Following is another update from Dr. Kristen from her first weeks

back in Guinea, West Africa, and photos of hospital =onstruction.

We will be forwarding additional updates; please let us know =f

you wish to be removed from the mailing list.

 

Lyn & Les Schmaltz

 

 -------- 

Greetings from my home in Kissidougou!! I'm writing =ycandlelight, two tranquil dogs ( Rascal and Rumpie)
are sleeping by my feet and we =ear normal sounds of children playing & people passing by my gate. Since =y
brief note to you from a crowded cybercafe where we wait on line to have 30 =inutes on a computer, I've
done shopping for my phone, other =erchandise & food in bustling Conakry, visited Dr Lamine at his Donka
hospital =ffice, spent great family time with friend Oumou and her family, had =leasant mealtimes and discussions
with my colleague Etienne Outarra and =etrieved my truck for voyaging to the interior of Guinea.

My  =ruck was essential transport to get to Mamou (and Kissidougou) where Oumou =nd I barely found our
CEH guesthouse at dusk in Mamou!! We drove all over a rocky hill with Oumou translating in Pular "where is
the white =erson's house?"!  Fortunately Etienne had good contact with us by =untional areeba cellphones
and his traveling companion , Bamba, suggests we =ut up a LARGE sign saying "Kristen's house - LARGE ARROW-
here"!! In the =ight of the next day finding the house was easier and we enjoyed a morning at =EH site (see photos)
before our depart for Kissidougou. The construction =team was happy to get their 2 week's salary and to show us
their =rogress. Discussion with Ishmael, chief of  construction, revealed all is =eady for Wayne Brunner's
electrical team!!  The clinic building is =ully walled with roofing started, guesthouse coming along plus all other
buildings awaiting electrical and water piping =nstallation before floors are placed.  All looks good to me!!  We
thank God =or faithful, productive workers at CEH -- what a team!     =ut I am not a builder so as I stood in one of the
consultation rooms, I =magined patients coming with a wonderful roofed terrace overhand protecting =hem from
the rains. I can see them in my mind ... sick or hungry =abies, women & men with various medical
problems and the clinic open and ready =o receive and give healing... Raymond, CEH builder, gave me =nfo
about the strike and marshall law and its impact . The Mamou citizens and =ilitary are fully supportive of CEH.
During the troubled times, military =heckpoints were rigidly enforced but CEH workers were let pass easily
by them =o go to work. Praise God!! Only 2 weeks of insecurity and lack of salary =ime was lost.  No damage
happened to any building. Thanks be to God for His protection of workers and the site.

Mason, Sadeo Diallo , =ho makes 250 bricks by hand/day described how he does his work and we photographed
each other. I told him if I were to make the =ricks they'd either fall apart or not be rectangle and
certainly number less than =0 /day!!  Mousssa Fofano who dug the electrical wire ditch =mpressed me with
his perseverence- the ditch is about a football field long 2 =t X 1 ft wide dug with pick ax out of rock!!
It took him 5 months!!!!! They =all this area "Bowal Wann" (arid, sunny place where not much grows). =
thought of Jesus saying on this rock he will build his church. On this rock =e build CEH and we are founded
on The Rock of Jesus Christ.  But ... can =e have a jack hammer to help here, Wayne?  Wow - what work!
After =urveying all the area Ibrahima Sory Diane, the CEH carpenter, aided me and =tienne who each
locked ourselves out of a room at our lodging places!! What wonderful, helpful workers God has provided here.

Oumou and I =ontinued in the afternoon to voyage to my home town of Kissidougou in my truck =ith nearly flat
tread tires our jack on hand for tires changes - =n uneventful trip!!  Arriving at dusk we found my home
much easier than GH in =amou!! Rascal and Rumpie ran out of the gate opened by guard Samba to greet =e with
joyous repetitive barks, tail wagging and moist dog kisses that I returned eagerly!! Aisha and Samba
greeted me warmly =n French African style. It is good to be home!!  Hospitality =bounds here with invitations
to rice and sauce dinners, salads in homes or =y open fires watching French translated Brazilian TV =eries
very popluar here. I congratulated Oumar and Irahima for the births of 1 =/2 month old baby Ibrahima and 5
month old Mariam, respectively, into their =amilies. I sent condolences to DH Kissidougou for the death of
his wife. We =rayed for accident victims in Gueckedou prefecture where 60+ died when a =ridge fell into the
river when and overloaded with 100 pound plus =ice sacs, produce and people voyaging on top all falling
and some crushed & =rowned in the river. I have traveled over that bridge in my community health =bush
medcial work in the past.

Samba told the story of a =ullet fired into the air coming through his roof to the floor into his =edroom!
Cisse told of military beating him with a rubber switch as he came to work =uring the marshall law, calling him
rebel stricker until he could show them =is identity and work card. I saw his bruises and marks from =his
beating. Ibrahima told me of his kids laying flat on the ground not even =rying to eat when gunfire continued
without cease in the siege time.  How =raciously God has provided, protected & cared for His Guinean =hildren!

I leave today with all my belongings, Aisha and Rascal & Rumpie for =amou. Guards Cisse and Samba come in
2 weeks when rent and guard time is =inished with any remaining belongings. I am eager to get started with =he
work even as i get resettled. I love my friends and =olleagues plus the work God has given me here.  I am so happy!!  I
thank you for =our prayers.  This has been a full ten days since my arrival to =uinea and I am thankful to God for
all He has shown me.


 

Love in Christ, Dr Kristen  (Kissidougou soon Mamou)

 

 


Dr. =risten with colleague, Etienne, and others in front of Hospital building under construction (3/07)


View of Hospital Clinic with roof being constructed (3/07)

 

Brick maker Sadeo Diallo who makes 250 bricks per day (3/07)

 

Worker Moussa Fofano digging trench for electrical wiring; a 5 =onth effort! (3/07)

 

Lunch lady at construction site; prepared meals for workers =3/07)

 

Dr. Kristen with Rascal and Rumpie at her Kissidougou home (3/07)



 

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