Arrive

We have arrived in Bere. The rainy season is about over and the roads are drying up although we did have one water hole in the road that the water went over the hood of the pickup. 

It is 95 today. It probably got down to 90 last night in NDJamena. We left Jay Monday afternoon and drove to OKC and stayed at Janelle's place; then Bob Schaefer took us to the airport in OKC Tues. We arrived in WDC 9:00 pm stayed in Holiday Inn and left Wed on Ethiopian Airlines arriving in NDJamena via Addis Ababa Thur noon. We stayed overnight in NDJ after changing some money to cfa (francs) and doing some shopping.  We took the bus today Friday Oct 7 to Kelo where Olen met us, and brought us to Bere.   

The trip was unremarkable other than TSA (probably the one in WDC) went through at least two of our suitcases spilling nuts out of a double bagged sack etc all through the clothes and did'nt close the duffle bag properly. Not sure if much is missing but seems like most things are present. Of course we had to pay for extra baggage (two each allowed for international) $200 each for two plus $200 for the extra 16 lbs that one was overweight. 

We are in good health and Olen and Danae and kids are ok now also.  All government employees except the military are on strike so schools and hospitals etc are closed except non-government ones. The strike is because the government has not paid them and says there is not enough money. Don't know how long that will last. Could get interesting.  

They say the rains were late coming so the rice crop is spotty. Some fields look ok and some not. 

They say the problems with the "prefet" are being resolved. He has irritated enough people including his superiors so maybe they will get rid of him or transfer him somewhere else. 

Please note that my email has changed to: drbland42@gmail.com  
Thanks for your prayers
Rollin and Dolores Bland
Hôpital Adventiste de Bere
52 Boîte Postale
Kelo, Chad, Africa