A New Semester Begins at JETS

We are now three weeks into the new semester (and the final one for me.) This time around, I am teaching two sections of first year English for the Bachelor students; in fact, I AM the freshman English department at JETS (Jos/ECWA Theological Seminary). Kind of a scary thought, actually! I’m sad to report that my colleague, Abi Hunt, has moved on. She and her husband are moving up to the Kano area in northern Nigeria where the needs are even greater, spiritually and academically. I am very thankful for the semester Abi helped me. I am feeling much more comfortable now dealing with cultural issues and am more familiar with the academic needs of the students. I could not have been an effective teacher without Abi’s help initially and am grateful to God for granting her assistance for at least one semester!

I currently have a total of 72 students. I teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am until 10:45 am. Marking papers so far has been a real challenge. The students need as much individual attention as possible, but there are only so many hours in a day! I definitely need prayers as far as strategies to maximize their learning with the least investment of energy on my part. There is such a range in their abilities and age. Individualizing is another concern. I have to constantly be mindful of my student Nkwe who is completely deaf.

I spent the first semester laying a foundation with the students. This semester we are continuing to work on vocabulary building, the way English words are put together, and the way English sentences are put together. Now we are working our way up to the different types of sentences and writing paragraphs. I am beginning to see some improvement in their understanding and skill in using the English language. It just thrills me to see their progress!

Lisa

End of First Semester and Student Feedback

I am just about to turn in grades for the first semester. A new semester has begun. . .

In an effort to improve upon my teaching methods, I offered my students an opportunity for extra credit by turning in a student evaluation form. All but one student took me up on my offer. Since our family and friends have made it possible for me to be at JETS (Jos/ECWA Theological Seminary) as a teacher, I thought I would share some of the results with you. (Jeanie suggested that I do this while she was here.)

I purposely did not edit the students’ writing errors; it will give you a little feel for their needs (and what I am working with.) By the way, only the cream of the crop make their way into JETS; these students are being groomed for key positions within the Nigerian church.

What did you like most about this class?

I like the method of Mrs. Mitchell teaching. She treated in an easy understanding. I am happy because I am one of her student. I like this class because all the student are faithfull to their studies.

I like all the activities and also the puntuality of the teacher. The teacher is so patient in answering questions and also been friendly thats good ma!
(Those of you who know me and my tendency to run late might get a good laugh out of that comment!)

The notes provided to us is just wonderful, and the way we students flow with the teacher is excellent. I also love the vocabulary, and the way you make pronounciation is really improving mine own pronouncement. I again love the practicals we do in the class because my personal problem with english grammar is my foundation.


What did you like least about this class?

nothing.

I like least about this class because of the improvement I had I don’t think I can forgate the class In fact almost I like every thing in this class it helped me much

Nothing bad about the class I love everything about her class from her to how she teaches is lovely she does it the Native English speakers style.


What do you think the teacher can do to make this class better?

She can carry on. And God bless her

I want our teacher to continue with her teaching method, and this will help me, my friends even at home to learn and have the experience in English language. This will give the pattern to have a practical English languages.

I want the teacher to apply here at JETS so that she could a perminent lecturer have.


Other comments? (Use other side of paper if needed.)

I personally want to appreciate God for having you as my English lecturer because your present has improved my English, and it also made an impact to my learning. Actual my words cannot appreciate you proper, but I know that God will reward you with his abundance blessings.

I thank God for helping the teacher to teach me well. I am glad that I belong to a class where the source of English Language originates.

I whan to tall you that, the impack which you have make in my life will NIVER BE IN VAIN

Please don’t stop helping us


Thanks again for partnering with me in teaching these students in the name of Christ! I am really excited at the progress I am seeing them make.

Lisa

Conclusion of Jeanie's Visit

The most recent blog entries have been done exclusively by Michael. Though it’s been exactly two weeks since Jeanie left to go back to the U.S., I’m just now feeling caught up from the things I left undone while she was here. It was worth it though! What a special blessing to have her here with us. She has gotten a little bird’s eye view into our time here: a time that we will be talking about for years to come.

Jeanie had written a blog entry just as she left, and though I’m a little delayed in posting it, I thought you might enjoy reading a little of it:

It’s been very interesting and enlightening as to what my sister and her family do while living here in Jos, Nigeria. I feel like I know how to pray for them, the people they work with and minister to in a more effective and specific way. It’s amazing all that they do here. It’s nonstop activity from BEFORE sunrise to AFTER sunset.

I’ve enjoyed meeting many of the missionaries here and their kids..... So many people from different backgrounds working towards the same goal, sharing the love of Christ. So many different ways of accomplishing it too.

. . . What I’ve been so impressed with is how much more connected people are here. Our usual greeting to one another in the States is “How are YOU doing?” Here, they want to genuinely know how you, your family and work are doing. The people here are so warm and receptive.

It was a little tearful saying goodbye at the airport, but I trust that in just four short months, we will be greeting one another at another airport, this time in very far away Vancouver. Before that time, there is much work to do right here in Jos, Nigeria!

Lisa

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

Fire Truck Water Delivery

Our water problem is not resolved yet. Several months ago, our well was contaminated by the septic tank that was too close. Until a couple of weeks ago, we were getting water from our neighbors via water hose from their outside faucet to our ground water storage tank. The water was good, but the neighbors’ well cannot indefinitely support two families of six during the dry season. We supplemented by having our driver make one or two trips daily to another compound with a high yield well. He would fill up five 25 liter Gerry cans. He would then pour them into our ground storage tanks.
We at one point thought we were going to fix the problem by running a new pipe to a nearby hospital water storage tank on the compound. The construction was halted by politics. Some people were upset that we were getting access to water that they did not have access to. Our new tentative solution has been to get another large ground storage tank and fill all our storage tanks with a water tanker truck. We send our driver to make sure that a truck is filled with treated water from the “Water Board”, since there are stories of truck drivers filling their tankers with river water and then selling it as treated water. Our first delivery was two weeks ago.
The water lasted 12 days and by Wednesday we had gotten very low on water. We sent our driver again to hire a tanker. Apparently they are now in high demand and he had trouble finding one that was available. He somehow negotiated with a Water Board official, who arranged a delivery by a fire truck. Don’t worry, the driver assured me that they were leaving some water in the fire truck in case they were called to a fire.
Michael Mitchell, MD

ENT Help Has Arrived

Dr. Doug Myers from my hometown of Vancouver, Washington has come to help me. He has been in practice in Vancouver for many years and has a wealth of experience. He is slowing his Vancouver practice and now looking for opportunities to serve. He arrived in Nigeria on February 2nd and will stay until February 28th. He is still getting over the jet lag and getting oriented to Nigeria as well as the hospital. He saw his first patient (pictured above) today and he will operate on him on Monday.
It has been great to have someone from home and I look forward to his help.
Michael Mitchell, MD

Busy in the hospital again

Business in the hospital for the Ear, Nose, Throat department has definitely picked up again.

Monday, Jan 26

Excised this woman’s tumor. She never smiled for me before the surgery.

Nine days later she is not looking too bad. She was much happier and laughed with us when we joked around. Pictured with her is the baby that she was pregnant with in the first picture. We had to wait a few months until after she had the baby before we could do the surgery.

Tuesday, Jan 27

We had a busy clinic and then went to the operating room. An 8 year old girl aspirated a metal spring, which Dr. Aboiyar removed.

Friday, Jan 29

I repaired a broken cheek bone. We had some technical issues with our surgical drill, so we used the standby Black and Decker drill. Dan Reimer, a visiting American medical student, helped me with this case. Dr. Aboiyar was tied up with some administrative business.

Saturday, Jan 31, We drained a neck abscess in the operating room. (No pics.)

Monday, Feb 2 We had a full day in the operating room biopsying tumors and performing an extensive sinus surgery. (No pics.)

Tues, Feb 3, was an especially long day. We had quite a few patients to be seen in our clinic and we then had booked a surgery in the afternoon. Dr. Aboiyar was capably fixing a broken jaw in the operating room (using surgical techniques that he has learned over the past few months), I was still trying to see the last few patients in the clinic. At the end of the day, one man walked into clinic with a bandage taped between his eyes and blood stains all over his clothes. He had been hunting that morning in the bush. His homemade gun had misfired and the bolt flew back into his face. The bolt fell to the ground as did the patient, though he never lost consciousness. He was driven into town by his father. They first went to the outpatient clinic where they sat for some time in the waiting area to be seen. After he was finally seen, he was sent immediately to the ENT clinic. When I returned from my late and brief lunch break, he was waiting. I called for him right away and he staggered to the exam chair, where I removed his bandage. He had a large hole between his eyes -- large enough to put a thumb in. He had no vision in the right eye. I took pictures, but they are too graphic for this forum. We took him to the operating room immediately after finishing with the boy with the jaw fracture. I debrided and closed the wound and finally got home for a late dinner with our new guest and my help, Dr. Doug Myers.

Michael Mitchell, MD