A bit of routine...

Our lives here had started to settle down into some sort of routine and structure which we thought we would share with you as some have asked what our typical day is  like.  Our day starts early at 6 as the sun is up and activities begin before the day gets too hot. If there is water, as in town the supply is frequently cut off, we tentatively get under the shower, which for the majority of the time is cold. However if you are lucky and get in first or if little water has been used elsewhere it can sometimes be warm, which can be a real treat. Cold showers are OK but on some days can be too much of a shock to the system. We are very fortunate that there is a well in the compound so water can be pumped from that if there is  a shortage and we have never been without, others around here are not so fortunate.

After 3 hours in Church

We then breakfast on cold porridge, made with powdered milk and water, banana and sweetened with some lovely honey sent to us by a dear friend in Cameroon. Breakfast cereal here is very expensive and sometimes can taste stale. We leave the house at 7 for the taxi ride to town and then our walk to school which begins at 8. We have French lessons 3 times a week from 8 until 11 and a further private lesson once a week for 2 hours. Our French progress is slow, but we are thankful that at least there is progress with our understanding if not with our speaking. We then return home to try and put into practice what we have learnt and complete any homework that is set. In addition the afternoons are spent on household chores and recovering from the heat which manages to drain and exhaust you. Simple tasks take a long time to achieve and you need to ensure you don't try to do too much nor too quickly, which is a hard lesson to learn.  Due to the heat and strong sun a lot of time is spent inside or in the shade which is totally alien to what you want to do when somewhere new, as exploring our surroundings is something we are keen to do.  On the days when the heat lessens and is cloudy we attempt to walk around our neighbourhood to try and meet  local people and to experience something of their daily lives. The majority of people here live within walled compounds and don't appear to walk very far, preferring a motorbike or perhaps a push bike. We seldom meet many people out walking  as most lay on mats in the shade watching the world go by but they do greet us in a friendly way as we stroll pass, although there is often a puzzled look on their faces. There are no parks or sights to walk too or many places to visit so our walk is generally along a busy, dusty road and back before it starts to get dark as is not advisable to be out walking in the evening. The evening is then spent preparing food for our meal and perhaps a board game or as a special treat we will watch a film before going to bed no later than 10. So pretty uneventful and routine stuff but due to the environment here so very different to our lives back home. No Tour De France, football, cricket, Wimbledon or Olympics have been watched this summer.  

The hospitals new pool

Due to the increased workload at the hospital, caused by striking nurses at other hospitals forcing them to have to close other than for emergencies, plus an increase in patients due to malaria ,particularly in children, our normal routine has had to be disrupted. Temporary doctors and surgeons who have not worked here before have been covering for Mark and Andrea, the resident doctors, who are on home assignment during the summer. This has required us to be at the hospital much more frequently than the originally planned 1 day a week to keep on top of the finances and observe. We have been required to assist with the increased workload stepping in where needed and helping where we can. We drive ourselves to and from the hospital, over dirt and unmarked roads which is a challenge on any ordinary day, but now during the rainy season is much more challenging. Roads are frequently flooded and new routes need to be found as large lakes appear where the day before all was OK. It can sometimes be difficult to judge how deep a lake is before attempting the drive through and getting stuck is a real threat. Local residents dig trenches to take the water away from their homes but this creates issues elsewhere as the mud becomes very sticky and soft, so a 4x4 vehicle is a must. Although the drive is stressful and challenging it can also be fun at times. Along with the rains comes an increase in humidity and the heat seems even more draining with the constant sweating and the damp clothes. Coping with both learning French and frequent trips to and from the hospital is taking its toll and we end most days feeling physically drained and tired.  But despite this we have seen and been part of some truly amazing work at the hospital and lives are being saved through its work and Gods presence here.