Several times Sunday we were asked about our schedule. We were puzzled when the news that we were traveling to Mkulazi on Monday was met with sniggers, knowing looks and rolling eyes. When Barbara explained that the road to Mkulazi is known as one of the worst in the area, we were not concerned. How bad can it be? We’re tough. We’re American, after all.
6:30 am saw us all piling back into Barbara’s Land Rover. We were joined by Kilatu, who works for the diocese and is responsible for community development, including Mkulazi. Barbara shares the front seat with one person, three of us cozy into the middle seat and the rest of us sit on two parallel benches in the back, cargo area. Two inches of foam line the seat and back rest on the benches and we interlace our legs to extend them so our knees are somewhat below waist level.
Our first hour was back down the Morogoro-Dar es Salaam highway to a dirt road. The few bumps in the road had us looking at each other and smiling. Barbara clearly exaggerated the poor condition of the road. However, after we passed through the small village of Ngere Ngere we began to understand the sympathetic laughter from Sunday night. It took two full hours to travel 35 miles and the terrain was some of the worst any vehicle has ever attempted to traverse. In the rainy season, we are told that the road is impassable, leaving the village of Mkulazi completely isolated from the world. The close quarters were tolerable in the front and middle seats. The back benches were barely endured and we rotated seating to manage the trip.
We experienced a completely different view of Tanzania. Stick huts with mud plaster and thatched roofs were scattered in the bush. Water must be carried from remote sources and life follows the cycle of the sun with only a rare kerosene lantern to prolong the day. Our progress was halted often by men herding cows or goats down the “road”.
We were greeted with much ceremony by the village elders in Mkulazi and proudly served tea, soda and biscuits to refresh us after the dusty road. The diocese has just completed installation of a solar powered electrical system that is a marvel throughout the area and is an addition to an earlier water collection system that makes running water possible in the immediate few buildings. Mkulazi is a village of 3500 people that encompasses many sub-villages in an area with a 10 kilometer circumference. We were there to see patients at the dispensary who had conditions that had not been resolved after consultation with the local medical clinician. Before we could begin our work, though, the formalities were to be observed. In Tanzania, relationships are far more important than results. Although we were eager to see patients immediately, it was important that the village council honor us with formal speeches and introductions.
Our work began shortly after 1 pm and we met with 23 patients, treating those we could help, caring for those we couldn’t help, and sharing love with all.
The trees awakened us today singing and dancing in the uncustomary wind that ushered in cooler air. After a brief visit to the diocese offices to formally meet with Bishop Mameo and his staff, we approached the hospital and the line of people waiting for help stretched out the door and down the street. A quick 30 minutes for organization saw us divided up into work groups as we began seeing patients. Many were referred to us by the Asbury Methodist medical team, which proceeded us by two weeks. At the end of the day we had seen 35 patients and performed two surgical procedures.
Tomorrow we will be able to start several hours earlier and have four surgical cases scheduled for the day. Our work yesterday at Mkulazi and today at St. Mary’s has helped us refine a system that will allow us to see larger numbers and we are hoping to see more than 50 patients in clinic tomorrow, some of whom will be surgical candidates. This work is rewarding and energizes all of us as Christ opens our hearts to our Tanzanian brothers and sisters.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Africa, Tanzanian Style
As the first rays of sun radiated across the horizon yesterday morning, we arrived at Mikumi National Park after a 1 ½ hour drive in company with the team from Asbury Methodist. Our guide was skilled at finding wildlife and pointed out animals we would have missed. Although Simba (lion) eluded us, we were enthralled at the sight of countless giraffes, zebras, elephants, water buffalo, and hippopotami, just to mention a few. The photographers on our bus bounced from side to side as our tolerant driver waited for us to signal our readiness to continue our tour. Because the Asbury group needed to be back to LJS to prepare for their return home, we still had half a day left after our safari.
Barbara ferried us in to Morogoro, about 15 minutes away, giving us our first look at the city. The doctors were eager to tour the hospital and work out logistical problems they might encounter. We were welcomed with open arms and broad smiles when we greeted the staff, who refused to allow us to carry the bags of supplies into the hospital. Once they had arranged the suitcases in one of the rooms we will be working out of, we tackled the task of unpacking and organizing almost 400 pounds of supplies for our mission. Our tour of the simple facility caused some concern when we saw that the area we will be using for surgery was in the midst of a facelift. The dust and debris made the area completely unusable. A worried conference with the hospital administrator, Mama Tosa, eased our concern when she assured us that the job would be completed before Tuesday, our first day scheduled at St. Mary’s.
Barbara joined us for dinner at LJS and the conversation lingered long after the meal as we discussed our schedule for the next couple of days. Every time we are with Barbara, we learn so many new things about the people of Tanzania and how we can best integrate into the culture. We know that God wants us to be here, doing His work. Our prayer is that we will be able to soften our American ways so that we will not detract from His mission and Barbara has become an invaluable guide to help us in that effort.
Today we joined the Bungo congregation for worship at the cathedral, which was led by Bishop Mameo. Bungo is a congregation in Morogoro and is part of the Morogoro diocese. When the ELCA was first established in the diocese more than ten years ago, it started as a single small congregation at the diocese headquarters. There are now 45 congregations throughout the diocese, 10 of which are in Morogoro. We sat in two pews, clustered around Barbara, who translated the service so we could follow along. Some parts, like the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s creed, we spoke in English. Other parts, like the hymns, we stumbled through in Swahili, reading from the Swahili hymnal. Throughout the service, we were blessed to worship with our Tanzanian brothers and sisters as we joined them in their joy in our love of Christ.
The elders of the congregation honored us with lunch at a local restaurant. Bishop Mameo entertained us with some of his stories of the culture differences he has experienced in his trips to the U.S. After lunch, a trip to the pharmacy to supplement our medicines was completed. We will be travelling to a remote village tomorrow to see patients who have problems that have not been resolved with other medical consultation. If we find we are able to help any of these patients with a surgical procedure, we will be seeing them early enough in our trip to make arrangements for that surgery. These patients live more than 2 ½ hours away and must use a bus to come to Morogoro. As there is only one bus a day that serves their village, they will need the extra time to make arrangements.
We will be closing the day today, again, with a team devotion. Dana Pennie, Cindy’s husband, accepted the job of preparing our daily devotion and we are all grateful to end our day remembering why we are here.
Barbara ferried us in to Morogoro, about 15 minutes away, giving us our first look at the city. The doctors were eager to tour the hospital and work out logistical problems they might encounter. We were welcomed with open arms and broad smiles when we greeted the staff, who refused to allow us to carry the bags of supplies into the hospital. Once they had arranged the suitcases in one of the rooms we will be working out of, we tackled the task of unpacking and organizing almost 400 pounds of supplies for our mission. Our tour of the simple facility caused some concern when we saw that the area we will be using for surgery was in the midst of a facelift. The dust and debris made the area completely unusable. A worried conference with the hospital administrator, Mama Tosa, eased our concern when she assured us that the job would be completed before Tuesday, our first day scheduled at St. Mary’s.
Barbara joined us for dinner at LJS and the conversation lingered long after the meal as we discussed our schedule for the next couple of days. Every time we are with Barbara, we learn so many new things about the people of Tanzania and how we can best integrate into the culture. We know that God wants us to be here, doing His work. Our prayer is that we will be able to soften our American ways so that we will not detract from His mission and Barbara has become an invaluable guide to help us in that effort.
Today we joined the Bungo congregation for worship at the cathedral, which was led by Bishop Mameo. Bungo is a congregation in Morogoro and is part of the Morogoro diocese. When the ELCA was first established in the diocese more than ten years ago, it started as a single small congregation at the diocese headquarters. There are now 45 congregations throughout the diocese, 10 of which are in Morogoro. We sat in two pews, clustered around Barbara, who translated the service so we could follow along. Some parts, like the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s creed, we spoke in English. Other parts, like the hymns, we stumbled through in Swahili, reading from the Swahili hymnal. Throughout the service, we were blessed to worship with our Tanzanian brothers and sisters as we joined them in their joy in our love of Christ.
The elders of the congregation honored us with lunch at a local restaurant. Bishop Mameo entertained us with some of his stories of the culture differences he has experienced in his trips to the U.S. After lunch, a trip to the pharmacy to supplement our medicines was completed. We will be travelling to a remote village tomorrow to see patients who have problems that have not been resolved with other medical consultation. If we find we are able to help any of these patients with a surgical procedure, we will be seeing them early enough in our trip to make arrangements for that surgery. These patients live more than 2 ½ hours away and must use a bus to come to Morogoro. As there is only one bus a day that serves their village, they will need the extra time to make arrangements.
We will be closing the day today, again, with a team devotion. Dana Pennie, Cindy’s husband, accepted the job of preparing our daily devotion and we are all grateful to end our day remembering why we are here.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Waking on the shores of the Indian Ocean
A weary crew arrived into Dar es Salaam airport last night after 27 hours of travel. The Arkansas and Oklahoma team members met up with Mike in Amsterdam, which united the team for the first time. Our three hour layover flew by as the discussion of our trip swirled around us, excitement mingling with enthusiasm.
The final leg into Dar es Salaam saw us arrive around 8 pm. After visas were issued for the team and we cleared customs (with all 15 bags intact!), we greeted Barbara Robertson, our Tanzanian liason. Barbara is originally from Washington state and has lived in Tanzania for 10 years, working for the Morogoro Diocese for the last 3 ½ years. Her fluent Swahili is such a help for us, as is her wisdom about some of the differences between our two cultures.
It was dark when we tumbled into bed at the Pentecostal Guest House, a local lodging for weary travelers funded by a Swedish outreach program. The light of the morning sun revealed the beauty of our surroundings for the first time. We were treated to a light breakfast on a shaded porch overlooking the Indian Ocean and watched a trio of monkeys watch us.
Barbara was our driver on the three hour trip to Morogoro, using the time to further educate us on Tanzania and answer the myriad of questions that were triggered by the surrounding countryside. On the way, we stopped to visit with Jenifa in her home. Jenifa , who was one of our patients from last year, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. The team raised the funds last year to allow her to begin her treatment and it was a blessing to visit with her and see the improvement in her condition. She is a widow and lives in a very modest home in the country surrounded by the fields she farms for food. Native chickens roaming her dirt yard are evidence of her efforts to have a business that will not only feed her family, but provide a source of income that will outlive her. She is a witness to Christ in her life and testifies that she knows that all healing comes from Him. Her joy in Christ was an encouragement to us all.
We have settled in to our rooms at the Lutheran Junior Seminary and will meet up for dinner with the team from Asbury Methodist that has preceeded us. The Asbury team has been screening candidates for us to consider for surgery and their last day here will be tomorrow. They will join us for the half-day tour through Mikumi Game park before they begin their return home. During this evening and our trip tomorrow, the doctors from both teams will be able to compare notes as Asbury hands off the medical baton to our team.
(By the way—our laptops are not working well yet. Dr. Mike wants the office to know that if they need to get in touch with him, send a message through this blog.)
The final leg into Dar es Salaam saw us arrive around 8 pm. After visas were issued for the team and we cleared customs (with all 15 bags intact!), we greeted Barbara Robertson, our Tanzanian liason. Barbara is originally from Washington state and has lived in Tanzania for 10 years, working for the Morogoro Diocese for the last 3 ½ years. Her fluent Swahili is such a help for us, as is her wisdom about some of the differences between our two cultures.
It was dark when we tumbled into bed at the Pentecostal Guest House, a local lodging for weary travelers funded by a Swedish outreach program. The light of the morning sun revealed the beauty of our surroundings for the first time. We were treated to a light breakfast on a shaded porch overlooking the Indian Ocean and watched a trio of monkeys watch us.
Barbara was our driver on the three hour trip to Morogoro, using the time to further educate us on Tanzania and answer the myriad of questions that were triggered by the surrounding countryside. On the way, we stopped to visit with Jenifa in her home. Jenifa , who was one of our patients from last year, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer that has spread to other parts of her body. The team raised the funds last year to allow her to begin her treatment and it was a blessing to visit with her and see the improvement in her condition. She is a widow and lives in a very modest home in the country surrounded by the fields she farms for food. Native chickens roaming her dirt yard are evidence of her efforts to have a business that will not only feed her family, but provide a source of income that will outlive her. She is a witness to Christ in her life and testifies that she knows that all healing comes from Him. Her joy in Christ was an encouragement to us all.
We have settled in to our rooms at the Lutheran Junior Seminary and will meet up for dinner with the team from Asbury Methodist that has preceeded us. The Asbury team has been screening candidates for us to consider for surgery and their last day here will be tomorrow. They will join us for the half-day tour through Mikumi Game park before they begin their return home. During this evening and our trip tomorrow, the doctors from both teams will be able to compare notes as Asbury hands off the medical baton to our team.
(By the way—our laptops are not working well yet. Dr. Mike wants the office to know that if they need to get in touch with him, send a message through this blog.)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
We meet for the first time! 2009
Last weekend, May 30 & 31, your 2009 Tanzania Surgical Mission team met for the first time. It was so exciting for all of us to get together and share how God has called us to this mission. Peace Lutheran Church was proud to host a commissioning for the team at each of the 3 services during the weekend, after hearing Cindy describe last year’s mission and what we foresee for this year. At the same time, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville was learning about the mission from Dr. Arleigh Trainor, who is a member of Good Shepherd.
After a quick dinner, we gathered at the home of Dr. Doug & Glynnis Treptow. Dr. Mike Orzechowski joined us from Alaska by phone for a lengthy conference. We learned that we will have about a half day to enjoy the sights of Africa as we adjust to the time change. After that, we are eager to begin our mission, which will include a day in one of the more remote districts before we begin clinic and surgery at St. Mary’s. Your team spent several hours brainstorming, combining what we learned last year with the experience the team has acquired in other ways. Some of the problems we considered are:
• What kind of patients do we expect to help?
• What supplies should we bring with us?
• What can we purchase in Tanzania for our mission?
• How can we organize our clinics to help the greatest number of people?
• How should we allocate the team supplies that we are packing to minimize the damage if a bag is lost?
• What are our options in Tanzania if we need anesthesia beyond a spinal block?
• How can we help the most when we are doing clinic in the remote district?
As we ended the evening, the Arkansas members of the team made plans to meet again a day or two before departure to pack the team bags together. Cindy and her husband, Dana, are flying out of Tulsa. The Arkansas members, Dr. Arleigh, Dr. Doug, Glynnis and Pati, are flying out of NW Arkansas and will join up with Cindy and Dana in Minneapolis, where we all fly to Amsterdam. Dr. Mike is flying out of Alaska and meets up with the team for the first time in Amsterdam. We are all looking forward to continuing the bond that was formed with each other as we travel on to the work He has waiting for us with our brothers and sisters in Tanzania.
We ask for your prayers for our safe travel (for us and our luggage!) and that God will guide us in His mission in Tanzania.
If you want to be a financial part of this vital mission, you can send your check to ELCA A-Ok Synod, 6931 S. 66th E Ave, Ste 310, Tulsa, OK 74133-1760 and put “Tanzania Surgical Mission” on the memo field.
BWANA ASIFIWE! (Praise the Lord)
After a quick dinner, we gathered at the home of Dr. Doug & Glynnis Treptow. Dr. Mike Orzechowski joined us from Alaska by phone for a lengthy conference. We learned that we will have about a half day to enjoy the sights of Africa as we adjust to the time change. After that, we are eager to begin our mission, which will include a day in one of the more remote districts before we begin clinic and surgery at St. Mary’s. Your team spent several hours brainstorming, combining what we learned last year with the experience the team has acquired in other ways. Some of the problems we considered are:
• What kind of patients do we expect to help?
• What supplies should we bring with us?
• What can we purchase in Tanzania for our mission?
• How can we organize our clinics to help the greatest number of people?
• How should we allocate the team supplies that we are packing to minimize the damage if a bag is lost?
• What are our options in Tanzania if we need anesthesia beyond a spinal block?
• How can we help the most when we are doing clinic in the remote district?
As we ended the evening, the Arkansas members of the team made plans to meet again a day or two before departure to pack the team bags together. Cindy and her husband, Dana, are flying out of Tulsa. The Arkansas members, Dr. Arleigh, Dr. Doug, Glynnis and Pati, are flying out of NW Arkansas and will join up with Cindy and Dana in Minneapolis, where we all fly to Amsterdam. Dr. Mike is flying out of Alaska and meets up with the team for the first time in Amsterdam. We are all looking forward to continuing the bond that was formed with each other as we travel on to the work He has waiting for us with our brothers and sisters in Tanzania.
We ask for your prayers for our safe travel (for us and our luggage!) and that God will guide us in His mission in Tanzania.
If you want to be a financial part of this vital mission, you can send your check to ELCA A-Ok Synod, 6931 S. 66th E Ave, Ste 310, Tulsa, OK 74133-1760 and put “Tanzania Surgical Mission” on the memo field.
BWANA ASIFIWE! (Praise the Lord)
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