newsletter/exciting news :)

I feel settled here in Cameroon. There are those daily lulls where I wonder what I should be doing like you have when you are at home, there are the days when I come home beat from the hospital and think I would like to have a little holiday and some days I think, what could be better than this?

Each Friday, depending on if it is your turn, you are allowed the chance to visit the moms that you have delivered. Yesterday was my first home visit day. Sarah and I began by visiting a woman who had her baby at four months and the baby girl lived for 1 ½ hours. She had looked so sickly the first two times that we saw her due to malaria, but yesterday she had a glow of joy and health. She was talking with us and served us white beans and plantains. We parted after a short visit and encouraged her to come and visit us soon.

Later we headed to Mercy’s house, the mother of five who delivered a brow presentation (impossible according to the books) baby with the cord twice around the neck. She was so happy the see us and quickly handed me Ransem, the baby boy when we sat down. I think they had intended for us to stay all night long. When we first arrived Mercy came out briefly but then showered herself and came and got Ransem and bathed him, not exactly what my culture would do when guests arrive. They then served us a meal of bitter leaf greens (Jama Jama), fried fish and fufu corn (consistency of cooling cream of wheat, but made from corn) while her husband went to purchase drinks. He arrived back with 24 bottled drinks and said that we would be full by the time we left. Already feeling full, I laughed and then realized, they might be planning on us staying a little longer than we were. This also confirmed that I still have so much to learn about etiquette. Later, Mercy lead us down to their water source and also showed us to their farm/garden. The community has plots of land that they farm and then sell the vegetables, herbs and goods in the market. She was disappointed when we told that we needed to leave but at the possibility of us coming again she seemed comforted. Sarah and I rode home through the dusty roads on a motorbike in our African outfits and talked about how amazing the day had been.

Our time in Cameroon so far has been difficult and exciting. Culturally, I am seeing there is so much more to learn. I am blessed by the sense of community, it is the only option here; community antenatal care, delivering in a room of two other labouring women, 20 women in the same postnatal room, everyone caring for another, learning from one another. It brings me back to the unity that God intends for us.

This week was an especially difficult one, we found out that Connie, one of my roommates/classmates/hospital mates for the past seven months had decided to go home. She felt God was leading her in a different direction and that her new ministry was to bring the church into her Norwegian home. We said farewell with much pain yesterday morning.

Thank you all for you constant support and encouragement that you give. As you have supported me greatly, I want to share with you my commitment to come back to Perth in July to staff the Birth Attendant School for two years. I see G*od’s great calling for justice through our school and want to continue being a part of training and raising up G*od-fearing midwives to transform the nations. I will keep sharing more as the updates continue.

Bless you!

G*od is moving mightily through our team and I am blessed to be a part.