Container arrives!
African flying termite
The invasion begins--they love light!
Christmas is up at home!
Dr. Kajese and Dr. Kellert holding up ovarian tumor removed!
Starting the surgery for the ovarian cyst!
Starting to remove the container off the lorry
The Lorry arrives with the containerThe container from Sebastopol Christian Church arrived on Saturday last week (10th of December). It was quite an experience to get it here; in fact it could be a movie script!
One of doctors left on Saturday at 6:30 a.m. to go to Chinhoyi with the driver and they only got about 5 miles away from the hospital when they found the truck bringing the container had broken down on our big hill (Dzimaiwei Hill—which means “Oh my goodness” hill) since the night before. The driver came back to tell us and quickly Major took off with the Land Rover and tractor to pull it up the hill. They got there by 7:30 a.m. and went to work. The doctor and driver went on to Chinhoyi (3 hours away) while Major went to work trying to get the truck with the container up the hill. Shortly after they went to work—another truck showed up (large lorry) which had come to pick up peanuts from the hospital. The driver decided that he could get by on the right of the truck and then promptly got his wheels stuck off the road so now there were 2 trucks stuck at a V shape angle! The whole hill was now totally blocked.
The combi’s which transport patients back and forth to the hospital couldn’t get by the trucks. So the one’s bringing patients from the hospital pulled up to the truck and let their passengers walk around trucks and get to another combi who was bringing patients to the hospital. Those people got out and walked to the combi stuck on the other side. So they traded passengers and kept going back and forth like that while the trucks were stuck!
Soon it was learned that the truck carrying the container had a starter problem—so they went to work on that. Our mechanic was the driver who had gone to Chinhoyi with the doctor—so they called and told him to hurry back.
While they were waiting for the mechanic to get back a pickup truck driven by a local headmaster came up the hill before seeing the trucks. Major’s son Michael tried to wave them down to warn them of the obstacle ahead and they assumed he wanted a ride, so didn’t slow down and went over the hill to see 2 big trucks stuck, blocking the way. The driver panicked and had no brakes—so he decided to drive into the hill to stop and in front of all the people flipped his car over and ended up upside down! The people said it was like watching slow motion crash! They waited to go to the car thinking they might have died but soon a hand was reaching out the window and so they ran to drag them out of the cab of the truck. They helped to turn the truck over and the roof was dented in and windscreen shattered, but they got them going away and they turned around and left with the truck with no brakes!
Shortly after 1 p.m. the driver arrived back from Chinhoyi fixed the truck with the container and they used the local road crew caterpillar to pull out the 2 stuck trucks—one at a time and they finally arrived at 4 p.m. with the container and to pick up the peanuts! Major and group arrived hungry, dusty and tired, but quickly went to work to pull the container off the truck. It took awhile but finally it was off! By 5:45 p.m. the peanuts were loaded on their way and the truck with the container offloaded was on their way too! What a day!
We are so thankful for the container and so far in a week haven’t had a chance to unload it because Major was in Harare 3 days this week. We hope to get it open on Monday.
We are happy to report we have had over 100mls of rain this week. People are happy and busy in their fields! Keep praying for rain it is working. We have had enough rain to bring out the flying termites tonight and they are coming in the house as I write! Luckily it only lasts for 2-3 nights a year, so the invasion has begun. This is a favorite snack for the local people so they are so happy!
On Thursday Dr. Cheryl Kellert took out a 9 pound ovarian cyst/fibroid. She had to work hard to dissect it. This lady looked like she was 20 months pregnant when she came in and had been living with all the extra fluid and mass for 3 years. We drained 15.5 litres of fluid out of the mass before the operation! We had referred her to Chinhoyi Hospital last year and they did an ultrasound and said they saw no mass! How thankful we are here to have Dr. Kellert her who made such a difference in this woman’s life! I am sure word will spread fast and many more women will come for help.
Yesterday (Friday) Major, Cheryl and I went off to Harare for the day to do some Christmas shopping and some errands for the hospital. We left by 5 a.m. and spent the day on the run! We left Harare at 6 p.m. with the car full and got home at 11 p.m. We were all exhausted! Couldn’t wait to fall into bed. Those one day trips to Harare are killer days! We did enjoy lunch at the Belgian Chocolate Shop!
This afternoon was spent wrapping presents and putting them under the tree. This will be a busy week with Tuesday movie, Wednesday caroling, Friday staff lunch—need to bake 5 cakes, Friday night movie, Saturday night candlelight Christmas Eve service, after that opening presents and snacks at my house with Major’s family, doctors and wife and Cheryl and I. Sunday morning, church at the hospital, 9 a.m. with tea after for all who come and then brunch at noon here for Major and family, one doctor and wife and Cheryl and I. Monday is a holiday here—so we have some time to recover from the busy week!
Then Tuesday night (27th) Major and family and Cheryl and I head to Harare to spend the night and then leave early the next morning for Nyanga to see Gladys and do some exploring in the Eastern Highlands, an area full of fir trees, lakes with trout and waterfalls! We come back on the 31st to have NY Eve with the community which goes all night and have church at 5 a.m. on the 1st after the all night church meeting. Then we collapse!
One of doctors left on Saturday at 6:30 a.m. to go to Chinhoyi with the driver and they only got about 5 miles away from the hospital when they found the truck bringing the container had broken down on our big hill (Dzimaiwei Hill—which means “Oh my goodness” hill) since the night before. The driver came back to tell us and quickly Major took off with the Land Rover and tractor to pull it up the hill. They got there by 7:30 a.m. and went to work. The doctor and driver went on to Chinhoyi (3 hours away) while Major went to work trying to get the truck with the container up the hill. Shortly after they went to work—another truck showed up (large lorry) which had come to pick up peanuts from the hospital. The driver decided that he could get by on the right of the truck and then promptly got his wheels stuck off the road so now there were 2 trucks stuck at a V shape angle! The whole hill was now totally blocked.
The combi’s which transport patients back and forth to the hospital couldn’t get by the trucks. So the one’s bringing patients from the hospital pulled up to the truck and let their passengers walk around trucks and get to another combi who was bringing patients to the hospital. Those people got out and walked to the combi stuck on the other side. So they traded passengers and kept going back and forth like that while the trucks were stuck!
Soon it was learned that the truck carrying the container had a starter problem—so they went to work on that. Our mechanic was the driver who had gone to Chinhoyi with the doctor—so they called and told him to hurry back.
While they were waiting for the mechanic to get back a pickup truck driven by a local headmaster came up the hill before seeing the trucks. Major’s son Michael tried to wave them down to warn them of the obstacle ahead and they assumed he wanted a ride, so didn’t slow down and went over the hill to see 2 big trucks stuck, blocking the way. The driver panicked and had no brakes—so he decided to drive into the hill to stop and in front of all the people flipped his car over and ended up upside down! The people said it was like watching slow motion crash! They waited to go to the car thinking they might have died but soon a hand was reaching out the window and so they ran to drag them out of the cab of the truck. They helped to turn the truck over and the roof was dented in and windscreen shattered, but they got them going away and they turned around and left with the truck with no brakes!
Shortly after 1 p.m. the driver arrived back from Chinhoyi fixed the truck with the container and they used the local road crew caterpillar to pull out the 2 stuck trucks—one at a time and they finally arrived at 4 p.m. with the container and to pick up the peanuts! Major and group arrived hungry, dusty and tired, but quickly went to work to pull the container off the truck. It took awhile but finally it was off! By 5:45 p.m. the peanuts were loaded on their way and the truck with the container offloaded was on their way too! What a day!
We are so thankful for the container and so far in a week haven’t had a chance to unload it because Major was in Harare 3 days this week. We hope to get it open on Monday.
We are happy to report we have had over 100mls of rain this week. People are happy and busy in their fields! Keep praying for rain it is working. We have had enough rain to bring out the flying termites tonight and they are coming in the house as I write! Luckily it only lasts for 2-3 nights a year, so the invasion has begun. This is a favorite snack for the local people so they are so happy!
On Thursday Dr. Cheryl Kellert took out a 9 pound ovarian cyst/fibroid. She had to work hard to dissect it. This lady looked like she was 20 months pregnant when she came in and had been living with all the extra fluid and mass for 3 years. We drained 15.5 litres of fluid out of the mass before the operation! We had referred her to Chinhoyi Hospital last year and they did an ultrasound and said they saw no mass! How thankful we are here to have Dr. Kellert her who made such a difference in this woman’s life! I am sure word will spread fast and many more women will come for help.
Yesterday (Friday) Major, Cheryl and I went off to Harare for the day to do some Christmas shopping and some errands for the hospital. We left by 5 a.m. and spent the day on the run! We left Harare at 6 p.m. with the car full and got home at 11 p.m. We were all exhausted! Couldn’t wait to fall into bed. Those one day trips to Harare are killer days! We did enjoy lunch at the Belgian Chocolate Shop!
This afternoon was spent wrapping presents and putting them under the tree. This will be a busy week with Tuesday movie, Wednesday caroling, Friday staff lunch—need to bake 5 cakes, Friday night movie, Saturday night candlelight Christmas Eve service, after that opening presents and snacks at my house with Major’s family, doctors and wife and Cheryl and I. Sunday morning, church at the hospital, 9 a.m. with tea after for all who come and then brunch at noon here for Major and family, one doctor and wife and Cheryl and I. Monday is a holiday here—so we have some time to recover from the busy week!
Then Tuesday night (27th) Major and family and Cheryl and I head to Harare to spend the night and then leave early the next morning for Nyanga to see Gladys and do some exploring in the Eastern Highlands, an area full of fir trees, lakes with trout and waterfalls! We come back on the 31st to have NY Eve with the community which goes all night and have church at 5 a.m. on the 1st after the all night church meeting. Then we collapse!
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