds that were once running around, and especially not recently alive and well!!!....read on!
And thank all family and friends who have emailed us. It’s seemed a very long time since we were able to email anyone at any time we liked, or pick up a phone and talk!
Janice........now over to John for his contribution!
Hi to you all.
It’s now Sunday evening, 6.50 and we have had a full day again, but more of that later!! As you will gather Janice is having a much more varied and exciting time than I am! I did take a morning out to visit the hospital during the week to see the patients and conditions there but usually, following breakfast at 6.30, I am at ISTM (the Nursing College) by 8.30 where I work on the Computer Programme until just before 1.00. No one takes a mid-morning break but I have coffee brought in for me!! Walk home for lunch takes about 20 minutes. Following lunch I walk back to the college for about 2.30 and work through till about 5.00 then walk back. I have got to the stage where the staff will be able to input each student’s marks into the database and produce an end of term certificate without having to type all the details into a Word template as they do now with all the possibilities for transcription errors. If I can I will try to include a copy of a certificate with this Blog.
The farewell at the college was a full blown evening meal and Janice and I were given a special piece of chicken as honoured guests – the gizzard or crop – which signifies that the chicken was killed specially for us! Another sermon there I think!! We were also given a gift, an African carving of a canoe with two people in it with a load of fish. The people are Janice and I and the fish are the results of our work. Janice was also given a dress length of material with some significant decoration!
Our time here is coming to a close and tomorrow I hope to give some instruction on using the database, document the instructions and maybe add another group of students to the list of those they can produce certificates for!
Many thanks go to those who have followed our blog and also to those who have commented on it; also to those who have emailed us. Your prayers have enabled us to tap into that inexhaustible source of strength that is available to us all if we commit ourselves wholly to God.
God bless you all – see some of you soon! (on Good Friday)
John
Thursday, 25 March 2010
Travel Plans.
Hi everyone,
You may have been wondering how we have been preparing for the BA strike which covers the day of our return flight to Heathrow on the 30th.
We (that is Philip, Nancy and I) actually heard about the possibility of a strike quite early on via the BBC World Service radio and also an Email from Peter. We managed to keep it from Janice until yesterday to save her any anxiety! The first part of the plan to be put in place was that Nancy immediately booked us 5 nights B & B at a convent guest house in Kampala so that we could still leave Bunia as arranged on Monday and pick up a flight as soon as one became available. Yesterday evening I received confirmation by Email from BA that our flight had been cancelled. I also had an Email from our travel agent who had obtained permission from BA to rebook our flights offering flights via Nairobi leaving on Wednesday at 19.55, local time. I emailed my acceptance and received confirmation of the booking this morning. This morning Philip emailed and Nancy phoned (!) MAF Uganda to see if they could rebook us for their Wednesday flight, which they did.
This now gives us an extra two days here and a much more convenient journey home notwithstanding the change at Nairobi. Our flights now connect within a few hours whereas previously we had a wait of some 17 hours to wait in Entebbe airport. So instead of arriving at Heathrow at 16.00 we now arrive at 05.55 Thursday morning!! What might have been a disastrous end to our trip has worked for good as per scripture!!!
No pictures this time!!
Bless you all for your interest.
John
You may have been wondering how we have been preparing for the BA strike which covers the day of our return flight to Heathrow on the 30th.
We (that is Philip, Nancy and I) actually heard about the possibility of a strike quite early on via the BBC World Service radio and also an Email from Peter. We managed to keep it from Janice until yesterday to save her any anxiety! The first part of the plan to be put in place was that Nancy immediately booked us 5 nights B & B at a convent guest house in Kampala so that we could still leave Bunia as arranged on Monday and pick up a flight as soon as one became available. Yesterday evening I received confirmation by Email from BA that our flight had been cancelled. I also had an Email from our travel agent who had obtained permission from BA to rebook our flights offering flights via Nairobi leaving on Wednesday at 19.55, local time. I emailed my acceptance and received confirmation of the booking this morning. This morning Philip emailed and Nancy phoned (!) MAF Uganda to see if they could rebook us for their Wednesday flight, which they did.
This now gives us an extra two days here and a much more convenient journey home notwithstanding the change at Nairobi. Our flights now connect within a few hours whereas previously we had a wait of some 17 hours to wait in Entebbe airport. So instead of arriving at Heathrow at 16.00 we now arrive at 05.55 Thursday morning!! What might have been a disastrous end to our trip has worked for good as per scripture!!!
No pictures this time!!
Bless you all for your interest.
John
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Monday 22nd March and we only have one more week in DR Congo before beginning our journey back to the UK! In some ways it feels as if we’ve been here for 3 months not 3 weeks!
And oh, what an even MORE amazing morning I have had!!John came with us to the hospital for the first time. After following Dr. Philip’s ward rounds together, we parted company when John declined watching operations, preferring to go with the Physiotherapist on her ward rounds!
But I went [fully gowned etc] to watch Philip perform an intricate operation to remove a lump from a young woman’s breast. Hopefully it will be benign when the tests are done. The delicate operation techniques were incredible.
I was just watching the nurses preparing the patient to be transferred from the theatre, when Philip came back and said “Come quickly, there’s a caesarean op just starting in the other room”...!! He placed me in THE viewing position...!!?...and oh, my goodness WHAT an amazing experience! [But I’m so glad I’m past child-bearing age!!].The baby wasn’t breathing, but after endless work on him by the senior anaesthetist the baby was able to breathe on his own, and it is hoped he will be OK now. The anaesthetist, Aaron, is the man that gives John lifts on his motorbike!
John told you in the last posting about our sightseeing trip on Sunday afternoon, and one of my photos we’ll add to this will be of a local herd of magnificent African cows with their huge horns. Mind you, I don’t think I’ll look next time a quarter/side of beef is trundled past me on a barrow on its way to the Market butchers!!....You’ll also see the beautiful views of the sky and mountains in the same photo.
Janice.
Hi all.
After a period of uncertainty re our return flight which is on the last day of the BA strike we now have positive information that we can rebook the next day via Nairobi so that wont be too bad.
Managed to keep it from Janice untill this evening (24th) so not too much worrying.
Must go now and get the power off.
And oh, what an even MORE amazing morning I have had!!John came with us to the hospital for the first time. After following Dr. Philip’s ward rounds together, we parted company when John declined watching operations, preferring to go with the Physiotherapist on her ward rounds!
I was just watching the nurses preparing the patient to be transferred from the theatre, when Philip came back and said “Come quickly, there’s a caesarean op just starting in the other room”...!! He placed me in THE viewing position...!!?...and oh, my goodness WHAT an amazing experience! [But I’m so glad I’m past child-bearing age!!].The baby wasn’t breathing, but after endless work on him by the senior anaesthetist the baby was able to breathe on his own, and it is hoped he will be OK now. The anaesthetist, Aaron, is the man that gives John lifts on his motorbike!
John told you in the last posting about our sightseeing trip on Sunday afternoon, and one of my photos we’ll add to this will be of a local herd of magnificent African cows with their huge horns. Mind you, I don’t think I’ll look next time a quarter/side of beef is trundled past me on a barrow on its way to the Market butchers!!....You’ll also see the beautiful views of the sky and mountains in the same photo.
Janice.
Hi all.
After a period of uncertainty re our return flight which is on the last day of the BA strike we now have positive information that we can rebook the next day via Nairobi so that wont be too bad.
Managed to keep it from Janice untill this evening (24th) so not too much worrying.
Must go now and get the power off.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Our Sunday
Hello, again!
I believe our last diary entries were written on Friday, and finally got sent on Saturday morning when electric power etc. was restored for a while! It is now Sunday 21st.
John mentioned that I had received my African dress, delivered to the house the day after I was measured for it! Wow, what an outfit....not quite according to my order, but beautifully made! I think the tailor felt that the top I chose was too plain in design, and wanted me to be dressed in a more ‘distinguished’ and fully Congolese style!!! I have worn it this morning when we went to the French speaking Church morning Service again. We may add a photo of John and I, taken on the house veranda!
We had more rain this morning, but the sun is now as hot as ever, and the sky is blue.
Saturday morning was the usual visit to the big Bunia Market. It is such fun....How am I going to adapt to boring old Sainsbury and High Street shopping when we return to Uxbridge?! Another thing I will have to adapt to is doing the cooking, washing and ironing!! You can get used to having Domestic Staff for all that!!
Friday evening Nancy and I left Philip and John at home while we went off for a ‘ladies night’ at the home of one of the MAF wives. We thought the two men would be glued to their computers all evening, but we returned to find the house in darkness and the men in bed!! No electricity meant no computing/internet, and no lights! Next morning we also had Breakfast by hurricane lamp lighting! Saturday evening we had the usual ‘English Speaking Evening’ for Doctors. This time 3 of them managed to have the meal, but missed the medical presentations. One Doctor, one anaesthetist and one assistant Doctor had to leave when a call came through for an emergency Caesarean operation!! [Quite common for a normal dinner party evening!]. An MAF pilot also called in, as they do!! The rest of us studied African Snake Bites and treatment; Hepatitis B; and Skin diseases and treatments!! [You know, just the usual after dinner discussions with photos!!!].
John mentioned that I’d found another niche for my label making artistic talents!!After making labels for Nancy’s kitchen tins and jars, I was immediately called upon to offer my services making labels for the Hospital Pharmacy! [Even more important to
Read clear Drugs and injection labels!]. There are no sticky labels. All are written on white A4 paper which i first measure and rule etc! Then cut out and stuck with cellotape over the labels. I’ll be at the Hospital tomorrow to put them in place, and collect more details for labelling cabinets in one of the wards! I love going to the Hospital with Wendy the Physiotherapist. And doing the ward rounds to see her patients [including the burns man who is slowly progressing] and giving a hand where I can.
That’s probably enough from me for now! We are also soon going out on a sightseeing trip in the car.............More ‘tumble drier’ experiences over the Cong roads!!........Janice.
Hello to you all!
We had our outing this afternoon. It was a visit to the Hydro Electric Plant which produces what power we do get from time to time!! That in itself might sound uninteresting but it took us alongside the airstrip with the main UN base on the other side of the road then past a refugee camp set up by those who fled the centre of the town during the 2003 fighting. Many of the folk there have still not returned to town despite the settled conditions that now exist. Most of the way the road was lined with small settlements of mud houses, some round and some rectangular; some thatched and some roofed with corrugated iron. Often outside the houses would be small piles of beans or corn on cloths or small heaps of charcoal for sale. There seemed to be an endless stream of people mostly on foot but some on motor bikes passing along the road.
The photo shows two push bikes loaded with charcoal heading towards town. The charcoal burning is done in the forest. Most of the people we saw would live on what they can grow; selling any surplus to buy sundry items they need which would be minimal. I suspect that few cars (or 4X4’s to be more precise as no car would have made the journey!) have passed that way as the children came running from all directions, waving and shouting, as we passed. One little lad who came to the car was particularly pleased to see Dr Philip who had operated on him for Typhoid Fever. He showed us his scar too!!
The scenery was stunning! It had been raining in the morning and now the sun was shining and everywhere looked clean and fresh. Bunia itself ids on a plateau about 3500 feet high and is surrounded by forest covered mountains which are about 5500 feet high.
To get to the Hydro Plant we had to pass an army “check point” and from then on we had one of the soldiers in the car with us. The plant is in a sorry state. As a result of a fire in 1990 there is no proper roof. A small part of the plant has been restored to working order and is covered by a temporary roof. No wonder Bunia is short of power!
There must be a sermon there somewhere!!
Oh! We were thinking of our Male Voice friends yesterday both during practice and performance!!
Blessings to you all
John
I believe our last diary entries were written on Friday, and finally got sent on Saturday morning when electric power etc. was restored for a while! It is now Sunday 21st.
John mentioned that I had received my African dress, delivered to the house the day after I was measured for it! Wow, what an outfit....not quite according to my order, but beautifully made! I think the tailor felt that the top I chose was too plain in design, and wanted me to be dressed in a more ‘distinguished’ and fully Congolese style!!! I have worn it this morning when we went to the French speaking Church morning Service again. We may add a photo of John and I, taken on the house veranda!
We had more rain this morning, but the sun is now as hot as ever, and the sky is blue.
Saturday morning was the usual visit to the big Bunia Market. It is such fun....How am I going to adapt to boring old Sainsbury and High Street shopping when we return to Uxbridge?! Another thing I will have to adapt to is doing the cooking, washing and ironing!! You can get used to having Domestic Staff for all that!!
Friday evening Nancy and I left Philip and John at home while we went off for a ‘ladies night’ at the home of one of the MAF wives. We thought the two men would be glued to their computers all evening, but we returned to find the house in darkness and the men in bed!! No electricity meant no computing/internet, and no lights! Next morning we also had Breakfast by hurricane lamp lighting! Saturday evening we had the usual ‘English Speaking Evening’ for Doctors. This time 3 of them managed to have the meal, but missed the medical presentations. One Doctor, one anaesthetist and one assistant Doctor had to leave when a call came through for an emergency Caesarean operation!! [Quite common for a normal dinner party evening!]. An MAF pilot also called in, as they do!! The rest of us studied African Snake Bites and treatment; Hepatitis B; and Skin diseases and treatments!! [You know, just the usual after dinner discussions with photos!!!].
John mentioned that I’d found another niche for my label making artistic talents!!After making labels for Nancy’s kitchen tins and jars, I was immediately called upon to offer my services making labels for the Hospital Pharmacy! [Even more important to
Read clear Drugs and injection labels!]. There are no sticky labels. All are written on white A4 paper which i first measure and rule etc! Then cut out and stuck with cellotape over the labels. I’ll be at the Hospital tomorrow to put them in place, and collect more details for labelling cabinets in one of the wards! I love going to the Hospital with Wendy the Physiotherapist. And doing the ward rounds to see her patients [including the burns man who is slowly progressing] and giving a hand where I can.
That’s probably enough from me for now! We are also soon going out on a sightseeing trip in the car.............More ‘tumble drier’ experiences over the Cong roads!!........Janice.
Hello to you all!
We had our outing this afternoon. It was a visit to the Hydro Electric Plant which produces what power we do get from time to time!! That in itself might sound uninteresting but it took us alongside the airstrip with the main UN base on the other side of the road then past a refugee camp set up by those who fled the centre of the town during the 2003 fighting. Many of the folk there have still not returned to town despite the settled conditions that now exist. Most of the way the road was lined with small settlements of mud houses, some round and some rectangular; some thatched and some roofed with corrugated iron. Often outside the houses would be small piles of beans or corn on cloths or small heaps of charcoal for sale. There seemed to be an endless stream of people mostly on foot but some on motor bikes passing along the road.
The scenery was stunning! It had been raining in the morning and now the sun was shining and everywhere looked clean and fresh. Bunia itself ids on a plateau about 3500 feet high and is surrounded by forest covered mountains which are about 5500 feet high.
To get to the Hydro Plant we had to pass an army “check point” and from then on we had one of the soldiers in the car with us. The plant is in a sorry state. As a result of a fire in 1990 there is no proper roof. A small part of the plant has been restored to working order and is covered by a temporary roof. No wonder Bunia is short of power!
There must be a sermon there somewhere!!
Oh! We were thinking of our Male Voice friends yesterday both during practice and performance!!
Blessings to you all
John
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