Wema and school

I just heard the wonderful news that Wema is accepted into the Maasai Girls School in Monduli!  She 
will start on January 9, 2017!  She had hoped to begin Form 2, but she only scored enough points to 
start Form 1. I am just thrilled and I would rather see her have a strong base on which to build. There 
will be many adjustments for her at boarding school so getting accepted is the most important thing!  

We have been home a month now. The adjustment has been relatively easy. It does seem a bit strange 
to go from banana trees to snow!  We have spent a fair amount of time in clinics and dental offices
catching up on surgery and other appointments. The contrast is more than remarkable.  The roads and 
the parking are still a source of amazement. We have gone across the state numerous times and even 
the smaller roads are so nice!  This first month has just whizzed by!  It seemed like each month in 
Tanzania was long. Maybe that is because we have traveled so much and are getting ready for Christmas. 
It is heavenly to experience all the comforts of home with fresh eyes. 

Well...I just had to share the good news about Wema!  I feel like a proud Mama!

These are Crowned Cranes.

My job performance

 I was in Tanzania for 6 months. The experience of working there was extremely variable – rewarding, anxiety producing, intimidating, overwhelming, joyous.  I was told in advance that it would take 4 months to feel like I was worth having on the staff. After 6 months, I was still not sure that I reached the stage of being an asset to Selian Hospital. Some days, I felt that I made a difference in the patient care and was valuable to the hospital. Other days, I felt overwhelmed and useless. Selian Hospital has no intensive care unit so all these horribly sick people were on the medical ward. It is now still hard for me to decipher when the problem of uncertainty and difficulty in treating these critically ill people was due to me not knowing enough and when it was that our resources were so limited. I know that having a good clinical laboratory that could do a wide variety of tests including cultures would have made my job much easier, but it is still hard to not take less than stellar medical care personally. I will tell you more about adult care next time.

People ask me what my favorite African animal is and laugh when I say a wart hog.  How can anybody not be enchanted by an animal that proves that God has a great sense of humor.  It is impossible to not have a sense of humor and create the wart hog.  That short legged trot that is particularly funny when you see a group of them (what do you call a group of hogs? - I don't know.), kneeling on their already very short front legs to make it even easier to graze, so ugly - we are talking WARTS here.  Admit it.  You smiled when you looked at this photo.

Debi's entry August Safari

We just returned from our last getaway in Tanzania. Erik, Bernice, Nashesha, Wema, Don and I took off on Friday afternoon for a luxury camp at Lake Challa which is northeast of Moshi. We were very close to the border of Kenya and we had a great view of Mt Kilimanjaro from the north. It looks very different than the way we usually see it from the south.  It is obvious it used to be much higher....reminded us of Mt St Helens. 


On the way there we got to drive again on the dirt roads of TZ. At one point we heard a rather loud explosion similar to the sound we heard on the Serengetti. I was sure something new was broken on the car. About a kilometer later two men from a village waved their arms at us and seemed quite concerned and they offered to help us. I got out and was shocked to see a totally destroyed right front tire! I cannot believe I could not tell!  I guess that shows how bad the roads are!  We have plenty of tread on the tires....what we lack are sturdy side walls. These tires were meant for Japan, not TZ!  We are so thankful this did not happen in the middle of the Serengeti!


Our camp was situated above Lake Challa which is a crater lake. . EBN and Wema hiked down to the lake and Wema got her first swimming lessons and a ride in a kayak.  She loved it!  In fact this was the highlight of her weekend!


On Saturday morning Don got up early and went biking with E&N. i woke up and was surprised that Don was being so noisy as he is usually so quiet. As my eyes opened I looked straight ahead and was shocked to see a HUGE baboon sitting on our porch rail!  His pose was hilarious. Instead of being hunched over as they usually are, he was stretched out with his back arched. He looked like he was King of the Porch!  Then things started to move and I realized there were about a DOZEN baboons on the porch!  They are really big up close!  Several little faces were pressed against the glass looking at me!  When I started to move slowly to get my phone to take a picture, the ones looking at me gave a loud alert as if to say SHE'S AWAKE! They scattered very quickly. Don had closed the glass door when he left but he did not lock it. We had been warned over and over at the Four Season Resort to lock the doors to the deck when we were inside because the baboons knew how to get in and they would make a big mess. I was remembering their admonition and was very happy they took off....I just wished I could have gotten a picture! All in all it was a great weekend. In the six months we have been here we have taken six weekend trips with EBN.  It has been great to make memories together!
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Last Thursday I drove Wema and Upendo and Herison to Moshi to get his glasses. I really wanted to go because I still had questions about his diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Finally I understand. His problems are congenital and not due to an infection. He has scarring on his retinas and is completely blind in one eye and has very poor vision in the other. The glasses were ordered in hopes of improving his vision and to provide protection. Indeed, his vision did improve a bit but he can still only see letters on the second or third line from the top of the eye chart. They will check him again in two months in hopes there is no further deterioration. 


We leave on Saturday, October 29. I have my 5th dental appointment to complete my toot canal and crown later today. I hope this gets finished!  Now we are turning our attention to packing up. Nothing is easy.... today we are out of water again!  Ah, the adventures of living in Tanzania!

Debi's entry Sept Sad news about Herison

I just got a call from Wema's brother. There is nothing new to report. They ran more tests today and they will get results on Monday. He is blind in his right eye and has an infection called uveitis in his left eye. 

I have been so incredibly sad about this. They knew he had a problem and they took him to a doctor last March who referred him to the clinic in Moshi at that time. They did nothing more until they asked Don to look in his eye. They showed us the paper with a referral to Moshi. I said I would take them there if they needed a ride. Mama shook her head and said "no money".  So once again poverty has played out in front of our eyes. Real honest to goodness poverty that could end up causing a darling person to be blind. I wish now I had just offered to help them right then and there, but I was hesitant to start helping everyone in the family. I just never realized it could be this serious. 

I will keep you posted when I get a report on Monday. 

We leave on our trip tomorrow. I had a big day today with ANOTHER trip to the dentist, had the car repaired (cruise control), made a cake for Erik's birthday, had dinner with EBN to celebrate Erik's birthday and our anniversary which are both September 30.  Still need to pack. We will be gone seven nights. This should be a totally amazing trip!

Debi's entry Wema's family

This family is a puzzle which I am still trying to figure out!

Wema's father is Victor but he recently left the family and found another wife and lied about his original family.
Another brother (uncle) lives across the street, but in spite of having a good job and seven children (according to Wema)  spends his money on alcohol and women. Another uncle, died a while ago and grandma took care  of his kids and I thought them as small children, but I recently met them and the daughter, Dora, is 21. I misunderstood what Wema told me earlier. She speaks so softly and with an accent so I miss a lot. She told me on the day we returned from Zanzibar with Lars that her grandmother had died. She was the matriarch of the family. 

Anyway... I will trace the family tree another time...but the point is, this family has land and multiple buildings. They can rent out the buildings for cash. That is how they have money to pay  for their sons' schooling, unless the renters can't pay. Wema tried to explain this to me while we sat in her courtyard playing cribbage while the food  cooked. If renters cant pay, the renters have to go all over town to borrow money. She concluded with this statement, "it is a hard life."

Back to their property:  it is not small...not sure how many acres...one or two?  They have banana trees of all kinds growing that they can use and harvest and sell. They also have two cows that they can milk and sell the milk. The buildings are made of brick and the floors are cement. So according to African standards, they are well off!  This may be what gives them the confidence to host white people. Nearby is a tiled platform with dried flowers  on top. Apparently, this is Grandma's grave!  This grave is close to  the courtyard, but only a few feet from the next door neighbor's house!  I cant help but wonder how they feel about this grave!

On the other hand...I am struggling to describe...walls are whitewashed ( at one time), stained, full of holes, wasp nests hang everywhere, we sit on plastic furniture around a big coffee table, packed in like sardines, some people sharing a bowl and fork when we are there...And having a great time!  Cooking is done over a fire outside. I got the best cooking lesson yesterday. Things are done in one pot slowly. We had corn and beans and coconut milk and veges....sounds a lot like the banana dinner, but it was very different.

 I also got to see the milking of the two cows and how they care for them but the cows never leave the barn!  I have started sending  my kitchen waste home with Wema to feed "Bessie". The patio/courtyard is idyllic. Things are in bloom.  They harvested a fruit for me...a green pomegranate!  Not so tasty, but they ate it. The floor of the patio/courtyard is dirt. Cow elimination goes by in a trench while we play cards.  Chickens wander  around. There was a baby chick that was born yesterday. The hen was so protective!, pecking anyone that came close.  Wema said she is not a good mother...she had 10 eggs and only one chick!

Debi's entry Wema's 14 th birthday party Sept 14

Wema's 14th birthday party was last night on September 14.  It was quite the event so I want to write about it before I forget to tell about the little things that remind you what an amazing opportunity we are having to bridge a cultural divide even if it is in small numbers!

To begin and put things in perspective, we have been invited to Wema's house for dinner three times in the last couple of weeks. We have been treated to very traditional dishes. The first was cooking bananas in coconut milk (my favorite).  The next was Makanda, a mixture of beans and dried corn and vegetables. Finally, we had pilau, a rice dish with spices and vegetables. All were very delicious!  

Linda reminds me that we are not choosing to support the poorest of the poor. This family is quite well off by Tanzanian standards. They are well connected and have a nice chunk of land with multiple brick buildings some of which they rent out which helps pay for the brothers' school. The buildings surround an open dirt courtyard where most of the day is spent with people coming and going and chickens foraging and two cows nearby in a stable that make a variety of sounds. Banana, mango, avocado and POMEGRANATE trees grace the living area in addition to flowering trees and bushes I cannot name. In spite of the beautiful trees, if they do not have the means to pay for school or medical care, they seem needy to me!

One thing I did not make clear before is that the cooking is done outside in a cooking shed over an open fire!  I get invited early so that I can see/learn the cooking process. The strangest thing is how brown they cook the onions to start. They add quite a bit of vegetable oil to the pot and then cook the onions until they are deep brown or black. Then they add shredded carrots, garlic and ginger and often tomatoes and green pepper. These are cooked hard until they disappear into a sauce. Then other things are added...all without measuring. 

So dinner is a one pot meal served inside after dark around 7:30. When we are included for dinner there are not enough bowls or silverware so they pair up and share. I always bring things to share ....whatever Wema recommends, and I think they find it interesting but they much prefer what they are used to. I realize I often spice up food with condiments or dressings. I think vinegar is so foreign that it must be an acquired taste so they eat it only to be nice...and because they are hungry. However, they LOVE the homemade roasted cashews I bring. 

Ever since the eclipse day, the phrase "Its a miracle" has been used whenever new things are encountered. One day I invited Dora, Wema's 22 year old cousin and the person with whom she shares a bedroom, and her mother to my house to learn to make almond roca!  They are interested to see if they can earn some money by selling it. I doubt that will work because the ingredients are expensive here. Anyway, we started the afternoon by making microwave popcorn.  There were lots of expressions of a MIRACLE over that since they had never heard of a microwave before!  Next I dried my hair and let them see what a curling iron was like. They wanted to take turns using it on their hair,  but mostly wanted to play with my hair. They kept saying how soft my hair is!  Finally we made almond roca. Just learning how to turn on the stove seemed amazing to them! And this is a "well off" family in Tanzania!

We also got to meet Wema's oldest brother, Orjantan, who is an engineering student in Moshi. He is just as delightful as Wema and has the same English language capability so we actually spent quite a bit of time with him while he was home on vacation. He had the same reaction to microwave popcorn and enjoys saying, "Its a miracle" too!  Very fun!  Such a nice family we have gotten to know!

I talked with Wema's mom about a birthday party for Wema. She had no problem with it but warned me she has a BIG family. Family includes many additional people like an uncle and cousins and the young man who cares for the cows and as it turns out, a few more. She also offered to make pilau which I accepted. 

Wema loved planning for the party. In fact she wanted to be involved in every aspect!  I told her it was her choice. She could be queen or a day and not do a thing or she could participate. On your birthday you get to decide!  She decided she wanted she wanted to help with everything and she wanted to have HAMBURGERS!  Now think of this....she has NEVER had a hamburger before and yet that is what she chose. We had to find a bbq and briquets and cooking utensils,  etc but it was nice that she chose something that is so familiar to us and works well for a crowd. She also wanted to make chips (French Fries) and guacamole and later she added hummus too.  So the menu was set:

Appetizers:
Guacamole and chips
Hummus and fresh veggies
Juice and soda

Main course: 
Hamburgers and onions,tomatoes and pickles and condiments. We dropped lettuce cuz that would be just too strange!
Chips (and ketchup for us)
Pilau with beef
Watermelon....later dropped when the two young women,both named Hannah from Germany, arrived with a fruit salad

Dessert:
Cake and ice cream with candles! Wema and I made the cake and decorated it the day before. I bought Skittle candy and used a different color for each letter of her name on the cake. I used to do that for the boys with m&ms but could only find Skittles. 

Something I found delightful was how excited Wema was with the anticipation of the party. When I would say, well SOMEONE has a birthday this week, she would giggle and squirm and rub her feet together as if the excitement went all the way to her toes!

The guest list was tough!  She wanted to invite everyone and in fact invited a medical student she just met for the first time early in the week when the topic of her party came up. As the day grew closer, the list grew longer. In the end some people who were invited could not come and that was good because extras came without an invitation which is common in this culture. I had given permission for her to invite two friends but the number grew to 4 when the party had already started because some were too shy to come without others. In fact when they arrived Wema had to meet them on the road and they hid behind the house for quite awhile before they got the nerve to come to the patio. It is like if there is a party happening, they want to be included in the worst way, but having it be with WHITE people is just too foreign/exciting/intimidating for comfort!  Her pastor and a teacher came too!  And maybe one or two more. I had trouble keeping people straight!

During appetizers we went in a circle and introduced ourselves. Wema's friends laughed so much in that socially awkward way that only young teenagers can do. Most people ended by saying something nice about Wema and expressing gratitude for being invited. They seem like such kind people. 

Altogether were were a group of 17 which is quite a few for this little rental house, but I was not worried. Africans can always fit in one more!  In fact they thought our house was most spacious!  We used yard chairs and everyone had a seat even when we moved inside for cake. Plastic yard chairs are common in people's living rooms on a permanent basis. 

The lesson on how to fix a hamburger was hilarious!  I had everyone come inside for the demonstration. I had ketchup, mustard, mayo and bbq sauce for condiments....all totally unknown to them, in addition to onions, tomatoes and pickles. Some were just too uncomfortable to make their own hamburger so the German girls stepped forward and put together quite a few.  It was nice to have pilau and chips and fruit too. I noticed that after we had been eating awhile, the plates were empty except for the hamburgers remaining. I wondered if the neighbor's dog was going to get a lot of leftovers, but in the end they dove in with much laughter at trying to take bites of such a big sandwich!  Overall I think they liked it, after all it was BEEF, a Maasai favorite!

Then it was time for cake. Don had blown up balloons and taped them to the ceiling. The cake was most colorful and personalized with her her name. Before we could even light the candles they started singing Happy Birthday (pronounced Bawth-day) in English over and over! Once the candles were lit we sang several more times before she was told to make a wish and blow out her candles. It is just hard to fathom that this familiar ritual is so new to them. The chocolate cake with a butter cream frosting was beautiful but just a little too strange for many of them. Ice cream went over better. 

Then it was time for presents. Her Mom gave her several yards of African fabric which she will have made into a dress. Dora gave her a watch!  I am so glad because she never knows what time it is! She got a joint card from her friends and there was even money inside!  She got some kind of little book too. The gifts were not wrapped.
I gave her rather strange gifts. I gave her three things wrapped in foil red paper: a vegetable peeler, a glass spice container of ground black pepper and a bag of regular popcorn. In her card I wrote a message telling her I would also take her to the dentist. She immediately said, "WHEN?"  in a tone of glee. I think she liked the wrapping paper as much as the gifts!

After the cards were opened, I asked if she wanted to say anything to the group. She stood up snd thanked everyone so sincerely for coming and sharing her party and her life. There were several expressions about also thanking God. In Tanzania people often thank God for you rather than thanking you directly. 

The party was almost over and I started to clean up. Orjantan came in the kitchen with his mom and said his mother wanted the pastor to pray for me. I said WHAT? WHY? WHEN?  WHERE???  Turns out the answers were now, in the kitchen because her mother felt so blessed by us and did not have the words to thank us herself. She could not think of anything nicer than to have her pastor say a prayer of blessing for us. The pastor and mama do not speak English. So Don and I held hands with mama and the pastor and Orjantan and Wema in the kitchen while the pastor prayed,  pausing for translation!  I can honestly say this does not happen everyday....and it did indeed feel like a blessing!

So that is how the party ended...after lots of hugs. And after Wema thanked me about 10 times!  I think we will all remember this day for a long time yo come. I find it incredible that we came all this way to fulfill Don's dream of providing healthcare to his birth country, and my chance meeting with Wema and the on going relationship with her family has touched us so deeply. We could never have planned for this!

Debi's entry More about Wema

Wema (pronounced Way ma) may be the best thing that has happened to me so far in Tanzania!  

Let me explain further...this is a "relationship based society".  We knew that before we came. I took one look at the healthcare system and all its needs, coupled with my lack of language skills (I cannot understand people when they are speaking English!) and I realized I had no idea how to help!

Don gets up early snd leaves by 7:00 to go across terrible roads and arrive at Selian Hospital and Clinic in time for chapel and then a brief report from night staff followed by a quick medical inservice before having chai in the canteen and then non stop rounds...no lunch break. I, on the other hand, have shriveled from any professional "help' as I have felt too humbled to even know where to begin. So, since I am not yet engaged in other activities, let me tell you what happened. Enter WEMA!  I hope you have read how we met and how our relationship started. At first I thought "this is fun, it is ok",  but now we are much further along and I look forward to being with her any chance I get. She has been invited to EBN's house and was even exposed to to playing spoons. I have taught her cribbage which  she loves! She also loves spending time with me in the kitchen. She loves everything and is hungry for new experiences. 

One day we invited her to go with us to the movies. I got all mixed up so the day was very convoluted. She was happy to ride in the car and go whereever. We went to the bike shop ( where we spotted monkeys) and the grocery store.  Then we went to dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant (I am sure she NEVER goes to a restaurant!!) where she tried to bargain with the waitress (in Swahili) to get her soda for less!  Later we took her to the first movie of her life in a cinema.  It was Star Trek In 3D!  Can you imagine?  She said she loved it, but Don and I were puzzling over the plot. Anyway, on the way to the movie, I commented that THAT was the road to the dentist that Don had been looking for. She said, "I have a hole in my tooth and if I eat ice cream, it hurts." When asked if she had ever seen a dentist, she said no. I told Don about that and he said, "it is never ending. Next her cousin will  break his arm. It does not end."

Wema was with us when Don was telling about an eclipse that would happen the next day st 9:00 am and was best seen from Africa. I put a post it note on the door to remind me to look in the morning , but plans changed and I did not go out and I forgot about it. At noon Wema knocked on my door. I was surprised to see her because we were supposed to get together at 6:00, but Swahili time and English time are different. I thought she was confused. She burst into the house and got a basin from the bathroom that she likes to use to wash her legs after walking on the dusty roads. (She told Lars and me about chiggers that  hide in the dust and can burrow into your skin .... That made us both afraid!) Anyway, she marched past me and proceeded to fill the basin with water and  carried it to the patio. On the way she told me with a wink and a slightly haughty voice, "I told you....I am a scientist!'  I followed her outside and watched as the basin of water settled. We could see the eclipse perfectly in the reflection!  By that time the moon had moved and the sun looked like a crescent with the moon blocking the rest of the light. GORGEOUS!!  I was amazed! Overjoyed!  I keplt exclaiming how wonderful this was. I called Xaudi (handyman and gardner) to see. He wasn't sure what to make of it and said, "nzuri ???(good)???"  I said this is a MIRACLE! Turns out thst Wema saw people looking in a basin along the road coming home from school. When she got home and washed her feet she saw the reflection in the water, remembered what Don had said and then ran a mile more to show me!  I just laughed and marveled about what an amazing event we shared together! If she had not come to my house, I would have missed it!  What an delightful friend I have!

Wema is up for anything and has shared quite a few meals with us. I know our food is very different than what she is used to. In addition to loving guacamole (she now makes it almost daily for her family because they have an avocado tree) , she loves hummus that Nashesha first made for us. The thing she is not so sure about is salad. She has had it often enough now that she is getting used to it and has tried at least four different kinds of dressing. 

One day she asked if she could cook dinner for us. I said SURE and she told me what to buy. She wanted to fix traditional food: ugali and sauce. Since that day I have a whole new appreciation for her capabilities!  The sauce contained 10 things in addition to meat: onion, garlic, ginger, shredded carrot, celery, green pepper, zucchini, potato, tomatoes and eggplant! She would not normally use that many things but when she found them in my refrigerator she decided to use them all!  She cooked everything pretty hard and it turned into a chunky sauce. She added the minced beef (hamburger) at the end. That is when she started making ugali. It is thick cornmeal that turns pretty solid and is cut with a knife. You take some in your hand and form it into a ball and then punch the center with your thumb and use it as a scoop to collect the sauce and eat them together. It was really very delicious!  In between cooking she would wash dishes. I introduced her to new kitchen tools like a vegetable peeler. She loved it!  I have a blue one and a black one. She prefers the black one!  I also showed her how I remove the garlic paper by smashing the clove with the side of my knife. She does this all the time now and gives me a satisfied grin as she whacks away!

Since that day she comes over often after school and begs to play a game of cribbage. Yesterday I was helping Linda with a big party and said I had too much to do. She talked me into it by saying she would help me for two hours if I would play. Of course I said yes!  She is a whiz with a knife and a peeler! And she is quite good at cribbage too! When she gets a good hand, she starts giggling and squirming in her chair. The game is forcing her to learn her numbers better in English. 

I have fun exposing her to all kinds of things. One day I had just washed my hair and I asked her if she knew what a curling iron was. She did not. So I blew my hair dry and then demonstrated what a curling iron could do. She exclaimed, "its a miracle!" She says that often when she sees something new. 

Don and I were invited to her house last Monday for dinner. Her Mom wanted to serve us bananas in coconut milk. I see these cooking bananas for sale all over and Bernice has made them for us cooked several ways. Wema came to our house in the afternoon and asked if we could make guacamole together to take to dinner.  I said SURE. Next she asked if we could make a salad to take. I was so surprised!  I said, "I did not think you even liked salad!"  She said "I am getting used to it and I want them to see what it is like". So we took guacamole, chips, roasted cashews, a large green salad , two kinds of dressing and ICE! She loves ice and we took it in a bag in the cooler to add to each glass of juice! I do not think she wanted me to bring things so there would be enough food...because there was plenty!  I think it was all about exposure!  She very proudly demonstrated how to eat salad and add dressing. Everyone was very cautious and certainly did not rave about it. Wema took seconds!  The other things were a big hit. 

Dinner was served inside around a coffee table with two large thermos containers the size of crock pots. One contained meat and the other beans along with bananas in a coconut milk sauce. It was absolutely delicious!  I hope to learn how to make it. I could substitute potatoes for the bananas in the states. Wema is very proud of the fact that they grate coconut rather than use a can because it is more natural! They had invited two German young women as well. Altogether we were 11 people. Wema's older brother is a comedian and he kept us all laughing.  I am amazed at this family's confidence to invite us over!  It was such an authentic Tanzanian experience and I felt very honored to be invited. We were packed into the room very tightly and the surroundings were very humble and it did not matter!  

Before we went to their house  Wema told us her little brother, Herison, (age 6) had a problem with his eyes. Don took along his opthalmascope. When we arrived, Mama showed us a piece of paper with notes from a clinic visit. They referred him to a large medical center in Moshi which is about 90 minutes away by car. We aren't sure exactly what the notes mean, but Don could see problems on his retina. I said I could take them there, but they answered "no money".  So now we are checking into what options might be available to him locally. His vision is bad enough that he has to put paper in front of his face to see writing. 

One more thing and I will stop. Wema's 14th birthday is September 15. I asked her how she usually celebrates. She looked down and shook her head. She said "we don't celebrate and I have never had a party."  Then she brightened and said, "Do you want to give me a party?"  I said we should talk about it but I was afraid maybe we were doing too much for her and it might cause jealousy in the family. She thought this was funny, even preposterous!  Don said it is common for Maasai not to know their birth dates or even how old they are. In the medical record there are lots of birth dates on either January 1 or July 1.  If they do not know their birthdate, they are asked if they were born in the hot season or the cold season and a birthdate is assigned from that information!  Later Wema said she told her mother I wanted to give her a party. I said, "Wema, I did not say that!  I said we would talk about it!"  We have been told that Tanzanians take "maybe" as a promise! So, what should I do?  I bought a card and a cake mix. I will talk to her mother somehow. 

So, we wrestle with how to celebrate a birthday and more importantly what to do about Wema's dental needs and her brother's eye care. Don is right...it does not end. So, when you love someone and have the means to help, what do you do? It seems crazy to be in Tanzania with the goal of helping with healthcare and not help the family you know personally. I know if I was in their shoes and had no money, I would ask for help. In a relationship based society, helping this family may be one of the biggest contributions we make. The impact seems so small in the face of SO much need that is EVERYWHERE, and we know we cannot do this for everyone, but love is very motivating

Debi's entry August 2016 Lars and Wema

The trouble with waiting so long to write is there is so much to tell!  The last month has been really packed!  This edition will be about Lars's visit (July 20-Aug 16) and the story of my new friend, Wema. 

Wema is a girl (age 13) who rescued me awhile ago when I was out walking. I encountered two dogs on the road that worked as a team and scared me to death as they lunged and snarled at me with teeth showing. Wema was on her bike and rode between me and the dogs and stayed with me until they backed off. She continued to stay with me as she knew I was shook up!  It was hard to believe, but 100 yards down the road ANOTHER dog tried to attack me and she and a neighbor boy were able to call it off. By then I was in really bad shape and she stayed with me until I got home. Her English is really good and she asked me all kinds of questions. She asked if she could visit me the next day and I said sure. That is how our friendship started. She is my first truly Tanzanian friend without strings attached to the missionary culture, family or the hospital....just a neighbor. 

After that she arrived regularly at my door and even brought her 6 year old brother to hang out. We colored together, played cards, went on walks, met her family and got to know each other. She is very smart and curious and fun to talk to about Tanzanian culture. She was excited to meet Lars when he came and he had fun asking her about school in Tanzania. During the month Lars was here we were gone on quite a few trips, but Wema kept track of our schedule and would show up as soon as we returned. 

Lars posted many pictures on facebook so if you are his friend you can get an idea of what we did. The second day Lars was in country, I invited a bunch of the medical students and other visitors to dinner. I wanted Lars to experience the vitality of these people from all over the world who are here helping with various projects like solar energy, agriculture and biomedical technology in addition to nursing and medicine. The third day he was here we left on a car trip with Erik, Bernice and Nashesha. We took two cars and traded around so the conversation on the long drive to the coast was ever changing. 

The first stop was Tanga where we stayed one night and visited the Amboni Caves on our way to Pangani. An interesting thing about tourist places in Tanzania is that you visit at your own risk. In America I am used to paved walkways and handrails and even some lighting in caves. Not so in TZ! It was very "natural"! Next stop was Pangani at the Tides Resort that we won at an auction. It was just delightful...once we found it!  We stayed in delightful cottages right on the ocean that included fabulous breakfasts and had additional food if desired. It had a swimming pool, white sand beaches, a lovely community area and felt very extravagant and peaceful. I am so glad were stayed three nights. 

Next we were off to see Erik and Bernice's retirement property in the Amani Mountains. We traveled WAY up on unbelievable roads passing through the gorgeous Amani Nature Reserve on the way to their place. Previously they had to walk the last 3/4 mile to their place but now there is a newly constructed bridge so we were able to drive all the way to  a small home and a few outbuildings. A caretaker and his new wife live there and care for the property. They fixed lunch (ugali, chicken in sauce, bananas) for us and we were able to enjoy being on top of the world surrounded by green trees, fruit and other vegetation and chickens. 

After two nights in the mountains we started the long trip down the mountain. Erik talked Don into riding bikes down. When we picked them up on the highway, Don looked a bit battered. He had fallen several times but the most spectacular one included a somersault over  the handlebars into a big bush. Don is learning that biking with Erik is not like biking in America!

The day after coming home we hosted another dinner for the visiting students. They invited Lars to join them the following day on a trip to Moshi. The group of 6 had fun doing all kinds of things. Don and I were happy to stay home and rest!

Our next trip was to Zanzibar for 6 nights. We flew out of Arusha and stayed 3 nights in Stone Town (slave history was amazing) and 3 nights in Nungwi which was on the beach at the northern trip of the island. The highlight was a snorkeling trip to Mnemba coral reef off the island owned by Bill Gates. It was like looking at fish in an aquarium.  This was Don's first trip to Zanzibar (I had been with Wanda in 2005 while Steve and Don climbed Mt Kilimanjaro).  It was a magical week and it was fun to feel like tourists. The food was unbelievable and so reasonably priced!  Imagine a whole bbq'd lobster and full dinner for $13.00!

Lars connected with young people and was able to go off with a group of tourists. A favorite conversation happened around a bonfire one night. The 4 tourists (one from China, one Holland, one from somewhere else and Lars were chatting and invited two Maasai security guards at the hotel to join the conversation. They asked the Maasai where they would like to visit if money was no object. They threw out various places and one of the people in the tourist group had been to every place they named!  That really made an impression on Lars. The opportunities available to us in the first world are just out of reach to so many. 

The day after we got back from Zanzibar, Wema was waiting to show us a waterfall. She brought along her neighbor, Alex, who is 22, and hoping to be a doctor. They were our guides. I was dubious and kept asking questions about the difficulty and the distance of this hike. After driving for an hour up Mt Meru, we got to a park where we had to pay to enter. I paid one dollar for Alex and Wema (residents) and $5 for Lars and me. Again I asked about how difficult this would be. They assured me it was no problem!  Very easy!  Only 100 meters, maybe 300 meters, only 25-30 minutes. No problem!  Long story:  no way I could do it!  It was a long walk on a trail and once we got to the edge of the ravine I thought we would look over at the waterfall. NO!  That is where we started to climb down. It was STEEP!  No stairs, no hand rails, slippery!  Alex stayed with me while Lars went ahead to see if it got better. He returned and told me to go back to the car!  Lars made it all the way with Wema and took lots of good pictures. Lars said that was as difficult a hike as he could possibly go on and still consider it fun!  Alex stayed with me the whole time and we had a great conversation about "culture shock" and other things. Wonderful young man!

I invited Wema and Alex to have dinner with us that night. I wanted them to experience tacos. They had never heard of tacos. We started with guacamole and corn chips. They were very polite and very cautious. Obviously they had never seen guacamole before.  Then it was time to make tacos. We demonstrated how to fill the tortilla with meat, beans etc. they just sat and looked at their plates. I asked what they were thinking. Alex looked at me and said, "culture shock"! What a great answer!

The last excursion was to Tarangire for a day animal safari. We invited Wema to join us even though it made the car crowded after adding a guide, but I could not bear it that she had never seen an elephant or the other animals that make her country famous. 

We had an amazing trip!  There were SO many animals!  It was quite a show!  The season must be dry enough now that the animals come to the park for the water. I was SO excited to show things to Wema. I was very surprised that she was so quiet. When I asked if she had a good time, she would whisper yes. I don't know if Maasai are supposed to be so quiet or what but her reaction was surprising. Later she wrote to me and thanked me for the opportunity. She said she had a hard time taking it all in. I brought a picnic lunch and she had never seen a sandwich before!  Ah ...the exposure she is getting! While Lars was still here we were invited to her house. I drove there even though it is only a half mile away (fear of dogs!). She wanted me to meet her mother. Her home is made of brick and has windows. The floor was dirt which was swept clean. All the furniture was neat and clean, just SO small. I could not see beyond a curtain but that was where the beds were. She brought out an envelope to show Lars the coloring she and her brother had done at my house. 

The purpose of the visit was to ask me to pay for Wema's schooling. This was not entirely unexpected. She has two older brothers who are in school and it is common for girls to stop after the 6th grade. Wema's mother (Upendo) did not go to school because her father did not think it is important for girls to get an education. Consequently, she does not speak English. I knew Wema had been sent home from her school because there was no money for the school fees for her. I had been busy with Lars so I had not inquired about the fact that Wema was home all day and not in school. So, here was the question....I said I would think about it. 

I talked to Mark and Linda and Erik and Bernice. I found out that only about 5% of Tanzanians go to school beyond the 6th grade. It seems such a crime that someone as bright as Wema should not continue. In the meantime I borrowed books for her from Linda and Nashesha. There is no library!  Schools will not loan books either out of feat they will not be returned. Wema was delighted to have books to borrow!  

Erik and Bernice invited Wema to their home for dinner last Sunday. Erik knows her uncle and knows the family does not have money for education. Wema loved Nashesha, had fun choosing some books to borrow and even played spoons!  Is there any sillier game than spoons?  We even played the version where instead of taking a spoon, you put your finger by your nose. We finished by sticking out our tongues. She loved it and asked for just one more game even though we were done and had to go home. 

This is really long, I know!  And I have not even gotten to the punch line. Wema's education will be the NEXT chapter. Lars left a week ago and the house felt really quiet at first. We had such a good time! The night before he left we had a farewell party with the same group snd Linda and Mark. It was nice that Don was able to take the time off while Lars was here. It is a different experience to be on vacation here compared to living here....Lars got a good taste of both. 

Debi's entry Hospitalization

I have permission from Bob to tell this story. Just as the reunion was winding down and Byrna was catching a flight home the next day, Bob developed a nosebleed on Saturday night that would not stop. He is on Coumadin and was scheduled for a blood test on Monday.  On Sunday morning Don was called to take him to urgent care while Byrna continued to pack. 

Don works at Selian Medical Center which is more rural, however Don took Bob to ALMC (Arusha Lutheran Medical Center) in the middle of Arusha because it is much more modern and has much better capabilities including the blood testing to check the coumadin effect. Urgent Care was not busy on Sunday morning so Bob was seen promptly. The bleeding could not be stopped so they decided to admit him. Poor Byrna had to decide whether to stay or go as planned. She decided to go because Bob has recovered from this before and there were lots of relatives to provide oversight and TLC. I was able to spend time at the bedside with Bob on Sunday and Monday because I don't work, I did not need to pack or run last minute errands like Carol who left on Monday, I was eager to observe care at the bedside for my potential work in the future AND I could play cribbage with Bob to help pass the time!

So ALMC is a building that is new since we visited in 2005. The medical record is partially computerized!  It is quite modern by Tanzanian standards. It is built around a beautiful courtyard so there is light coming in lots of windows. Here are a few things I observed:

*A private room with private bath. (He was probably considered a VIP as Mark Jacobson, Medical Center Director, paid him a visit after church)
*Lots of light from large windows and cloth curtains for privacy
*Bed sheets and a bedspread!
*The bed could have the head raised. 
*No towels or wash cloths provided (We brought some in)
* No kleenex or anything to help with nosebleed besides gauze ( we brought some)
*When we asked for an ice pack, one ice cube arrived wrapped in plastic wrap. 
*No toilet paper until we asked for it. 
* No drinking water provided ( we could buy a bottle of water from the canteen)
* Food service was supposedly provided ( at Selian there is NO food service...so families have to bring in food or patients don't eat. Don saw a man with no family who only ate because other patients shared with him), however the first time food was offered to Bob was late on Sunday after Carol and Erik and Bernice brought us all pizza. So he declined.  The next morning a very large food tray with a large insulated lid arrived for breakfast and a thermos bottle of chai. When he opened the lid, it contained two slices of white bread with no butter or jam!  We had brought some food and snacks so he was OK. 
*No pillow ( we brought)
*When the nurse came in to draw blood she brought a basin with a syringe, a laboratory tube, gauze, some solution to disinfect skin , a regular glove that she used as a tourniquet and a package of sterile gloves!  The first thing she did was apply the sterile gloves with perfect surgical technique and then proceeded to touch everything else. I held my breath when she transferred the blood from the syringe to the test tube as that is how needle sticks happen. 
*The doctors seemed competent. They asked good questions and left to do additional research to see if Bob's anti malaria pills for the trip could be contributing to his high INR (Coumadin blood test). 
*Before leaving we had to pay the bill. Thank goodness Bernice was there!  In general you pay for things in advance. Don had paid for his inpatient stay which was about $45.00 but Bob had to pay for a couple of additional things so we had to go to the discharge window. This is a big glass window with two round holes to talk through and two slots at the bottom for exchanging money. Already there were about 20 people all crowded around the window clamoring to be helped. Bernice recognized someone she knew inside and somehow the crowd parted for her. They would NOT take cash!  They only wanted credit cards or bank cards. The day before the machine was not working so they had taken Don's cash but there was some question about the receipt so it took awhile to straighten things out and pay. I have no idea why they do not ask people to stand in line. Just some tape on the floor or a ticket with number would reduce chaos. 

The good news is Bob is fine! I found it fascinating, although I am daunted as to how I might help. Opportunities for improvement abound, but the culture is still too foreign to me. I guess in the end if the patient gets well, the number one goal is met. Oh yes, cribbage was fun and we all ( Don included) took turns winning!