The January Blah's

Farmers burning the grasses off the fields in the mountains behind our hospital compound.
Our house smelled like smoke for several days!

That's Sick!

Just after Christmas we experienced some sickness.  We had just returned home from Lome after a couple of days visiting some family and friends as a Christmas break.  A couple of us were tested for malaria and came back negative.  We missed out on New Year's celebrations because we were not feeling great.  We have been asked by people back home if there is Covid here, are lots getting sick, are there many fatalities, etc.  

Yours truly getting blood drawn for
a malaria test.

Not feeling great, not impressed
with getting a malaria test.

The answer is 'we don't know'.  The government doesn't know.  The Health Department doesn't know.  There isn't much testing being done - except for arriving or departing from the airport.  People here generally are poorer.  The tests are expensive, and sometimes slow to be returned, so why pay to get tested and told you have something that presents flu-like symptoms when that money could be spent on medication to treat the flu-like symptoms.  The tests aren't always accurate, so why get tested if you don't have symptoms?  (See the previous sentence if you do have symptoms.)  The reality is, most on our compound have been exposed to coronavirus either directly because they work in the hospital, or indirectly because it comes home with the medical professional.  Many have been sick with the symptoms Covid presents.  But these are also similar symptoms to influenza, early stages of malaria, and so on.  We've probably had it but we'll never know for sure.

Snake Bite?

There is a possibility that I received a snake bite.  I say 'possibility' because I didn't see it.  I was walking in the field on the compound and thought I stepped on a stick that flipped up and kind of kicked with my ankle.  Later, I noticed a trickle of blood running down to the strap on my sandal and didn't think much of it.  The next day at lunch time I felt some pain and stiffness and noticed some decent swelling around my ankle - and those two tiny prick marks close together around the place where it hurt.  How strange...

Those two tiny marks, they hurt!

After being assessed by a surgeon (that stopped by for birthday cake) he suggested it was a bite.  A couple of days later I showed it to one of the doctors who has been here for a couple of decades.  He's seen enough snake bites in his time.  His comment was interesting to me, but not so to my wife.  "You didn't die within two minutes, so that rules out this, this and this species."  (I forget the exact ones he listed)  "You didn't die after a couple of hours, so that rules out these other species.  You're not bleeding out of your eyes, ears, nose or mouth as far as I can see, so that's good.  Watch for infection and keep it elevated."  So far, so good.  God is watching out for us!

When my parents found out, my dad asked for my golf clubs if I died.  That's compassion!

Waterfall Hike

We were able to take a big group of visitors and a new surgeon and his family on a hike to Wli Falls.  It's the tallest constantly flowing falls (doesn't stop flowing in dry season) in West Africa.  Found straddling the border of Ghana and Togo, the falls offer a strenuous hike with a great reward.  It's like climbing 144 flights of stairs... loose, rocky stairs.  But the view, it's totally worth it! (And my foot was elevated - going up the mountain!)

Here is a view of a part of the trail, the last section before the descent to the base of the falls.  

Work Around The Hospital

The maintenance team removed the old boiler which runs our hospital sterilization and laundry services.  We then installed a larger, more modern, faster boiler in it's place.  With a new feed water system and a new pH balancing filter and aerator, we were ale to get it all wired, plumbed, pipes fitted  and fired up over four solid days of work.  

It is so nice to have new equipment in place of old; equipment that isn't limping along "with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel", as John says.  This should last several years before needing major service.

Nine guys were required just to move this beast 
through the door into its final position!

Up next is the installation of two new autoclaves (sterilizers) for the OR department and a new digital xray (finally, after FOUR years of fundraising and waiting!).  Lots of work but so exciting to replace an obsolete, 40-something year old film xray machine - and accompanying dark room for developing the xray film - with some newer technology!  Pictures to follow.

New Year leftovers

Like some New Years resolutions, these photos didn't make the cut.  There just isn't enough space on this blog post.  That doesn't mean they aren't interesting though, so I'll share them here.

A truck arrived with a container of medical supplies, mostly drugs for our pharmacy.  The entire container was held on the trailer with two 2" ratchet straps.  For a 20,000lb load, for those that don't know, is woefully inadequate and unsafe.  But it arrived safely so...?

But not much of a surprise considering the condition of the rear tires on said trailer.  These following pictures are from the rear tires on the left and right side of the trailer.  Oh, Togo...

A bunch of the shop guys went together and purchased a cow for Christmas / New Years celebrations.  They killed it (I have the video but my sister will be very angry if I post it) and butchered it behind the workshop.  They used no butchering skill.  None whatsoever.  Only a machete was used to hack it apart.  They divided up the entire cow.  I mean, the entire cow.  Guts (intestines, kidneys, stomach), hooves, skull, the hide, all just chopped into pieces and equally shared among the group.

The literal chopping block

Meat divided, men happy!

The last morsels being scavenged.

Stilt walkers on the beach in Lome

A couple of days after the grass-clearing fires, this was the view of the mountain.  Charred grass
with trees still mostly green.  And a moto rider on the switchback, just for good measure!

An old friend came by to visit.
(But left after biting Hudson!)

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to catch up with a bit of what's happening with us.  Thanks for supporting and praying for us.  We couldn't be here, doing what we do, without you.  Our heartfelt thanks.

If you'd like to contact us via email: penny.missions@gmail.com

You can follow on Instagram at  5cent_mission

Facebook, too...sometimes  5 Cent Mission

Christmas Wishes

 'Tis the season, 

The season of harmattan (when dust from the Sahara Desert is blown high into the air and south to us, bringing continual overcast, dusty air.  It gives a lovely glow of slightly golden fog.).  The season of higher temperatures but much lower humidity.  The season of dry, cracking feet, especially the heels!  The season of Christmas, Togo style.

There are a few lights on houses around the compound.  There are a few trees decorated.  There are a few houses playing Christmas music.  A couple of weeks before the big day, our Christmas decorations are still tucked in a single small plastic tub.  Well, we didn't actually pack Christmas decorations, so these were provided by the Guest House for us to use.  But it just doesn't feel like Christmas.  No one has shoveled the driveway (a few yards of concrete, perhaps).  There is no snow.  The village and nearby town show little to nothing in the way of decorations.  There is no bustling or frantic shopping.  Not a lot of extra baking and anticipation of family visits.  It's just not the same as home.

We're not posting this to make anyone feel sorry for us.  We are quite content to be here at this time of year.  We have a great team to spend time with.  We sing carols at our Sunday night church gathering.  We celebrate the Advent, the birth and anticipation of the second coming of Jesus Christ.  We don't have to endure the commercialization of an important celebration.  We don't have expectations to try to live up to.  Too bad you can't join us!

North, but not to the Pole

We were able to put together a visit to family in Mango, in the north of Togo at the Hospital Of Hope, appointments with a visiting dentist from the States, installing kitchen cupboard doors, training on some new respiratory machines and meetings with team members all in three days.

We were able to bid farewell to Baby Leah, a sweet little thing who was fostered by my sister's family and another family while waiting for the red tape of government to permit her to be taken home to be with her new family, a lovely Togolese couple.  What a happy end to a long couple of months of life with an extremely small and unwanted newborn, who was loved and cared for, nourished and nurtured.

Christine and an uncertain (about the 
new lady holding her) baby Leah

The herd walking out of the hospital
compound in search of pastures

Christmas shopping at 'the mall' with Kokou, 
Betty and Kossi

Water and Air

Our work has allowed us to cross paths a few times.  Christine is a distraction but other than that it is fine!  We worked on a gas machine in the OR one day.  She provided the knowledge and he provided the tools and brawn.  It was a good combination!

Old and breaking down, these machines
need plenty of TLC.

With a new boiler and two autoclaves to be installed in the new year, to improve our sterilization capacity, we had to add an aerator to our water system to bring our pH level up.  This was a lot of work.  There were pipes to plumb in, bigger & heavier pipes to stack up to make a tower, a pump to install, and more than a few valves to figure out.  John (who was working, not taking pictures) made it all come together! 

One more pipe section to add, then 
the fan on top.
Photo credit: Paton Kendall

 

An almost birds eye view of the exterior
portion of the aerator system

 

Best Dressed Young Men

Four of the older teenaged boys thought it would be fun to get some very fancy shirts made from some very shiny fabric.  They planned to wear them on the same Sunday evening to our missionary church service.  They garnered enough attention to be all called to the front to lead in the singing of one of the songs.  I recorded video, but I will save you all, faithful readers, the pain of hearing them sing.

Look at them, dashing young men!

(American) Thanksgiving Leftovers

A few photos, some with stories, some without.

People often comment about the driving, the roads and the vehicles we see here.  Coming back from the capital city of Lome, on the second busiest highway in the country, we have road construction.  But here, the lanes are not marked, detours are ambiguous, and the bigger vehicle typically claims the right-of-way.

We were driving up behind this dozer when it just lowered the scrafer teeth and started tearing up the road in front of us.  There was no indication that construction was happening on this particular section of the highway - other than this large bulldozer destroying the road right in front of us!

Oh look, a smaller overloaded vehicle behind a larger overloaded vehicle.  Nothing to see here!

The last of the clouds for a few months!

Anything for coffee!  Dr. Russ was late in grabbing a cup of coffee after our American Thanksgiving dinner.  He couldn't find any cups so he just filled the empty creamer and used that.  He would not be denied his fix!

Tracks in the dirt from a beetle

This is our home.

How was your day?  Did you have to carry wood home
to make a fire to cook supper?  As a 4-year-old?  Or, with
a baby on your back?  

Sunset photography near the port of Lome

A harmattan sunset over the mountains, looking over
the wall to a very small village behind the hospital.

Thanks for reading.  If you've made it this for you can probably handle one more.  This was sent to Christine from a fellow missionary working four or five hours north of us.  A new restaurant opened in her city, catering to those who like to eat... well, read for yourself.

Photo credit: Jane Schmitz

Merry Christmas

Wishing all of you, our faithful supporters, our friends, our family, our church members and those hangers-on, a very Merry Christmas.  Take time to consider the true meaning of the season.  Ponder that first Christmas where, in a frosty Bethlehem, tucked into a little stable, the Saviour was born.

Enjoy time with friends and family.  Embrace the snow and cold.  Be generous to those in need.  

If you'd like to contact us on email: penny.missions@gmail.com

You can follow on Instagram at  5cent_mission

Facebook, too...sometimes  5 Cent Mission

Views For Miles

With so much going on around the hospital and on the compound it's hard to condense things sometimes.  I want to tell stories about the work we're doing, enjoying seeing our part of the country, frustrations we get to celebrate - and how God helps us through so many more aspects of living in Togo.

I tried to sneak this little guy into 
the pocket of one of our workers. 
He didn't go for it.

Carte de Sejour

One of the joys for Canadians wishing to extend our visas into residence permits is a fun 'scavenger hunt' called Carte de Sejour.  It's basically a game of gathering documents, stickers, stamps and signatures to compile and finally submit to the government department in charge of well, permitting Canadians to extend our visas.

My sister (who is in the north of Togo at another mission hospital) has a great story about one experience she had which highlights the red tape and bureaucracy, and silliness at times, of applying for the Carte de Sejour.  You can read about her experience here:  Please God, Not Africa  

We are currently going through this same scavenger hunt.  We have been asked for documents no one else has been asked for, been told some of the other documents are unnecessary (only to be called back and asked for said documents as they were most definitely required).

Buying stamps at the local government
office, indicating we have paid 
another fee.

A good sign, the stamps match!

Waiting in the taxation office...

This is why she's waiting - YouTube is more
important.

Christine has been working through this very diligently and has been reveling in the fact that it is nearing the end.  At the local taxation office she had the joy of being 'assisted' by four staff, two of whom were content to watch videos on their phones while sharing a desk.  I was able to sneak a photo of them, not that they would have noticed or cared if I set up a tripod and snapped dozens of pictures!

A Day's Work

Okay, not a single day, but a quick glimpse into what the maintenance side of things looks like.

- Greet the guys at the shop at the start of the day, at 7am, and get them pointed in the right direction for the day's work.

- Go to the hospital and turn on the boiler, which I've nicknamed 'Old Faithful'.  Check in and see that the oxygen concentrator is working as it should.

- Head back to the shop and grab some tools and equipment and head out to the first task on my list.

John and Mawuli working on the grader

Ingenious?  Need to drill a pilot hole
for a nail?  Use a nail.  (I bought more drill
bits for the carpenters after seeing that.)

Cutting keys for a new lock

Broken wheel studs on a hospital vehicle

How many guys can we cram into
one tiny washroom?

A short story:  While digging a trench to replace an
electrical cable going to a house, one of the guys hit 
a septic line with a pick axe.  That septic line may
or may not have been on the map. 
That created a whole lot more work.

- Get distracted by someone who has another item to add to the list.

- Work until it's time for lunch.

After lunch it is more of the same until the crew leaves around 3:30pm.  After that I have some time to myself to finish up projects and jobs without distraction.  Home time is around 5:00pm, when it's time for a shower and rest before sitting down to supper.

Restrictions Being Eased

There were restrictions in place over the last month due to coronavirus.  Churches, bars and nightclubs, and other gathering places were shut down.  With the easing of these restrictions many people are hopeful this will be the end.  One local church in the village of Goudeve (pronounced Goo de Vay) is celebrating by opening a new building.  It's not much, by our standards.  It is theirs, however.  They wanted to add a touch of 'new' to the little platform, so our carpenters were making a new podium for them.

The new church building

The first Sunday inside.

                                        (Photos of the church courtesy of John and Tabitha Groeneveld)

Left-over Pictures To Share

These big, nasty bugs are noisy.  A high-pitched
buzz or squeal comes from them vibrating 
their wings.  They like to vibrate late at night, when all
decent critters should be sleeping!

Moto rides and views.  We get to see some beautiful 
countryside!

Not Australia, not Uluru - but a pretty sweet rock formation
none the less.  So we rode up it!

The view from on top.  Look at the scenery...

It seems to be a regular segment where I share pictures of the vehicles on the roads.  This month is no different.  First up, a passenger on a moto-taxi loaded with rolls of conduit, a level and trowels in a bag, a folded up mat, a long piece of wood.  He's just leaving a hardware store.

There is a guy inside those rolls of conduit!

Bed, Bath and Beyond - your order has shipped.

And finally, a taxi doubling as a hearse, outside the
hospital morgue.  A stark reminder of the reality of death
and our need for salvation.

A strenuous 2-hour hike can offer views like this!  Imagine climbing 150 flights of stairs...

On the left, tumble to your death.  On the right, the 
more direct route.  But the view, oh, it's totally worth it! 

Wli Falls, claimed to be the highest in West Africa at 80m / 260ft,
straddles the border of Ghana and Togo.

Thanks for taking the time to read through all of this.

If you'd like to contact us on email: penny.missions@gmail.com

You can follow on Instagram at  5cent_mission

Facebook, too.  5 Cent Mission