Jacques Lapointe

After nine days of travelling thousands of miles, crossing multiple time zones, driving hours every day to get to and from our clinic destinations, helping thousands of patients in 40C+ heat … it was finally time for a well-deserved and welcomed rest for the entire team.

Sunday started with a very African style church service. Because of our large numbers and many who had joined us from nearby villages we had church under the big kapok tree in the Carpenter NEA compound. Some of the canopies that had been used at the clinics were deployed to help keep some of the attendees out of the blistering hot sun. Our three hour service featured dancing, singing, testimonies, and preaching, with almost everything translated as we went along. It is almost impossible to describe the joy and energy of our Ghanaian Christian brothers and sisters at these services. Our Canada/UK choir sang several hymns that were much appreciated. David Mensah preached a message from the book of Ruth that was so relevant to all those attending.

Sunday evening everyone was invited to the Mensah residence for a few hours of informal relaxation and socializing. Dr. Balaji, one of our dentists, is also a very accomplished musician and we all had the pleasure of being entertained with a few Beatles era songs. David and Brenda Mensah shared some amazing insights about their early days together with their family in Ghana as well as God’s provision and direction at critical times during the past twenty five years.

Monday, after breakfast, the team was off to a picnic by a spectacular waterfall near Kintampo. It was a great opportunity to take in some beautiful nature scenery and a few took the opportunity to jump into the surprisingly cold water for a refreshing dip.

After this trip and back at the compound it was time to start setting up for the three days of clinic right at the compound that starts first thing tomorrow morning. As we went up to the dining room for dinner we couldn’t help noticing about 30 people sitting in the nearby gazebo. They had apparently organized a bus from near Tamale which is over three and half hours away, to be first in line to attend our clinic in the morning. The fame of the Health Teams that have come year after year is spreading far beyond the immediate area where clinics are held and people travel for hours to be seen by the team doctors.

The vast majority of team members continue to be well with a few each day that have to stay behind to recover from the now familiar ailments, but they are usually back in action within 24 hours.

All would like to send their “greetings” (a very Ghanaian term) to friends and family back home as we prepare for Week Two.

The Team arrived in Carpenter around 4:00 this afternoon, together with ALL of the luggage that had followed them from various originating points in Canada and Europe. The bus trip to the north from Accra was reportedly smooth and uneventful and quite a bit shorter than in previous years. Improved roads around Accra made it “just” a nine hour journey instead of the 10 to 12 hours that they had previously experienced and expected.

After a wonderful Ghanaian style greeting from part of the Ghanaian team, the 200+ pieces of luggage were unloaded and sorted and there was actually a bit of time before dinner for some to take a quick shower.

This evening all hands were on deck for a few hours to help with the unpacking and organizing and for team meetings. All is quiet again now with a much needed catching up on sleep the main thing on the agenda.

We are so thankful to the Lord for safety, health and well-being for every member of the team and for arrival at destination of all the supplies that were so carefully planned and prepared.

Tomorrow, when the Ghanaian team joins us, and patients start streaming though, the real work begins.

Keep us in your prayers.

Yesterday was our last clinic, and what a day it turned out to be. As I was walking back to the compound from the eye clinic I crossed path with a few coworkers from pharmacy and nursing who also had just wrapped up their day and were heading to the showers before dinner. I knew that they had to be as tired as I was, but I noticed that we all had a fresh bounce to our steps, knowing that the job was done and that we had all done the best we could.

An estimated 1200 people had come to the clinic this day and those that had needed treatment had received it. Although we had run out of certain drugs and diagnostic supplies earlier in the day alternatives were found and in some cases we saw miracles happen.

I’ll tell you a quick story of a very sick little girl who was brought to the clinic by her very desperate mother in the afternoon. Malaria and anemia were some of the ailments affecting her and our team of doctors agreed that she did not have much of a chance to survive. An immediate blood transfusion would possibly improve her chances so she, along with her mother and Ernestina, a nurse practitioner who has been working with us, were sent to the Wenchi hospital which is about an hour away. The team saves some of the funds donated each year for just such purposes. Later in the evening we received the amazing report that by the time they arrived at the hospital new life was being breathed onto her little body. Her hands and feet had returned to a healthy pink colour. Within a short time she was sitting and eating and no longer in need of a blood transfusion. I believe in miracles because sometimes that is the only explanation that fits

As far as the team’s health is concerned a few people have caught a bug that has been going around and all but one were back at their post within a day. Joan, one of our veteran nurses, had been down for several days with something that hit her more severely. Despite the best possible care she had to be moved onto an air conditioned room. Arrangements for a medical evacuation were initiated and a group of local pastors began praying for her. This morning Joan was up early, feeling much better and attended devotions where we were all able to praise the Lord for her recovery.

After dinner last night the Mensahs hosted an “open house” at their home. Everyone’s attention was on Dr David who, on unanimous request, recounted some of his stories from his early years in this area.

Today is our packing day. Clinic facilities must be dismantled and our remaining supplies must be sorted and packed for the trip back home or to be put in storage at the compound. It’s a long process and this, too, must be done well to help prepare for subsequent trips. Tonight all the teams, including the Ghanaians, the British, and the Canadians will get together for one final time of celebration and after a few hours of sleep it’s on the bus for the beginning of the long trip home.

We’ll see you soon.

Our 6:00am breakfast call had everyone up early this morning for the long trip to Yaara. The short cut was washed out again this year so we set out on the longer “good road” (inside joke).

Along the way we made a courtesy stop in Old Longoro to visit and greet young Chief Solomon from Carpenter. He was in the village convalescing from injuries suffered in a car accident a few weeks earlier. While in the small village Dr. David (Mensah) explained that this village was very special for the Mo tribe. It is the traditional burial site for the tribe’s chiefs and elders. In fact, the houses in the villages were the location where generations of chiefs from each division of the tribe were buried. Had we not stopped here could never have guessed the significance of this very unassuming village close to our destination.

As we approached Yaara we could hear the drums beating in the area where the Chief Joseph and his elders had assembled. Before proceeding to the formal greeting, a number of our team, led by Dr. David himself, joined some of the village women in a bit of traditional dancing. The gifts of food presented by the town to the team were truly overwhelming.

All the clinics were very busy as expected but what stood out to several doctors and nurses, including some first-timers, was that the general state of health in the village was noticeably better than what had earlier been seen In Nyamboi. Dr David explained that this was most probably due to a number of initiatives in agriculture and nutrition that had been undertaken by NEA over the passed several years. Dr Sean, one of our pediatricians had even noted that the children’s skin felt healthier. We did not stay overnight in Yaara this year because of several logistical issues so we had to leave for Carpenter early enough to make most of the trip back in daylight.

During dinner this evening we were able to catch up with the day’s hernia team activities. Dr Magdi was glowing in his comments about how smoothly that their day had gone, and how on this trip with three operating rooms available they were smashing Operation hernia productivity records. He was especially complementary of how well the team, including the Ghanaian translators and assistants were working together. The difficult medical issues that they had encountered had also been ably addressed by the medical clinic group. Nurse Teresa’s Canadian blog fans should be aware that she has joined the Hernia Team for this year’s trip.

Well, we’re off to another early start in the morning so it’s time to sign off for today

Jacques

We are on our way to the Accra airport as I write this last update. A little after 5:30 am all the vehicles were loaded and our caravan was waving goodbye to David and Brenda and others that had become friends and who got up early to see us off.

Yesterday was a somewhat more relaxed day for everyone except for the surgical team who decided to put in an extra day of surgery to complete the patients who had been scheduled for this week. The rest of the team pitched in to complete necessary paperwork and to sort through and pack up leftover supplies and medication, much of which will be left behind for distribution to village clinics.

Last night was PARTY TIME when all the teams, the Ghanaians, the British and the Canadians, came together for a great feast enjoyed together outside under the stars. It was a great time of fellowship as stories about our two weeks together were being retold with added colour and drama. After gift presentations and a few words of acknowledgment a group of Ewe dancers and drummers came to liven things up with plenty of audience participation for the rest of the evening.

As we continue our trip to Accra I can’t help but think about the impact of this year’s and previous years’ medical missions. For each person who was helped it made a big difference. But beyond that, the team leaders who have been here for several trips have commented that the level of health in the villages had improved overall and I find that very encouraging.

So, as I sign off I can only say “Well done team” and to all friends and family back home we will see you soon with more stories about a great experience.

Tuesday started very early for a few of our team members. Around 2:00 a.m a patient who had a tooth extracted the previous day showed up at the NEA compound concerned that the bleeding had not completely stopped. In now typical caring fashion members of the dental team and several others got up to help and got the problem resolved. It was around 3:30 however by the time everyone involved got back to bed but the roosters would have nothing of it and started crowing especially early this morning. Regardless, everyone was ready to start work early despite their short night.

This morning our traveling medical clinic was due to set up at a school within walking distance from the NEA compound for its last two days. The two big trucks carrying all the team supplies and set up equipment were loaded when word came back from the team leaders that due to several unforeseen issues plans had to be changed and that the best available option was to hold this usually very large clinic within the gates of the NEA compound itself. Within two hours the setup was complete and patients were being seen.

Even the large grain warehouse was conscripted into special service for the occasion. After a bit of rearranging and sweeping, the eye team, always looking for darkened spaces to do their work moved in and eagerly shared their new home with hundreds of jute bags filled with peanuts.

As you can perceive we never know what each new day will bring. It mentions in the bible that man makes plans but each step is ordained by the Lord. Today was just one more example of that. Despite the change in plans we had another very successful day of helping many people in all areas. A number of people had to be told to return in the morning as the end of the day approached. No doubt tomorrow will be another big day

At dinner this evening there was talk of people mustering the second, and in some cases their third wind for tomorrow, our last day of clinic. Everyone is healthy and keen to finish well what they came to Ghana to do.