Amazing Things Happening

The last couple days have been exciting as some pretty amazing things

have been happening in our midst.

Despite not having most of our luggage that is holding

much of our medical and construction supplies, 

the work we came here to do has continued, just not in the exact way we planned.

Brooke and Kevin traveled back to the Kilimanjaro Airport yesterday

to pay the ransom for the beanie babies and retrieve most of our bags.

Those bags will hopefully arrive here at Nyakato this afternoon around 4:00.

4:00 Tanzania time could be any time after 4:30

so most of us will be wearing scrubs at the Eye Clinic dedication this afternoon.

Because of the baggage issues we have been challenged to be resourceful, creative and very flexible

and it has also given us the opportunity to grow deeper in our faith.

 Dr. Lynn hiding behind several beanie babies.

Lynn, Cassie and Mary Ellen outside the OR

at the Birthing Center.

Cassie is a Med Student from the US

that is working and learning from our team of surgeons.

Doctors Moncure and Bhavsar,

two of our talented surgeons from KU Med.

Together with Dr. Cohen, the surgical team is performing

3 to 4 surgeries each day this week.

This young boy had a tumor removed from his abdomen

by the surgical team.

Another surgery patient with Catalina,

a visiting MD who is in her 3rd year of fellowship

at Mayo in endocrinology.

Catalina has pix and video from some of the surgeries

that we will share in a future post.

Brooke and John, he is a African boy that Brooke and her husband Brad

have sponsored for several years.

On Thursday, she was able to take time away from the baggage situation

and spend the day with John and his family.

Meanwhile, back at the Eye Clinc - 

the team is still plugging away on the tasks that can be done

with the supplies and equipment that is available.

Emily gave Kari her shoes, as she only has the clothes and flip flops

she wore while traveling.

The team is so greatful that the health center has a huge

supply of extra scrubs for us to wear.

The tile team in one of the operating rooms of the eye clinic.

Tiling in Tanzania is not as simple as in the US,

they are using cement to adhere the tile to the floor.

Kevin, Don and Jimmy inspect a shipment of "rough" wood and 

are picking out planks to use for door and window trim.

 The planks are then planed by some of our local worker.

Once the planks are planed, Roy and Don are able to rip

them to the width needed for the trim.

The table saw out in the open area near the Patricia Ward because

it is too heavy to move near the eye clinic - 

so the guys are spending a lot of time walking back and forth.

Dennis is cleaning the windows on the front of the eye clinic,

getting it ready for the dedication on Saturday afternoon.

Cindy and Shelley painting inside.

A lot of progress has been made since we have been here,

and another busy day to get ready for the dedication.