by Fenton Rees
Even though it has not rained here since sometime in May, the valley just below us still has moisture in the soil and there are people farming it every day.
All the work is by hand. The people farming might use tractors or plow animals in this country somewhere, but we haven’t seen any yet. Whole families are down there, turning the soil over with a large hoe and planting various crops. The fruit and vegetables that someone gets for us are surprisingly good--everything from potatoes, beans, and carrots to pineapple, bananas, and tree tomatoes (tamarillos to you New Zealanders).
The scene in the picture came to mind when Pat and I were listening to a Bible study podcast on The Book of Mark, Chapter 4, where for almost the entire chapter, Jesus talks about seeds and sowing and growth and reaping, etc.. For his audience, these were everyday items that they were very familiar with, compared to a lot of us where it is from a story told from the past at best. I wonder if we miss some of the import of those parables?
When Pat first arrived here, she was overwhelmed with the number of people in traction. Skeletal traction is a medical treatment used for broken bones. Most of the people in traction have broken femurs (big thigh bones), which, for people with good nutrition, is extremely difficult to break. Most of the breaks come from either falling off bicycles, (they ride like kamikazes without regard for their own safety), being hit by a car while walking along the road, or by mothers accidently dropping a baby off their back. But now, after 6 weeks, many are walking with crutches and getting their joints to work again.
Compared to back home, the success rate for surgery here is much lower--a combination of previous illness they had developed before coming in for surgery, malnutrition, some medical treatments not being available, and the nursing staff not being up to snuff (but better than they used to be). It can get to be a little disheartening at times.
Similarly on the electrical front, same sort of thing--wiring practices are horrible, many of the components are made in China and of the most shockingly poor quality. The electrical staff also appear to be guessing as to what to do sometimes. One has to admire the long term missionaries here (and in other difficult places). Long term missions is definitely not easy.
Some of the missionary staff have got “the stomach bug." Pray we can skip that adventure. Pat is however still recovering from the “Kibuye Krud”, still coughing and with a slightly squeaky voice.