Birthday – Lecture – Nigerian Thank you meal

The past 24 hours has been pleasantly full. Yesterday we had a nice Sunday dinner prepared by Lisa, and to top it off we had homemade pumpkin pie. The pumpkin was local Nigerian, though they don’t look like our orange pumpkins. Since Hannah’s birthday is coming up on Wednesday, February 11th, we put candles in the pie and sang to Hannah. The kids are trying to make their voice quiver like Uncle Larry’s voice when he sings “Happy Birthday”.

I operated on an unusual facial tumor today and Dr. Doug Myer did his first surgery. He tested the operating room with a tympanoplasty (ear drum repair). I then gave a lecture this afternoon to the family practice residents. I have been getting a lot more exposure to the residents. I have two family practice residents rotating with me now and I had one last month as well. It has been a pleasure teaching them.

This evening’s dinner was provided by Mrs. Lilian Ibrahim, Victor’s mother and Gwakmon’s aunt. These are two boys here on the compound who have captured our hearts. Mrs. Ibrahim has done an amazing job at raising some lovely children. Over the past 10 years, she, as a single mom, has raised her three daughters, one son, one nephew, and one niece (six total) in a very modest two room apartment here on the compound. We have been trying to help the family in various ways. Mrs. Ibrahim has been very appreciative and treated us to a meal in her home this evening. We had pounded yam with peanut vegetable stew. You eat this with your hands, as Sterling is demonstrating. We also had moimoi, which is husked bean mush made into balls and then dipped in a red tomato sauce. It was a lovely evening with a remarkable woman who is living out her faith.
Michael Mitchell, MD