Hospital Staff Illnesses
We have had a number of hospital staff
go down with some kind of virus. It starts with a cough and
progresses to a fever, then seems to be done with. There have been
so many staff get sick that the administrators are concerned about not being able to
maintain the same level of coverage in the hospital!
Even the guys that work in maintenance
and landscaping have not been immune from the sickness. We have had
a few guys try to tough it out including John, the maintenance
department's commander-in-chief. He was down for a couple of days.
That is extremely unusual for a hard working guy like him. It was
bad enough that the girls who were supposed to go on the grocery
shopping trip in Lome postponed it for a few days.
If you wouldn't mind saying a prayer
for us and the staff, their health, incoming patients' health and
hospital coverage, we could all use the support! A lot of little kids have been coming in with this same sickness. It seems to really hit them hard, and it sucks to see kids not feeling well.
Eating "On The Road"
Eating out of the house can be a bit
nerve-wracking for some people. There are definite concerns about
hygiene, water quality, food safety and cleanliness, and getting the infamous 'Togo
Tummy'. The latter usually results in sudden dashes to the toilet
for an extended sit on the porcelain throne, if you catch my drift.
Not pleasant.
Just outside the hospital gate we have
a little row of shopping stalls. You can buy corn meal and spices
and fruits and veggies. You can buy fresh baked bread in big loaves or small. You can even charge your phone battery - for a small fee
per hour. These are all services taken advantage of by the family
members of those in the hospital. They will take the goods back to
the hospital's cuisine area to prepare meals for themselves and their
sick family member.
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The view from behind the veggie stand out to the
road and the hospital wall across the road. |
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| Secure phone charging stall |
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| A local patron of the shopping area |
Also available 'on the road' are meals prepared in little shacks which would be the rough equivalent to a restaurant. People warned us of the perils of eating
in these establishments but we decided to try for ourselves. We went
with our Canadian buddy, Dr. Kiong. He is a veteran of eating on the
road and fears no food! He took us to his favourite place – Jesus
Saves – to get our feet wet. We sat at a very short table on
wobbly benches. The six of us filled the place, except for two
little tables. One water jug was placed on the table with a communal
plastic cup. We all ordered the same thing because it makes it
easier for preparation and speed of service if the cook simply makes the
same thing for everyone. So it was spaghetti all around! And a can
of pop for each so we didn't have to share the water cup. We all
received our meal with a fried egg on top, a nice touch of protein
perched atop the pasta and sauce.
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| Translated: Jesus Saves Restaurant-Cafe |
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| Dr Kiong and Logan |
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| Nice presentation, but watch those little green peppers! |
Now truly, it is hard to screw up cooking spaghetti pasta and sauce – even for me. But Jesus Saves didn't
disappoint. The sauce was good, the pasta fully cooked. But there
was a surprise! Little green surprises. Very spicy little green
surprises, tucked secretively into the dish! If you neglected to pick out these
little surprises from your sauce your lips, tongue and taste buds
would suddenly alert you of your oversight. Even Kiong was cautious of these
guys... take note! A couple of us like spicy things, but after sampling these
fire bomb peppers we decided against eating too many more of them!
The meal cost each person less than
$2.00 for the pasta and the drink. Very affordable, if not basic,
fare. We were very attuned to any stomach and intestine rumblings
for the rest of the day and the next but no one was plagued by Togo
Tummy, thankfully. We'll be back to Jesus Saves, and explore other
options on the road for special occasions! Eating on the road isn't
so scary. We're supporting the local economy, mingling with the
people we serve and experiencing the culture more fully.
Well, Well, Well...
We do know that these local shops and
restaurants get their water from the hospital taps, so it's clean.
The hospital filters and chlorinates its own well water (from two well sources) to ensure it
is safe for the the hospital, the community and the compound residents to drink. We
provide two filling stations for people to bring jugs, pails and
large bowls to replenish their supply at home. We have one set of
taps at the front of the hospital at the main entrance. Another
single tap is located outside the compound at the hangar, so those
living further away don't have to walk all the way around to the
front of the property. This service is greatly appreciated and well
used. There are always people filling up whenever we go past. (And
sometimes they are washing their clothes and moto, too. Not quite the intended
purpose, but... whatever.)
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Two low taps for those filling up with a moto.
One high tap so they don't have to take the
container off their head and lift it back up when full. |
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| This is the single tap beside the hangar |
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Walking home from the hangar with a full water bucket and a scoop
she uses, so she doesn't have to lift the bucket once filled. |
Lizard Pants
Our boys have risen to Expert
Level in lizard catching. All of them have caught more than 20 each
– and the youngest of the three has become the mightiest most persistent and successful hunter. They just
catch them, show them off and then let them go. But - it's serious
business!
The other day Hudson spotted one while
we were at the shop checking in with the guys. He climbed up on the
elevated loading dock area and trapped a small lizard under his hands
while on all fours. This is in full view of the guys working (and some others who should have been working but were just hanging around in) the carpenters' shop. While Hudson
thought it was under his
hands, the little reptile snuck out behind his hands and climbed up
the leg of Hudson's shorts. This caught young Hudson by surprise, as it was a new experience! He
jumped up, then jumped up and down repeatedly, trying to dislodge the
lizard from the inside of his shorts!
I wish I had two
videos. The first one of a squealing, shouting and laughing
7-year-old doing the chicken dance trying to get the lizard out of
his pants by gyrations and sheer vocal volume – which he eventually did.
The second video, of half a dozen Togolese guys doubled over in
laughter at the sight playing out before them! The noise and
commotion of the whole event was hilarious for Logan, Keenan and me.
It was even funny for Hudson, too – who captured the offending
lizard, by the way! The workers (and the stand-around-and-watchers)
were chuckling about it for the next couple of days.
They won't forget
our family for a while... I think we amuse them.
Coup-Coup Cuts
Machetes
here are called coup-coups. I think it's derived from the French
word “coupe” which
means 'cut'. Truth is, they do cut very well, and very quickly. They're used to cut grasses,
limbs and branches of trees, vines, help butcher animals, and if you aren't
careful... cut yourself.
People's exhibit
number one for this is Logan. He had just finished sharpening his
machete on a stone behind the shop, just like Togbe' and Agbessi have
shown him. He was wiping the blade off when the cloth slipped and he
nicked his index finger knuckle. I laughed at his response – he
was both laughing and angry at himself.
We got him cleaned
up and I know for a fact he'll be more careful while handling it from
now on. Life can be a cruel teacher, giving the test before the
lesson.
People's exhibit
number two is Keenan. He won't dangle his machete lazily near his baby toe. It was just a wee scratch but it got his attention!
Book Club
My mother is going
to fall out of her chair when she reads this.
There's no easy way to
say it:
My name is Derek,
and I'm in a Book Club.
Well, no, that's
not really true. I'm actually LEADING a book club. Seriously.
(Someone check in on my mother, please.)
The back story:
I'm allergic to books. I don't get along well when left alone with
them. I don't even like paper. Like oil and water.
So when Jason, our
team leader here in Togo South, asked if I would take over his
Thursday afternoon English-speaking book club with a few Togolese
employees at the hospital while he heads home for a term, I was not
the right guy for the job. I like to work. I like to be
active. Plus, I'm not really a teacher / group leader type of
person. “All you have to do is sit there and listen to them read,
and correct their pronunciation when it's really bad”, Jason told
me. If I wouldn't do it they'd have to drop the program until he
returned in a year. (Guilt trip, anyone??) I reluctantly said I'd
do it, as a favour to him and the attendees. So we have now had our
first session together.
Well, I did correct
some pronunciation, as well as tried to define some larger words into
basic French so they could comprehend the text better. And then they
suggested that I lead a discussion as we talked about the main
points of the chapter. (Jason, this is getting more involved all the
time, my friend!) Also, these guys are all medical professionals and
/ or pastors of local churches. I'm in maintenance here, definitely
out of my element. And the book – it's J. Oswald Sanders'
Spiritual Leadership. My question now... Who's going to get
more out of our Thursday book club – the Togolese men, or me? This
was definitely a set-up! God works in strange and mysterious ways.
The session was
surprisingly good. Insightful conversation, good discussion, good
questions. Maybe this won't be so painful after all?
Thanks, Jason.
From The Cutting Room Floor
Again, here are some random pictures that caught our attention over the past week and a bit. Enjoy some of the more interesting, beautiful and bizarre things we get to see here.
What a great news letter. Love the pics. I now have a much better idea of what your setting looks like. I especially love God's set up for Derek leading the study.
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