January 5th – 7TH

I haven’t been good about writing my blog and I haven’t
taken any notes so I don’t really remember the specifics
of the last few days, but I’ll do my best. I did rounds both
Wednesday and Thursday with Solomon on the men’s
ward. It’s been a lot of the same patients who are just
waiting until they get better enough to move on. There
were a few more fatalities. It’s sadly just a fact of life here.
Friday I didn’t do rounds because the administration
decided to change the way rounds are done on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday. Now Tom, Solomon and LA have
to do rounds all together one ward at a time. With Ryan
the medical student rounding with them as well I just
decided I wouldn’t bother because I was just going to be
in the way. Classes are going pretty well, attendance hasn’t
been real great but I don’t care, it’s easier to teach a
smaller group and most of the kids who I think have a
chance anyway are the ones coming. Maybe that’s why
the ones who aren’t coming now aren’t doing so well,
because they don’t attend class like they should. I
haven’t had any more chances to practice driving the
Honda, it’s just been too busy. I didn’t even get a chance
to go visit the Orphan school at all this week. One night
we went to a village for a clinic. I had to teach until after
they left so I rode with Solomon on the Honda to the village.
Lareena (one of the people from the church group) had been
teaching some kids and was still around as well and so she
rode on a Honda with Abdul to the village as well. We got
there as they were wrapping up the clinic and just in time for
dinner (chili since it’s pretty portable in a bowl that holds
heat. After that they showed the Jesus film and while that
was going on I got to talk with one of the medical students.
It was an interesting experience getting back, I rode in the
car with bench seats parallel to the length of the car, and
no seatbelts. It was a jolting experience in every literal
sense of the word. Other than that I can’t think of anything
really remarkable that occurred, so that’s where I’ll wrap
up this entry. You might want to skip reading the next couple
of days if you are bitter about the cold, because it might
make you more so.

Blessings from Kamakwie,
Ryan Brooks