Life is Different Here...

As if it was not already clear, life is different here at Mbingo than what we are used to.  Here are some examples:

This was the view from our front door a few days ago.  The cows were being guided down our street to feed in the nearby meadow.  The man who herds the cows is a Fulani, which is a nomadic people group throughout West Africa.

Two nights ago, someone lit one of the mountains on fire.  It is the dry season, so the flames were impressive and were still burning when we went to sleep.  Someone told us that this is done each year, so the mountain will be more green when the rains come.  However, the next day we found out that it took many men late into the night to get the fire out before it burned any houses and they are trying to find the man that started it.

This is Chuck and Isaac at one of the markets near where we live.  We kind of stick out in the crowd, but the people here have made us feel at home.

We need to go to the market every 1-2 days for fruits and vegetables.  We are blessed that there is so much fresh produce available here like bananas.

Many people were concerned about our need to hand wash cloth diapers and how much longer we would be doing this.  The washing machine is still not here, but we have been assured that it is on the way.  We had to have the water lines and drainage ditches dug first though.  This man dug a 6 foot ditch in one day with only a shovel.  He then carried all the dirt away.  That was impressive.

Chuck started work this week and has been rounding on 25 patients each morning with the Cameroonian residents before going to clinic.  Most of these patients have serious diagnoses and present to the hospital much later than people would in the US.  We will share more about the hospital in an upcoming post.  God has been faithful to provide all of our needs as we adjust to new surroundings.