HAPPY BIRTHDAY 2020

 

For my birthday, this year I went with Major and Patience back to Rhino Camp for 3 nights of enjoying animals.  Major and Patience tried to fish but did not get much luck after promising bream to eat for my birthday.  Major caught a large Vundu but it is on the endangered list so he had to throw it back!  He was so disappointed.

We enjoyed our time away and it was relaxing and incredibly beautiful.  They cooked me fish for one  dinner since Major did not catch one and a birthday cake!  Nice way to celebrate #66!

We came back on Monday evening and by Thursday we were on our way to Harare as my stomach pain was getting no better.  I was referred to a new GI doctor who felt I was probably resistant to the antibiotics for H. Pyloria I was taking.  He changed drugs and I will take them for 2 weeks and see him after 4 weeks.  If I get worse, I may need another endoscopy to see if my ulcer is better and more biopsies.  So far not much change in 10 days.  We are praying for the best.  Not feeling well is really taking its toll.

I still work 0700-1300 doing office work.  Covid continues but not many new cases in Zimbabwe and only 1 in our Province—3 hours away recently. We still wear masks and enforce mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing.

Our borders and South Africa reopened on 1-October, but US citizens can not come in because of their high rate of Covid-19 cases—more than 56 countries are banned including most of Europe!

Still large amounts of patients coming to be seen.  Government hospitals are open but staff still not showing up, patients not being seen, so they are just coming here from all over the country.  It really adds to our staff workload and is discouraging nurses who make $60/month equivalent in local currency when everything is sold in US$ now.  Please pray for them to be encouraged and continue their hard work.

We have started work on one of our doctors houses which we are remodeling to add another bedroom, bathroom, and lounge.  They have started the foundation this week.

We have had a couple of sprinkles of rain and 1 inch one night so the rainy season is starting and we do need it badly!  It has cooled us down from our usual 106-108 degree weather everyday.  Yesterday afternoon we finally got a downpour all afternoon and got (3.6 inches)!  Knocked our electricity out as usual but we love the rain!

This morning (Tuesday) we woke up the drilling company arriving to dig our new borehole.  We had so many water problems this year we are now so happy that this might be a big help!  We pray they hit water and lots of it!

Watching the US news has been exciting these past few months.  I urge everyone to VOTE and participate in the elections and I pray everything will be peaceful and calm.

Birthday cake

The fish that had to be released!

Construction on Doctor's House

The rains begin

The elephant who came to visit my chair!

Impalas and a Saddlebill Stork

Robin

Dwarf Mongoose

Impalas and Warthogs

Kariba Sunset--nothing like it!

Drilling company has arrived to drill a new borehole

Carmine Bee-eater