Heard from Jeff a few times this week but haven't had time to post with two sons playing baseball in two different states and making 350 cupcakes for a wedding today!  I'm trying to squeeze in a quick post before frosting this morning!  Here is a piece of an email I just received this am...

"Rounded this am on many patients. A little two yr old died last pm from malaria despite getting a blood transfusion and two days of treatment. Very sad... Can't wait to tell you the story of how our paraplegic pt disappeared in the middle of the night and then came back three days later... so many stories...
 
Went to town with Moses (say MO-ees) this am to help with shopping for food and clothes for those who lost their homes. He told me to hide behind the back of the shops while he bargained for items because if they saw the white man, they would raise the prices. Once he had finished bartering, he would call me and I would help him pack the stuff back to the truck. He bought me a cold Coke for my work, and we had a good time laughing our way thru the market. I even got to carry two live chickens thru the market back to the truck. Fortunately, my chickens didn't poop on me like they did on Moses!
 
Just going to relax this afternoon, read a little, study more French, etc."

Here's a bit from one a couple of days ago...

"We have clinic today--have begun to really enjoy clinic because of the wacky variety of things we see. Used to scare me to death... Jean (surgeon) and Jairus (nurse anesthetist) have begun to take Friday afternoons off for administrative duties, so if we get done by noon, we all plan to head for town and hang out for awhile. Hoping to schedule a few cases for next week to continue to keep the hospital full.
 
Had dinner with Jon and Anja and Moses and Noe last pm. I was honored to sit in on a naming ceremony for a two week old boy. The family named him after Jon(the eighth kid in NZao named after him!). Can't wait to describe that event to you and the boys...
 
Rumors of more fighting to occur after Ramadan is over. Fortunately it ends on the eighth, and I will already be in Liberia. Am already praying for my friends here at the clinic and NZao, that it will remain a haven of peace and for the Christians in NZerekore that God will shield them from harm. "

That about describes the last week, at least all the details I got!  I copied almost the whole emails!  I just left out the baseball wishes, the "love you's" and the like!  Thanks for praying for him!

I know he'd love for you to pray for our friend Ryan LeBreton as well.  He shattered his wrist 2 weeks ago, had 2 emergency surgeries and then another more reconstructive surgery just yesterday.  It went well we hear.  Jeff wishes he were here to give you a kiss Ryan!!

Jeff is due home in one week.  Pray the fighting holds off until he is on his way home!
Jen for Jeff

We were able to talk with Jeff Saturday afternoon for a bit and again today.  I did not post Saturday since I was running a little trying to get ready to leave for Kel's regional tournament in Centralia, WA.  Plus, not much new news to post.  He is safe and doing well.  On Saturday they were able to go into N'Zerekore (bigger city where the uprising took place) to visit some of the places/churches that were burned down and also some families who had lost loved ones.  Jeff said it was extremely sobering but did not pass much more information on besides that.  Evidently, the government over there is very controlling of the media and what it can/can't share.  The uprising was much worse than we were led to believe and many more (100 reported, probably more like several hundred at least) people were killed than was reported.  What had begun as a tribal war over stolen property turned into a religious fight which is why the churches (Christians) were targeted (Guinea is a strongly Muslim culture).  One man he, Con, and Kel had met last year during their trip lost 8 family members in this rioting.  He took as many pictures as he could and said he'd have to describe what he saw and stories he heard after he gets home.  On Sunday, they enjoyed church together in the local village and had some time to visit with the local doctors and get some rest.

He said it is definitely busier than usual during this time of Ramadan (Muslim holiday).  So he is grateful for that.  However, he said it is still quiet enough that he is having more time to build relationships with people, which of course is easier since he has been back several times.  He appreciates your prayers and your interest in how God is working over there.  Please, continue to pray for him...for wisdom and direction medically and the time and opportunity to share Christ with whomever he can.  Pray for us here as well as we battle busyness of baseball, getting Connor ready to leave for college (he is quite ready :) maybe me not so much!), brotherly love shown in the form of fighting and arguing, and making a bunch of cupcakes for a wedding this upcoming weekend!  NEVER a dull moment here, nor there in Africa.  Although the places we are in and the experiences we are having are totally different, we are all still serving God wherever we are (you too!).  Let's support each other in prayer and encouragement whenever and wherever we can!  I love and appreciate you ALL and look forward to being able to hear more from Jeff when he returns!

Thursday, July 25

We were all able to talk to Jeff today, all the boys "happened" to be at home when he called.  Something to be thankful for!  It's the first time we were all able to talk to him during the same phone call!  He is still doing well and is keeping very busy.  The Alaimos starting traveling home today and he did get verification that they made it safely from the drive to Monrovia.  

He says the hospital is full except for one bed (20 is capacity) and that's only happened one other time when he was there, so he is excited to see so many people able to come by for medical care.  He actually did a surgery he knows how to do yesterday, an emergency appy!  Most of surgeries he is doing, however, are of the orthopaedic or neurologic variety! The riots are all but quieted down, the military has everything "under control" and is allowing limited traveling in and out of the bigger city which allows more people to come to the clinic again.

Ryan, too bad you didn't have your accident while he was stateside, I'm sure he'd have been able to whip something together to fix you up!

Sorry, still not too many stories to tell, hopefully he'll feel up to writing a few, or cutting and pasting some of his surgical journaling for you guys after he gets home.  Thanks for all your concern and prayers!  I know he appreciates them ALL!

Jen for Jeff

Guinea 2013

This is Jen, reporting a little for Jeff.  He is in Guinea again!  He arrived last Saturday, July 13.  He is travelling this time with Dr. Bob Alaimo and his daughter, Lizzy.  They arrived safely via a new route.  They landed in Monrovia, Liberia and crossed the border into Guinea for a shorter drive to Hope Clinic in N'Zao. All went smoothly for their trip and boarder crossing.  The do not have much internet service to speak of this trip so that's why I am posting a little update.  Even I will not have the details he normally shares because our communication is very limited.

Dr. Alaimo is seeing patients in the medical clinic and Lizzy (she is a college graduate awaiting medical school) is "trying her hand" at surgery in the OR with Jeff.  Dr. Alaimo and Lizzy are there for two weeks, so they will be starting their journey home before too long.  Jeff is there for a month and returns on Aug. 10.

Guinea started experiencing some tribal wars and rioting after their arrival in the country (not a result of their arrival of course!).  N'Zerekore is the closest major city, about 20 kilometers outside of their village of N'Zao.  There has been a good bit of rioting there this past week but things are calming down this weekend after of arrival of the national military.  They shut down the roads going in and out of the big city, which cut down on the patient numbers normally coming to the clinic in the small town of N'Zao, and also kept anyone from going into N'Zerekore to get food or supplies.  However, God has kept them safe and cared for.  They have seen a few patients injured in the riots, including a pastor whose car and church were burned down. The pastor was shot in the leg, sent to the hospital for a splint and sent home.  He was able to get to the clinic where they were able to pin it with an external fixator (another first for Jeff!) to set it.  He is still experiencing God's peace, provision, and protection.

Thanks for all your prayers and concerns.  I will try to post as I get information to post!  Pray for Jeff, Bob, and Lizzy,  for their protection, their ability to help others, and their own personal experiences!  The boys and I are doing great and keeping very busy with baseball, work, camp and the usual busyness we experience here.  We are trusting God with "Dad" and are grateful he has the opportunity to go and serve!