Boy, the Food Tastes Good!

This past week, one evening, we had Spam for dinner. Oh my, did it taste good…as good as we remember filet mignon tasting!! This week, Darlene made up some Jello she had brought: oh my, what a treat, even plain without any whipped cream or fruit!

Mind you, the food here is good: we are not complaining. But it is simple: the main entrée is usually beans, sometimes rice; at other times, we mix rice and beans! But we also have a constant supply of good fruits and vegetables: bananas, mangos; green beans, and even spinach.

Twice, we have made up our own “French fries” (called frites here), in light oil. Oh my, oh my: we thought they were the best we had ever eaten! But then, again, it seems our taste buds are changing! How about some Spam with frites, s’il vous plait. Now that would be heavenly!

Safari to Rwanda

This past weekend, our friends, Randy and Alice Matthewson (VISA missionaries to the Congo), escorted us on a safari to Rwanda. It was a wonderful trip and experience, and constituted a needed break from our work at Hope Africa University. Our destination was the Free Methodist mission in Kibagora, which we had not previously visited.

Kibagora has a well-developed hospital and medical center, a sizeable FM church, and this fall (2012), they plan to launch a Christian liberal university (like Hope Africa University). It is beautifully situated high above Lake Kivu. The views from our guest housing were spectacular.

On Saturday morning, we were given a full tour of the hospital and medical facilities. In the afternoon, we did a long hike (ca. 5 miles) to a local market and back, downhill one way and uphill the other…some of it very steep.

The drive north on Friday took ca. 5 hours; similarly, the return south on Sunday. The 2-hour drive north of Bujumbura, in Burundi is flat and the road is paved: half of it was in good condition; half of it was not. Crossing the border was a breeze: no visa is required by Rwanda for US citizens. North of the border, in Rwanda, the road climbs steeply and then down again: the landscape is quite mountainous and beautiful; the valleys are planted in huge tea plantations. Much of this roadway was unpaved and under construction: it was smooth enough, but we got COVERED in dust.

We have now visited all three of our Free Methodist missions and hospital centers in central Africa: Kibuye, in Burundi; Nundu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Kibagora, in Rwanda. Each has a good history of evangelism and social service. But all three are in need of continuing support, especially Nundu and Kibagora.

The Clinic is Nearing Completion

Three years in the making and hours of labor havare resulting in a clinic/hospital for Hope Africa University.  Located across the street from the main campus, the facility will serve as a training site for nursing and medical students studying at the University. We look forward to participating in the formal dedication of this new clinic/hospital on place February 27, 2012.

The project began as a one story maternal-pediatric clinic but has been transformed into a two building, two story, grand facility. The buildings have attractive brown brick exterior with metal rust colored roofs. One building is nearly completed. It includes a delivery suite and an operating theater, pharmacy, clinical laboratory, x-ray suite, conference room, examination rooms, and two or three patient wards.

At this time, the interior of one building is painted, has electricity, and tiled floors throughout. Most of the doors and windows are installed. The exact use of the space is still to be decided. How and when those decisions are made remains a mystery to us.

The medical equipment that arrived in February 2011 has been stored on campus for the past year. This week we got into the rooms unlocked and checked the contents. There was thick dust and sand everywhere, but all the equipment seemed to be intact. The logistics of transferring this sensitive, large and heavy medical equipment to the new building present our next challenge. Two capable engineers from the US will be available soon to install the electrical medical equipment during the next several weeks before the dedication event.

The second two story building presently is the focus of much effort toward completion. There are many workers focused on all aspects of construction—plastering, wiring, and constructing a huge stairway/ramp to the upper story. Both buildings are also the focus for plumbing--which is installed after the walls are plastered and painted. They are then cut/routed out to insert the plumbing for sinks and showers and toilets. It is a relief to witness the installation of hand washing facilities for this hospital/clinic.

Already, plans are in place for students to rotate through this facility for their clinical experience. The students in the Masters of Nursing Program are working on planning the Nursing aspects relevant for managing this new facility. We watch the development of this significant undertaking with significant interest.