December 29, 2010

--We stayed at the Foyer du Marin for our first 2 nights in Cameroon. Ruth and Raphael had been in Canada for the previous 6 weeks, and they arrived home in Douala only one day before we arrived - they needed a little time to settle in at home. We were happy to give them space, and felt recklessly liberated when we took an unchaperoned walk around the neighborhood.
--The Foyer du Marin is situated in the Akwa District of Douala - this is where many banks and development agencies are located. It was comfortable and very pleasant, particularly the outdoor dining room which we thoroughly enjoyed for its charm and for the excellent food. To our delight, one of the waiters was very comfortable with English and kindly gave helpful orientation and suggestions.
--We relaxed, beginning to adapt our sleep-wake schedules. Arizona is 8 hours earlier than Cameroon - we need a couple of days to catch up.

December 28, 2010

--We’re here! I panicked when I discovered that my phone didn’t make it to the Phoenix airport with me, we have no idea where it parted company with us – hopefully it fell out of my purse in my car and we’ll find it was patiently napping while we were gone. But, this is why you didn’t hear from me before we left.
--Our trip from Phoenix to Douala was pretty uneventful. After 3 long flights in 24 hours, we arrived in Douala about 8:30 pm on the 28th. Getting out of the airport was predictably hectic, but $90 and some very helpful Department of Tourism representatives got us past Customs without opening our bags.
--Ruth and a waiting car whisked us away to her home where the staff greeted us ever so warmly and we found a beautiful supper waiting for us. Then we were taken to our charming and comfortable hotel where we’ve spent the past two nights. Now we’ll be with Ruth and Raphael for about a week, then we’ll move to their village home where we and the Linfield nursing students will stay for 3 weeks doing clinics in several villages.

December 27, 2010

We flew and flew and flew. We left Phoenix Sky Harbor at 1:30 pm and arrived in Newark, New Jersey about 6:30 pm, well after dark. After waiting awhile, we boarded Swiss Airlines and headed across the Atlantic to Zurich, Switzerland - Sam was more than excited to finally be on the land of his distant forebearers. We felt compelled to toast this momentous occasion, and found an airport brewpub that fit our requirements.

December 26, 2010.

--After months of increasingly intense preparations, we are officially on our way back to the Littoral Province in Cameroon. Tonight Joe and I are in a hotel in Phoenix, eager to be up in the morning to meet Carol and Sam Hosler, to check those big heavy bags in at Sky Harbor, and settle in for a long flight.  We and our 12 bags will land in Douala at 7:10 pm December 28.

--We've been vaccinated against a host of tropical diseases, we have medications to ward off anything that gets past the vaccines, our bags have been weighed and reweighed many times to assure that we're really within the airlines' limits, we're armed with a generous supply of American toilet paper, permethrin, first aid supplies, vitamins, and 100# of prescription medicaments that we'll use in clinics.  Joe and Sam will be our official photographers, Carol will help them with lots of go-fetchit tasks and hours of health teaching.  We'll be working with a class of senior students from the Linfield College-Department of Nursing who will do health assessments with about 650-700 widows and orphans who are served by Women, Environment and Health (WEH). As a Nurse Practitioner, my role will be to treat the ailments identified by the students - all those generous gifts of money, vitamins, first aid supplies, etc. are about to be put to very good use.
--When the students return to Portland on January 26, Joe and I will join Njoke, Director of Heritage Tours-Cameroon for a month-long tour.  Since we've decided to be volunteers here, we want to know a whole lot more about this country.  I'm particularly hopeful that I will have the good fortune to meet Rev. Dr. Godlove Ngdongdeh with the Cameroon Baptist Convention-Health Board when we're in Bamenda - I did some e-mail consulting r/t psychotropic medications for him a couple of years ago.

February 4, 2008 - Home again!

February 2, 2009 - Methodist Church in Yaounde

February 1, 2009 - Distributing leftover meds at Mbanga Hospital, Kassafro

After the students finished in Cameroon there were leftover medications and medical supplies. The students had hoped to visit the HIV/AIDS residential program, Kassafro, in Penja, but there simply was not enough time for this visit. I sorted the meds and supplies to give to 4 programs: Kassafro, Miang Health Center, Mangamba Health Center, and the Souza Hospital. Then Ruth, Joe, Carol and I made a final trip to distribute them. We also stopped at Kotto Up to deliver some food bags to WEH members.