"What's your typical day like in Africa?"

It was a common question asked while we were in the USA.  Thought I'd share today – as if there are any typical days…

0515 Alarm goes off.  Quick shower.  To the kitchen to brew a cup of home roasted Panamanian coffee.  Read my Bible as I have set as a goal to read through the entire Bible this year.  Pray for Sally, our kids, family, ministry.  Seek God's will and ask for wisdom for the day.

0615-0630 iChat with my sister as it's still evening for her.  Catch up on how Mom and Dad are doing.  Learn that dad fell and ripped open his hand and mom has a UTI which worsens the memory problems.  Pray for them all.

0630-0655 Eat my usual granola with fresh fruit and home made yoghurt.  Read Our Daily Bread and Piper devotional while eating.  Get more spiritual food along with physical food.

0655 Tell Sally I love her and leave to pick up Hospital Chaplain Jackson.  Catch up with his news as we drive to the hospital.  Learn that his 5 year old grandson died while I was in Kenya.  So sad.  He died of complications of malaria.

0720 Arrive at hospital.  Drop off things in my office and head to OPD where we have morning chapel (M-F).  Sing songs and then Pastor Jackson shares devotional from Isaiah.  

0800-0830 Morning Staff meeting.  Only 14 staff show up for the meeting so it was short.  Morning report of 42 inpatients (25 kids; 7 Men; 10 women).  Remember that I forgot the new handheld digital thermometer at home so I drive back home to get it.  Stop on the way to buy pork as Sally wants to make pulled pork and we have no meat in the freezer.  About 20-25 pigs are butchered a day in this area.  Buy 2 kilos from the rump and 3 kilos from the loin area.  The guy uses a machete to chop it off and then I have to wait as he has to go borrow someone else's scales.  Pay $3.25/kilo.  Bring Sally a 'gift' of a pork and get the thermometer.  Return to hospital.

0915-1400 Hospital Rounds on the 42 patients.  Begin with sharing with the mothers about how God knows each of their kids and loves them.  That although we will be making diagnosis and offering treatment, it is ultimately God who heals, not us.  Almost all of the kids are two to a bed.  Many are malaria, others pneumonia along with UTI.  Thankful we now have the rapid diagnostic test that tests for malaria.  Better for the lab and really helpful to know do they have it or not.  Has its limitations but better than having to do a standard blood smear on every case.  Have two nursing students along with a missionary nurse (works M-W) to help do rounds.  Some patients came during the late afternoon and evening so no lab was done.  Samples taken while we continue to do rounds.  10 kids discharged home on treatment, 5 of the women and one man.  Makes room for the new admissions being attended in the OPD.

1400-1500 Make survey around hospital with the head nurse and a fundi (jack of all trades) friend Juma who will be doing several much needed repairs.  14 fluorescent lights not working; some plumbing repairs needed; couple of doors with no handles; three rooms that need ceiling fans installed; one door hinge broken; a few sockets needing replacement; most walls and floor need repainting; 8 ceiling boards missing; two float valves dysfunctional in drinking water tanks (comes from the well); no city water for about a month.  Talk with Juma about making a list of supplies and a plan for the repairs.  Discover good news that while I was gone that some replacement lights have been ordered but have not arrived yet.

While doing the survey in OPD find a young boy who I had asked mom to bring him back today for review.  Leg still not healed.  Change treatment, talk with mom to assure that she understands, and ask to return after ten days.

1500-1530 Do ultrasound of lady with massive ascites (water on the abdomen). 

1530-1630 Consult on elderly man admitted with fever and urinary retention.  Review lab results from the morning and write further treatment as needed and discharge two more kids.

1630 Call Sally and ask her to meet me at the gate with our market bag so we can go to town and get money and buy food in the market.

1645-1800 Pick up Sally at the house and head to town.  Stop at the ATM to get money as tomorrow is pay day for our security guards (at our house) as well as for our yard man.  Stop at a duka (small shop) to get 5kg flour, 5 Kigoma sugar, honey (to make granola); 4 small packs of coconut milk; a cold local cola.  Carry to the truck and then head into the open market.  Buy 2 kilo onions; 3 garlic; 2 pieces of fresh ginger; 1 kilo dry beans; 2 kilo potatoes (fresh from Rwanda).  Next to the fruit section.  Bananas, pineapple and passion fruit from one lady.  Carrots from another.  2 avocado and a cabbage from the other.  Speak a blessing over the ladies that sell there.  Return to truck.  Stop at another duka to pick up a battery for my kitchen digital scale.  Head home.  Unload the truck.  Stuff needs to be cleaned but will have to wait.

1800-1900 Pray together before eating.  Eat supper of pulled pork sandwiches with a cucumber/tomato/onion salad with a nice big cold glass of sweet tea…Talk with Sally about the day.

1900-2100 Attend Missionary Fellowship over at the Joy in the Harvest Community Center (every Wednesday evening we get together for worship, bible study and fellowship).

2100-now Finish cutting up the pork into boneless chops, stew meat, and dog scraps.  Roast a batch of coffee.  Make a copy of a new movie "Adam na Hawa" (Adam and Eve) that was filmed in the Middle East as a part of a series of movies from the Bible  (www.godsstories.com) Friend wants to use the movie in a village next month when they sail up the lake to a new area of ministry.   

Decide to write this blogpost while waiting for the DVD to copy.  (we have permission to duplicate)

Praise God for his grace for each day.  Thankful that he has given us this opportunity to serve here.  Thankful for the support we have from our mission and from friends.  We are truly blessed.  

Really missing my kids…pray for them again…realize it's 11:30PM and I need to get to bed.

Daily by His grace.