Survivor Sunday

Survivor Sunday

So here  are couple pictures of a few of the volunteers in the place behind Olen and Danae's house where we have set up Survivor counsel fire.  This time their challenge was to pound some of these little melon seeds that resemble pine nuts.  This is the way the locals do it.  We are going to be using what they pound for Thanksgiving dinner to make vegetarian chicken chunks.  The team that pounded and sifted the most was the winner.  The loosing team then has to make pancakes for all of us on Thanksgiving morning.  Team "Brichelle" won!  Good Job!

The commercial for breastfeeding will be continued until next time.  Both teams have great ideas and totally different but want to perfect it before they present them for the final judging. 






This is  Zane and Lyol with Jamie during the "no shave November".  This was the last day for him cause he couldn't stand it any longer.  He made it to November 20th.  I am so glad he couldn't make it to the end, this is the longest I have ever seen a beard on  him in the 20 years I've known him.

Dear Friends and Family,

An Update.

Time is just flying by and I can not believe we are almost to
Thanksgiving, it just doesn't seem possible. There is a lot of work
going on here everyday. We have about 8 new volunteer student
missionaries helping in different areas of the Bere campus and another 5
in Bendalay. The Bere Adventist School is well on its way. And I am
watching two little ones in our home everyday. Life is busy!

I am going to try and give you all the low down of the happenings and
yet try and not make it lengthy. I just waited way too long to get a
letter out to everyone and now I have to play catch up. I will do my
best but I was thinking that in the future I may try and write very
short stories as there are things happening everyday.

Jamie is working harder and harder everyday. His responsibilities seem
to continue to grow. Right now he has quite a few projects that are
keeping him young or old we can't decide. He is leading out in building
a new student missionary house. It is being built right here in our
compound. And for those that have been here it is over in the corner by
the basketball court. This is somewhere for them to take a normal
shower or use an American toilet, charge their phones or computers and a
place to cook a meal when one is not provided by their African family.
It will also be a place for them to lock up their valuables. The
building is coming right along. The building walls are all complete
along with the roof. The walls have been covered with cement to create
a flat wall over the brick, the septic has been dug and now they are
going to have to wait for plumbing supplies. Jamie left Wednesday this
week to go on a shopping spree in Moundou for the things that will be
needed to complete the project inside the house. He will be staying
with James and Sarah and working on the new Surgery Clinic and their new
house in between his shopping. Other than this house he still is
working with getting sand sifted for making bricks with the new brick
machine. He is working with people here and in the states for the plans
and pricing for the expansion of the hospital. A new maternity will be
going up, a new private ward, a new surgery room and bathrooms. This
will be a huge project for him to oversee so we will definitely need
your prayers. Everything here is difficult and takes so much longer
because you just don't have Lowes down the street to help you out. But
I know that God will help him. Jamie is also the one helping all the
volunteers get their internet for email working which has not been easy,
lately the internet has not been working for anyone and creating a lot
of frustration for some. After all of this he is still keeping the
hospital up and running. He is also still the dentist and I will see
him run in the house covered in dirt from working construction and go in
the house and wash up a little and change into scrubs. I know that he
is either going to be pulling a tooth or wiring up someones jaw or
sometimes he gets in on surgeries assisting where he can. But he is
also getting really good at casting broken arms and legs. Sometimes Dr.
Olen will come to the door and ask me if Jamie can come out to play.
That means one of the above or if Dr. James Appel is in town Jamie will
get in on putting a rod into someones broken bone and that means Jamie
gets to run the drill. Jamie never has a list that is complete. He
works very hard and I am very proud of him, he is definitely needed.
Thank you to everyone who has donated tools and money for new tools or
machinery to help make Jamie's job here a little easier, it has been a
huge blessing.

As for me, well I have been blessed to have two little ones bringing joy
to our home. Olen and Danae are both in full swing at the hospital now
and I am watching their 2 year old Lyol, and their newborn which is not
so new anymore and is already four months, his name is Zane. They are
both so cute! Lyol has such an amazing sense of humor for such a little
guy. There is so much to say about him that I need to leave most of it
for another blog all in itself. But just know he makes us laugh
everyday and he is such a joy to be around. You may think that I am
just being nice and just saying that but everyone loves Lyol. "Baby
Zane", which is what Lyol calls him, is just now starting to laugh at my
jokes and learn new things. He too is a joy but a lot of work. He is
my reminder that I am too old now to do it all over again. He was born
on the very same day as James and Sarah Appel's twins, Adam and Miriam.
Can't believe it but it is true. What are the chances of that
happening? They are all so cute together and it will be fun to watch
them grow up in Chad together.

Other then babies I am also working with quite a few families that need
baby milk. I have six families every week that comes to work to get the
food for their babies. This is another mission all in its own. It is
$6 per child every week. I feel like God continues to provide so I have
continued doing this work. Word is getting around about this work and
now I have women coming randomly that need help getting their milk to
come in. I am not a specialist in this area but I know that God has
given me ideas that I would have never come up with on my own. I have
had one mother come back and thank me over and over because she did
exactly what I asked of her and now she has plenty milk coming in to
feed her baby. If that was the only one it has been worth all the
work.

In the past you may remember a little boy named Apollinaire. Well as a
reminder both his parents died when he was very young. He was living
with his grandmother and she died during the time Jamie and I went to
Zakouma Park. We found his married sister and he has been living with
them for the last year but now the sister's husband is beating him. So
now he is living with another sister but her husband refuses to feed
him. First of all I know how crazy everyone's lives here must sound to
you but I promise, I am not making this stuff up. Life is super hard
here. I don't even know how they have survived as a people. But back
to Apollinaire he is eating with us two meals a day. We cook for at
least 10 people everyday. But again God is providing through all of you
so we will continue doing the things that we are doing.

I am still working with the public but am only open to do that on
Monday, Wednesday and Fridays when Naomi is with me to help. I do this
because there is so much going on around here that I needed some kind of
control of my own life. We have a guard now, his name is Mahamat. He
is my new best friend. :) He really takes care of our family. I don't
know if he realizes how important his work is to me but he has helped me
with my sanity. It is really working out good this way. He has a good
sense now to know that if someone has an emergency to let them in to see
me but that doesn't happen too often. As an example of this one day we
had three lepers come for help. Yes, it freaked me out, I didn't know
what to do. Everyone here shakes hands but honestly I was scared to do
that. It was the saddest thing I have ever seen and after talking with
them and listening to their story I turned abruptly toward my house for
my tears started just pouring from my eyes. It is just so sad. They
had just a couple stubby fingers and almost no feet. One of them had
bags wrapped around his feet but you could tell he had no toes and half
of his feet were just gone. They all had the worst clothes and they
were starving. I quickly got them all a little money which I try not to
hand out money but I made the exception. I also gave them cookies and a
few things they would be able to carry including clothes from my
Samaritan closet. But as soon as I gave them their things they all
quickly opened the cookies and started eating. I knew they were
starving. I tell you I have experienced more here in the last two years
then I have my whole life. At least it is more meaningful experiences
that are changing my life for the better.

Cory and Brichelle are busy trying to stay focused on their school.
They both also have a garden that they have to water all the time. They
both are also the captains of our "Missionary Survivor, Chad" meeting
that we do every other Sunday. We give their teams a challenge or two
that day for a reward (usually food). The first day of Survivor was for
the team to go and find or buy a charcoal wire stove and charcoal and
get a fire burning and get a pot of water boiling. The only things
provided to complete this task was a pot and water. The second week
they had to try and carry one brick inside a big bowl on their head the
way the locals do it. Each team member had to have a turn and the first
team with each member across the finish line won. After the Sunday
challenges then we give them a challenge for their team to work on for
two weeks. The first challenge for during the two weeks was to teach an
English class. It was a great challenge and they all did a great job.
They had so many come to learn and after the two weeks they had a huge
request to keep it up so now the two teams together, whoever is
available, teaches English two times a week. This last challenge was
for the teams to be creative and create a commercial to put on the radio
for breastfeeding. Why breastfeeding? There are so many things that
the people do that are harmful to the babies. As an example they don't
feed them right after they are born for a few days because they think
that the first milk, the colostrum, is dirty. Because it is a different
color. But they don't realize that it is liquid gold, God's gift to the
immune system. This can also cause problems for their milk coming in.
There are many problems here that Danae has to repeat several times a
day at the hospital. We thought if we put it on the radio they may
believe it. This is hopefully something fun for all the SM's to do but
also encourage mission work for the local people here. This Sunday is
the next challenge we will have to see who takes the lead for they are
neck to neck in the winnings. I will keep you informed on what happens
next. Our goal is to create a video of all the challenges and send a
copy of it home with each SM for their memories of "Missionary Survivor,
Chad".

So these are a few things that we are doing. We stay really busy but we
are receiving blessings everyday from the work we do. We want to thank
God for giving us this opportunity to work in this way for Him.
Sometimes we fight against the work that God has for us but once we give
up our own wants and listen to Him that is when we can be the happiest,
that is when we can be the most blessed, that is when we can have an
even closer walk with Him. He only wants what is best for all of us.
And only He knows what that is. Today I want to challenge all of you to
listen to what work God has for you. Listen and obey and you will
receive blessings that will last for an eternity.

Thank you!

Dear Friends and Family,

We have had an amazing response, yet again this year, for sponsors to help put kids into the Adventist School here in Bere.  So far it is over 200 students that have been helped.  The need is so great but your dollars have been able to help so many.  I just want to thank you all from everyone here for all the support you are giving.  That alone is a testimony to God's love for His children.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart as well.  In the past couple of years I have really given my heart to these kids.  Thank you for allowing me to be the link between you and the Chadian children.  Together I believe we are giving them all an opportunity to know God and a hope for their future.  We are letting them know that someone loves them and cares about their lives.  This could not happen if it were not for all of you.  Your financial support has spoken a million words to the people here.  Our school stands out because of the donations and the love that makes our school different.  Continue to pray for not only the students but also the teachers for they are the ones with the main responsibility on their shoulders.

This year we have handed out the new bibles.  One for every student that is in the upper classes and for the last class in the primary school.  We are also giving each teacher a bible in the whole school, a total of 280 bibles.  We praise God for this wonderful gift and for everyone who donated toward this goal.  This is the first new book that they all get to look at, they don't get books.  Here are a few pictures to show you some of the kids with their new bibles and some of the faces you help put in there. 

Thank you all!

Love and blessings,
Tammy Parker
 

Dear Friends and Family

The alarm went off this morning at 4:30 am to wake me and Jamie up from
our deep sleep. We have to pack up a few things to go on an overnight
trip to Ndjamena. We are going to pick up two new volunteers and James
and Sarah along with their twin 3 month old babies Adam and Miriam. I
have a feeling of anxiety just because I know that any time we leave
Bere there always seems to be an adventure ahead of us. What will it be
this time? Will the car make it? Will this be the trip that I actually
have to use a squat pot? Will we find a place to stay? Will we have a
mosquito net to sleep with? Will Cory, Brichelle and Tony be ok here in
Bere while we are gone?

Bags were packed and specific instructions for the kids were left on the
table along with some money for any emergency and some to pay workers on
Friday. We always say a prayer here before we go anywhere because we
know how dangerous it really is. We make our way through the gate and
pick up a passenger that has asked to catch a ride to the "big city".

I finally have some down time to just think about everything that has
been going on the last few weeks. We have been so busy. There are
about 9 young volunteers here right now and life has been busy keeping
them going in a new place. So many questions to answer and so much to
teach them. But what is really keeping us busy is the fact that there
is just not enough places to put them all so we (as in Jamie) are having
to build some huts for them in the village with their new families.

But as of today I have time to think about this place. We are traveling
from Bere to Kelo. It is an unpaved road and because of the rainy
season it makes it a very bouncy and a slow going process. It seems
like every block or so is a place that we need to slow way up and go
around another pot hole or a water hole that would be dangerous to just
go through because the van would just get stuck. We have already gone
through two herds of oxen with the ridiculously big horns that make you
think twice about rolling up your window. And you also have to watch
out for the goats and people on bikes or even walking. There was a lady
trying to cross the street before we passed by and she didn't know if
she should stay or go once she was in the middle of the road. It is
almost like the concept of a car going by was new to her and she wasn't
sure what to do. After an hour and a half we get to Kelo and check for
mail at the post office. We are surprised by two packages from a friend
of the family. I open the packages out of curiosity and find some
chocolate bars to help us on our 7 hour trip to Ndjamena. We are so
blessed to have people that do this for us. I open a small
Butterfingers and begin to enjoy it as I am watching Jamie try to
purchase gas for our trip. He is needing to get 110 liters and it is
taking forever but I am entertained by his French with the Arabs and his
charades. His French has really improved but I am afraid that with his
southern accent sometimes the people just don't get it. I am also
watching them put a hose down into a container and then they suck on one
end to get the gas to come out. We spend about 45 minutes there and now
we are off. I am thinking that from here it should be a lot better
because the roads will be paved. Wrong! The roads are paved but there
are pot holes everywhere. Jamie rarely can get the van going up to 50
mph and he has to slow down almost to a stop. He keeps his hand on the
horn to warn people everywhere that we are coming down the road. I look
out to the beautiful fields of rice. They are such a neon green and
with the sun beaming down and the wind waving them from side to side I
begin to see the beauty of this place. But then I see the huts in the
background which then makes me think of the people. I think about all
the sickness and poverty. I think about all the women that work so hard
every day just to get a few hours of sleep and wake up and begin their
work again. They wake up sweeping around their house on the dirt ground
to remove the sicks and leaves. Then they begin preparing food for
their family. Some then will strap on their babies and go out to those
beautiful fields in the hot African sun only to be bent over for hours
pulling out weeds. No rest is in site for now they have to prepare food
again for the evening meal. Wash the many children and herself if water
holds out. Make sure there is water drawn from the well. If the woman
is lucky she will not be beaten by her husband but it is almost a
guarantee they will be used by him. Then off to sleep to do it again
tomorrow. No wonder the women here are so angry. I don't know how they
do it.

As I think about many of the things that I have seen and heard it leaves
me with a lump in my throat. I could just cry for them. The people are
so naive and only because of circumstances are suffering. Someone asked
Olen and Danae, after working doing some construction changes in their
house, if they thought that God loves everyone the same? Their response
was of course, yes. The man just said then why do you think that there
are people that have so much and some that have so little just because
of where they come from. I can only imagine how we must look in our
nice home with electricity and running water. I can look at my house
here after being in America for a couple of months and think wow this
place is so dirty and nothing is comfortable. But then I think of how
they have to live.

My thoughts are interrupted by an almost accident. Jamie has picked up
speed and the road is making a wide curve going toward the left. Coming
around that bend are two buses side by side. They are going down the
road bumping each other. My thoughts are that we are going to die!
Luckily we have a gravel shoulder that we quickly move over to in order
to avoid being hit. I can feel that the van is going out of control and
I just scream "Jesus please help us!" Jamie was able to get our van
back into control and back on the road before the gravel was to run out.
I turn around to see what is going on with the buses and they are still
bumping each other trying to get their vehicles back into control.
Jamie is just flushed with adrenalin but we are both just so grateful to
still have our lives and be back on the road again.

We get to the "big city" of Ndjamena and I am always amazed at all the
people and chaos. We are both staving and can't wait to make it over to
this little cafe that we know of that sells pastries and sandwiches and
pizza. We feel like real country bumpkins in there with our wind blown
hair and sweaty worn out clothes. We are immediately hit with the now
unfamiliar feeling of air condition aah we never want to leave this
place. We look at all the different people and see more white people in
one place then we are use to seeing. Everyone is dressed up, some with
suits and some with American fashions. It is a weird feeling to being
exposed to tables with pretty linen with glass over them. The
refrigerators with glass fronts that have real butter, milk and cheese.
Another refrigerator has these beautiful pastry pies and cakes. I want
to go nuts and buy everything. We settle on just what is like a grilled
cheese sandwich. We would feel a whole lot more at ease if we knew
French fluently because now we are thinking about how are we going to
order what we want. We do as we always do and make a little of a scene
but with pointing get what we want. It was amazing too, to have melted
cheese with grilled french bread. What a treat! Unfortunately we have
to go back out into the heat. We get back into the hot worn out van and
make our way over to Team where James and Sarah are staying. It was so
good to see them. It had been almost a year since I had seen Sarah and
about 9 months since I saw James. They both look healthy and happy.
Their babies are so cute and the idea of them having babies is just so
new to us. Parenthood looks great on them as they beam from ear to ear
showing off their new babies.

There was a whole lot of running around to do so we all split up. James
and Jamie were going to just drop me off at the market. They asked me
if I was scared and I said no should I be? My attitude toward this
place has sure changed in the last two years. But instead of taking my
word for it they decide to get the male volunteer to go with me as a
bodyguard. We all get everything done that we need to. My stuff was
all fun stuff but James and Jamie had to check up on our passports, pick
up new brakes for the van and a few other business things. We all come
back together at Team where we pick up Sarah and the kids. James and
Sarah want to take us out for our anniversary. They heard about our
last attempt at an anniversary trip to Moundou. I was super excited. We
get to a beautiful restaurant that is all outside. One big African
pavilion with a grass thatch roof with a bar in the middle and
beautifully set tables all around. There are tropical plants
surrounding us with candles everywhere. The mood was set and they were
even playing English songs that we knew in the background. We felt like
we were at a restaurant in Florida with the breeze moving the plants
around and making for a cool fall night. Pizza was served with all
kinds of vegetables but the pieces with artichokes were my favorite. We
had a really good time just sharing stories of the times we were apart.
After a couple hours we go back to Team to get a little shut eye. There
was not enough room at Team for us so our romantic evening ended with
Jamie on the couch and me in a single bed and sharing a room with Marcy
the other new volunteer. I felt bad for her because I was up and down
all night starting from 3 in the morning. I had food poisoning, no fun.
All I could think about was how am I going to do this going back to Bere
in the van. They bought me a bucket and put me in the back of the van
so I could lay down. It was a great thought but it was so hot laying in
the sun and there were so many bags piled up almost touching the ceiling
that every turn we took I had to open my eyes and hold my arm out to
catch one that would attempt to fall on me and there was no air flow
what so ever. We did make it back without a scratch, back to our little
home in Bere. I stepped out of the back of the van and slipped away as
James and Sarah are greeted by all their old friends. Just another
adventure when we step away from Bere.

Need Sponsors

Well school is starting in two weeks for our small village of Bere. It
is that time of year again to open the door of opportunity for any of
you who would like to sponsor a child or several children to be put into
the Seventh Day Adventist Christian School . The children that we would
like to help would be those that are orphans or very poor and would
never otherwise ever have an opportunity to get a christian education in
a private school without some financial help. The vice principle at the
school will screen the applicants with very strict regulations. We are
wanting to make sure that the children that are going to be sponsored
are going to be ones who really need the help.

The cost to sponsor a child this year is $12 for the primary school and
$36 for 7-10th grades. This cost is for the whole year.

I want to thank all of you who have helped us with this mission in the
past two years. It has been a blessing to so many. This year we are
going to be able to start the year off with new bibles for the students
to use while in school. My church family has worked very hard to make
this possible but with God's help the goal has been met. Praise God!
Please keep all the children in your prayers. They are so vulnerable
and are looking for something better in life. With God I know they can
find some answers. Pray also for the teachers and the leaders of our
school. Please, really, put us on your prayer list and bring it before
God everyday.

Here is how you can be involved. Make your checks payable to Harrison
SDA Church and send a note with it or earmark it for Bere school fund.
Send to our church in Tennessee and our church is really good at getting
it to us with all the details.

Send to:
Harrison SDA Church
P.O. Box 969
Harrison, TN 37341

Thank you and may God bless you all!
Tammy Parker

Dear Friends and Family,

 Our 19th Wedding Anniversary, September 6th.    We woke up early to be ready to leave by 6:00 am.  The day started with all the student missionaries meeting us at our house to leave to go have a day on the town in Moundou.  We all had several things on a list to get. for there is not much here, and we are lucky to go to Moundou once a month.  Bibles for the school and a pump for a well was a couple of the important things on my list.  But mainly we were going because it was our 19th wedding anniversary and not much else to do in Bere.  We were happy to share our day with everyone which we thought would just make it more fun.   On the way to Moundou we were almost an hour away and the truck slid out of control with the slippery mud beneath us.  Jamie is a great driver and knew what to do to keep us from flipping over.  He let it go the way it needed to but in return we ended up on the side of the road in knee deep of water.  Jamie tried to continue to drive it threw but we were stuck.  He put the van in reverse and went a few feet but we were stuck now either which way.  Everyone got out of the van, rolled up their pants and got into position to push.  They tried from the front and then from the back, but still the van was not getting out but only deeper. The whole time Jamie kept the van running but we could hear that we were loosing it and then it was gone.   All of a sudden we realize we are going to be in trouble with the rain as we could see a black wall coming our way.  Several Chadians started to come and asses the situation. There was many different languages.  I felt like we were in confusion at the tower of Babel.  We were all feeling like we needed more help and everyone got together and formed a circle in the middle of the road and prayed for our Father in heaven to help us.  We had Danae the new doctor and her two children with us and one is only 2 1/2 months old.  Finally some big branches were found to help lift the van and some big stones to put under the van wheels.  With many people helping but now everyone is in the rain, they were able to get all four tires jacked up.  Jamie tried and tried to get the van to start.  And there it goes the "scalded dog," which is the name Jamie gave the van, was back in business and he was able to drive out of the ditch.  Everyone clipped and very excited but now we had to come to an agreement of how much to pay all the men that helped us get out of our trouble.  They wanted a lot but we settled after a counter offer.  They seemed to be happy and Jamie just said it was a lot cheaper then AAA.  We go just a little further and now we are in Kelo but the van now sounds like it needs a tune up.  We got to the post office there to see if there are any packages, Jamie looks down and sees that we now have a flat tire.  The spare is flat too.  So Jamie, Tony and Simeon, a guy from the hospital, roll the two tires into the market as the rest of us wait for their return.  Everything went smooth with the repair but now the car is still running funny.  Jamie takes it to one place to get a new part.  Then we go to another place were he knows a guy that he has worked with a lot in the past when he was repairing all three cars for the hospital when we first arrived in Bere.  The man was very kind and drops everything that he was working on to help us out.  The get inside the engine and realize what part they need and he sends someone to get it.  Then they discover that there is water in the oil and so it too needs to be changed.  Again, he sends someone to get the oil and filter. Jamie looks at me and says, "well the car needed a tune up before James comes back to town."  James Appel will probably be taking the van with him to Moundou which is where James will be living and working in his new surgery clinic.  After another hour we get back on the road toward Moundou.  It is getting late and we are realizing that there is not going to be much time for shopping.  As we go along the van is still not running at top speed.  At the late hour of 3:45 pm we get to Moundou. We are all starving and stop at Jame's surgery clinic first to drop off more of their personal items for their house then we go just down the road to a little restaurant that we get egg sandwiches and banana shakes.  While we are eating one of the Arab men that we know spot us and stop and says hi.  He is the man that made all of the desks for the school last year.  After filling our stomachs we are starting to feel a little less grouchy but Jamie is worried about the van.  The decision is made that we will just have to stay over night at the surgery clinic. The very nice Arab man says that he will take one person to his house to sleep with him and he will meet us back at the clinic and give us a mosquito net.      When we get to the clinic we start to see what we have to work with to sleep there.  We all use the new mattresses for the clinic and find a few sheets and mosquito nets around.  The only thing is that there just was not enough for me and Jamie so we went without.  The Arab man came by and not only brought us a net for Brichelle, Danae and her kids but also a huge watermelon and cookies.  Everyone goes to bed at an early hour of 8:00 pm except for Cory, Tony and one of the 20 year old volunteers, Linden.  We could hear them stay up and talk and talk until we finally said that was enough.  I doze off for a little while and wake up just sweating profusely and the noise of the mosquitoes buzzing in my ears keep me awake.  I am covering myself with a sheet all the way over my head but the buzzing is too much.  I use my phone as a flashlight and turn it on under the sheets and I see a mosquito inside with me.  I move the sheet and let him free and catch some fresh air.  I am fighting like this over and over with the mosquitoes and now it is almost midnight. My fingers are now covered with mosquito bites and I have one on my face too and it swells my cheek.  I wake Jamie but realize he is not sleeping either.  I look over with my light and see that he found a mosquito net but it is ripped in shreds and he has it hanging from a pipe that he jammed between other things in the room and there the mosquito net hangs over his head only.  Oh, honey this is terrible, I tell him.  I just can not do it any more I feel like I am going crazy.  We have to do something.  We get up and look in a couple boxes for another mosquito net.  After some time and some prayers that I prayed in my mind, yeah! We found one!  We take the mattresses outside on the back porch with the boys and set up the net and the two mattresses put together.  Ahhh now we can get some sleep.  It is a lot cooler and I don't hear one mosquito.  I am so excited.  Before I can completely fall asleep I lay there thinking about my anniversary.  By now it is 1:00 am and I just lay there looking up threw the trees at the half lit sky thinking about the day and can't help but laugh.  Crazy day!  I close my eyes and my exhaustion covers me and just let myself begin to doze.  I am suddenly woke up out of my half sleep state by lightening and a big gust of wind that will not stop.  Moments later comes the rain and I just shake my head and think of course it is going to rain now that I am outside.  I try to allow the rain to lullaby me back to sleep.    The morning came way too soon but we had a lot to clean up and Jamie still needed to fix the van and we all had things to buy before making our way back to Bere.  The morning went smoothly and the van got fixed by the time everything was cleaned up and we were finally on our way for some "shopping".  But now we have concerns with a couple of patients at the hospital that need Danae's immediate attention.  Olen is trying to keep an eye on the two women and is keeping her informed on their progress but time is ticking and she needs to be back.  With this in mind we all scatter to do different things to get as much done as possible in such a short amount of time.  But in Chad everything takes forever no matter how fast you try to move.  We all are very tired and ready to just be home.  We make it back by almost 4 pm and Danae jumps out of the car to go change before we can even get the gate open.  Duty calls and she is over there with Olen until 8 pm.  What a trip!  I must say that we did not get to do much celebrating for our anniversary this year.  But Olen and Danae are such good friends that they didn't want to leave it like that.  The next evening they were able to sneak a cake into our house to encourage celebrating anyways.  And these are the pictures we got.  The little flying animal at the bottom is a mosquito, Danae is so creative!  Happy Anniversary!    

Dear Friends and Family,

Several Different Stories

I still get shocked by the things I see in Chad.  This is a country so poor that it is evident everywhere I look.  Some of the things that I see people do I can't accept and get use to, these are things I think need to change.  The sickness is so much more because of the conditions and the people are suffering all around me.   Once in a while we do get to help people and get to see how we are making a difference in the lives of people.

One Monday I was walking threw the market place.  I was crossing through a big open lot and noticed a couple ladies sitting in the dirt.  My mind could not understand at first what they were doing sitting there in the middle of this big open space.  As I began to get closer I could see that they were scooping up the dirt in places where rice had fallen during the busy Saturday market.  Naomi was with me and she explained to me that they were sifting the sand out and trying to get what rice they could for their families.  I quickly got out my iPod and took a picture inconspicuously so they could not tell that it was a camera.  I just knew that this was something that I needed to show others, not to make fun but to open people's eyes and help others to be grateful for what you do have.

One sabbath morning our whole family was walking together to go to church.  The church is just a couple hundred yards outside our compound.  Half way to the church, in an open field, right in our pathway, a young girl got up from squatting and left her business right there in the middle of everyone.  I was so shocked.  The Adventist School public bathrooms were right there in sight yet it is excepted here that what she did is perfectly ok. 

Last week was a sad week because a friend of mine died of Aids.  I don't have many friends here but I always considered her one.  Her name was Dina and she worked in the hospital at the pharmacy.  A very kind lady to everyone and she was always one I enjoyed talking to.  She was only really sick in the hospital for a couple of weeks.  I went to visit several times and helped the family, that didn't want to leave their dying sister's side, with food.  I would also pray with the family almost every visit and they were so respectful and appreciative.  This last sabbath morning Jamie and I got woke up by the loud wailing coming from the hospital and we just knew that her suffering was over.  Jamie made her casket sabbath morning and we attended her funeral.  She was loved by so many,  I am guessing that there must have been three hundred or more people.   The drama of funerals here are so different from what we are use to in the states.  There is loud wailing and drumming and singing and dancing.  Everyone stays there with the family and the body all threw the night and the drumming never stops.  The men all sit together and all the women sit together.  If someone new comes walking in it is heard by everyone that is there because of the loud crying that almost sounds like screams.  This can continue for a week, day and night.  Jamie took the van with Dina and the family to the burial sight the next morning.  I didn't get to go because I had an infection on one of my feet from some kind of a bug bite.  (which I am on an antibiotic and it is much better)  But my thoughts were with her and I will miss her.

I wanted to give an update with a picture of the boy that fell in the well.  He is doing really good and his eye is great.  He is quite the character but brings so much sunshine to my house every Friday.  This is a picture of him and his brother, on his last visit here.  Someone donated the clothes the little boy is wearing.  The little jacket he has is actually for a girl but he was so happy with it to be able to have something to keep him warm in the next months to come in the evenings.  They just don't care about things like that here.   We have also been able to help his brother with some of his own medical problems that he has just been living with for some time because they just didn't have the money to get help.  He has had stomach problems with blood in his stool, which is diarrhea.   With medication he too should be fine.  I think that it is situations like this that we can use to become friends with them and develop trust to be able to help them to learn more about what Jesus is preparing for them.

We have been here over two years and I am still trying to get use to my environment.  I guess the day I am okay with things here is the day I should move.  God is really teaching our family more than we realize just by being in a place like this.  I want to thank everyone for all the donations that flow to allow us to be the "hands that help".  It is not always a fun place to live but I love my job and love so many of the people that I come in contact with.  It is a risk to love them because I never know if I am going to loose them but to never love is to never live. 

Love and blessings,
Tammy