May 26, 2016

Rainy season has really begun as it rained 0.8 inches (20 mm) last night and 0.7 inches (17 mm) the evening before. Everyone is happy for the rain and will be busy planting their crops. I saw a few planting a few days ago hoping for the rain. Actually it is beginning to green up a little in the yard already from the previous tiny showers. It was down to 77 F (about 24 C) last night which almost felt cold. 

 
Danae, Olen and family left here early am of 22 May for NDJ so they can get visas renewed and attend an AHI (Adventist Health International) board meeting then leaving NDJ early this am on Air Moroc for France and their Mediterranean cruise, then on home to USA on their annual leave. They are to return here July1. Addison has been very ill with severe diarrhea even some bloody stools but she is better now. 

 
Dolores has a "cold" now probably from Danae and kids before they left. I had severe diarrhea and vomiting one night and day but am ok now. The previous vertigo problem has cleared. Have been busy in the hospital this week with about 50+ inpatient to round on and 3 surgeries each day and consults to do. It should get less busy now that we have had some good rain. 

 
We had been getting our visas renewed each year for a year at no cost but they have changed that now. They will only give visas for 3 months now no cost. If for one year you have to pay about $60 each to get it or you can present documents to show you are needed in Chad such as medical school diploma, medical license, and curriculum vita, etc. We have not done the one year since they changed the rules. Maybe they need more money and think there are too many coming that are not essential. 

 
Our emails are drbland@sbcglobal.net and dfbland01@gmail.com.
Love, Rollin and Dolores Bland

Hopital Adventiste de Bere
Boite Postal 52
Kelo, Tandjile, Chad, Afrique
Blog www.weareamissionarybland.blogspot.com

May 10, 2016

We have had some more rain with 0.4 inches one time and 0.3 inches another time. It has soaked the ground down enough so they can begin working the ground for their crops. The humidity stays high most of the time now. Dolores has quit drying mangoes as humidity too high. 

I went with Olen and Danae yesterday to an Arab village way out in the bush about 30-45 minutes away. Actually the trail out there was smoother than the main road. They keep their village neat and clean and inside some of the mudwall houses with thatch roofs was very decorated and nice looking 4 poster beds. It reminded me somewhat of the gehrs of Mongolia. They are of course Moslem but very friendly and and enjoyed having me take photos of them and their houses etc. Olen took Ndilbe with us as he knows Arabic and they talked a lot about the Koran etc. If Christians spent as much time with their Bibles as they do the Koran and prayed as often to God as they do maybe the world would be a different place. But they don't know Jesus as their Saviour. Most of their prayers are ritualistic rather than talking to God as a friend but some Christians are that way also. 

We did a thyroidectomy last week on an Arab lady that was hyperthyroid and large thyroid. Her pulse was 170 but post op was 90. She did well talking and eating normally. Thyroidectomies always scare me even though all of them have done well. Yesterday we did a large left side neck mass that resembled a unilateral thyroid mass somewhat but as we dissected it out, it was a very hard almost like cartilage mass that was right on the carotid artery. It was about 10 cm diameter. Don't know what kind of mass it was. Fortunately it dissected out and off the carotid fairly readily. 

Our new maternity is finally open. The first baby was birthed there yesterday. We have more beds available now but the overall census is down now as rainy season is approaching and everyone that is able wants to get busy with farming. 

Dolores has been busy sewing new drapes for partitions or privacy for the maternity.
Olen, Danae, and kids will be on leave the last of May and will return here last of June. They are taking a week long cruise on the Mediterranean on the way. We are taking our leave Aug and Sept with Aug 1 to Sept 13 driving around Europe in a small rental RV and arrive OKC, USA evening of Sept 13 and leave Oct 4 to return to Chad. Perhaps we will return to the USA more or less permanently about May 2017 but don't know yet. 

Our emails are drbland@sbcglobal.net and dfbland01@gmail.com
Love, Rollin and Dolores

Rollin and Dolores Bland
Hopital Adventiste de Bere
Boite Postal 52
Kelo, Tandjile, Chad, Afrique