I offended

 

 Some people took offense that I would take a picture of something so crude so I wanted to show you the picture I did take.  The guy was standing up getting ready to go on his merry way.  I was just wanting to show everyone how close he was and how dirty the place is.  I wrote this story because I wanted to show everyone that it is not all wonderful here just handing out food and clothes to the needy.  Sometimes the life here can be so different that it is almost like I have to reprogram my brain to except things again.  I know I am ok living here and there are many blessings to being in a place like this but it is like I go through a little culture shock every time I come back.  If you only want me to share the stories of helping people than I can do that.  I don't have to share everything in my life here I just thought it would be interesting to some to hear it all. 

Love and blessings, 

Tammy

"Welcome to Chad"

I could tell that we were in Africa as soon as I turned the corner after coming down the corridor of the plane.  I look up and see and African woman with a plastic bag on her head sticking straight up about 12-18 inches up above her had.  She was wearing it with attitude like she had just discovered a new fashion that everyone was soon to follow.  We proceed up the escalator and as soon as we get to the top a young boy is throwing up all over the airport floor.  I said aloud to Jamie, "welcome to Africa".  We walked around him and tried to find the bathrooms way at the other end of the airport.   I was lucky to get in there before everyone else and I got into a stall without toilet paper, of course, but I always come prepared and keep kleenex in my purse.  I hear someone in the stall next to me and as soon as I open my stall door the room is full of Arab women.  But it was hard not to notice the woman that was in the stall next to me.  She had left her stall door wide open.  She had on several layers of pants on under a skirt.  She continued to use the bathroom with the door open.  I had my suspicions that the women stood on the toilet instead of sitting.  I guess they are just use to the squat pot method.  I can't believe that I am still shocked at what I see even after four years in Africa.  

We were still not in Chad yet.  This was our stop in Ethiopia.  Then from there we go to Ndjamena, Chad.  As we are boarding the plane I try to slip by the check in attendant after giving my ticket.  He was busy telling the people ahead of us that they had to check in their carry on bags.  I didn't want to do this with mine because I had breakable gifts in mine and the last flight from Knoxville to Washington broke one thing and I didn't want it to happen again.  I was about 20 feet away from him and then he yells at me but I continue on like he wasn't talking to me  Then he chases me down.  I think, great here we go again.  Jamie pipes in and told him we are not checking it in because the last flight broke something and refused to pay for it and showed us the fine print on the green check in tag.  They have a little yelling match (which is the only way in Africa to get your own way, we have learned that" and Jamie won.  There was plenty of room for it on the plane.  Not many people on the flight to Chad. "Surprise!"  "Surprise!"  We both mainly slept on that flight so the last 4 hours seemed kind of short.  

Now comes the real fun!  We get to go through customs in Ndjamena.  But I was so glad that everything went smoothly.  A guy was already collecting our bags by the time we got to the baggage claim area.  He recognized the Cabela bags and knew that they are all going to Bere.  Thanks to Garwin McNeilus and his big tips we get special attention.  We make our way outside and Jamie leaves me in the road with all the bags and he takes a taxi to get the truck we left at the mission housing.  We get everything packed up and we now have to get our money exchanged.  We go to the market area instead of the bank because we can get a better exchange rate.  It is absolutely crazy down there.  Cars are parked every which direction.  Jamie finds a place to park and as we pull up a man is using the bathroom right there!  I felt embarrassed like I was invading his personal space right out in the middle of the market.  What is wrong with that thought process?  It is crazy here!  And to be clear this guy was squatting down using the bathroom not standing up.  My mind just could not process this to be ok so what do I do?  I got out my i-phone because I thought no one would believe me.   Now I get the picture after he gets up and leaves his prize on the ground but I just wanted people to see how in the middle of everything he was and how close I was.  

I just thought I would share the good things, the bad things and the crazy things this year.  And it is things like this that make me ask myself, "what am I doing here?".   Welcome to my world in Chad. 

I hope this doesn't offend anyone.  Its just so hard to come back to so many drastic changes. 

Love and blessings, 

Tammy Parker

parkers4bere.blogspot.com

parkers4bere@gmail.com

Jamie phone: +235 93 46 46 35 

Tammy phone: +235 95 25 86 58 

Jamie & Tammy Parker 

Hopital Adventiste de Bere 

52 Boite Postale 

Kelo, TChad 

Afique 

All donations can be sent to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

P.O. Box 969 

Harrison,  TN  37341 

Make Checks payable to: 

Harrison SDA Church 

Earmark:  "The Bere Project" 

No Pics for Now

I know everyone likes pictures but I have been trying to get this one letter out to you for the last 6 days with a picture and it looks like it is just not going to happen. I am going to send it without a picture and then I will later see if I can send the picture out by itself. I am wanting to write a lot this year and I am getting frustrated like Satan is trying to stop me from communicating and this is something I think I am going to need this year to survive.

Tammy

Going Back!!!

I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my face. I couldn't seem to get enough air into my lungs. I cried for at least an hour on the way to the airport thinking about the fact that I was about to leave both my children in the states a half a world away from me. I am not ready for this. I am so scared and begin to pray to God about whether this is the right thing for me to be leaving them. "Lord do you still want me in Chad? Because I feel like my heart is being pulled out of my chest!" I talk to Him letting God know that I need something from Him to let me know that I am doing the right thing. Because if I'm not I would love to stay and be with my children. Be there to pick out banquet dresses or be around for Christmas. All of the realities of what I am going to missing just rush to my thoughts and I need Gods affirmation. I never felt like I was sacrificing too much being here in Chad until I had to leave the other half of my love in America. "God I need to know something before I get on that plane. Because all I want to do right now is be in the states with those I love. God! I need you now!"

I hug Cory goodbye. I didn't want to let him go. But I force myself to turn away and move forward toward our 24 hour journey. We had ten bags to check in which costs $200 a bag after the first four. So we know we are looking at $1200, and then we have a big box with an oxygen concentrator in it that a couple was donating to the hospital. We thought that it was going to cost between $400-$500 since it was over the allowed 50 lbs. We move up to the counter and as we get everything checked in the total cost for everything comes to $406. What? I thought for sure they were making a mistake. They said that they were only going to charge us $58 a bag and $0 for the oxygen concentrator. We couldn't believe it. What a blessing! We have been a little concerned about our money this year with trying to get everything for two kids for a whole year and so the money has been tight. God knew that the money has been a concern for me and I do believe that this was one sign for me that He is supporting our journey and letting me know that He is not letting me go to Africa alone. He has promised to go with me and I feel His presence which was exactly what I needed.

Thank you God for caring about all the big and little concerns in our lives. I just knew that He was letting me know that He is hearing me. As we get settled and wait to board the plane I accept my fate again. "Lord I know that you will take care of my children for you love them more than I do. I will go forward and do what you want me to do and go to a place that is not my home if you want me to." But knowing that I am not going alone and that the Creator of all things is in control and loves me and my children, that gives me some courage to go where you are sending me again.

Program May 11th

On May 11th we will be doing a program at the Harrison SDA church for those who may be interested. We will be giving an update on the progress made in Chad this last year. Hope to see you there!

Jamie and Tammy Parker

We're officially back!

Dear Friends and Family,

We just wanted to inform everyone that we are now officially back in the states for our furlough. I say "officially" because our first two weeks back we snuck off to Florida to get some very much needed relax time. Things in Chad this past year was so much work with all the projects we had going on with the construction for the hospital and the school. But God really blessed the work and we are very excited to share our program of progress with whomever we can. We are in the process right now of editing a program that we are going to put into Dvd form to be able to give it to those that are interested in the work we have done this year. Just reply to us that you are interested with your address and we will do our best to put you on the list to get one to you.

This past sabbath we went to one of the local churches here in Collegedale, Tennessee. I can't tell you what a blessing it is to go to church in the states. I can't explain it but when I go to church here I am so overwhelmed, by what exactly, I am not sure. I don't even understand it but every time I go to church here in the states I am overwhelmed and tears just flow from my eyes uncontrollably. I don't know if it is the fact that I miss going to God's house and being touched by the spirit. I don't know. When we are in Chad we go to church only for the local people to see us there. We get nothing from the service because we don't understand what they are saying. The music is not spiritually moving because again the words are different and so is the beat. There are usually drums being played and most of their songs sound like they are stuck in a chant and they don't really have pitch that is calming to the soul. I just really miss church. This sabbath I sat in my chair with a back on it, not on a bench, and just thought about all the many blessings that are here in the states. Everything from the soft carpet to cushion our knees when we pray to the microphones, and the heat or air condition But I think most of all, I feel the spirit of God that I miss so much. Who am I to say that the spirit is not in Chad for I do know He is. But for me there is definitely something missing when I am there that It is a struggle for me to go to church in Chad. I guess the saying, "you don't know what you've got until its gone" has come to life for my sabbaths in Chad. But I assure you that while we are here we are not only going to be able to rest from all the work but hopefully fill our lives back up with the spirit to get us through another year in Chad.

Never too young….

 

Dear Friends and Family, 

Recently I had another scare that another little boy that I love was going to die.  He is only about 9 months old but I have known his mother longer than that.  They ended up in the hospital for a couple of weeks and during that time I would go and visit.  It just didn't seem like he was getting better.  One time when I went to visit I saw that the signs of death were there.  I had seen it before and I began to panic.  I left and went to talk to Dr. Olen about this child's case.  He ended up coming over to look at the boy and he looked at me and in a calm voice just told me that there was reason to be concerned.  Inside I am screaming!  No!  I couldn't stand to see another baby I love die!  What am I going to do?  

I knew that there was not much to do.  Feeling so desperate I stepped out of my comfort zone and in front of about 10 of their family members I prayed over the boy.  I prayed with all my heart and begged that God would please save this one.  I also asked for wisdom on what to do to help.  After my prayer there was an old women with gray hair that said that sometimes this flower "lozah" can help with the congestion that was affecting his breathing.  I thought, lets try it.   I knew I didn't have any at my house and so I sent one of my boys that help me out all the time to the market to find this lozah.  In the meantime the grandmother gave the child another native juice that was similar.  And after the other lozah was prepared and given the boy had the energy to cough up so much stuff  from his lungs that it was able to give him a good night sleep.  Something he didn't have for many nights.  I think the sugar in the juice helped his little body as well and he began to perk up the next day.  

He still remained in the hospital for the rest of the week but he is now at home well and alive.  I just praise God for saving his life.  I truly believe that He did. 

Now the story does not end here.  I knew that the hospital bill was adding up.  It was becoming more than what we usually help out with.  Then I remembered a special box with money in it that I have been saving for the perfect baby.  This box was given to me the last time we were in the states by a young boy by the name of Joby Nash.  We did a program in his sabbath school class in Collegedale and God touched his heart.  He came to my house the next day and had presented me with a beautiful picture of the beach for me to look at while I am in Chad along with this special box.  He handed it to me and it was all of his savings for a bike.  But God had touched his heart and he told me that he wanted me to take it back to Chad and save a baby's life with it.  I am happy to let him know that I used this money to pay for this baby boy that I love so much.

This just proves that you are never to young to make a difference.  God can use anyone that is willing to listen.  And I praise Him for providing all the needs to save this baby.  

Thank you Joby and thank you God for saving lives. 

Love and blessings, 

Tammy Parker