My Babies are Turning African!!

Pictures do not do justice!

Ok, so I'm a little glad that we are heading out soon...I am afraid that if we stay any longer that my children would use all the water supply in trying to stay clean!  Seriously, this dirt is unbelievable.  It is so hard to get off, it like stains the skin and rumor has it that it is worse in the dry season.  YIKES! 

Let's see...
Sunday Church, you saw our very nice family tailored dresses and shirts.  It was fun to wear local attire!  The best service and singing yet since we've been here.  I wish I could just bottle up the passion and praise that these people have for our Lord!



Able, Godlove, me, and sweet Hannah



Grace and her friend Becky

After church the kids got invited to the Palmer's house for a hot dog roast, french fries, mac & cheese, and roasted marshmallows.  It looked like they had a great fun time with the other missionary kids.  I even heard that the hot dogs were really good despite the fact that they came out of a can!

Dr. Palmer roasting canned hot dogs

Watermelon seed spitting contest!

While the kids were away  having fun, daddy and I spent the afternoon washing up laundry and dirty dirty dirty dirty shoe in preparation for packing is week.  All in all a good Sunday!

Today the kids and I took the blankets to the nursery that were made and donated by "Project Linus" in Joplin.  The midwives were very excited to have them and wanted us to make sure love and thanks were sent to the women who made them.

Notice the cute little pink bundle in the middle!  If the mommas wouldn't notice I'd think about stickin' one of those in my suitcase!!

The kids then went to play with some friends and I headed to the dental clinic for a farewell and well wishes.  Today watched them prep a patient and take impressions for partial dentures (they make them in their two room office, it takes three to five hours to make a partial).  More extractions, an exam for severe swollen lymph nodes (referred to ENT, prob not a good diagnosis), and made a SHORT list of must need items to make their lives and patient care better. 

Patient ed material

Uncle Jess taking impressions for partial dentures

Merriam is the "Dental Technician".  She is head of the clinic.  Her two year training allows her full Dentist skills at Mbingo clinic.  She daily does extractions, fillings, cleanings, root canals, makes partial dentures, dispenses prescriptions, whatever needs to be done.  Only limit, she can only practice at Mbingo for CBC.

After lunch Grace worked on a little video project on malaria in the children's ward for VBS. We are really excited about it, but realized that it did not record very well, :( .  While she was doing that, I did my thing and handed out love and goodies again (my new favorite thing to do!)!  Today several of the kids really got into the bubbles and were enjoying them a lot!

This is Favor.  She has been in hospital since we have been here.  She has a severe skin rash that they cannot identify and do not know how to treat.

This little man mastered the bubbles!



Dr. Snyder and Grace on children's ward

 Mom found the answer to a little mystery she's been trying to solve.  The other day there were a group of women who early in the morning went marching past our house on the road chanting and banging large sticks on the ground.  Asked several people why?  No one knew, till today.  Story goes, that the women (who are crop farmers) had a herd of cows in their field and the cows had eaten their crop.  The law is very lax here but apparently are more motivate to act if a mob of angry women show up on their doorstep with fist full of grass and pounding sticks.  The women had marched from "a long way away" in order to summon the police to come and rectify the problem of the cattle eating their crop. Not sure how it turned out, but made for some interesting conversation as we speculated what they were up to!  Tami just wondering, how fast do you think your dad would move if this scene showed up at his office? 

I have to throw in here today for my friend Liz, I've been thinking about you and your family lately.  Why you may ask?  Well...because, we have been having spaghetti omelets!  Yes, you heard right,  spaghetti omelets.  It is on the menus quite regularly here and every time we have it or I see it I think of the Erickson!  Love you guys!

What else, Brian says to tell you busy busy day.  No spine, but lots of trauma.  His second scoliosis case that he did last week is doing very well.  The first one went home!  Praise God and Alleluias!

Ended our evening with a good bye party for one of the missionary families that are moving to Ghana.  They leave tomorrow.  Super nice people with great kids.  Joe, at the party got attacked by the biting ants though and we had to leave rather hastily.  This is our third encounter with the ants since we've been here.  They are nasty and their bites hurt!  So Joe was showered down (they were in his clothes) and all kids went to bed. 

I think it's my turn too.  Praying tonight for sunshine tomorrow so that my clothes will dry before we have to pack it!  It will be a bit sad for me to leave here.  I rather like it.  But it is time to move on. 

-Good night friends, al