Dec 25, 2016

Merry Christmas to one and all.   Hope each has had plenty of good family time and great feasting.   
Today we had a laparotomy for a man that had been stabbed two times in back and flank so lunch maybe waited a little then we had a white elephant gift exchange which was interesting and fun.   Olen got Danae a donkey which she wanted.   I hope she likes it when it does its morning braying at 4 am.  The camel is at least quiet.  .   Also got a little hedge hog which is quite cute.   I hope it survives the dogs and cats and kids.  Two days ago we also had a man stabbed in flank which we examined under anesthesia and his wound just went through a lot of muscle but not enter the peritoneum.  The one today went just posterior to the colon and along the edge of kidney and did not penetrate any intestine or stomach or spleen.   Possibly could have injured the tail of pancreas not sure.   Both are doing ok so far.   

Have recently started another group in a farther out village Moundala that has a good group of adults and children that are attentive and interested in the Bible stories and studies.   Some of them can read and want a Bible so hoping to get a few for them by next week.   Pray for them that the interest will continue.   
Yesterday there was a campmeeting at Bendele and also a baptism for 43 at the river.   One was a Fulani man and also two of his nephews  He has been through a lot to become a Christian including being ostracized from his family.   It is difficult for a Moslem to become a Christian but some take that step anyway.  He is strong and energetic and will be a good worker for God.  
We need to be thankful for the freedoms that we still enjoy as many do not have them and even in America many are being lost.   Pray for our country and for those that want to become a follower of Jesus.  
Have a happy and prosperous New Year as we are one more year closer to Jesus soon coming.  

Our emails are  drbland42@gmail.com and dfbland01@gmail.com.

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

Dec 22

Dolores has been busy baking and cooking different things for this coming weekend to try to make a little Christmas cheer for all of us especially the grandkids.   We are not traveling anywhere (no where to go to)  as many of you will be doing.  
Danae and i have done 2 vessico-vaginal fisutula repairs this week.  We have had a few other minor surgeries and some usual things such as hernias and hydroceles.   I did a flap reconstruction covering for a penis  that appears to be doing ok.  He had lost almost all of the skin of his penis and most of scrotum from a severe necrotizing infection.  We also did a pinch skin graft to a leg that had been severely burned on an exhaust pipe of a motorcycle.  Overall it has been slow lately as far as surgery is concerned but probably will pick up in a week or two.  
We are all well..  The camel and dogs and cats are well also.  The grandkids of course are excited about Christmas gifts that they might get.   
Out here there is almost no commercialization of Christmas as there is back in the USA.  There is more to do about New Years than Christmas.   Many people know nothing about Jesus and the plan of salvation.  
Our other children and grandchildren are getting together today at Janelle's in Oklahoma City.   At least last year we were all together for our 50th wedding anniversary.

Our emails are  drbland42@gmail.com  and  dfbland01@gmail.com.  

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

Blog 12 Dec 2016

It is cooling down here so only in the 90'sF highs and in the 60'sF lows.   It is somewhat dusty but will be more later when the "harmattan" moves in from the desert up north.

  
Danae is doing ok today but had severe vomiting and diarrhea a few days ago requiring a lot of IV fluids. (see Olen's blog   www.missionarydoctors.blogspot.com)    Her vision is about same and with dark glasses does not bother her very much in bright light.  Vision ok in dim light.   I think they came up with "Acute zonal ocult outer retinopathy" as her diagnosis from all her super specialists etc at the Univ of Maryland which they really don't know what it is or cause or treatment or prognosis.   It has not gotten any worse so far.   Several of us have had the gastrointestinal upset with nausea or diarrhea probably a virus but nothing like Danae had.   Dolores had the malaria last week but is ok now except for a headache today.   The kids are all fine now.   
We have been enjoying the papayas from our trees in our yard almost more than we can eat but goes good in fruit salads and for the kids also.   The mangoes are blooming a lot now.  The guavas are past.   They are still bringing us fresh tomatoes to buy which are quite good.  
The hospital census has been variable mostly 60-80.   The surgeries have not increased as much as normal for this time of year although had 22 the first 3 days of last week.  Had a large 2 cm perforation of intestine from typhoid last week that we had to repair but he is doing ok now.   Also had two appendectomies which is unusual especially one that was not ruptured yet.   Most have already formed an abces.  We had a fistula repair bladder to uterus-cervix.   We have one man that had a severe infection of penis and scrotum losing skin of penis and part of scrotum.   I plan to do a reconstruction of his penis with a flap of skin from scrotum and another flap to cover that area.  
We have no student missionaries this year.   I guess they are afraid of possible danger from Boko Harem although we think that is very minimal.   It is probably more dangerous in some of the most dangerous cities in the USA such as St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield,Mo, Detroit, etc.

  
Our emails are drbland42@gmail.com and  dfbland01@gmail.com.   
Have a great Christmas and New Year!

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