The container arrives, Two new visitors, Surgeons here, a funeral and 4th of July

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The container that was ready in January and got delayed because of the Longshoreman strike--finally arrived here at 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning!  We were so excited.  They took hardly anytime to unload it and then we couldn't wait to open it and get things out.

We found tape and foleys and IV cannulas and gauze, gloves--all things we have been buying for the last several months.  We were about ready again to buy some more and the container came just in time to stock us up! We PTL for all the people who donated medical supplies and especially Sue and Gene Beckstead who go and collect all of it, store it in their garage and then pack it into the container. There is never an inch of space unused in our containers!

This week turned out to be busy at the hospital as we prepared for the surgeon from Harare, Mr. Chihaka and our anesthesiologist, Dr. Kajese to arrive on Friday for surgeries.  We booked several people and got ready 2 rooms to operate in so we could move faster.

On Wednesday night the group of visitors here (Rachel, John and Rileigh) got back from their Victoria Falls trip bringing with them a new visitor, April who is an RN from Kansas.  They all had a wonderful trip away and saw and did a lot.

Then Thursday our driver went in to get another young lady from Seattle, Bailey whose plane got delayed several hours.  She finally arrived here at 1 a.m. Friday!  Having not slept for 2 days straight we allowed her to sleep in and she finally came to the hospital about noon on Friday.  In the afternoon I had them unpacking and sorting things that had come in our container.

Friday night the doctors from Harare arrived and we fed them dinner at 9:30 p.m. and sent them off to rest before starting at 05:30 a.m. the next day.  They worked so hard with our 2 doctors, 2 nurses, 2 nurse aides and 2 visitors.  I made rounds on the inpatients and got them out of the way so our 2 doctors  could be in theater. They ended up doing 5 abdominal surgeries, 4 other surgeries which was a lot for one surgeon to do in 1 day.

At lunchtime I had to run to a funeral for a long standing member of our church--Ambuya Toro.  She was 101 years old when she died.  The funeral was attending by most of the community and a great celebration of a long time church member.  She had such bad arthritis, but she always walked the 3 kms to church and back each Sunday until about 3 years ago when she became bed bound.  

They finally finished just after 6 p.m.  and quickly came and ate 4th of July BBQ with us.  We had steak sandwiches, hot dogs, potato salad, cole slaw, pumpkin casserole, corn casserole, baked beans and buns.  We had carrot cake for dessert.  They were in a hurry to get back to Harare that night.

As they went to leave one of the patients they operated on started having some bleeding.  They checked her and felt she was ok--then in Karoi called and decided to come back and open her again (our roads are so bad--this was dedication by these doctors!).  So at 11:30 p.m. they arrived back and finished by 12:30 a.m.  They came to get something more to eat at my house and then Dr. Kajese went back to do the anesthesia for our doctor who had to do a C/Section!  He got to bed after 2 a.m. and they were up at 4 a.m. to go back to Karoi and then on to Harare.  Our driver who drove them the first time to Karoi also drove them again at 4 a.m. and got back in time to attend church here.  I saw him dozing he was exhausted too!  Everyone is totally exhausted today but all patients are doing well!  We are so thankful for this service which allows patients to get surgeries they could never afford in Harare.  These doctors donate their time to come and help us,  all of this for free.  We book so many people it isn't an easy day for them.  We are so thankful to them.

We had 12 people for our 4th of July BBQ and we all enjoyed it.  Everyone had to wear red-white-blue to celebrate with us #239 years of Independence!  We put off a few fireworks we had left over from NY Eve.  Then we sat around the fire to enjoy keeping warm--it was down to 55 last night--mid-winter for us!


Unpacking the container



Container on truck that brought it

Major helping to unload the container


 Bailey and John and Rileigh unpacking some goodies from the container

Dr. Chihaka teaching Dr. Isala


Surgery team with April helping



Daughter in laws bringing the pots of water to the burial site



Family of Ambuya Toro at funeral 



Decorated for the 4th of July 


John and Rileigh in their Red-White and Blue



Part of group for 4th of July dinner

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