Bere 5/2025 #1
I’m back in west Africa. God and missionaries keep calling me back. I came with my nephew Zach a nurse who is aiming for med school. Audrey couldn’t come this time because she had a recent knee replacement and is still recovering from that. Not yet the time to run through airports to try and catch the next plane. Also our dog, Tucker, is getting old and hobbling around and takes more care. I have had a quite busy last month with Audreys surgery and a variety of things going on that I didn’t end up packing till the day before and day of my travel. I signed out in the morning to my surgical partner and continued packing then left that evening for Portland to fly out that night. All the flights were on time and I made all of them arriving in Ndjamena mid day. I stayed the night to meet Zach who came in on a flight later that evening. We got the required police stamp with our taxi driver helping us. We have used the same taxi guy since coming here at least 13 years ago. He’s very dependable, drives a 1993 very beat up Corolla, and crams all our luggage under his hatchback that he has to tie down using the wiper blade as the attachment point up top. I always find this humorous but it works. We got on the bus to Kelo about 10:30 in the morning.
Throughout the bus ride of 8 hours we watched the outside scenery go by and also watch the TV screen up front what showed African comedy, some Saudi music sung by very stoic women, and movies they showed like Delta Force. (Basically Americans killing muslims) Still makes me feel a bit awkward as I don’t want to be associated with that. I’m pretty sure Jesus came to save muslims too, and Buddhists, and Jews, agnostics, atheists, and you and me… I.e. everyone!! About 6 hours into the bus ride we stopped at the Bongor bus station. Walked around about 15 minutes and looked at all the things the local vendors were selling. To many things to mention, but ill list some: grilled chicken or beef, dates, apples, oranges, carrots, fried crickets, crackers, cookies, sodas, sandwiches, lettuce, onions, gum, sunglasses, belts, bananas, on and on…. The bus started honking it’s horn and we all got back on. Traveled the last two hours then arrived in Kelo. We pull off in Kelo and at the little bus station I point out the bags associated with Zach and I and also Dr. Eddie who’s bags hadn’t come a few days ago. Then the taxi Moto guy finds me and we take all the bags to his motorcycle. He negotiates the trip with two other motos and they load all our luggage onto two and Zach and I with the moto driver I knew. It’s a two hour moto ride to get to Bere. About 40 minutes into the ride we realized one moto wasn’t with us. So we stopped and waited, and waited. Some passing motos said that he was back there fixing a flat. Then others said he was going, then others say fixing a flat. After about an hour of waiting our moto driver decided to go back and see what’s happening. Apparently the roadside mechanic packed the tube. He drove a short distance and a flat again. Second time same thing happened. The third time the mechanic removed the metal out of the tire when fixing the tube 
then, surprise, it didn’t go flat again. We made it to Bere about 8:30PM. So traveling from my house Tuesday afternoon I arrive in Bere Friday night. Long trip. I ate supper at a missionaries house and we talked a while and I finally got to bed about 1AM. I awoke at 5AM- jet lag…
Today was sabbath, the day I go to church (as Jesus did). I wanted to go to the “mango tree church” I like it because it’s under a mango tree and has lots of kids. Well they have a new church building, so it wasn’t quite the same. I got in the back of the truck with Zach and many others. Held on to the roll bar and it took about 30 minutes to get there. As we weave through the village we hear little groups of young children yelling “nasara” (white person) and waving. I wave back. Near our destination some run after us and jump on the back bumper to ride the last little bit to the church. It’s a game to see if they can catch up and jump on- at least it appears like a game to them.
I joined the kids sabbath school singing songs under the mango tree and the adults were in the church. We sang songs like, Father Abraham, God made the animals, and many more, most of which I knew. After a talk about Jesus growing up and him being left accidentally in the temple by his parents. We joined the adults for church. I translated from French to English for Zach. Church today was about Abraham and him being a man of faith in God. And how he had lapses of faith when he went to Egypt calling his wife Sarah his sister and later on doing the same thing with the Philistines. And how God made Sarah have a child even though she was in her 90’s. And how God blessed Abraham when he chose to follow God even when God asked him to sacrifice the promised child Isaac. Then God keeping him from doing that. Summarized Genesis chapters ?8-15. Was a thoughtful sermon. This afternoon we had the potluck with all the missionaries and later spend some time at the river. Had a great first day. Tomorrow I plan on rounding with a surgeon and learning the patients, then likely start taking surgical and OB call. Pray that I will do what each patient I see needs, and that God will show me what that is!