After 36 hours of trucks, vans, planes, trains, and moving sidewalks, we are back in Cincinnati. The travel went well, and Noah was awarded "miracle traveling baby" status by several of his co-passengers on the 9-hour Paris to Cincinnati flight. He fell asleep before take-off in Cameroon, and he woke up as we taxied to the gate in Paris. I even watched a movie and finished my book on the way to Cincinnati! I am very thankful for such a happy, flexible, and friendly son.
Returning from a trip is always the hardest time for me. I want to process and share everything about our time in Cameroon, and yet work, classes, and the rest of real life continues on. Jeff, Noah, and Henri are all sleeping now, and I want to take a few minutes to summarize our last few days at Mbingo.
February 11th is Youth Day, a national holiday in Cameroon. With formal hospital duties cancelled, we hiked over to the nearby school for the festivities. The morning started with speeches and anthems, followed by a prolonged wait for the "big man," an important and required government official. Each school in the region paraded in with Cameroonian flags prominently displayed. The preschoolers marched in proudly, if a bit out of step. The children from Mbingo's deaf school followed soon after, receiving waves of encouragement instead of claps.
That afternoon, we hiked down to Remedy's home. This 5-year-old little girl was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a severe heart condition that has limited her growth and activity. Next week, she departs for Italy, where she will undergo a surgical repair of her heart disease. She will be traveling without her family and staying for an unknown period of time, but her family trusts that this donated and life-saving therapy is best for her. We took pictures of Remedy and offered prayers and encouragement as she headed off on her great adventure. Noah enjoyed playing with the kids in her neighborhood and exploring the preparation of njama njama, a staple green leafy vegetable of Cameroon.
Thursday was our last day at Mbingo. We said goodbye
to hundreds of hospital employees at the early morning chapel service. I spent most of my day facilitating the practical portion of the newborn resuscitation course. For dinner, we enjoyed a special evening at the home of Comfort and her children, Anna, Ephraim, and Becky. We loved the traditional fufu and njama njama, and Noah loved running around playing football with the big kids. It was the perfect end to an amazing trip.
2 comments:
The Schlaudeckers are awesome!!! I've loved reading about the trip. I can't wait to process more with you live. I feel honored that you are our friends. You are the best! Love you!
It´s been so fabulous reading your blog -- thank you for posting frequently! You guys are inspiring and awesome. I´m excited to travel with you.
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