"I haven't finished calling your name..."
Kim, Kim, Kim, I haven't finished calling your name," she sobbed into my shoulder as we sat together on the cement floor of my home. This is the lamentation that cut through me, heart and soul. Naomi is my closest friend in Bèrè and was devastated by the news. She broke our embrace to pull both of my girls onto her lap crying "my girls, my girls!" She is a single mom of 5 boys and we often joked of swapping one or two. Emmie and Grace adore her and Mason would tease, if I ever succumbed to malaria she would be their new mom and they always happily agreed. Her children were my children and mine were hers.
The gathering of women surrounding us expressed their emotions as well, in tears, moans and desperate cries. "How will we care for our children? What will we do? Why? Please do not forget us..." People were streaming into our home as the news spread that the entire mission team was given notice of evacuation. The scene closely resembled a Tchadian wake, as new mourners arrived, others moved out onto the porch to rest on mats while they continued to grieve. It is always a fervent and palpable experience.
Those closest to us stayed all day. I can't count the number of cups of tea I served with the help of my girls and Nicolas who ensured there was enough sugar in each pot.
We always knew we would say goodbye one day... But not this moment, not this manner, not this fast. I am still grief stricken as I write this with tears streaming down my face. Goodbyes are never easy but those that come with the knowledge you will likely not see them again while on this earth are heart wrenching and extremely difficult.
Pray for the people of Tchad who suffer daily in extreme hardship and poverty. Please pray for Naomi, Celine and Babey, all single moms whose names I will not call again in this life. Looking forward to our reunion. Until we meet again... I shall not forget you.
-Kim
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Welcome "home" 16 Sept 2015
Welcome "home"?
Though we don't actually know where to call home anymore, its great to be in Asheville, NC.
Chad, Africa to Asheville:
One muddy rainy truck ride, a bus ride, 2 taxi rides, 3 airplanes, and finally into the van... We have arrived.
Bent but not completely broken.
Though we don't actually know where to call home anymore, its great to be in Asheville, NC.
Chad, Africa to Asheville:
One muddy rainy truck ride, a bus ride, 2 taxi rides, 3 airplanes, and finally into the van... We have arrived.
Bent but not completely broken.
12 Sept 2015 Evacuation?
Due to a recommendation by the US Dept of State, we are leaving Chad.
Not sure what is happening but the only good exit is through the capital N'Djamena so we are taking it seriously. Our flight will be Tuesday night :-(
Please pray for Chad and the work that is ongoing here. Our departure is sooner than we had planned :-(
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Chad and recommends that U.S. citizens currently in Chad depart as soon as it is feasible to do so. As a result of the deteriorating security situation, the Department of State authorized the voluntary departure of dependents of U.S. government personnel and non-emergency U.S. government personnel from N’Djamena on September 11, 2015. Consequently, the U.S. Embassy is able to provide only very limited emergency services to U.S. citizens in Chad. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning issued on February 26, 2015.
The ability of the U.S. Embassy to provide consular services in remote and rural areas is extremely limited. U.S. citizens should take steps to mitigate the risk of becoming a victim of violent crime, and maintain caution at public gathering spaces and locations frequented by foreigners, including markets, restaurants, bars, and places of worship.
The Government of Chad requires all individuals traveling to or residing in areas hosting refugee populations in Chad to obtain movement permits (“autorisation de circuler”) from the Ministry of Interior and Public Security in N'Djamena. All U.S. citizens affiliated with humanitarian relief efforts in eastern Chad should have an evacuation plan developed with the United Nations agency coordinating their work. In addition, U.S. citizens are strongly urged to adhere closely to the policies and procedures of their host organizations to mitigate risks of becoming the victim of violent crime. All U.S. citizens should prepare personal evacuation or safe-haven plans and be prepared to implement those plans on short notice. U.S. citizens intending to enter Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, or Sudan from Chad should consult the Department's Travel Warnings for those countries and obtain any requisite visas or travel permits prior to traveling.
The Government of Chad has limited means to guarantee the safety of visitors in rural Chad. Incidents of robbery, carjacking at gunpoint, and murder have been reported in N’Djamena and throughout the country. Violence is also associated with car accidents where crowds may form. If involved in an accident, it is essential to call the police. While there are presently no known specific threats against U.S. citizens in Chad, there are violent extremist organizations in the region, such as Boko Haram and al-Qai’da in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which are intent on harming westerners and western interests and are able to cross borders easily. Kidnapping for ransom is a potential threat in the region.
All U.S. government personnel require authorization to travel to areas outside of the capital, N'Djamena, and may be subject to restrictions within the capital. As security situations warrant, the U.S. Embassy may periodically impose further travel restrictions, including curfews, on U.S. government personnel. While private U.S. citizens are not required to follow these practices, U.S. citizens should consider taking similar precautions when making travel plans. Review security precautions and consider measures to mitigate exposure to violent crime and other threats. U.S. citizens residing in Chad should exercise caution throughout the country, especially at night.
Medical services in Chad are limited. U.S. citizens entering Chad are strongly encouraged to verify their medical coverage extends to traveling within Chad – including medical evacuation – prior to arrival.
For further information:
• See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Chad.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
• U.S. citizens who decide to travel to or remain in Cameroon despite this Travel Warning are urged to provide their current contact information and next-of-kin information through STEP.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Chad located on Avenue Felix Eboue in N’Djamena, at +(235) 2251-62-11, 2251-70-09, 2251-77-59, 2251-90-52, 2251-92-18 or 2251-92-33. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +235 6662-2100.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Not sure what is happening but the only good exit is through the capital N'Djamena so we are taking it seriously. Our flight will be Tuesday night :-(
Please pray for Chad and the work that is ongoing here. Our departure is sooner than we had planned :-(
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to Chad and recommends that U.S. citizens currently in Chad depart as soon as it is feasible to do so. As a result of the deteriorating security situation, the Department of State authorized the voluntary departure of dependents of U.S. government personnel and non-emergency U.S. government personnel from N’Djamena on September 11, 2015. Consequently, the U.S. Embassy is able to provide only very limited emergency services to U.S. citizens in Chad. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning issued on February 26, 2015.
The ability of the U.S. Embassy to provide consular services in remote and rural areas is extremely limited. U.S. citizens should take steps to mitigate the risk of becoming a victim of violent crime, and maintain caution at public gathering spaces and locations frequented by foreigners, including markets, restaurants, bars, and places of worship.
The Government of Chad requires all individuals traveling to or residing in areas hosting refugee populations in Chad to obtain movement permits (“autorisation de circuler”) from the Ministry of Interior and Public Security in N'Djamena. All U.S. citizens affiliated with humanitarian relief efforts in eastern Chad should have an evacuation plan developed with the United Nations agency coordinating their work. In addition, U.S. citizens are strongly urged to adhere closely to the policies and procedures of their host organizations to mitigate risks of becoming the victim of violent crime. All U.S. citizens should prepare personal evacuation or safe-haven plans and be prepared to implement those plans on short notice. U.S. citizens intending to enter Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, or Sudan from Chad should consult the Department's Travel Warnings for those countries and obtain any requisite visas or travel permits prior to traveling.
The Government of Chad has limited means to guarantee the safety of visitors in rural Chad. Incidents of robbery, carjacking at gunpoint, and murder have been reported in N’Djamena and throughout the country. Violence is also associated with car accidents where crowds may form. If involved in an accident, it is essential to call the police. While there are presently no known specific threats against U.S. citizens in Chad, there are violent extremist organizations in the region, such as Boko Haram and al-Qai’da in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which are intent on harming westerners and western interests and are able to cross borders easily. Kidnapping for ransom is a potential threat in the region.
All U.S. government personnel require authorization to travel to areas outside of the capital, N'Djamena, and may be subject to restrictions within the capital. As security situations warrant, the U.S. Embassy may periodically impose further travel restrictions, including curfews, on U.S. government personnel. While private U.S. citizens are not required to follow these practices, U.S. citizens should consider taking similar precautions when making travel plans. Review security precautions and consider measures to mitigate exposure to violent crime and other threats. U.S. citizens residing in Chad should exercise caution throughout the country, especially at night.
Medical services in Chad are limited. U.S. citizens entering Chad are strongly encouraged to verify their medical coverage extends to traveling within Chad – including medical evacuation – prior to arrival.
For further information:
• See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information for Chad.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
• U.S. citizens who decide to travel to or remain in Cameroon despite this Travel Warning are urged to provide their current contact information and next-of-kin information through STEP.
• Contact the U.S. Embassy in Chad located on Avenue Felix Eboue in N’Djamena, at +(235) 2251-62-11, 2251-70-09, 2251-77-59, 2251-90-52, 2251-92-18 or 2251-92-33. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is +235 6662-2100.
• Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Positive 07 Sept 2015
Positive
07 Sept 2015
I have a 10year old boy on the pediatric service...he only weighs 15kg (just over 30lbs). You probably can't imagine just how small that is.
On rounds this morning I greeted him in Arabic and he responded and gave me a huge smile. He is pretty sick.
His dad abandoned him and his mom when he was born. His mom is out of money so we gave her beans and rice today and bought his medicine.
Unfortunately his HIV test is positive. I was so hoping to be wrong...
07 Sept 2015
I have a 10year old boy on the pediatric service...he only weighs 15kg (just over 30lbs). You probably can't imagine just how small that is.
On rounds this morning I greeted him in Arabic and he responded and gave me a huge smile. He is pretty sick.
His dad abandoned him and his mom when he was born. His mom is out of money so we gave her beans and rice today and bought his medicine.
Unfortunately his HIV test is positive. I was so hoping to be wrong...
Saturday, September 19, 2015
You is kind. You is smart. You is important. 25 July 2015
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
25 July 2015
I recently watched "The Help" and I love the recurrent line in the movie when the maid, Aibileen, speaks words of truth and encouragement to a little girl who needed someone to show her she was valuable. (You is kind. You is smart. You is important. )
In the past few months, I've started talking to parents and children about their future. During rounds on Pediatrics, I often ask a mother or father to please tell their daughter/son to come back to the hospital when they are 15 to begin their formation to be a doctor here in Bere, Chad (Its a random age but its the idea that matters). All the other families gathered around us smile and laugh and the parents usually beam with pride and agree. Usually I get a smile and nod from the child too as they think "Yes,I will be a doctor and help people." I don't know what this will mean for their future but I'm trying to plant a seed of success as I whisper a prayer and offer encouragement to each family. They can be something more if they believe it. I want kids in school here. And I want them to know someone believes in them. I need you to believe in someone too.
If you can speak words of truth and offer financial support, we can help a child, a community and a country.
Children here need help with money for tuition, uniforms and school supplies. I haven't yet seen the tuition cost for the approaching school year but it has been (unfortunately) raised.
Kim and I are budgeting about $30 per YEAR for primary school and possibly $60/year for high school (this includes a uniform for $12 and supplies ~$3).
If you are willing to "adopt" a student and commit to their future, please visit our blog and make a donation via Paypal (use PayPal acct or a credit card).
Your donation is 100% tax deductible but more importantly changes someone's life.
You is kind. You is smart. You is important.
Words worth sharing!
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Chad 2.0 Déjà vu 4July2015
Chad 2.0 Déjà vu
4July2015
Returning to Chad for year #2 has felt like déjà vu. Everything has a season and I've seen this season before. Chad has endured its typical dry season when it likely doesn't rain one drop from November or December until June. The rains came late this year but finally, everything is now green and alive.
The rains don't only bring life. Malaria season is now in full swing. We see plenty of malaria year round but this is an explosive time. Typically I have 12 or so babies on the Pediatric ward. Recently I was down to only 4! But the past few weeks have been very rainy and I had 35+ kids on my Peds service today. There are a few with typhoid and 4 with severe malnutrition and one 12 yr old boy had symptomatic rabies from a dog bite 4 months ago! It is 100% fatal. He will die and we can't stop that.
The other 25+ kids have a chance to survive. We cover them with assorted meds, IV quinine and prayer. We treat their severe anemia with blood transfusions (hemoglobin of 2 or 3 is an everyday occurrence here). Sometimes we don't have the patient's blood type and there is little we can do except wait. We test the parents, neighbors and anyone willing to be a blood donor. Twice this week we had kids with convulsions from severe malaria with hemoglobin of 3 and O-negative blood type. We couldn't find a donor. Unfortunately I recently gave 10 units of O blood to a pregnant woman who was bleeding to death from coagulopathy from a snake bite. Danae had to perform an emergency C-section and hysterectomy. Sadly, that young mom still bled to death that night. Her baby girl was dead on delivery. And now 10 units of precious O blood are gone that we desperately needed for these other children.
So, I asked every family member & visitor on the pediatrics ward if they would donate. In exchange I offered to buy ALL of their child's medications. No one would give (or claimed to be the wrong blood type... O neg is a bit harder to find). We even went to the Emergency Department and asked all nurses and families if they would let me buy meds in exchange for their blood-- no takers. People are afraid to give blood here. I did finally find one student with the right blood type...but he was HIV positive. We never pay for blood. Its a bad precedent but I was desperate.
It poured down rain again today bringing relief from scorching temperatures. Tomorrow we will see the mothers straggle in...trudging for an hour,or two or three hours through muddy paths and roads with gravely ill babies tied to their backs. And we will be waiting at our little bush hospital. Waiting and ready to give the best care we can. It's déjà vu.
-Mason
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Céline 26June2015
Celine 26June2015
I watched American Sniper during our flight back to Chad. Besides feeling patriotic, I was also feeling emotionally raw. In the movie I was struck by the following line:
Back from a tour of duty, Chris Kyle said in exasperation,
"It IS ok... Im fine...
I'm driving down the freeway. It's sunny and 72degrees. I'm fine...
There's a war going on. There are people dying and no one is talking about it. It's like it's not even happening.
We're all on our cell phones; living our simple simplistic lives. It's not even on the news. And no one cares. There's a war going on and I'm heading to the mall. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be over there. "
...
Honestly, that is exactly how I felt about being back in the United States again and about serving as a medical missionary in a terribly challenged, developing country. Does anyone even know what is happening over in Chad?
Think about your daughter... or your wife, or your mother or your sister. She is someone you would do anything for. Now think of Celine.
Celine is a young mother of 4 beautiful children. She is a single parent because her husband was a terribly bad man. After years of abuse, his violence escalated against Celine. I imagine the scenario and the dread she felt as she heard his footsteps approaching outside their mud brick hut. He grabbed her by the arm as she struggled against his anger. 4 children crying and screaming as their mother was dragged out of their one room hut. Celine's husband tied her to a tree, stripped her naked, and left her there. He repeatedly beat her and she had to flee. She finally did escape with her kids. Now she struggles to feed and support her children. She found work washing laundry for our family. She scrubs our clothes with soapy water on a concrete block and then hangs them to dry on our clothes line. Oh, and she is nearly blind.
Actually she WAS nearly blind. Her vision was completely failing but finally we found a specialist to surgically replace her lenses. Kim and I were back in the US when we heard that the specialist was coming back to a city "nearby". We arranged transportation for her and her brother to travel back and forth for preop/surgery/ and post op appointments. We paid for her surgery. We paid for her medications.
Today, Celine can see. She can continue to work and care for her family. When we arrived back in Chad, she saw me and gave me a great big hug and offered the most sincere "thank you" that I've ever felt. And she SAW me smile back as I said "Merci Dieu!"
Celine needed help. We are thankful that we could be here for her. Would you be able to help offset the cost of helping? Someone just like your daughter/sister/mother/wife will be coming to our door tomorrow. Help us to be able to say "yes."
Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Go to whyweshouldgo.blogspot.com
and give to our non-profit: Comfort Ministries. And please share with others who may be interested.
-Mason
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