Civilization in the Wilderness

Greetings from Wilderness, South Africa!

Michael and I have found our new favorite holiday destination - -South Africa. We absolutely love it here! Cape Town is a lovely Western city on a picturesque coast with mountains around . . .kind of like a mini-San Francisco with the Sierra Nevadas and ocean all together. I personally fell in love with the countryside as we left the coast and headed toward the Garden Route. It reminds me of Texas and the Sierra Nevedas all rolled into one - - vast, open land with rolling grass and mountains in the background. There are lots of cattle and sheep because the soil is poor. I couldn't help but think of my dad and how he would have loved this area as we drove through.

We saw one thing you wouldn't normally see though: herds of ostriches (or is it broods?) They are raised for their meat, which by the way isn't too bad. Even Emily sampled three types of game at a local restaurant just so she could say she had eaten them: kudu, springbok, and ostrich. The kudu steak was my personal favorite of the three though I couldn't help but order the lamb.

After heading east from Cape Town and passing through the ranch lands, we arrived in Wilderness, South Africa. We got to swim in a different ocean this time, the Indian Ocean. It is much warmer than the Atlantic Ocean that Cape Town had to offer. The beaches are beautiful with fine white sand. We were truly blessed to stay in a home that we got last minute which was the nicest one we have ever stayed in our lives. Our hosts were Christians who even offered us a cut rate. The homes are a curious mix of African and Dutch architecture since the Dutch originally settled this area.

We are truly enjoying our holiday!

Lisa

P.S. The van in front of our home with the thatched roof has come to earn the name of "The Beast." We are all in agreement that we will not ever rent a mini-bus again especially when Dad is learning to drive left-handed stickshift on the wrong side of the rode! He has done a good job of getting us around. (But do keep praying for a little extra dose of traveling mercies . . .)

Christmas and Penguins?

Merry Christmas from the Mitchells!

This was a most unusual Christmas for us: it's not everyday you go to a beach and enjoy the penguins! Especially penguins that bray like a donkey (hence their former name - Jackass Penguins.)




We woke up Christmas morning enjoying breakfast in our B & B and then headed for the beach. We just got back from a wonderful buffet at a nearby hotel.

These are all pictures taken near Cape of Good Hope. We didn't quite make it to Cape Point. That will have to be another day.

Lisa

South Africa: On Holiday

We are taking a break from the third world. Earlier in the fall we asked our missionary friends what they did during the long Christmas break, when the kids are out of school for four weeks. Most try to get away from Jos, since the kids get bored. The closest retreat is Miango and many families go there for Christmas. While Miango has comforts that are not available in Jos, it still has its draw backs. Our last extended family vacation was in August 2007, so we justified spending some savings for a REAL vacation and a chance to enjoy the privileges and luxuries of the developed world. We chose South Africa.
The airport outside of Jos was about as nice as any facility in the city, but as demonstrated by the sign, it was not first world. We flew to Lagos where we had a 7 hour layover that was extended to 9 hours due to a delay. We finally got on the plane after midnight and landed in Johannesburg at 7:30 am. We then had to go through immigrations and customs and buy tickets to Cape Town. We finally arrived in Cape Town at 2 pm, 22 hours after taking off from Jos.
Our stay so far has been pleasant. The only excitement has been my driving. We have rented (“hired”) a huge full size van to accommodate all six of us with our luggage. It has standard transmission and the driver’s seat is on the right, since one drives on the left side of the road. The controls are opposite American cars as well, so I am still turning on the windshield wipers every time I turn. We had a laugh last night after I frightened one poor teenage boy trying to cross the road. I made a sudden left turn into the appropriate lane and came to a sudden stop lest I run him over. His eyes were huge!
We have thoroughly enjoyed the conveniences of western civilization. We had a lovely seafood meal overlooking the Atlantic Ocean yesterday evening followed by a nice one mile stroll along the sea wall. We went to a grocery store in the evening. We were all frenzied with all the choices that we have not seen in 5 months. It is going to be a nice vacation.
Michael Mitchell, MD

The Widow's Mite

I haven’t talked much about my housecleaner Asibe. She is such a gift to us! She brings order and sparkle in a place that is very challenging to do so. Africa is not very conducive to cleanliness and order. Asibe has a gentle spirit and loves the Lord intently. She is very active in the widow’s group in her church and has even gone on outreaches and seen many people come to know the Lord. She never complains and does her work heartily.

The recent riots impacted Asibe’s life tremendously. She lives in one of the areas that saw some of the most intense fighting. Three times her house was set on fire. Three times she and her four children put the fire out. All of her neighbors’ homes were burned down around her. She herself was injured and had to go to the hospital: she had scrambled up a pole to keep from being run over and was rammed and was sent flying.

She actually reported to work several days after her injuries though it was still unsure if the fighting was completely settled down. I thanked her for her dedication and immediately sent her back to her children!

Recently I found out that in addition to caring for her four children on her $72 a month salary, she had been providing a safe haven for four Muslims after the crisis for an extended time. Today, out of the funds our donors have made possible, I was able to help replenish her food stocks. Not expecting this, Asibe was tearful and overwhelmed and gave thanks to God.

I can’t tell you how awkward and humbling it was for me to be thanked when the $45 dollars I gave her seemed as nothing compared to what she had so sacrificially given. Without complaint and no thought for herself, she gave out of her limited resources to help protect neighbors putting herself,her children, and her home at risk. She did this at a time when she herself was suffering physically. What an amazing example of faith and love and sacrifice!

I consider it a privilege to work alongside Asibe and am thankful for your help as donors to support her as a widow and a local missionary to her own people.

Lisa


As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke 21:1-4

The JUTH Connection

In addition to working with our own Evangel hospital, I have the privilege of working with staff from Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH). It is the center for academic medicine here in the Plateau State. It is a tertiary referral center where most medical and surgical specialties are represented. When I remove a tumor from a patient, we give the specimen to the family and ask them to take it to the pathology department at JUTH.
The Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) department is relatively new and growing at JUTH. It is headed up by an energetic and bright surgeon, Dr. Samuel Adoga. He just returned from a 40 day course in India to learn some advanced ear procedures. He spent his own money for the trip. I am encouraged by his drive and perseverance as he hones his own skills as well as advances his department. He has three residents training under him and his two associates.
A future JUTH ENT consultant is Dr. Adekwu, who will finish his training and exam in April and join the department. We have come to know Dr. Adekwu first through his daughter. Our youngest daughter Camille is a close friend of his oldest daughter, Emiene (“Emmy”). They are in class together at Hillcrest School. In addition, we just travelled across the country with Dr. Adekwu when we went to the national ENT meeting.
Dr. Adekwu is an inspiration to me. Despite his hardships, he maintains a positive outlook and is a loving father to his three children. He grew up in a small village, but managed to come to Jos to attend medical school. He was in practice for a while and then went back to train as an ENT surgeon. He has a great interest in hearing preservation and testing. His family has suffered many tragedies. In 2001, there was a much larger crisis in Jos. He was sheltering Muslims in his medical office and consequently his facilities were burned down. Two years ago, he lost his wife to severe burns she suffered as she was saving their youngest child in a house fire. This past September, he and his children were held at gun point during an armed robbery in their home here in Jos. Any one of these events would be an unusual life event for an American physician, but Dr. Adekwu just moves on.
My Nigerian friends inspire me. They have a sincere faith in God and truly want to make a difference in their families and their communities.
Michael Mitchell, MD

First Tooth, First Step, First Hair Plaiting

This is one first as a mother that I never even imagined! I thought you’d enjoy seeing a picture of Emily gone Nigerian. My baby’s first hair plaiting! This process is not for the faint of heart: a trip to the market to buy hair extensions, and about 5 hours of sitting still while the extensions are put in. No washing your hair until you take them out. I give Emily about one week before she can’t stand it anymore. Also pictured is Emily’s friend Nanfe who earned a little pocket money in the process.

Nigerians take great personal pride and care in their appearance. Extra money is spent for nice clothing and nice looking hair. Nigerians always look neat and clean and have a personal cell phone no matter how basic their other living conditions. Americans could learn a few lessons from Nigerians in this regard! Only your finest clothes for church and no shorts except for actual sports activities.

I thought you would also enjoy seeing Michael, Emily, and me in our Nigerian clothing. We went to our first Christmas party for staff at Evangel Hospital on Wednesday , December 17th. I'm afraid with balmy air and mosquitoes buzzing around that it doesn't feel much like Christmas. For our potluck we had such delicacies as vegetable soup (Southern greens), egusi soup with fish (greens with ground-up melon seeds), groundnut stew (greens with ground-up peanuts), draw soup (greens with ground-up okra) . . .get the idea that greens are a staple here? . . fried chicken, watermelon, pineapple, a few American desserts compliments of some of the missionaries. Oh yeah, and for filler, a ball of starch . . .your choice of a ball of wheat mush (semo-vita), a ball of rice mush (tuwon shinkafa) or a ball of yam mush (pounded yam.)

Are you hungry now?

Merry Christmas!
Lisa

Our Morning at a Refugee Camp

This past Friday, Emily and I had the opportunity to go with our neighbor Dr. Don Sampson, an American pediatrician, a Nigerian doctor, and five other people on an outreach here in Jos. Our patients were displaced residents of Jos who are in a refugee camp about 20 minutes from our house. We passed a burned out mosque and another intact mosque with armored cars and soldiers actively guarding it on our way to the camp. For three hours that morning the patients streamed in, the first ones being very tired-looking soldiers with their automatic rifles still slung over their shoulder inside the clinic. Their complaints were insomnia, chest pain, malaria . . .no wonder after what they have gone through the last couple of weeks. The patients that followed were a mixture of men and women, Christian and Muslim all living together in the same camp. In all, we saw almost 60 patients: everything from hypertension to malaria, dizziness and a possible broken hand on a toddler. Emily and I are now quite proficient at filling prescriptions in a very makeshift set up. Dr. Sampson and Dr. Dennis were able to keep us busy with a steady stream of patients needing medicines. As a side note, Emily escaped yet another marriage proposal . . .and the clinic escaped yet another escalation of violence as one young man grew very frustrated with the other man’s interest towards Emily. Mama had to step in on all accounts and squelch advances as well as rising tempers. All in a day’s work in Jos, Nigeria . . .

Lisa

Greetings Mr. Obama

Let me pass on a greeting to our President-elect in an open letter.

Behind the Miango Rest Home in open country with occasional little farm plots located along the valleys and creek beds we took a two-hour hike on Saturday, December 6, 2008. We went over Nigerian hill and dale in remote central Nigeria, here on the Jos Plateau. The landscape is beautiful with large weather-worn granite rock formations dotting the undulating landscape and golden chest-high grasses waving gently in the breeze. The gold was interrupted by the green valleys of creek beds where dry-season gardens are maintained. We walked through small garden patches of corn, milo, tomatoes, and peppers. The closest dirt road was over a mile away. No rumble or roar of a combustion engine was anywhere within earshot. Water is hand-carried to little hand-tilled plots. The harvest is then carried out on the head of the women, who walk one to two miles to the road. They may take their goods to the local Miango market, or some may stuff themselves and their produce in taxis and make the drive to a larger market.

We walked by some men working their plots. The first two were simply amused that I would want to take their picture. However, the young, lone, bare-chested Nigerian farmer was more eager to pose. After I showed him the digital image of himself on the camera, he looked at me and said in his thick African accent, “Please greet Obama when you return.” And so I have…sort of.

Michael Mitchell, MD

Back from Miango to a quiet Jos

Jos has been very quiet over the past week. We consider it answered prayer. Despite the many rumors and arrests, no major incidents have occurred. The Muslim holiday, Sallah, passed without a hitch. We returned from Miango today, driving through many military road blocks. Everyone at the hospital seems happy and relaxed as well. The city-wide curfew has been eased, now 7 pm to 6 am.
We made the best of our time away. We went on three different hikes. Kids watched movies, played ultimate Frisbee, basketball, and volleyball. Emily is now adept at the game Settlers of Catan, the local favorite board game. Lisa played trumpet. Most relaxing to Lisa is that she did not have to plan or prepare meals at all.
We would have much rather been busy with our normal activities, and waited for our planned vacation that is coming up. Unfortunately we did not have a choice. I think we are all in better spirits though and we appreciate our relatively nice home in Jos even more.
For one week, very little has gone on in the ENT department. However, today, I returned to a busy clinic and three patients needing surgery in the next 24 hours. Others were scheduled for surgery next month.
School starts up again tomorrow. The kids will mostly be reviewing for the semester final exams next week. School is then out for four weeks.

Refugees in Miango Rest Home dining hall

Michael Mitchell, MD

Refugees waiting for the storm clouds to subside

The storm clouds are churning in Jos. We hope it is only a threat. Currently there is a curfew from 6:00 pm until 8:00 am. That has slowed things down at the hospital. There were no new admissions to report on Thursday morning and only one on Friday. No trauma. Still the rumors have been churning and there has been concern for renewed violence in the streets. The injured in our hospital wards have all been Nigerian young males. We have heard no reports of attacks on white people nor have they been a target to date.

As a precaution, we, as well as many other families, have left Jos and are currently staying at the Miango Rest Home, a Christian retreat center 50 kilometers outside of Jos. On Thursday morning we retreated to this peaceful place. The kids are having a great time hanging out with friends.

Today, Lisa and I led a pack of 25 teens and young adults on a 2.5 hour hike. We trekked through little subsistence farms, unaccessable by vehicle, where strong young men were tilling the soil by hand. Small crops of cabbage, pepper, and tomatoes were growing. The snake of pale skinned explorers wound its way through rock and field to a jutting boulder formation overlooking the valley. Young raggedly clad children were waving at us from a distance. Some in our group were shouting in Hausa the long greetings customary for Nigerians, "How was your night? How is your tiredness? How is work? How is your family? How is your home?" The Nigerian children were excited to see the gathering of so many white people in the fields where they work. We are told that they find it somewhat comical, since the idea of hiking for fun is so foreign to them. Earlier in the week, we took a Nigerian surgeon with us on top of the volcano (see pictures from Oct blog). The 45 year old surgeon said he had never been on a hike nor had he ever bothered to climb a hill just for the view. He was exhilerated and vowed to come back with his children.

Our stay here has been peaceful and we are feeling rested, as much as we would rather be home and back working as was our intent in coming to Africa. Clearly, we are not in control.

The rumors continue. Still it is not safe to return. Sallah is the Muslim holiday to be celebrated tomorrow and Monday. The celebration involves large prayer meetings. We hope that temperence will be observed by both Muslim and Christian extremists. Once, the holiday is over, we suspect we will be able to return home. Meanwhile we continue to pray and play while the storm clouds threaten destruction 50 kilometers away.

Michael Mitchell, MD

Quiet Monday in Jos

Jos is returning somewhat to normal. We heard the beep beep of motorcycle taxis this afternoon. Our driver went off the compound and was able to get fuel. The market has some items, but prices are doubled on many items. There were not many trauma admissions to the hospital today. My day was slow, since I do mostly head and neck surgery. Most of the injuries have been orthopedic with gunshots to the extremities. I presume that victims with shots to the head and body have not survived long enough to get to the hospital.

We are still on a high level of alert and prepared to evacuate if things flare up again. There is currently a curfew from 6:00 pm to 8:00 am (sunsets at 6:30 and rises at 6:30). We here occasional shots fired in the distance. It sounds like the sporadic fireworks that go off the week before 4th of July, but there are no fireworks here. We are told that most of the shots are simply warning shots from the patrolling military units.

An emergency relief coaltion of multiple organizations has reported that up to 30,000 people have been displaced in Jos and are in need of food and water. Apparently relief efforts are being coordinated.

Our kids are tentatively scheduled to return to school Wednesday at 8:30 am. Evening events have been moved up or cancelled due to the curfew.

Continue to pray for peace between our Muslim and Christian neighbors. There is concern for more violence during upcoming Muslim holidays next week followed by Christmas two weeks later.

Michael Mitchell, MD