When perfection comes, the imperfect disappears...

OMS-II? Yep, that's me. I'm a second year osteopathic medical student and soon to be third year! In a sense, the time has FLOWN by...although, when I have piles of papers in front of me to study, it can't seem to go quick enough.

It clearly has been a long time since I've blogged. What can I say? Medical school is just not conducive to blogging. In a nutshell, in April 2012, I was elected Student Government Association president at my school. I prayed so much about the decision to run in elections and felt at peace about moving forward. This role has thrown me into the politics of academia and medicine on both the local and national level. It has been interesting for sure. This role has definitely challenged me and allowed me to hone my leadership schools. I very much appreciate the opportunity that I've had to serve my student body and represent them to the administration. Sometimes it makes life a little crazy, but it always works out. I can't believe it has almost been a whole year. In just a few weeks, I'll be finishing my term and I'll spend a month training my replacement!

Other than that, I've been chugging along through my second year of medical school by the grace of God. This is my last real block of med school. The next block (Block VIII) begins April 1st and is our board review block. I'll be taking both the osteopathic and allopathic step 1/level 1 board exams this summer. Pretty exciting, but also a little nerve-wrecking. Since boards are quickly approaching, I've begun a hardcore board study plan with a good friend of mine. Since we're both in school leadership positions, we've found a way to tailor our board study plan around our current classes and leadership/political responsibilities.

In a few months maximum, I'll receive my rotation assignment. As of the end of July, I'll be somewhere in South Carolina or North Carolina doing my third year rotations at a local hospital. I'm really excited to get out of the classroom and into the clinical setting.

God continues to grow in me a passion for medical missions...I've had the opportunity to visit with many of my missionary friends from both Africa and India this year and it has been amazing. It is always such a treat to catch up with them and hear what God is doing in their lives. In November, I had the opportunity to attend the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, KY. Man! What a privilege to meet medical missionaries from all over the world. It was amazing to hear their experiences and to be poured into by such godly, annointed individuals. I had the opportunity to attend seminars on everything from financial planning to sex trafficking to surgery.

In the last months, I've become interested in facial reconstruction surgery. God has recently opened up doors for me to explore this new passion and I'm excited to see what I'll learn. Fortunately, the path to facial reconstruction is first a general surgery residency and then a plastics fellowship. I still very much love general surgery and have seen firsthand how practical it can be on the mission field, so we will see where God takes this new passion...

That's what's going on in a nutshell. As I said, God is continuing to grow my passion for medical missions and through that he continues to teach me about himself and stretch me in ways I didn't think were possible...I recently read a passage in 1 Corinthians yesterday that can't seem to leave my mind..."But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears" (1 Cor. 13:9)...There is something absolutely beautiful about the seven words that verse holds. Such a good reminder of how faithful our God is and such an encouragement that his perfect love is able to cover all our imperfection, sin, mistakes, wrong choices, bad attitudes, etc. Although we continue to be imperfect, God continues to cover us with his perfection. It is so awesome to know that our God is a faithful God who continues to forgive, guide and love despite ourselves. So, although I may be an imperfect medical student on a journey to medical missions, I serve a God who is able to overcome my every fault. Awesome.

Sometimes, it takes all the self control I have to stop from purchasing a ticket to India or Gabon...

Into the Heart of India

This is just a brief post to bring you all up to speed on a few things going on since it has been QUITE some time since I've written.

I cannot fully express how incredibly amazed I am at God's continual faithfulness and presence in my life. He is so incredibly faithful; it just blows my mind away. Throughout Block III and this Block in medical school, my relationship with God has grown stronger as I have become more and more reliant upon him. It has become continually apparent to me that no day, no exam, no lab, no medical procedure, no patient diagnosis, no surgery is possible without God. I am and always will be reliant upon God for supernatural wisdom to make it through each tough question on an exam and each patient diagnosis. I am so grateful for a God who not only stands by my side, but carries me through every storm in life...no matter the size. Whether it is a little rain or a monsoon; God IS there.

Last year at this time, I was in Gabon, Africa, working with the missionary team at Bongolo Hospital. Wish I could be there again...

I've got six weeks, until my year as a first year medical student comes to an end and then I am headed to INDIA. For various reasons, I've decided NOT to keep a blog about my trip to India or during my trip to India. However, I'd be more than happy to give you more information about my trip or add you to my email update list, so please comment on this post or email me(c.regelsberger@yahoo.com) if you are interested in either. If you would like more details about my trip, to receive a prayer letter or support me financially, please contact me and let me know & I will get that information to you.

A long overdue 30 second update

This is a long overdue post, but it will be short and sweet because of the <30 seconds I have to write it.

With the strength that only the Lord can provide, I am surviving the jungle of medical school. What a crazy life! I thank God for the community of friends he has given me, some awesome professors and a an amazing home church here in Spartanburg, SC.

I have 1.5 weeks left of Block 3/Neuro block. I am looking forward to the end of this block! It has been a crazy 13 weeks and the nervous system is not my forte. Here is the run down of the next 1.5 weeks:

- Monday: PPC/OMM Exam
- Tuesday: SP Exam & OSCE Exam
- Wednesday: Anatomy Exam & Anatomy Practical
- Friday: Cell Bio Exam & Pharmacology Exam
- Monday: Clinical Medicine-EENT Exam & Pathology Exam
- Tuesday: SP Small Group Review
- Wednesday: Clinical Skills Lab...and then DONE!

I am constantly reminded of how amazing my God is by designing such an intricate and awesome human body. When I go one break, I will try and write a few more lines, but until then, here are a few snapshots of med school life in Spartanburg, SC including a picture of white coat ceremony, some time with friends, Alabama National Championship (football) Party and the Winter Gala at VCOM:

Medical School

I definitely don't have time for this post now, as I should be studying...but my brain is about to explode, so it is time for a break.

In brief, on July 31st my parents and I road-tripped down to Spartanburg, SC where I will be living as I attend medical school. On August 1st, we got the keys to my apartment. I'm living downtown...just a four minute drive to school! My school is called Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus (www.vcom.vt.edu) and is known as VCOM-CC for short. The school is affiliated with Virginia Tech, so all my email and online school stuff is through the Virginia Tech website. Classes began on August 8th, so this week I am beginning my 2nd week of medical school.

How am I surviving some of you ask? I'm doing rather well. I love it down here. I absolutely love my school and I have really felt God confirm that this is where I am supposed to be. I am so blessed by the opportunity to be here and I am looking forward to all that God will do in the next 4 years. School is great, so far. This term is called a block and goes until mid-October. I am taking Cell Bio & Phys, Microbiology, Immunology, Histology, Pathology, Genetics and OMM. I have my first exams next Monday! Every professor covers 40-60 powerpoint slides in one hour. What I learned in undergrad in three weeks, I learn in one day at VCOM. The amount of information is incredible. I love my classes, but they certainly do keep me busy.

An average day in the life of Christina:
5:45am : Wake-up
6-6:15am : Quick run around downtown
6:15-7:15am : Shower, get ready & leave the apt!
7:20am : Arrive at school early to get a good seat
8-noon : Classes
noon-1pm : Lunch
1pm-3pm : Class (In two weeks that will change and I will have class everyday until 5pm)
3-4pm : Mental break
4-10pm : Study
10-11pm : Get ready for bed & quiet time with God

...I know that all too soon my bed time will be pushed back and I will be staying up later to study, but for now I am trying to get to bed at a reasonable time. I love school, but it certainly is overwhelming and it doesn't leave much time for anything else.

God has really blessed me with some great friends and I am enjoying getting to know the other 161 students in my class. I'm one of the few Northerners, so my excuse for everything has become, "I'm from New York" ...really, I should probably rename my blog "A Yankee Girl in Dixie." I am acutely aware of the fact that I speak without a Southern drawl and sometimes feel quite out of place. The South (although I love it), is vastly different from New York.

Well, that's all for now, because I really need to study.

VCOM-CC Class of 2015 Celebration Dinner:

Angela, myself & Cheree

Moving Forward

Marina by my house:

Well, I've decided that I'm long overdue for a post...What have I been up to since Africa you may ask?

1) Shortly after my arrival home, my parents threw a welcome home/grad party for me. I got to see lots of friends that I hadn't seen since the end of school and had a great time...the party was a blast complete with a giant cake that had little chocolate monkeys on it (in honor of Africa).

2) After the celebrations came to a conclusion, I began to sort through all my clothes, school stuff and the paraphenalia that I have accumulated over the years...I'm moving to South Carolina for school and I'm unlikely to ever move back home, so this is the grand organization/cleaning out of everything from children's books to college textbooks.

3) My grandparents came up from Florida to visit! It was great to see them since I haven't seen them since January. We celebrated (belatedly) my grandpa's 80th birthday and my parents' anniversary, so it was a good family time.

4) Because not many (or any) places will hire you for 5ish weeks, I haven't been working...that has been a huge blessing because I've been able to spend the summer with my family and enjoy them before I move away to SC. It has also been great to hang out with friends and see them one last time...r...So, I guess I'm trying to really enjoy summer and my family and friends. I haven't had a summer like this in quite a while. Most summers I have spent working or studying or both, so it is a real blessing from God to just rest in between all the packing...I know that med school will be hard enough and so I'm trying to just enjoy my last moments in Rochester.

My friend Dawson & I after church on Tuesday nights:


Out with some school friends to Applebee's:


4th of July bonfire & fireworks with my friend Alicia:


Garbage plates are a DELICIOUS Rochester specialty composed of cheeseburger patties, mac salad and home fries:


5) Naturally, because I am moving away, I have had to do lots of apartment shopping...The spare bedroom at my house is filled with stuff for my apartment. It basically looks like I got married. Since there is no on-campus housing and I am setting up a whole apartment, I have the equivalent of a wedding shower...everything from dishes to sheets to pictures. Absolutely insane!

6) Lastly, I'm finishing up some stuff for Campus Crusade at St. John Fisher College (my undergrad school). I did the graphics/publicity and so I'm doing some last stuff and then I have to teach my replacements how to do some basic graphic design stuff.

That's the report on my summer...I still miss Gabon alot. I sit in church and I miss the joyous chorus of African voices singing praises to God in French. I miss the simplicity of life and simply throwing on a shirt and one of my African skirts every morning. Most of all, I miss my African and missionary friends...what I have learned is that when you are in one place for a prolonged amount of time, you build relationships and that's what makes it hard to leave a place. I've been making Skype phone calls and emailing when I get the chance. Honestly, I cannot wait to go back! My new apartment will be covered in pictures from Gabon. I am so glad I had the privilege to go back to Gabon this summer. God really confirmed my calling as a medical missionary while I was there and it reminds me that all these years and years of schooling are worth it!... If you are reading this and are across the ocean in Africa, know that you are missed and prayed for!!!

It's strange to think that I won't be going back to Fisher in the fall. I'm really excited to move to SC and make new friends and face the challenge of med school, but I know that it is going to be hard...The only way I'll survive is by holding onto Christ...

One thing that God really has impressed upon my heart is the concept of moving on. In Genesis 19, God calls Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah. As Lot and his family leave, his wife stops and looks back and turns into a pillar of salt. So many times, I think this happens to us (in a sense). Sometimes, God calls us forward or into a new place, but we don't move on and get stuck in the past. I think it is so important to not just look forward, but move forward when God calls us into a new place...Lot's wife never saw what was beyond Sodom and Gomorrah because she was stuck in the past. If we don't look forward, we may miss out on what God has for us!

Reverse Culture Shock

Well, I have been quite tardy in blogging. Something about not being in Bongolo gets me out of my blogging routine.

The trip back from Libreville was largely uneventful. Within ten minutes of stepping off the airplane, two different travelers came up to me and asked for directions to certain gates. I guess I look helpful?!...I had a 7.5 hour layover that made me feel a lot like Tom Hanks in the movie The Terminal. I set my backpack down on a bench and to sleep I went for about four hours. When I was finally up and functional, I walked around and took advantage of the German pastries available. I became very familiar with the Frankfurt airport during my layover. Eventually, I sat down on a bench and read for a while. Every once in a while, I’d peak over my book and observe all the people around me. I had lots of fun just observing all the people around.

As I was boarding the Frankfurt-Toronto flight, the German Lufthansa representative took the ID and info of the passenger in front of me. She quizzed the Iranian man on his address and Canadian resident information and he couldn’t remember. Needless to say, this made me slightly nervous. My nerve level increased 10x when he sat down in the seat in front of me and then a big, burly Middle Eastern man sat next to me. The man next to me had a watch with a timer that periodically went off about four times during the flight. The timer, the man’s refusal to look me in the eye, his constant need to get up and just stand in the aisle and his extremely nervous look, put me into panic mode multiple times. I was very happy when the flight landed in Toronto. I made it through U.S. customs in Toronto without any problems, except when the customs officer asked me where home was, I almost said Gabon…oops!

Side note…I have officially fallen in love with Lufthansa airlines. I’ve flown them before, but I forgot how wonderful they are. I have also made an official experiment of it and have discovered that if you speak German, the German flight attendants treat you better. Very interesting. I had the flight attendant completely fooled and she thought I only spoke German ;-)

After a 4.5 layover in Toronto, I boarded a small little plane with only 19 seats to Rochester, NY. There were only three other people on my flight and the plane was so small that there was no door for the cockpit.

It is a little bizarre being home. I feel a little bit like a stranger in my own house since it seems like I’ve been gone for ages (in one respect). It is just that life is so different in Bongolo, that it is hard imagine that Bongolo and Rochester exist in the same world. I am eating my fill of salad, vegetables and cheese since we don’t have much of that in Bongolo. I’ve decided my house here is too clean. There are no little granules of red jungle dirt, no ants, no geckos…its all a little strange. My mom sent me to the mall to use up a coupon...I didn't last more than 15 minutes and called my mom asking if she was ok with me not using the coupon and just coming home. I got to the store and was just too overwhelmed by the people, how different things are here and everything else…So, there is reverse culture shock for you, but I know that soon enough I’ll get back into the swing of things and life in the U.S.

On the health front, I am definitely feeling a lot better. My rash is gone and I’m feeling pretty good. Every once in a while, I have sweats/chills and I feel pretty tired…but MUCH better than last week!

Last night, Joanna Thelander's parents (who live in Rochester) came over and I was able to share my pictures and stories with them. It was an awesome time and I was so blessed to share pictures and stories with people who understand. It is a real blessing when people listen with interest to stories and things that God has shown you during trips like this one.

Thank you to all those who prayed for every part of this trip. Life in the jungle isn't always easy and I definitely relied on every single prayer. God really blessed my time in Gabon and I saw him move in so many ways. I had an awesome time getting to know the missionaries better and gleaning from their years of wisdom. I am so blessed to have also been able to build relationships with Gabonese people and other Africans…that is probably the hardest part. It is easy to come home if you just go in and out of a country and don’t build relationships. It is much harder when you leave a country and leave both new and old friends behind. It is so hard because I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I have to trust God that I’ll make it back to Africa sooner rather than later…already looking forward to my next trip!

I will keep blogging every once in a while even though I am not in Gabon, so stay tuned!

Back in the U.S.

Thank you to all who prayed for a safe trip back to the U.S. It was a long trip, but I made it...I'll post sometime tomorrow with more details, but I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it back safely & I appreciate all the prayers & support.

Bon nuit!

Food for Thought

"Faith looks back upon the past and remembers that God has never once failed any of his children. It recollects times of great peril when deliverance came, hours of awful need when strength was received, and cries, "Always before, the Lord has helped me, and He will help me now." -Charles Spurgeon

Lisa, a missionary nurse in Bongolo, shared this quote with me and I absolutely love it. Charles Spurgeon captures the essence of faith well. It relates oh so well to so many passages in the Bible including the story of Isaac's sacrifice in Genesis 22 and the following passage in Deuteronomy 7.

"You may say to yourselves, “These nations are stronger than we are. How can we drive them out?” But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt. You saw with your own eyes the great trials, the signs and wonders, the mighty hand and outstretched arm, with which the LORD your God brought you out." -Deut. 7:17-19a

Journey to Libreville

Sunday I ran around and said goodbye to my missionary friends, the residents and others in Bonoglo. In the evening, the THelanders invited me over for my last supper. Had an awesome time with them, as always! I’m so blessed to have been able to come to Bongolo this summer and I can’t wait to come back ASAP!

Last night with Joanna Thelander:


Yesterday morning, the Thelanders came over at 7am to say goodbye. Even the kids dragged themselves out of bed to say goodbye to me! I hate goodbyes and it was so hard to say goodbye to the Thelander fam mostly because I don’t know when I’ll see them again.

Philippe, the hospital driver, picked me up and drove me to the airport in Mouila (appx. 2 hour drive). As we bumped along the roads to Mouila, Philippe drove and I slept. If you know me well at all, you know that I can sleep just about anywhere. When I wasn’t sleeping, Philippe was in a very chatty mood, so my broken French kicked into gear and I tried to pay close attention to make sure I was responding correctly.

We arrived at the airport and unloaded my stuff… “Check-in” consists of giving your handwritten La National ticket to the unofficial looking person behind a white block. Other passengers stood in line with all the random odds and ends that they wanted to check as “luggage.” The most popular item was coolers full of fish. Or, in some cases, the fish was paced in a cardboard box with blood seeping out the corners. My suitcase was overweight, so Philippe told me it would cost extra. I asked how much. He said 7,000 FCFA (about $14 USD). So, I handed him the 10,000 FCFA and expected 3,000 FCFA in change (logical, right? haha). He gave me a receipt and 4,000 FCFA back. According to the receipt, I was charged only 5,000 FCFA, so I should have received 5,000 FCFA back in change...but Philippe gave me 4,000 FCFA....SO, I have no idea who ate the extra 1,000 FCFA, but whatever. I wasn't sure that it would be worth the hassle to figure out.

As I was sitting with the other passengers a tall Gabonese man in a striped polo shirt came and said “Passport!” in a loud voice and then motioned for me to follow him into a closed room. In an effort not to make much of the sketchy “customs” situation, I followed the man into his office. He then requested that I shut the door completely. Hesitant to obey under the bizarre circumstances, I left the door ajar. I handed him my passport and he was just getting the mini interrogation underway when in barged Philippe saying that Sangoye (pastor in LBV) was on the phone for me. After speaking with Sangoye, the interrogation continued…Who are you? What are you doing in Gabon? Are in the Peace Corps? What is your occupation? Are you a student? What are you doing in LBV? When do you leave for the U.S.? Etc.

Finally, that was over and I waited for the plane to arrive. Planes don’t have a precise schedule in Gabon. They arrive and leave whenever they’d like and the schedule is subject to change without notice. The plane arrived and I boarded along with the other passengers. The little plane is quite old and I imagine that Indiana Jones probably boarded a similar one in the older Indiana Jones movies. The FAA would not approve of the state of the aircraft on so many levels, but it does the job in Gabon. The plane stopped first in Tchibanga and then in LBV.

Papa Pierre was supposed to pick me up in LBV, but as things sometimes go in Gabon…he wasn’t there. Thank God for cell phones and big cities (like LBV) where cell phones actually work. After some phone calling, Papa Pierre was on his way and I eventually met up with him after warding off some creeper dude.

I arrived at the guest house around 1pm and had lunch with Hannah, Jess and Kayla. Hannah is one of the EnVision (short-term missions) directors in Libreville. Jess and Kayla are summer interns. We cooked quite the gourmet meal together and passed out pretty early because we were all tired. So, today I am chilling out at the guest house and will probably do the same thing for most of tomorrow. Late tomorrow evening (around 10pm), I fly out of Libreville.

Saying goodbye to Gabon is hard because I don’t know when I’ll be back :-(

Au revoir Bongolo!

Where have I been in the last week? Most of you probably heard by now that I’ve been sick most of the week….very frustrating to be sick during your last week in Africa! Last night I broke out in a lovely polka-dot rash from head to toe, so I think the general consensus is that I have a form of Dengue Fever or something like that. Thank you to all who prayed for me!!! I am finally on the mend.

A few times, I thought I was better (wrong!), so I went down to the OR for a bit, but most of the time I was just sick. Yesterday was my first functional day! The Thelander kids and Rachael Thompson came over to help me bake cookies for petit Luc’s birthday party in the morning. After baking, the kids and I sorted shells that we collected in Panga. Luke Thelander packaged all my shells up professionally so that they don’t break on my trip home. After shell sorting, I cleaned and sorted boxes of orthopedic supplies and ran some errands. From 3-5pm was petit Luc and Christine’s birthday party at the Bataneni’s. The birthday party was done African style complete with a crowd of people, lots of food, an emcee and a powerpoint presentation on Luc and Christine!

After the party, I scurried home to finish cleaning some orthopedic supplies (I’m finally done!) and then headed off to the Thelander’s for dinner :-) After the Thelander’s, Rachael and I stopped by Lisa’s to say goodbye to Lisa and Renee since they are leaving for Panga today.

Tomorrow, I’ll be leaving Bongolo early and driving to Mouila. From Mouila, I will take a plane to Libreville and arrive sometime Monday afternoon/evening. Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent in Libreville. Wednesday evening, I leave for Frankfurt, Germany. Then Thursday morning, I fly from Frankfurt to Toronto and then Rochester.

Today is my last day in Bongolo : -( …I’ve already cried once today and the day is young, so I’m sure that more tears will follow…Going back to the U.S. is always a bummer.

Christine, petit Luc, Jean Claude & I:


Afoussa, Joanna & I:


Myomectomy:


The Three Musketeers (Rachel, Lisa & I):

Bongolo Bits

Although we all had a great time in Panga, it is great to be back home!!! Bits of Bongolo news from today because my to-do list for this evening is too long....

Spent the morning with Dr. Keir & the surgical residents. This included devotions with the hospital staff, rounds and surgery (my FAVORITE)!!! Me and the chief resident (Jean Claude):


1st case...umbilical hernia:


2nd case...closing up after a mastectomy:


Buying bananas...went completely solo with my broken French:


Lisa & I and our newest creation...pineapple & banana smoothie:


Bon nuit!

Bongolo Welcome

If you read my last post, you know a little bit about my trip to Panga...The Thelanders and I were given a true welcome home by the ants of Bongolo. All you insect lovers will enjoy this:

The Thelanders' light switches did not work because they were jammed with ants:


My little apartment was infested with ants...Ants invaded all three bedrooms, two bathrooms and hallway.

Ready to do some damage with my highly toxic spray (I actually have used a up a whole bottle and had to call my neighbors for more!!!):

This is just a glimpse of the ant carnage:

I walked into my little apartment tonight & as I was struggling with the lock a gecko jumped down from the wall and crawled down my back.

...A true jungle welcome from the Bongolo insect and creepy-crawler population.

Panga in a Nutshell

Just got back from Panga a few hours ago!...What an adventure. Thank you to all who prayed for the Thelanders, Rachael & I. We had a great time and traveled safely to and from Panga.

A little background...Panga is a beach off the coast of Gabon where some of the missionaries go to retreat for a few days. When I was planning my trip, I had no idea the Thelanders would be bringing me along when they went to Panga. Joanna was quite persuasive and insisted that I go, so I did...

Thursday through Monday was packed with rough road adventures, days at the beach, rustic cabin cooking, catching bats, jungle animals (water buffalo), sandcastles, ants, rainwater showers, intense puzzling, sunburns & so much more!...In that list of activities, you probably noticed catching bats...YES, we did encounter bats. Most managed to stay outside of our cabin, but one ventured indoors. Keir & Luke valiantly and bravely dedicated themselves to getting rid of the bat (which they eventually did). The Thelanders are into puzzles, so I learned to puzzle and although it initially brought much frustration, it was lots of fun!

The Panga area is absolutely breathtaking, from the wild fields, to the red dirt cliffs, to the sandy beach and expansive ocean, it looks like something out of a movie. If you are into the TV show LOST, it definitely looks like LOST could have been filmed there.

All in all, I am so glad I went. Joanna and I are discovering more and more that we have very similar personalities and are basically twins separated by 18 years. Haha. It really is quite hilarious!...We had some great walks on the beach. Joanna and I talked about the importance of getting away and how it is not so important what you do as who you are. Although there is certainly value in what one does (whether it is being a mom, going to school, operating or teaching), it is important to just be...to listen to God's voice, to take advantage of the opportunities He presents to you and to just learn to be still, rest and drink in the beauty of God's creation and His presence. So often in life we are so concerned with our next activity or item on our checklist...we just work, work, work and are always on the go. We leave no room for margin and just breathing in the presence of God. Even if it means shutting all forms of technology off and getting completely away from your normal routine, it is vital to just pause, rest and let God speak...I had a great time with Keir, Joanna, the kids & Rachael. I got to see another part of Gabon and I learned alot in those few days. I think my favorite part was my road-trip and late night conversations with Keir and Joanna about missions, their experiences and Gabonese culture. I loved hearing about things they have learned in their missionary experience and I know I definitely gleaned bits of wisdom from all that they have been through and observed. I'm trying to stash up everything they said so I don't forget it!!! I am so grateful for the Thelanders and their ministry in Gabon. God is using them in an amazing way in the lives of so many people and I am truly privileged to know them.


At the beach:

Sandcastle extravaganza:

Panga beach:

Candlelight dinners (trying to conserve our solar power):

Late night puzzling:

Insect SWAT Team

During Taco Tuesday, Rachael, Lisa and I were called by the frantic Joanna to rescue her and the kids from a rather large spider and wasp. Poor Keir was still operating even though it was 8pm…Rachael attacked the spider who got away and escaped into the rafters. Lisa and I attacked the wasp. I was responsible for squashing it.

Spider:


Insect SWAT team + dead wasp:


Today, Joanna asked that I acquire the appropriate materials to kill and preserve a rather large beetle (the size of an orange). So, at the hospital, Lisa and I appropriate gloves, needles, syringes and formaldehyde (or the equivalent of it). I was called upon to carry out the procedure. Armed with a pickle jar and KILL IT (insect spray), I transferred the beetle to the pickle jar, sprayed insecticide in for about three minutes and shut the lid…he was thus smothered. That procedure rendered him nearly catatonic, so I was able to continue the procedure. I loaded the syringe with formol and poked the needle in under the beetle’s exoskeleton. Voila! Joanna now has a preserved beetle.

Beetle procedure:

Details & Timing

Wow! I can’t believe it is already June! Where did the time go? I wish I had 20,000 days left in Bongolo, but as Keir said, “No, you can’t stay here, you have to go home and go to medical school so you can be a surgeon” so I CAN come back as a surgeon!!!

I have three days to blog about! Goodness! Well, in a nutshell, these have been the events of the past few days:

On Monday morning, I went down to the hospital warehouse with Meladee. We sorted more medical supplies and spent a lot of time making deliveries to the eye clinic, surgery and apro (another storage facility that circulates the medical supplies). As far as jungle creatures go, the most interesting one I saw down at the warehouse was a rather large lizard…about a foot long with an orange and white striped tail! After dropping more donated books and supplies off in the OR, I met with Keir for my next task. Keir had me program in the different user accounts into the new x-ray machine computer. After creating all the different accounts, I ran to the surgical residents’ library to sort out some books and then I headed up the hill to type up the list.

Talked to Joanna about my laundry problem in the afternoon. My washer smells and my clothes have white fuzzies on them, so we got scared that I had a rat’s nest somewhere in my washing machine. I don’t know if its good news or bad news, but it turns out there is no rat’s nest in my machine. So the source of the fuzzies and stench remains a mystery.

Later in the afternoon, I had the Thelander kids for lessons. On Monday, we finished up all our art projects and made birthday cards for Meladee (another missionary on the station).

Birthday cards for Meladee:

At 5ish, Alexia came over for an English lesson. Alexia is a highschool student and has a beautiful voice. After talking a while, we sang some worship songs together. It was cool to get to know a younger Gabonese girl. She gave me a lot of insights into Gabonese culture and some of the spiritual struggles here. Hopefully I’ll get to see her again before I leave!

Monday night was Omlette Night for Lisa and I. We stuffed our omlettes with salami, tomato, mushrooms, cheese and every good thing we could find. Another success! Then we made my favorite jungle dessert: banana smoothies.

Banana smoothies with Lisa:

Tuesday morning started off with devotions with the hospital staff at 7:30am. Then, I went on rounds with the surgeons. Keir and Anatole did an incredible procedure on a poor little boy who had a dislocated elbow. The poor kid had the elbow dislocated for weeks or even months, so it was stuck out of place. Keir and Anatole proceeded to do a very frustrating and difficult surgery which involved clearing out the joints and trying to manipulate the elbow back into its proper position. It was very difficult and only time will tell how much better the boy’s arm is. I’m praying that he heals completely! The procedure was rather long (compared to most of the procedures at Bongolo) and lasted over five hours.

Elbow surgery:

I couldn’t stay in the OR any longer because I had to go into the village, Lebamba, to do a little grocery shopping. After we got back from town, Lisa, Rachael & I had “Taco Tuesday” at my place. Making tacos in the jungle, is quite a different experience. There is no nearby grocery store and readymade tortillas, so we made our own tortillas and cooked up some ground beef that I bought in town…low and behold, we managed to make jungle tacos!!! We handmade ice cream and made our own hot apple caramel sauce from scratch…delicious. Taco Tuesday was a pretty exhausting process, so we didn’t last that long and I went to bed pretty early.

Handmade tortillas with Lisa & Rachael:

Today was quite the adventure. I went down to the hospital at 8am to drop some boxes off by housing close to the hospital called the “Good Samaritan.” In Africa, we normally burn our garbage, but I know that the women at the Good Samaritan housing are very poor and like to use cardboard boxes for mattresses and other uses. So, Joanna and I piled up her car with boxes and I unloaded them at the Good Samaritan housing. Within five minutes, there were quite a few Mamas walking towards the boxes.
I spent from about 8am-11am organizing the “depot du bloc” (OR storeroom). Rachael joined me at 9:30am. We actually were able to find a home for everything that needed to be put away. Next week, we’d like to refine the organization a bit…organization is a HUGE problem in Gabon because the Gabonese (on the whole) do not keep up organization or understand the point of an organizational system. This makes it very hard for the hospital staff to find what they need or even know they have it.

I was supposed to meet Alexia at 11:30am for English and to sing a little together, but she never showed up…plans always change in Africa ;- )

At 1pm, the kids (Sarah & Luke) and I began our baking extravaganza. Meladee’s birthday is coming up this weekend and the Thelanders and I will be gone (read further for that), so we wanted to celebrate Meladee’s birthday with her. We also made some for Mama Dinah, Papa Jacques and Baby Samuel (he just came home from the hospital today!). We made MILLIONS (literally) of chocolate cupcakes and frosting. Sarah and Luke are great assistants…the three of us did quite a bit of test-tasting along the way, though ;-)

Baking Team:

After delivering our cupcakes, I came home, attacked the dishes (otherwise I will have an influx of ants). Tonight I am packing for Panga!!! Tomorrow through Monday the Thelanders, Rachael and I will be heading to Panga which is six hours further into the middle of nowhere…no internet access, so don’t expect another blog post until Monday night or Tuesday night.

On a more serious note, in an effort to read through the Bible chronologically, I started reading Genesis a few days ago. Yesterday, I read Genesis 7 and today I read Genesis 8. There is really something to be learned from Noah. Besides the fact that he was righteous in a time and era were others were not, Noah obeyed God without hesitation when God asked him to build the ark. Furthermore, Noah TRUSTED God to take care of the DETAILS like bringing two of every kind of animal to the ark. Noah didn't waste time asking God how everything was going to play out or how the animals would come, Noah got right to HIS task (building the ark) and left the details to God. So many times, we as human beings try and micromanage details that are beyond our control and concern. We have to learn to leave details to God and trust him completely...In Genesis 8, the Bible talks about Noah sending out a dove to see if water was still all over the earth or if there was dry land. He had to do this more than once and it shows that Noah learned to trust God's TIMING. He did not get out of the ark until God showed him it was time. So, not only should we trust God with details but we should also trust his perfect timing...In the context of missions Gabon, this is huge. I'm learning from just observing those around me and personal experiences that so many times on the mission field, we have no idea how or when things will pan out, so trust in God is essential. He knows best. He has taken care of the details and his timing is perfect.

To the Ends of the Earth

I woke up this morning at 5:45am…bright and early :-) I packed some leftover muffins & apples and met Lisa and Karen around 6:45am for the drive to church. This Sunday we headed to Doussala which is about 1.5km from the border between Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville. On the 1.5 hour drive to Doussala, we picked up two itinerant evangelist guys. Church starts very casually at 9am or whenever people feel like showing up.

We had a pre-church session…as in some kids just sat in the church and a 9 year old (appx.) girl led worship songs until one of the evangelist guys decided that church should actually start. Kids leading worship before church:

Church started and there was more singing and then a time of prayer. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the singing in Gabon…voices are absolutely beautiful!

During the singing, the little girl (maybe two years old) next to me just kept staring at me. I don’t think she has seen many white people because she kept running her hand over my arm and caressing my skin. Then she took her little pointer finger and touched every mole and bug bite on my arm in complete fascination. Then, she took my hand from my lap and slowly stretched out my fingers. One by one, she touched each finger and then stared at my finger nails and poked them. I stood up to sing and all of sudden, the little girl was at my feet on her hands and knees. Her little finger reached out and touched my big toe and then all my other toes. She ran her fingers over the nail polish on my toes. She then crawled under the bench to my other side and repeated the same procedure with the toes on my other foot. She would touch my fingers or toes and then hers, as if to compare them. It was absolutely adorable and I had fun watching her figure things out…For the rest of the service, she slipped her hand into mine and wouldn’t let me out of sight:

I later learned that my little friend is named Japrisa…After singing and praying, children were dismissed for Sunday School (l'école du dimanche) with Mama Lisa & Mama Christina…You are probably wondering why the title “Mama” in front of Lisa’s name and mine?...I promise you that neither of us magically had children. Mama is simply a title of respect.

I never knew one could hold the hands of six children at the same time, but today I learned that it IS possible. Each kid wants to hold your hand directly, so they grab a finger or any appendage and just hold on to you…so, Lisa and I each had a mob of children around each hand as we walked from the church to the Sunday School meeting place.

We used the same lesson from the Marembo Sunday School and did Genesis 22 with the kids. Once again, I was Isaac…this week, I was strapped to bamboo as the sacrifice. Lisa and I have become quite good at acting out this story’s skit (or, as they say in French “sketch”). The kids were kind of A.D.D. We sensed a general spirit of distraction amongst the kids and even adults…as if for some reason, they could retain only very little. Lisa had printed little handouts with a Bible verse and picture. The older kids received the handouts and colored the picture with crayons Lisa brought. The little guys got stickers that I brought from the U.S.…That was so sad for me, because I gave the kids a little sheet of stickers each and they didn’t know what to do with the stickers because they’d never seen them before. I spent quite a bit of time putting stickers on their arms and faces…soon, I had a whole line/crowd around me with a million little hands holding out their sticker sheets to me. I showed each one how to peel off the stickers and soon every little one was covered head to toe in Disney stickers.

Covered head to toe in stickers:

Little Japrisa and I:

(Note: It takes alot of work to get children or adults in Gabon to smile for pictures...just because they don't smile does not mean they are miserable..its just they way picture-taking goes here)

Lisa and I walked the kids back to church…they were just finishing. The adults leaving Doussala church:

Mama Karen, Mama Lisa, myself and the two evangelist guys along with some members of the congregation made some house visits after the service to pray for two widows and another very sick elderly lady…I could go on and on with stories and impression of Doussala, but that would take whole webpages.

We left Doussala around 1pm and got back to Bongolo around 2:30pm…On Saturday, Lisa and I decided that we need to take full advantage of our time together and so we made a dinner date for every single night of my remaining stay. Today, it was “Sauce Sunday” and we had leftover pasta and sauce with meat. Mhmm. Lisa said she can tell I’m Cuban because I am forcing her to eat more than she usually does. At 4pm, I met up with Rachael Thompson and headed down to the hospital to color with the kids in the pediatric ward. Those little faces stole my heart. The five kids that colored with us were all under the age of eight and were the most serious bunch of children I have ever encountered in my life. One little girl in particular just made me want burst into tears…I was talking with Rachael about this and she said that at their age, these kids don’t know yet that coloring can be fun. Their moms treat coloring as school since they haven’t gone to school yet and warn them to do well. So, these children color under pressure and in fear that they might mess up :- (

While we were coloring, I heard beautiful voices echoing through the little ward. There was a bunch of teenagers sitting together singing worship songs in French and I even some in English…its funny, here I am in Africa and all of a sudden, I hear “You are My All in All,” “Heart of Worship” and other familiar songs.

How far does the love of God go? Today reminded me that the love of God goes to the ends of the earth. The love of Christ penetrates every corner of this world. Whether it is a small village on the border of Gabon and Congo or a pediatric ward or the USA, there is not one place that the love of God cannot reach. There is not any situation to which the love of God cannot give hope. There is no individual which is unloved by the God who created them…because Jesus came to this world because he LOVES all.

Martha Stewart Meets the Jungle

Where to begin with this blog? Everytime I think I’ve just had the best few days of my life, I have another day that tops the previous.

Saturday morning, I woke up to the sound of roosters and the boys playing soccer at the field below the station. I decided that I was going to have a special breakfast that did not involve the usual cereal and milk. I invited my roommate from a distance, Lisa, over and we made a gourmet breakfast of eggs and muffins. We had some awesome conversations about God over breakfast and things that He has helped us work through…talked a little bit about Genesis 22 and the personal application of that passage. Bottom line that God has taught me with the story of Abraham laying down Isaac is that God will sometimes call us to sacrifice things and usually these things are what are closest and most dear to us. Sometimes, we will receive those things back as Abraham received Isaac back, but that is not always the case…we have to be prepared to sacrifice for the long-term. In that, we show our obedience to God and our faith in him and his plan for our life. Because, when we do not obey God, we are simultaneously saying that we know better than God and have a better plan for our lives than God...Our breakfast conversation was a great way to start the day. I am so blessed to have Lisa (amongst many others) in my life!

After breakfast, “Operation Jungle Cookie Party” commenced. When I gave Christine Bataneni her first English lesson, we got talking about chocolate chip cookies and so I decided to invite her, the other surgical residents’ wives and my friend from Benin (Afoussa) over for a cookie party. Now, let me tell you, baking in the jungle can be quite an undertaking because recipes have to be adjusted because of the humidity. Needless to say, I was very nervous. In addition, my oven has a temperature regulation issue. Lighting the gas stove can also be a rather precarious situation. To top it off, I also ran out of gas as I tried to light my oven…Lisa helped me overcome these hurdles and I was finally able to commence baking the cookie dough...Lisa told Joanna, "Look at Christina! She's like Martha Stewart meets the jungle, but it works!"

In addition to making chocolate chip cookies, I also made shortbread (at Joanna’s suggestion). The reasoning behind baking shortbread is that the ingredients are easily attainable in Africa and any of the women could easily replicate the recipe. The ingredients for chocolate chip cookies, on the other hand, are NOT easily attainable. Brown sugar and chocolate chips (amongst other things) are not available in Lebamba.

Joanna & I with the first batch of oven-fresh cookies:


Cookies were already in the oven when the ladies came over at 3pm. It was quite the party (guest lists have a way of evolving in Africa :-)…I think there were at least twelve people over. They were all so cute and dressed up for the occasion.

Group photo (minus Joanna):


…Cookies were a total success. Desserts don’t really exist in Gabon and they certainly are not as sweet as American desserts, so the women really appreciated the less sugary shortbread. They enthusiastically wrote down both recipes and are going to attempt to make them by themselves…We all had a great time and I think it was a great break for all the women since some work at the hospital and others are busy taking care of their kids all day.

Christine Bataneni, petit Christine & me:


Maechat & I:


Afoussa, Me & Christine (they wanted to wrap my hair like Afoussa wears her hair normally):


Saturday was basically an eating-fest…Rachael Thompson invited Lisa and I over for some Cambodian food in the evening. There is no culinary task that woman does not succeed at! What a cooking genius. I told Rachael that I’ll be stealing her recipes…I finally made it home around 9pm and was able to do some skyping. I went to bed relatively early Saturday night because I knew Sunday would be an early morning…