Africa July 3 Update

We have had a fruitful week so far. I was able to perform around 20 surgeries and see many patients in clinic with Ben. We also saw a few babies in the NICU. For my eye MD friends: Its fun to perform a few surgeries I haven’t done for a while – a conj flap for a Mooren’s ulcer, extracapsular cataract surgery, some harder strab cases, Brown syndrome, Kestenbaum, vitrectomy, and implanted about 6 different types of lens implants. I was also able to help Ben get better settings for his phaco machine. He thought it was a lame machine until I told him to crank the vacuum up to 300. There are so many things we take for granted in the US when it comes to surgery. The many things on autopilot in America can take along time to happen here.

It was also fun being the puppet show manager. We basically showed up unannounced at the eye clinic and peds ward (2 different shows each), hung up a sheet in a door way or between two traction beds, turned on the iPod and started the show. Ryan brought the house down with his shades and microphone routine. It was fun to see the Kenyan kids and parents, doctors and nurses smiling and even the American docs stopped to watch. It was also neat that the chaplain of the pediatric ward asked Heather and Courtney to say a few words to the kids & parents. Heather spoke and the chaplain who was a Kenyan lady, interpreted. Heather spoke about how it was a hard job being a mother and even harder when you have a sick child but that God has given mom’s extra grace to be a mom if they trust in Him. The chaplain has asked us to come back next week. Thank you Pastor Gary Strudler for this wonderful ministry.

Friday was a quieter day and us dads were able to spend more time with the families. I told the Roberts most of our friends in Oregon hardly ever have the Holland 9 over for dinner (we usually have people over to our house for some reason ) and they’ve done it twice this week and that doesn’t include all of the other little snacks and lunches they have provided members of our family. Our kids run around the neighborhood together without much supervision and they have all returned home safely so far! We have been so busy at the hospital all I have done it seems is surgery and clinic and sleep. I even took a nap in clinic today while Ben saw pts. It takes a week to get over the jet lag.

The big event of the day was a man was murdered in the surrounding area and his body was dumped down the road from our house. It took the police about 4 hours to show up. The justice system is a little different here – where the people, when they figure out who commited the crime, basically take things into their own hands and exact revenge on the perpetrators. I know there are a lot of bad characters around but feel safe for the most part. My friend from the eye clinic, Wilson, who knew the guy that was killed for his motorcycle we believe, also told me not to go into the forest (a ways a way from here) or they “will finish you”. Not sure what that means but it doesn’t sound too good.

That being said, Ben takes his kayak down the river when it is high enough and says its fine. Needless to say I am somewhat glad the river is LOW right now. When Jenny found about the incident she told Ben not to tell our kids so as not to scare them and Ben replied “Are you kidding, they’re the ones who told me.” A lot goes on during the day while we are working that we get caught up on when we come home for lunch or dinner. The clinic is only about a 2 minutes walk from our house.

Tomorrow we are going to an orphanage to perform puppets and bring some items to donate. I am supposed to teach Sunday school so I will have to break out some of my Awana material where at least these kids don’t know all my tricks!

Thanks for praying! (and don’t feel like you have to have us over for dinner when we get back!)

And don’t show up at our house for fireworks tomorrow – because we won’t be there!!!

Dan