God is very good.
We seemed to run into constant roadblocks and challenges leading up to our departure for Mbingo on February 2nd. First the sale of our house fell through in December; then we hit a deer and wrecked our car while in NC two weeks before leaving; then our visas threatened not to arrive; our malaria medicine did not arrive on schedule; and finally we found out that our air carrier would not allow me to hand carry my insulin. We began our journey excited, but also very apprehensive and a little frazzled given the circumstances. However, all things fell into place - our house is now rented, the car is fixed, the visas arrived 48hrs before take off, and I made it to Cameroon with my insulin in hand. God is good!
We are now here at Mbingo Baptist Hospital, having arrived at our new home on February 4th around 4pm. The trip itself was rather uneventful, our layover in Paris went smoothly, there were no problems with my insulin, and both Cathen and Isaac did very well with the long flights. We were fortunate enough to have a bassinet seat for Cathen on the plane (see below),
which made the flight a lot easier. We arrived unscathed, and only missing one checked bag per family, in addition to both car seats. We spent the first night in Douala at the Catholic Guest House and were able to purchase a used car seat at a random corner market the next morning before making the 6 hour drive to Mbingo - another miracle as car seats are seldom used.
It has been non-stop action since our arrival at Mbingo - meeting hospital officials, the hospital tour, cultural orientation, unpacking, going to the market, buying house supplies etc - and we haven't even started to work yet! However, our welcome has been overwhelmingly gracious, and we are daily encouraged by the genuine hospitality of our new friends and neighbors. It is all new, but we feel very much welcomed and at home. Thank you for your support. Please pray for wisdom as parents and as physicians as we encounter new challenges daily.
Here are a couple of photos from our arrival:
- Our house -
We are on the left side of the duplex; Chuck, Angela, & Isaac are on the right
- View from our front porch - Mbingo, Cameroon -
- Taking it all in -
- Making a house a home, our very own new toilet seat -
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