We have had 3 or 4 rains but it is as hot as ever and much more humid.   One has to drink so much water to keep up with the sweat and one needs some extra salt to keep up with what is lost through the skin.   One tries to sleep in the “sauna” but doesn’t get very rested.

Yes, I apparently had malaria this past week and I just finished my week of quinine treatment which makes you almost deaf temporarily and decreased balance and decreased appetite and no energy.   I’m feeling better today and the energy level is coming back as is the hearing and balance.  Now I know what the patients go through.  The malaria gives you terrific aching all over besides the fever which I had 102 a week ago.  Dolores has not had any problems thus far. 

Olen left  Tues. 26 April to pick up Danae and Zane in N’DJamena.   He also had some business to take care of.  He was at the Ministry of Health until late last night so not coming back here until this afternoon.  We have had problems with the local district medical officer trying to throw his weight around and prevent doctors from working.  I had all my paper work but had not registered with some national registry in N’Jamena.   He was going to ground me then he gave me 2 weeks to get it done which it is done.   Dr. Greg Saunders, a board surgeon that has also spent 10 years in Nigeria, has been here last week and this week helping do surgery but the MCD had him grounded for a day this week. But Olen was able to get some special permission from higher up in N’DJamena so now he is able to work.  He did not have a copy of his license and certificates with him but just a card showing his membership in the American College of Surgeons.  We have a Nigerian doctor here for 2 ½ months  and apparently he is cleared and a Chadian doctor or medical student that the MCD has not cleared to do anything yet until today.  Moral of the story:  volunteers that come, esp. medical, should bring copies of their license and paper work when they come to help.  Actually that is true no matter what country you go to. This MCD has made a nuisance of himself in many different way.  There are very few Chadian doctors that actually see patients but most are in “administrative” positions.  Nurses, some of which are very good, are the ones that see most of the patients in the country in the local dispensaries or clinics.  Sometimes they might even take vital signs like a bp on a pregnant lady but often they do not.    Women do die from ecclampsia.  We had one recently that was unconscious seizing.   We did a C section, the baby lived but she died even with the magnesium sulfate, etc.    She never was conscious during the time we saw her.  The family took the baby.  Maybe they found a relative to feed him. 

Thanks for the $100 that the Grand Lake Camera Club sent.   It is being used to pay for surgery on a 10 year old girl with severe contractures of elbow, wrist, and hand with thumb almost against the forearm.    The surgery was done today.   Her mother had died and the father has no  money.   Hopefully the surgery will enable her to have use at least partially of that arm and hand.      

Thanks again to the Jay Seventh Day Adventist Church for the $1000+ and to the Integris Grove General Hospital Medical Staff for the $1000 that they sent with us as we left home.   It seems there are always various needy projects.   There is a lady with no husband but has malaria getting meds for that.   She has a blind child that had both eyes removed because of retinoblastoma and another child that had malaria.   Dolores has been taking her something to eat the past few days.  Danae has paid for one or 2 vesicovaginal fistula repairs but it makes a woman a woman again.

Americans and Europeans always seem to be in a hurry and often do not even greet each other but Africans seem to be ahead on that point.  If they go to Europe or America they notice how “inhumane” we are.  Africans always have time to greet and find out how the family is, etc   As John wrote in the Bible,  “By this shall all men know if you are my disciples if you have love one for another.”   Do you love someone enough to let them know that Jesus is coming soon?   Or even to be their friend?

We are very glad for the safe and healthy return of Zane and Danae although they did enjoy their time back in the US getting checked over but fortunately nothing was found.  Now “Nana” can spoil the grand kids again.  Ha! J “Nana” has been making lots of mango sauce and dried mangoes.  

We went to the river today and saw about 9 hippos about 10 miles from here.  I also saw an African pied kingfisher, spur-winged lapwing plover,  Reed long-tailed cormorant,  cattle egrets,  etc.

It was over 100 in the church today and I guess my back side is not used to sitting on those hard benches with no backs etc..   

Our email is    drbland@sbcglobal.net   and   dfbland01@gmail.com    and our blogspot is    www.weareamissionarybland.blogspot.com    and of course link to  www.missionarydoctors.blogspot.com       Olen and Danae are much more gifted at writing.  

Our address is:    Hopital Adventiste de Bere, 52 Boite Postale, Kelo, Tchad,  Afrique.   

Love,     Rollin and Dolores