Our Shipment Arrives!

One benefit of being without electricity is the stunning beauty of the night sky. The generator supplied steady power all day so our work was uninterrupted. And once evening fell and we were away from generated light, last night’s sickle moon blazed among a blanket of diamonds in the sky.

Our day Tuesday was full with surgery and follow-up with our many patients. Dinner was at a lovely restaurant near Mt. Uluguru called Nashera, after which we all headed to bed, tired from the long day.

Wednesday brought a change of pace for most of the team. Doug and Cindy arrived early at Mazimbu for our scheduled surgeries. But our schedule is now full and, as Doug will be in the OR for the rest of our time, we are not able to accept any new patients. So the rest of the team enjoyed a leisurely morning at LJS until our dala dala driver returned at 9:15 for the 5 remaining team members and our translator, Juliana. Shopping was on the agenda for Nancy, Glennis, Eileen and Pati and Lance was graciously allowed to join the group. Our first stop was our favorite market, Pira’s, where we found coffee, soap, wine and snacks. Juliana then led us on a hunt for the local “hot pots” which are used for keeping food hot or cold. She disappeared through a narrow doorway overhung with assorted buckets, brooms and shoes, with her little troop trailing behind. Inside we met Mohammed, the shop owner, who rummaged behind a counter piled precariously with all kinds of goods before producing a very dusty box tied together with twine. We had found our hot pots! Some friendly haggling followed and Nancy, Glennis and Mohammed were all pleased with the outcome.

After dropping the hot pots in the dala dala, we headed for the open air market where people gather to sell all manner of fresh fruits and vegetables, rices and grains. The vendors go to great care to arrange their goods in an attractive manner, and wherever your eye falls you find a riot of vibrant colors. Bananas, mangos, avocados and pili pili peppers found their way into our bags.

When the shoppers arrived back at Mazimbu, news had spread that our package from Oklahoma was waiting at the post office. Picking it up was not as simple as we thought—Cindy had to show her ID and then make several trips from the post office to the government office for the right papers, going across the street and up and then down three flights of stairs each time.

Doug wants Ben to begin sitting in a wheel chair and getting outside his room for a short while each day. The arrival of the mattress triggered his first time to leave his bed in two months. Nancy wheeled him outside while Cindy and the aides prepared his new bed. Once he returned to it, Ben agreed it was much more comfortable. Our main goal, though, is to relieve the stress on his body so his wounds can heal.

Our day ended with dinner at Bishop Mameo’s home with his family—Rose, his wife; Evelyn, his 11 year old daughter; and Edwardi, his 1 year old son. We were honored to end our day with friends, laughing over Mameo’s stories about his adventures from his first several visits to the US.