Night sounds   19 April

     One does not appreciate the various sounds until you can hardly hear.  We have lots of night sounds but since I began my treatment (quinine) for malaria my hearing ability is markedly decreased the past day or so and I have severe tinnitus.  

     One listens to the cicadas and frogs at night back home and maybe a cricket or a mouse stirring (hopefully not in the house but they are sometimes).  Of course at home there are sounds of motorized vehicles and sirens and perhaps a cow mooing for her calf or because they are hungry.  Perhaps one hears the sound of a door opening and closing or the hinge that needs oiled.  Sometimes one hears the neighbor’s loud sound system or tv.  Hopefully some will hear the sounds of music and the word of God some evenings.  Probably one hears the sounds of airplanes flying over during the night.  Perhaps you hear that good sound of your loved one breathing close to you or their voice.

     Here we hear the chirping of the fruit bats during the night and the dogs barking just outside our window.  The administrator lives in a house very close to our apartment.  He has goats that cry at night and chickens and guineas that make noises at night especially about daylight.  There is a rooster that crows loudly outside our window each day about break of daylight.  One also hears the donkey braying during the night.  The sheep and goats outside the wall around the compound make noises at night also.  Occasionally there is a moto (motorcycle) that runs down the nearby street.  Sometimes there is a phone ringing from Olen or someone else needing a surgery or ob at the hospital.  Perhaps there is the knock on the door that someone is needing help.  At the hospital at night there are sounds of newborn babies but also occasionally sounds of mourning for another person that died.

     About 5:00 a.m. I hear the pounding next door of the large pestal grinding the peanuts or rice.  Also about the same time I often hear the sound of sweeping with their brush broom the leaves etc that might fall from the trees.  There is no lawn, just smooth dirt.  One does not hear the sirens of ambulances because they don’t exist in Bere.  Occasionally someone is brought from another town in an “ambulance” to our hospital but no sirens as they would only confuse people and slow them down and besides the roads are so rough that one can not go very fast anyway.  One does not hear the sound of vehicles racing as that would be too expensive and there are very few except motos and they are used as transportation and taxis.  One does not hear the sounds of airplanes flying over here.

     There were the night sounds of Zane, esp for Olen, but Zane will be returning next week all healthy and apparently all the tests were negative so we are thankful for all the night prayers that were for Zane. 

     I have been told that some do not like hearing about surgeries so nothing this time except that we have Dr. Greg Saunders (board surgeon from Oregon that also has spent 10 yrs in Nigeria) here this week and next and he speaks a little French as he previously spent one year in Haiti.  

     Local Chadians should be great philosophers as they have a long dry season after the crops are harvested and also most do not have lights at night so they should have time to do lots of contemplation.  So far I haven't heard much philosophy but then I don’t seem to be learning French or Arabic very fast either.  

     We have had the sound of rain on the roof two times in the past week.  It has cooled down somewhat so one does not sweat so much at night.

     So one should be thankful for all the night sounds and not just ringing of the ears.  Tell your loved ones that you appreciate them and of course continue the prayers for all and that Jesus will come soon.

Love to all,

Rollin and Dolores