First day back at home…last Blog entry for Zimbabwe 2…

Saturday August 27, 2011

 

So my incredible 1 month trip to Zimbabwe has come to an end, but it’s effect lives on.  My understanding of it’s impact will be in process for  a while.

It is difficult to know where to begin, or how to put the month into a summary of words. One can describe the stark beauty of the place, or the endless sky of stars…or an African sun rise or would the sunset be better?   The subtle and not so subtle smells, sounds, or images?  All these create parts of the whole, but the incredible and life changing part come in the human encounters.

Some of you might not choose to travel to a developing country, some of you have yet to have the opportunity, and many could tell their own stories.  For me there are two important realities that make my opportunity possible, one I am a nurse and this has opened so many doors for me.  There is never a day that I regret the great privilege that I have in being a nurse, both in foreign lands and here at home. Secondly I have a community of family and friends who love and care for me, whom encourage, and support me including financially.  With out this, these mission trips would either not be possible or would be immensely difficult.  I am so grateful, and know how blessed my life is.  Thank you.

Either in emails or in FB comments a number of people have said “you are amazing” I tend to want run when this is said.  In reality I feel rather un amazing. Not worthy of that label. Time after time in the midst of a simple shona hut among some of this earths poorest people I was treated like I was someone special.  Yet I felt like it was always my honor to be invited into their world.  Really these folks who eek out a meager subsistence life are the truely amazing ones. I have mentioned two people in the Blog already in telling their stories I hope you can appreciate how I am humbled by their lives.

Mrs. Dzapasi she is small woman of 60 years, although you would probably have guessed her to be 70+.  The harsh realities of Zimbabwe have taken a toll.  She is the mother of eight, 4 sons and 4 daughters.  Three of her sons live stones throw away in adjacent huts.  The daughters have moved to their husband’s villages.  It is the custom in Zimbabwe to carry children on your back.  In one smooth motion they seem to hoist the child up off the ground and on to a stooped back.  The child is then wrapped in a blanket, towel or whatever available cloth they have.  On many occasions Mrs. Dzapasi had a grandchild on her back as she went about her daily chores of life. Little girls begin doing this for their younger siblings and cousins at a very young age.  In fact it is a rare moment when a women is not carrying a child or something on their head.  My memories of Mrs. Dzapasi capture her in motion.  After hiking to a cave with her son and new daughter-in law she in fact had a grand child strapped on as she knelt over an open fire baking bread and making us tea. Out of what they hardly have they always freely shared.  Then there was the trip to her garden…we walked for about 20 minutes through the dusty fields where we first found her daughter in laws hoisting water up from the well and hand washing piles of laundry in tubs to be carried back on their heads… and another 10 minute walk brought us to the family garden.  Each day she makes several trips to pick fresh greens for lunch and dinner or to water. Today she finds that the cows have broken through the gate and eaten all her greens to the ground.  She must wait for them to grow or replant.  Luckily her sons have large gardens to provide for her.  The garden is positioned about 20 feet from another well.  Once a day she dips a 10-gallon size bucket into the well and heaves the water down a small trench towards the garden.  When enough water has reached the garden she then repositions herself over the water and with a bowl throws water at the garden plants.  Life is purely organic…one rises with the sun, eats what you grow, live with those 16 families which make up your village, sing, dance and celebrate and grieve what life brings your way…and sleep when the sun sets.  We from the western world might be tempted to take pity…but in fact there is something very rich about the life these folks live.  They find happiness despite significant hardship and poverty or material goods.

And Polly…

I had the chance to share many cups of tea, and an evening and meal with Polly. On one of these occasions she told the story of her husbands recent death.  Mike had heart disease, and died of congestive heart failure.  Mike taught for 35 years at Makumbi mission, he and Polly raised their four children there.  All four children have left Zimbabwe to make a living, 2 in Germany, one in Brazil, and one in Mozambique.  This is a common reality now in Zimbabwe given the complete lack of employment opportunity, but runs counter cultural to traditional family life in Africa. Polly struggles with loneliness since Mike’s death one year ago.  As we sat on straw mats in her one room dwelling she took me through the details of Mikes last days…as I embraced her and held her hand I realized the magnitude of our sameness… despite my whiteness and her blackness, despite my life of privilege and her life of poverty, despite my home in USA and hers in Africa…we were humans being touched by our willingness to be in relationship.  I am unable to fully put into words the experience of sitting and holding Polly…it was powerful and deeply real and intimate.

So it is these moments that capture what it was like to live in Zimbabwe for a month…the stories are many…Sr Dominica, Thomas, Fungai, Sarah, Melody, Br Kizito, baby Jowa… Team Warthog… The orphan kids, Moses…the 500 youth singing…and my Tinotenda and life in L’Arche… so many memories

Thanks for bothering to plow through my ramblings…Thanks for the many ways you offer support and friendship…until my next trip…

 OK I suck as a videographer...sorry Conway....so this is meant to be heard vs seen...caught some of the orphan kids dancing and singing just because...at the very end check out the little girl in white and pink at 2 & 1/2 she has much more rhythm than I will ever have

My last full day in Makumbi

Well I just finished dinner.  I walked across the plaza..by the well to the Satellite dish...as I gaze up...especially since there is no electricity...There are 10 bizillion stars in the sky...big and little dipper, milky way. O Ryan.  The sounds of the African night are alive.
I did my wash in a tub..man it takes 6 rinses to get clear water.
my day started with walking Hannah the delightful young women to the hospital for a stitch in her ear.  The curtain rod in her room fell off the wall and lacerated her right ear.  I thought about doing it myself but I did not have any local and could not bear doing it without.  So I supervised!
Then I went down to say goodbye to Polly, she is the force behind the women's coop.  Then my ironing no larvae for me!!!
Then some boys gave me a drum lesson...I'm pretty bad but it sure was fun.
Then the orphans have mass on Tuesday evening at 5.  Here I am sitting in a room of adorable children who all are orphaned and whose future is really bleak..I burst into tears...with no where to hide.  The children are all staring.. and I can't stop sobbing with my face in my hands.  Finally I stop and realize a 2 year old had fallen asleep on the floor with in reach so I scooped him up with out waking him and hugged him for dear life...he snored but I felt better.
More goodbyes...I now want to get the goodbyes behind me ...the hardest yet to come ...Tino...and survive the long journey home.

Sweets , Goodbyes & a drum

Monday

Sweets, Goodbyes & a drum

This morning I walked down to the small store just outside the Mission to by some sweets.  Yesterday at church my little friend Ian who is 2 years old asked me in Shona for a sweet.

So a lollypop is 10 cents, and I bought all 20.  I headed to Chengerai & Angie’s hut.  Chengerai’s mother Mrs. Dzapasi she told me he was at the garden she led me.  We walked thru the fields for about 15 minutes. The women were at the well washing clothes in large tubs, which they will carry, the wet clean cloths back to their huts on their heads.

Chengerai and I went down to his family’s garden where he picked greens for lunch.  They are very lucky since the well never dries even in the hot season.  We then crossed over to his mother’s garden.  The cows had broken through the gate and eaten most of her greens.  She is 60…so 2 years older than I.  Mother of 8 children 4 sons and 4 daughters.  There was a well about 20 feet from the garden.  To help his mother Chengerai stepped into the side of the open well and was tossing buckets of water down a small trench to transport the water to where his mother was.  She was bent over with a small bowl scooping up the water and tossing it on the vegetables.  She waters the garden each day.

As Chengerai and I walk home one by one the children appear to greet us and are so happy to get a sweet.  Each child clapped its hands in the thank-you fashion before taking the lollypop.

Chengerai also told me the story of the celebration, which is held in Oct before the first rain.  Families pool resources and make homemade beer they climb up a nearby mountain Gomo in shona to a cave and let the beer ferment overnight.  Then the next day they drink and celebrate.  They are careful to carry raincoats because the ancestors always send the rain, for the trip back to the village.

Chengerai asked a friend to make me an African drum, which we are going to pick up at 1:30. So Cengerai’s friend brought 4 huge drums for me to look at.  I choose the smallest even so we had to cut it in half for me to carry it back to the USA.  Now I just need to keep it out of Sampson’s reach …since he ate the drum I brought back last year L

 My little buddy Ian with his cousins...with sweets heading to the garden to pick greens for lunch

 The baby I can not stop kissing!  She took her lolly pop out long enough to say La LA LA

 Chengerai throwing water from the well down to his mother so she can water the garden

 Mrs Dzapasi watering her garden

 Wash day!  They then carry the wet laundry back in those tubs on their heads

 Cutting the Drum

 The Drum

water, water everywhere

Sunday…

Well I thought it would be a fine idea to take a shower today.  My first try @ 06:30 ended when no water cam out of the faucet.  OH well.  I went a made a brief internet connection, returned for breakfast then made attempt #2…this turned out to be a bit more disastrous …the hot water knob came out in my hand…since I was merely checking to see if water flowed I was still fully dressed and got fully soaked.  I tried to no avail for 20 minutes to retread the knob and washer back on.  I then went looking for a shut off valve.  Otillia sent someone to help as water is shooting out of the wall…here, as DRAUGHT season is about to begin.  Moses was also unsuccessful...but Otillia did find the shut off.  So I might not get invited back?

Not to mention it is the 3^rd day sans shower…but I am fitting right in

barefoot soccer and too cute babies

Watched a village soccer match.  There were only 11 guys...so no subs.  They had incredible foot skills and were fast...but the best was half the guys were bare foot!

Then I had to kiss this cute baby for about an hour...Her mom left her with her aunt so that she could wean her from nursing ...so the mom went away for 3 weeks?  This baby would copy my LA lA lA....My friend Marla would have had a blast LA LA LAing with this cutie

 These are the beautiful faces of children born into a HIV+ life...off to the Hospital we go for their monthly check up.

 The kids love taking "FOTO"...usually the heads are cut off...but this one turned out!!

 I scream. You scream.  We all scream for ICE CREAM....a treat on the way home from the hospital.

 Bucket of Baby....soon ...very soon in my arms...getting kissed MARLA eat your heart out!

 James and Blessing!

Polly and I at the coop

500 Zimbabwe youth...now that's energy

Friday August 19, 2011

Makumbi 2011

500 youth from all across Zimbabwe descended upon Makumbi last evening.  The singing and swaying and ENERGY is incredible.  One has to place the hope of Zimbabwe in their hands.  Zimbabwe once was considered the jewel of Africa.  Its people are paralyzed by fear, yet the spirit of the common Zimbabwean person especial the young is undeniable.

There has been a 17-year-old young man from England here since Tuesday.  James is a delightful young man.  One who comes from considerable privilege. Yet he made great connections with the kids.  We accompanied 7 kids from the orphanage to a hospital for their monthly check up.  They are all HIV+.  James had the energy for fantastic games of keep away.  James also joined me for dinner last evening with Polly.  He was very touched by Polly’s recounting of her husbands last days and proclamation of his love for Polly.  James’s Granny as he refers to her has connections to Makumbi Mission.

James’s aunt and uncle and cousin Luke came today to retrieve him and take him back to Harare.  His Aunt Debbie is the British Ambassador to Zimbabwe.  She and her family just arrived 1 week ago for a 3-year appointment.  You just never know whom you will run into for lunch in Rural Zimbabwe?

Tomorrow I will spend the afternoon with the pre-school teacher I worked with last year.  I stopped by earlier in the week and her 2yr old Simba told his mom a “marungo” (white skin) stopped by and took a “FOTO”

I already feel my time at Makumbi slipping away.

I live for days like today…

Tuesday August 16, 2011

I met Chengerai & Angeline at Chengerai’s family home just outside Makumbi mission at 07:30.  They were to be my guides up to the bushman cave about 6 km away.  One of the fun notes is they just got married on Sat so this was their honeymoon with the American…. we had some good laughs.

First though I was introduced to the whole family.  Luckily I have learned a few Shona greetings and was able to say good morning.  It is a sign of respect to slightly bow and clap cupped hands together.  There were about 15 people for me to greet.  Chengerai kindly translated.  It is such an honor to be invited into an African home.  Most of the huts are about 20 feet in diameter with a cement floor and cement insides and brick exterior.  There is one door and one window.  The roof is thatched.  In the center is an open fire for cooking and heat; it has a grill over the fire.  A big pot of Sadza was cooking.  There are no bathrooms so the great outdoors becomes a latrine.  There is a wooden rack for drying dishes in the yard.  The yard is fenced with barbed wire.  The chicken, dog and kids run freely.  There is a separate often square building for sleeping.

We headed out on our 6km walk; along the way at every hut the people of the village greeted us.  The last ¾ mile was scrambling up a granite face, we criss-crossed until we reached the mouth of the cave.  It is a long slit in the mountain.  There were folks camped out holding devotions all night, the only problem being they were burning a fire which over time has covered the bushman paintings with carbon.  The only visible paintings were at the mouth of the cave.  So cool…painted in the stone age.

Above the cave there is a huge cross in memory of a Jesuit priest who fell to his death in 1939… happy to say I did not leave a cross behind!

I shared some American protein bars and organic fruit leather with my friends, then we headed down.  Which was much more scary than climbing up!

When we arrived back at their hut they invited me in for tea and bread baked over the open fire.  I feel so lucky to have spent my day with my new African friends.  I also received Shona tutoring as a bonus.

After sitting in the hut for an hour I smelled like one does after sitting around the camp fire…especially when the wind shifts and the smoke blows at you until your eyes and lungs burn.

Tuesday is the night they have mass in the children’s home…picture 80 squirming 1-16 year olds crammed in your living room singing and swaying  There was a 2 yr old near me climbing, poking, jabbing at anyone he could reach.  The African sisters were glaring at his antics, I had all I could do not to bust out laughing.

Monday August 15

Makumbi pace of life…

Trying to adjust to having nothing to do…hard for an ADD person.  It is good for me to slow down.  Plenty to reflect upon here in Zimbabwe.  Struggling a bit with feeling guilty that I get to walk away…and return to a luxury life style… Many of you in the States are puzzled by 1 that my life style could be categorized as luxury, because by US standards I live a pretty simple life.  2…. my feeling guilty because more importantly for 90% of Zimbabweans there are no ways out.  In the US education is frequently a ticket out of poverty, not so here…because there is a failed economy there are no jobs.  96% unemployment is a staggering statistic.  Elections have been postponed, while an end to the current regime is desired there is little hope of fair elections.  Most of the talent of Zimbabwe has fled the country creating a huge refugee population and a void of professionals and brainpower.  Industry is at a stand still, and what will attract a company to invest in Zimbabwe?  Even practical issues like electricity…since leaving the hospital in Harare there has not been a day when the electricity has not been out.  On Sunday we had electricity for most of the day allowing me to take a hot shower.  Some say there is limited capacity; others say it is political control.

Yet my encounters with the folks out here in rural Zimbabwe is always one of meeting kind and gentle people living a life they carve out of little resources.  If you could only hear the singing and watch the swaying to the beat you can feel the energy.  I do not feel any threat here at the mission or surrounding villages.  I know there are many places where I could be beat up or killed just because I am white.  So Zimbabweans come to me the orphans, teachers, or folks who come to Makumbi mission.  Exploring Zimbabwe is not a safe option.  I do feel a bit captive…but even that is cause for reflection.  The only things I can do is listen to peoples stories…and respond at a very personal level to those I encounter with kindness and compassion.

But even here at Makumbi life is harsh.  2 weeks before I arrived one of the boys from the Children’s home died.  He had heart disease which I’m not clear what exactly sounds like a Rheumatic heart disease… with worsening CHF.  The nurse here at the mission says he was receiving an  penicillin injection once a month?  He died in his room immediately after receiving this injection.  Bro Ben is sure a mistake was made at the hospital and he died of anaphylactic shock.  Another girl in form 1( grade 9) committed suicide this year.  She had become pregnant and was afraid of her father's reaction.  Two lives lost...I also worry about the boy who is the father?   Another boy has severe high blood pressure on 5 medications at 15 years old and his treated BP is 158/110…not sure who decided what medications or if a Dr even prescribed these meds..

Sorry if this is a downer Blog…but these are the realities of life here in Zimbabwe in which I am immersed in.

Rural Hospital

Walked over to the Makumbi Hospital, which is just out side the mission.  It is like space travel…back in time…like pre world war I.  They refer to nurses as sisters here in Africa, there were two on duty and there were 3 patients.

Outside there are about 4 TB huts for isolating patients.  Definitely DO NOT WANT TO GET SICK HERE!

Bro Ben was talking to a mother outside of church today she told him her 4 year old has blood in his urine.  Ben is a nurse here at Makumbi mission, he was trying to convince the mom to take her son to the hospital...SCARY!

Again it matters where on the planet you land in life.

 Above a ward...patients on other side of room...12 beds

 Ambulances???

 Open air facility

 TB huts, or isolation rooms

Simple life of Makumbi

7:30 PM here.  A quiet day.  Went to a wedding ceremony just to hear the music and find cute kids.  A very cute 2 yr old boy sat next to me...I put my hand out and he looked spooked, but his mother put his hand in mine.  A bit later he fell asleep against me I slipped my arm around him :-)
His mom noticed that he was asleep and jerked him awake...DANG IT!!!
Spent most of afternoon either chatting with a 16 year old orphan who cornered me for English conversation and shared his hopes and fears for the future.  He already realizes that life after Makumbi looks dismal.  He hopes to find his way out of Zimbabwe.  He went and got his grades to prove he is worthy.  All "B"s.  He came to Makumbi at 2 years old and has no clue where he is from.  He hopes some how I could help him.  In reality all I can do is encourage him to continue to work hard in school and dream of a future to work for.
There is a young couple here doing marriage preparation for there wedding in September.  They too have been sharing about their lives and African traditions surrounding marriage.  The husband to be still pays a brides prize to the family of the bride.  A concept pretty inconceivable to most of us in the US.  It is usually money and a beast.  Any acquired belongings the bride has is given back to her family.  I told them when I got married we requested no gifts and that donations be made to a charity....they could not believe that.
I am mostly resting, taking walks, knitting and listening to folks tell their stories
I am again on the simple rural Zimbabwe diet, SADZA, SADZA, and more SADZA .  Sadza is a cornmeal mush , and it is the staple food of Zimbabwe.  yum ???not so much but while in Zimbabwe do as the Zimbabweans do.

Tinotenda's new life

 Tino sharing his tea and his best friend Blessing

Tino grew up from 3 months old until 7 yrs old in the ward of Harare Central Hospital.  Late November he moved into a L'Arche community.  While at the hospital he mostly lived in a crib in a room by himself.  Now he has made amazing strides...in just 8 months he now feeds himself using a spoon.  Is mostly potty trained.  He can walk with out assistance.  He can follow simple commands and has developed some routines ...today after finishing his sadza for breakfast he brought his bowl to the sink to be washed, another child had dropped a spoon...he noticed it and picked it up and placed it in the sink as well.  When I arrived today the assistants and core members were filing out of the chapel and he saw me and came walking as fast as his legs would go and gave me a big ole hug.  His life is so much richer and who knows what potential he has....so yes I have fallen in love with him all over again!

Week 1

Week 1

Stories…

The pace of this year has prevented me from daily posts.  We worked over 72 hours in 5 days.  Each day produced some excitement or a heart rendering story.

Day 1… we had a fire outside which filled the recovery room and OR’s with smoke.  We had to abort a surgery because we were unable to intubate (get breathing tube) in a baby whose airway was stenossed.

Day 2… My little baby who most likely had some kind of URI brewing pre-op developed a full blown pneumonia.  He remains in the PICU (quasi) poor little guy is breathing 50-60 a min, has sternal retractions and cannot keep his O2 levels above 90 on 4l of oxygen.

Day 3… “Life”, “Godknows”, “Wonder”, “Perfect” all names of children we have cared for this week. It is common in Zimbabwe to name children a name that describes an event or feeling of the moment.  So for little boy Life his mom named him life because she did not think he would survive.  She had never seen a baby with a cleft lip and palate.  Her village believed the mother and child were possessed so they were ostracized.

Day 4… Kenny

Kenny presented himself to our team last year in Oct.  He had a softball size lipoma (fatty tumor) on the back and side of his neck.  We were unable to do his surgery last year due to severe high blood pressure.  So he returned after 8 months of triple drug therapy…still with very high BP…but the team decided to proceed using local numbing and conscious sedation.  Kenny was so happy he said..I will finally be able to sleep laying on my back.

Day5… My little guy still remains in PICU… changed antibiotics, still doing chest percussion and albuterol treatments.

Another little guy 5 years old comes for palate repair also has 3+ tonsils which causes airway obstruction.  Turned into a 5 hour recovery.  Did fine in the end but had a hard recovery phase.

The weekend..

Some much needed R & R.  10 of the 18 member team headed off to Victoria falls for the weekend.  We hired a pilot and chartered a plane to Vic Falls.  I am not a fan of flying… it reminded me of my days in Alaska and flying in small planes…only white knuckles for take off and landing.  The pilot buzzed the falls 3 times what a spectacular view.  After we landed we walked along the falls edge for about a mile. Then we headed off for a evening game drive and dinner.  Sunday morning we went on a sunrise Elephant ride… ELEPHANTS are freaking big especially when you are on top of them.  Our elephant was named Tattoo, she was the matriarch so she took up the rear.  I only freaked out when she decided to kneel down unexpectedly and eat a tree.  This was followed by a walk with the lions.  We went to a Lion conservation program where the lions go through a 4 stage re-entry into the wild to attempt to increase the numbers of lions in Africa.  We walked with a Brother and sister for an hour.  Oh wow was this so cool.  They were 14 months old and about 90 kg.  NO KIDDING the paws of the male were 6-7 inches wide.  In the next stage they will have no human contact, then increased wild life conditions and competition for prey, then finally reintroduced into the wild.

Water boarding PACU style…

Day 3

Wednesday August 3

Felt like I spent many hours torturing beautiful African children …into breathing…yup pinching, flicking their cute little feet…..I’m sure they have been scared for life and will never trust another white person again…with good reason….not to mention what the mom’s are thinking as I some how think it a good idea that their baby cry????

My little guy from yesterday still in PICU with a full blown pneumonia….but the 3 Dr’s who thought they were staying the night with this baby just came home so he has improved.

Another 06:30 till 9:30….we are all feeling the long days…this is when I realize…ah I’m not 20 something any more!

GHOST!!!!

Sandy"s ICU

Day 2

August 2, 2011 Tuesday

Well many systems fell into place on Day 2…as they frequently do.  We did get bumped for an emergency appendectomy, which is legit.  No fires and thing went smoothly… But I did have a 6-hour recovery. Which really translates into.’SANDY”S PICU prior to going to the Zim version of ICU…. My little 4 months old with a cleft lip that definitely had an upper respiratory infection brewing.. he had a huge plug during surgery which actually prompted an early removal of his breathing tube…he  was impossible to wean off oxygen…and ended up in the ICU.  Mom looked scared but even with a Shona interpreter it was difficult to explain what was happening …but he was doing well when we left the hospital at 19:30…. baby looked at me like he was seeing a ghost…I/m sure I was the first white person he has ever seen…pretty bad since I kept pinching him much of the time the to keep him breathing….I’m sure his mom thought I was a crazy women as well making her baby cry…or throwing him over my knee banging on his back????.... all in a days work in Zimbabwe!

Tired in a good way...long days but good work.

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW soon

screening day...Tino and first day of surgery

Screening day and more….a visit with my Tino

July 31, 2011, Sunday

We hit the deck running today…up at 0600. A great breakfast buffet.  Then we piled in to the trucks and vans.  We arrived to an empty waiting room scared all of us…we thought for a moment we had traveled very far for nothing.  But the Zimbabwe staff had relocate the prospective patients and families to another location.  We split and conquered some working in screening clinic and some of us finishing the set up.  My OCD drove me to the PACU to make sure it was set up the “Sandy” way.  As mission trips to developing countries go…things just don’t work…like no functioning suction machines….which translates into taking a 20 cc syringe and hand suctioning… or the wall oxygen has no pressure so it can not fill a Jackson Reese bag…to the lay reader this means most of my emergency equipment is non functional  So as Anita would say “step to the right

The screening days always turn up some interesting clinical today no exception we identified two toddlers with wide open PDA (holes in their hearts which never closed from birth.  So we were unable to do their cleft & palate repairs.  Unfortunately there is nowhere in Zimbabwe for poor babies with heart conditions …so things don’t look good for these kids.

The highlight of the day was going down to L’Arche Zimbabwe to visit Tinotenda.  For those of you who did not follow last years blog (you can look at his story as it developed last year) Tino is a boy who was abandoned at the hospital at 3 months old.  We encountered Tino at the hospital last year; he was in a crib in a room by himself.  I fell in love with him and made it a habit to visit him each day.  As time went on I inquired about the long term plan for Tino, and learned that he could be cared for until he was 18, but then would be turned out to the street.  Tino would have died or been abused.  This reality was unfathomable to me.  So long story made short...Tino moved into the L’Arche community on Nov 17..

Sunday afternoon after our screening day I got to go down and see Tino in his new home.  Three other team members from last year joined me.  Jess who is a news journalist for CNN international filmed the occasion for me to have as a memory.

As we walked across the path we were greeted by Tino standing at the window gazing out, a scene we witnessed many times last year at the hospital.  As we continued on he let a screech of excitement out.  I of course burst into tears upon seeing him.  The pale visitors, no one seemed afraid, also excited the other children.  I held my hand out to s if Tino felt comfortable coming closer… soon he was greeting all…pulling us one by one into the room.  One of the assistants suggested that he show us his room...he took my hand and walked down the hall until we came to his room and he sat us down on his bed.  He then showed me the chapel which had many African drums and instruments.  I would drum and he would follow…it was a heart wrenching and heart warming visit.  I so look forward to a longer visit when the medical mission has completed…..speaking of which…

Today

August 1, 2011….how did that happen?

We had our first day of surgery…we got through it and had our fair share of bumps in the road…bottom line all the patients did well…We had a fire...yes at first we were told the roof was on fire…although the OR & PACU filled with smoke the fire was out side in the grass…  We had to stop operating in one OR for an emergency bowel resection for intraseception a 4 hour delay.  Needless to say we operated late….no complaints from families…they are so grateful to have the opportunity to get surgery…One first case canceled because we could not intubate (put a breathing tube in) the baby had a stenossed airway.  Two stressful recoveries complicated by my lack of Shone language skills…we left the hospital at 9:45 pm….oh yeah my blood sugar bottomed out at 8 pm and I was shaking like a leaf…and maybe a little cranky

BUT the GOOD news my luggage came yahooooooooooooo…intact nothing stolen….now I have scrubs & food and a few other things as well….

That’s all folks!  Peace out from Zimbabwe!

o dark hundred

Day 1 July 30 Sat

Well it is 0300 which is a bit early(but only an hour earlier than I rise in Portland).  I arrived in Zimbabwe yesterday around 12:20 pm.  Safe and sound and strangely not very tired?

It took a very long time to get my visa and get through customs.  Unfortunately one duffel did not make it yet (I hope).  The director recommended we do not say we are a medical team….hence NO POKER FACE SANDY was asked to lie…the customs officer I’m sure knew that the 67 pound duffel was not all clothes…I thought I was toast…but he waived me on.

We are staying again at York Lodge, a very nice place I have already been making the rounds hugging the “help”.  Zimbabweans are so kind and gracious.

When the sun rises 4 of us will head out for a morning walk.  Return for breakfast and then head over to Harare Central Hospital to begin the MASH set up.

Arrived Safe and Sound

So I'm just saying Africa is very far away....it is not Kansas Todo..


Smooth sailing ...all flight left on time arrived on time. For some un-me reason I am wide awake...go figure.  The team separated out stuff by function..will set up tomorrow and do screening on Sunday.

Departure Day

After packing 2 heavily laden medical bags and one small personal carry-on...and checking and re-checking... I will head to the airport shortly.  Zimbabwe bound after 36 hours of traveling.  This years route brings me from Portland to San Francisco to Munich to Johannesburg and finally Harare arriving Friday @ 12:24PM.

It is such a privilege to be invited into the world of other cultures, this time Zimbabwe.  The trick on return visits is to leave yourself open to surprises.  Last year there was such a sense of wonder at seeing Africa for the first time.  The unexpected came in the form of a 7 year old boy named Tinotenda.  I fell hard in love with this little boy.  Many of you know I am hopeless when it comes to children so it was not difficult.  What will this trip bring?  What will our challenges be?  Whose path will I cross? The first 12 days will be in Harare Central Children's Hospital.  I then will visit Tinotenda for a few days in the L'Arche community he is living in.  Then it will be off to Makumbi Mission the Jesuit Mission in rural Zimbabwe.  It includes a high school, primary school and a children's home for about 110 orphans.  I will spend about 2 weeks volunteering there.  Then making the oh so long journey across the pond back to the USA.  Tune in for updates!

One of these, 200 of those......

Well the Mt Hood pile is now neatly packed into two HEAVY duffel bags...53 & 60 lbs....may Lufthanza look kindly upon me and the mission to Zimbabwe. 5 days and counting.  Thanks to Jane, Clare & Rozina for helping do the inventory and packing.

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12 days and counting....TO-DO list getting smaller...Pile of supplies the size of Mt HOOD..Will learn how to post blog on FB soon