Happy Boxing Day

This is our first time celebrating boxing and we're not exactly sure what to do. But it does mean a day off, a potluck, and time to take down Christmas decorations.

We had a great Christmas. The Christmas Eve service included myself reading a sermon from our good friend Pastor Derek Starr Redwine which was planned no more than 3 hours before the service. Christmas Day we began celebrating in church with music and the children's program. Then we brought gifts and caroled in the pediatric ward as a church. Next we shared lunch with the Crognales, a dual physician couple with 2 little girls, very much like us. Dino Crognale made a wonderful lasagna and I made Amy Starr Redwine's buttermilk chess pie. After visiting we went to our friends the Galat's. We first met the Galat's at our Samaritan Purse orientation. We watched Cheaper by the Dozen and ate popcorn with orange fanta. 

Our internet connection worked well enough to Skype with both of our families. This is always an encouragement.  Tomorrow we head into Nairobi which on a good day is a 4 hour drive one-way. We will be grocery shopping and visiting the Massai Market, the local craft market and returning Sunday.  

Meredith turns 2!

"Happy Day!" as Meredith would say. She enjoyed her 2nd birthday with cake and friends.  Her gift was a rag doll we affectionately called "Mercy". One of the most popular names here. Her face and knees bear the scars from constant tree climbing, running, swinging and trying to keep up with Amelia, but the smile never leaves. One thing we cherish about Meredith is her generally content disposition.

I'm on-call this weekend and grateful for the help of another OB/GYN. Its trying as we've already delivered 2 very premature babies and held a term baby as he passed from probable lung disease.  Many patients need the peace only Jesus brings.

 

Visitors Welcome

We welcome visitors at Tenwek!  We have plenty of room, the need is great, and their will always be a warm cup of chai waiting for you.

Even Princesses can get a Black Eye

     Amelia has taken to life in Africa.  She climbs trees barefoot, holds geckos with her bare hands, and makes forts with her friend Clair in the Bush.  The other day she asked for a pocket knife  because she wanted to carve a spear. 

     As you can see from the picture Amelia took a knock from a child in a swing. 

On Being a Missionary

When I grew up (Malin writing now) I always thought missionaries were kind of peculiar people.  Some summer sunday evening a missionary would come to share at our church.   They were always wearing awkward clothes and trying to get you to eat strange foods.  Then they would pray or preach in a foreign language.   I use to think that is great, but not for me.

   Here I am now, no Sara and I, no really Sara, Amelia, Meredith and myself living as missionaries.   God has called our whole family.  We, as a family, are trying to determine what that means together.   How will God shape us?  How will God use our hands in the dental clinic, in the hospital...and how will He use the smallest hands in our family as Meredith makes a friend?   

New things

Malin and I have seen lots of new things this week. For myself, these include a 6 year old injured while trying to pick mangos  and a 60 year old woman who was bent over picking beans only to have a cow kick her (since you know my speciality you can probably figure out where these injuries were located). Both are recovering well from surgery. 

Malin also had the opportunity to see 1 of the 7 C-sections I did in the past 3 days. And he went to the OR as well to assist in a jaw fracture and cleft lip. This morning's c-section was a woman that had been admitted the past 3 weeks for severe pre-eclampsia. She had only 1 living child and 3 dead children and we were trying to wait as long as safe for her health prior to delivery so that this baby would not be too premature. We prayed before the c-section (as we pray before any surgery) and then delivered a 1100 gram vigorous baby boy. She began crying and praising God for an alive child.  Please join us in praying that this baby will grow strong and live, also that Lillian will have a safe recovery. The pictures are of a c-section for twin boys and Malin wiring a jaw with Dr. Kuyaya (Tenwek's dentist).

New games

This weekend we rested, hiked, baked cookies, and shared a meal with friends. Amelia and her friends made a "village" out of some bushes. They each owned certain products and traded them for other goods.  There is also a trampoline here which the girls have enjoyed playing on. I'm really appreciating how much the girls play outside and are using their imaginations. Above our some pictures of the animals we've encountered.  Meredith enjoyed feeding giraffes, but Amelia was too scared. On the other hand, Amelia will hold any reptile (something I prefer not to touch!). 

Malin went to the OR today for a facial tumor. I have to head there as well for a repeat C-section. Thankfully I had a short break this morning to homeschool and e-mail.

A quick update

One week worked and I don't think either of us believe all the pathology and complex medical problems we've seen. The girls did remarkable well with their Kenyan nannies.  It is customary to eat lunch at 1pm together as a family. Our meals ranged from chicken stir fry, tacos, to lentil soup and local greens. Janet is an incredible cook.  We have little planned this weekend, but hope to explore a bit more on foot Bomet, the district Tenwek Hospital is located in. 

The first Sunday of Advent

This first Sunday of advent began with an hour walk. Heather, Beth and myself began at 6am just as the sun rose over the tea fields. It was stunning. A long, warm shower awaited me and then practice with the church worship team. The service in Swahilli and English lasted close to 3 hours. Praise songs, hymns, advent lighting, prayer, offering (one for the church and another for 2 women getting married and for a funeral), a sermon, and even dancing filled the service. Meredith stayed outside with me during the sermon and thankfully Amelia sent to Sunday school.

After church Amelia made a new friend. We now care for a chameleon. She is looking for a name. Any suggestions? Meredith took a walk to the dam. This dam provides the power for the homes and the hospital.

As we start this advent season. I am reminded that the first candle signifies HOPE. Serving in Kenya reminds us that this HOPE is for all people. I learned this as a child through a song. The lyrics went something like this, " Light one candle for HOPE. One bright candle for HOPE. He brings HOPE to every heart. He comes. He comes." Pray we may share in this HOPE with the people here.

Touching Down in Nairobi

We left Whidbey Island at 7AM on Friday Nov 21st with two vehicles, lots of luggage, and two excited girls. The check-in process of our luggage and ticketing was uneventful. We had been prepared by other traveling physicians with only a one-way ticket to bring extra documentation from Samaritans Purse to clarify our reasons for traveling and eventual repatriation.
The 10 hour flight from Seattle to Amerstam went quicker than expected. Malin watched lots of movies. Amelia saw Peter Pan for the first time. Sara unfortunatly was struck with a severe bout of dizzyness (a side affect of malaria medication) compounded with motion sickness from the flight. Meredith walked between our seats and Nanna and Papa 5 rows to the back to burn energy until we found out she was waking other passengers.
In Amsterdam we had a two hour layover. Many tears were shed as we said a tearful goodbye to Sara's parents. Their itinerary took them on a later flight to Kenya and then on to Mombassa for mission service at a Christian Eye Clinic. We will miss them as they we a huge help getting us ready to go.
The flight to Nairobi was one hour late due to snow in Amsterdam and de-icing the plane. Overall we were very proud of our Amelia & Meredith behaved. Sara had an extra seat and was able to lie down with Meredith and try to sleep off the dizzyness. Eight hours later our plane touched down in Kenya at a warm 70 degrees at about 10 PM.
We were discouraged to see a terribly long line to get through customs. We were all wiped out and knew even after this line to get Visa's we still had to get our luggage through Customs. It seemed God knew this as well..as a man motioned us and another medical missionary family to new counter and we had our four visas within 5 minutes.
The Kenyans were very helpful gathering our luggage. We only had one action-packer searched and our family went through customs without problems. We packed into a van and were off to a Kenyan guest house to recuperate.
Just two miles from the airport our van broke down. We were prepared as Amelia had her handheld flashlight she was given from Papa! A replacement vehicle was found and at nearly midnight--some 30 hours of traveling we could sleep! But not for long. 4 AM struck and we were wide awake!
The last two days at the guest house have been a mixed bag. We are at this point with gratitude from the support and love we have received from friends and family. At the same time it becomes evident how really far away we are from the people we love.
We anxiously await tomorow as we will drive 200 miles to Tenwek Hospital!

Packing our bags and off to Kenya

   

After nine 50-lb action packers, 4 suitcases, 4 carry-ons, and a harness for Meredith shaped like a Monkey for the airport we are physically ready to begin our adventure at Tenwek, Hospital in Kenya.     We leave tomorrow and arrive in Kenya on Saturday.  We will stay in a guest-house in Nairobi for several days to rest and get adjusted to the time change.  

     We travel with excitement but also with some anxiety about what the unknown holds for our family.  We pray God gives us wisdom, patience, strength and that He walks with us everyday. We believe God has great things in store for our family and that He will reveal himself in ways we could never imagine.  

2 sets of passports

Well, we've learned a few things in the past several days. First, the government does issue 2nd passports. Second, those passports last for 2 years. Third, you have to have birth certificates, letters from employers, current passports, photo identification, plane tickets, official letters of request for a 2nd passport, passport applications, photos for the applications, $130/person, and finally you have to appear in person at one of 8 regional centers if you have children. And thankfully we had all we needed and now proudly own 2 sets of passports. Just our Kenyan medical licenses are left to obtain. Thanks to all who prayed this would go smoothly.

A New Direction

New tickets, new visas, new location... new plans, but perhaps not new to God. After feeling certain our visas would not arrive in time to fly Nov 18th and almost certain it could be 3 more months of waiting, we discussed our options with World Medical Mission. Several ideas were discussed and after praying about options this weekend and emails with other hospitals we felt confident beginning to serve at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya. This commitment is intially for 3 months. As my parents were already headed to Kenya for medical missions Nov 21st, Lord willing we will be flying out with them.

What has already happened amazes us. Our tickets to Cameroon were refunded enough to cover the cost of flying to Kenya and we were able to get on the same flights as my parents. Visas are easier to obtain to Kenya. Tenwek also had housing available, which is remarkable. Also, the local dentist had just requested World Medical Mission to send help.

There is still one big hurdle. We will be going Friday to Seattle to obtain a 2nd passport. This way our permanent passports can remain in the States for visas to Cameroon and we can still travel to Kenya. Once this is obtained I just have to pack everything-up into 12 fifty pound luggage pieces and we will be good to go. At this time we believe God will still bring us to Cameroon; we just don't know when. Thank you to all who are praying.

Empty Hands

Our hands are empty. Empty of the equipment we sent to Cameroon, empty of visas, empty of the sale of our house, empty of most of the stuff that used to be in our home, and empty from the goodbyes to most of our family and friends. In this emptiness it's easy to despair; we feel daily the Lord reminding us, "That a person plans their course, but the Lord directs their path." And in that we have hope. We believe God is sovereign and that God has a plan. We are confident God desires us to continue pursuing medical missions and are looking at opportunities while awaiting our visas. So for now we are asking: what does the Lord want to fill our hands with?
When God makes our path clear, we look forward to sharing that with you.

Get Involved

We're now in Bend, OR visiting Malin's parents. The girls did well on the drive from Denver. Malin's parents church is having a missions festival tomorrow and we're sharing about Cameroon. We'd like to show this video, but it's too long. Instead, I decided it should be part of our blog and an encouragement to others considering medical missions.

Out of Akron

We all arrived safely in Denver, CO Oct 22nd. Malin drove and I flew with the girls. Our sisters Megan, Kiersten, Ana and there families all live here and we are enjoying our visit. The 70 degree weather also helps and reminds us of the pleasant temperatures we will soon be living in Cameroon.

At our mission conference and orientation we met 1-2 people (out of hundreds) who had lived in Kumbo. Apparently it's beautiful, but hard to get too because of the dirt roads. We were somewhat discouraged that so few physicians/dentists had been there. So while Ana and I were at Whole Foods sampling coffee from Africa I mentioned to the roaster that I would soon be in Africa. He asked, "Where?" When I told him, he smiled and said his last job was installing water pipes and filtration in the Bamenda/Kumbo area. He said the people were wonderful and the scenery was spectacular. Sometimes God provides encouragement in the strangest of places.

VISAs

Cameroon recently changed the process for obtaining a work VISA for the next two years. Therefore there is concern that our VISAs will not arrive before we our scheduled to leave. If this happens we will not leave as scheduled Nov 18th. Please join us in prayer, that our VISAs may come soon and on time.

Prescription for Renewal

Just some pictures after the wonderful time we've had with Grammie and Grampie. Orientation starts tomorrow and we're now in Boone, NC. Beautiful time of year to see the trees preparing for winter. 

Prescription for renewal ended Sunday at The Cove. The purpose of the seminar was to encourage physicians to pursue short term medical missions. We both thought the best part was meeting other physicians who are full time on the mission field. We also heard several amazing speakers/preachers. One missionary spoke on Isaiah 58: 10-11 "and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

We did also learn some discouraging news. The general surgery residency at Banso has been cancelled because of personality conflicts. I was really looking forward to teaching residents. 

Off to orientation

Amelia and Meredith enjoyed playing with Grammie the past 5 days. Malin and his dad biked the C&O canal trail (Pittsburgh to Washington D.C.) during that time. Malin will have to blog about their trip sometime. I packed, cleaned, visited friends, and used a spa gift certificate.

Tomorrow we leave for Asheville, North Carolina to go to two conferences. The first, Prescription for Renewal, encourages medical professionals towards mission work and provides some training on 3rd world hospital settings. For example, I'm going to a workshops entitled "Tools for the resource poor surgeon" and "Common fractures and their treatment", "HIV", "Malaria", "TB" diseases I've read a lot about, but rarely seen. The second conference is our orientation to World Medical Mission and will be in Boone, NC.  When we return, we'll have 3-4 days to finish packing the house and then leave Akron Oct 22nd. 

We've been planning this mission for 2 years. So the count down started in years, then months, and now it's weeks. 6 left before we go.

It's Over

Residency officially ended at 1200 am today. We celebrated last night with a glass of champange. My certificate of "satisfactory completion of an OB/GYN residency" is in my hands and I am grateful. Grateful for the  encouragement of Malin, love from Amelia and Meredith, and support from many other people who helped me survive. 

The girls also said, "Goodbye" yesterday to Ashley. We are going to miss her. She had cared for the girls the past 18 months. Meredith ran each morning to the window to scream, "ASH.....LEEE." And Amelia couldn't wait to play with her. Hopefully we can find someone in Kumbo who will love the girls as much as she did. 

 

Happy Mother's Day

My Mother's Day gift came Sept 27th ...The Akron Marathon began at 7am. And I finished 4 hours 13 minutes later.  Malin and Derek gave us the gift of registration and promised to make sure Amy and I had adequate time together to prepare. Unlike Malin, who will run a marathon without training, we ran, a lot. Because of the heat our runs usually began around 6 am. The peace and solitude of the early morning inspired us many miles. But during the marathon it was the cheers, crowds, and other runners that kept us going. The marathon didn't end quite like I had envisioned. Amy felt ill most of the marathon so we decided to separate about 15 miles in. After Amy finished she went to the medic tent and then onto the ER. Thankfully some IV fluid and sodium made her better. 

My sister Ana is training for her marathon on Oct 18th. We're going to be going to visit her in Denver Oct 22nd. There's one 10k run we can do together during our visit. The only catch is you have to wear a gorilla suit the entire way! 

Generosity in the Darnest of Places

I remember after Wheaton changed it's mascot from the Crusaders to the Thunder the Chicago Tribune entitled an article about the change "Sensitivity in the Darnest of Places." The article's title implied that it was shocking that a  Christian university would think about being cultural sensitivity. We're experiencing some of that same shock with the generosity of secular corporations that have provided thousands of dollars worth of medical and dental supplies. I assumed that the minute we asked for donations for a Christian hospital we would be turned down. I could not have been more wrong. From an ultrasound, fetal dopplers, microscope, surgical instruments, dental hand pieces, toothbrushes, disposable gloves, our UPS man has been busy delivering. The picture is our latest arrival. If you read the package closely you'll see our delivery man is probable a little confused as to why I would need 300 of these delivered to our home! We're also taking bets on how quickly I will use all of these in Cameroon.

Our commissioning service took place Sunday, September 21st.  Pastor Derek said, "Sometimes I think you're crazy". Sometimes we think we're crazy too.... what are we doing trying to pack up 2 kids and move to Cameroon? What are we thinking trying to sell our house in this market and not have steady careers mapped out? How can we possible pull this off in the next two months? But in the end, we agree we'd be crazier to ignore the over 300 verses in the Bible about caring for the poor and crazier still if we didn't go. God has prepared our hearts in ways no words can articulate.  We've been using this quote a lot from Philip Yancey, "I used to believe that Christianity solved problems and made life easier. Increasingly I believe my faith complicates my life in ways it should be complicated. As a Christian I cannot NOT care about the environment, about poverty and homelessness, about racism and religious persecution, about injustice and violence. God does not give me that option." How this plays out in each person's life and walk of faith looks different. For some people it's church commitments, others public service,  or volunteering, or giving generously... for us it's working and living the next two years in Cameroon.

 Amelia sang after the service at the missions festival. Here's a short clip of the choir singing.

Froggies

We've been taking care of at least 1 frog each day this summer (not all the frogs have made it). Amelia caught one particularly gorgeous, fist-sized bullfrog that she kept for several weeks. Amelia and Meredith spent hours arranging it's home and finding  bugs to feed the frog. I tried numerous tactics to get the frog free. Afterall, it was such a magnificent creature I couldn't let it starve to death. Finally I asked Amelia how God would want her to take care of His creation. And she immediately said, "I need to put the frog in Renee's (our neighbor) pond." We had a frog releasing ceremony. And wouldn't you know 30 minutes later we were the proud caretakers of another gigantic frog; this time a tree frog.

Selling and Faith

Our home has been listed for two months, and we've had no offers. Our agent says its not the price or the condition or the presentation it's just the market. I imagine many people are hearing the same thing. It's hard not to try to bargain with God i.e. if you sell our house will use some of the money towards helping people in Cameroon. It's hard not to make our faith contingent upon the sale of our house i.e. God we'll know you really want us to go to Cameroon if You sell our house. It's hard not to make all my prayer requests lately about our house and our family, but as I read the Lord's prayer a (the prayer Christ taught us was ENOUGH) and studied it at our church,  I read:

OUR Father, 

Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give US this day OUR daily bread. Forgive OUR debts as WE forgive OUR  debtors. Lead US not into temptation and deliver US from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

Did you see it? There are no individual requests in this prayer and no bargining with God, instead the prayer is for all people and that today we all are given enough. Does this mean I'm going to stop praying for the sale of our house? No. God needs to know in prayer what is important to each of us. But perhaps I could stop worrying about when God will answer my prayer requests and instead trust that for today God will always provide enough. 

Visit to Great-grandparents

Thankfully Amelia, Meredith and myself completed 800 miles of travel this past week without any problems. Our trip started Sunday with a drive to Saginaw and a visit to Grandma Cichowski and Uncle Luke. After a good bowl of soup and lots of stories, Meredith, Amelia and I slept in one large bed. I think they both got more sleep than I did! Monday we took Grandma on some errands and then went to a park. The engineer/conductor was working on the old child's train in the park and offered to take us on a ride. Then after lunch we left for Fremont, Michigan. 

We arrived in Fremont safely and immediately Amelia and Meredith found some old dolls. These dolls really needed a bath so the girls and the dolls climbed into the tub for some scrubbing. Grandpa took Amelia fishing the next day and we also did some shopping. Wednesday we went to the John Ball Park zoo. Thursday I left again after Grandma and I took the kids to the local park. We stopped in Dundee for the night. The hotel came with a water park which we had to ourselves. Meredith watched Amelia and copied here every move. I'm slowly getting used to Meredith's lack of fear. 

Meredith also had a notable Thursday as she went 3 times on the potty. I'm trying to get her trained so I don't have to use cloth diapers in Cameroon. 

Pictures of Banso Baptist Hospital

We have received many 

thoughtful e-mails from people at Banso Hospital. One of the physicians there, Karabeth, even took the time to send a CD of pictures, Pidgeon English dictionary, and hospital policies. The building picture is Banso hospital. The dental picture was taken in the dental clinic. The bed with the TV in the picture is from the family planning clinic and the last picture is the delivery room in Labor and Delivery (no doubt I will be spending my time in these two places!). 

Some reading

For those of you interested to the right is a link to the National Geographic website about Cameroon. We will be living in Kumbo at Banso Baptist Hospital. Our plane tickets were purchased this week and we arrive Nov 19th in Doula, Cameroon. It is an 8 1/2 hour drive to Kumbo from there. 

Before leaving we have lots of traveling to do (and still a house to sell--please keep praying this sells!). I'm going to Michigan this weekend with Amelia & Meredith to visit their great-grandparents. Then we travel early October to Asheville and Boone, NC for orientation and a missions conference. Next we leave Akron Oct 22nd for Denver then onto Bend, Portland, Seattle, and Oak Harbor. 

We survived

Many of you may think this title relates to our camping trip over Labor Day weekend, but actually it's for completing our first week of homeschooling. As there are no international schools near our hospital in Cameroon, Amelia started Kindergarten at home. So far, she's been an enthusiastic student. Although hand writing lessons have been tough as no one wants either Malin or mine handwriting! We're reading through the Bible with her, the Boxcar children, and many other stories. She's got daily math assignments and science projects (which are by far her favorite subjects). Last, we are learning a Bible verse for every letter of the alphabet.  She will attend preschool for one month prior to leaving Akron just for the social interaction. There is also a primary school close to our home in Cameroon which we may enroll her in to supplement our teaching as well.

Nearly Labor Day

We enjoyed our weekend. Malin and I actually went on a date Friday night. After dinner we went rock climbing at an indoor arena. Malin told our sitter Ashley, "It was the worst date ever" because "Sara climbed up a wall I couldn't." Needless to say we will be going back to rock climb some more. Saturday I ran 18 miles in preparation for the Akron Marathon. Afterwards we went swimming with the kids and then out to dinner with friends. After church Sunday we took our bikes on the train and then attempted to bike back to our car. Poor Meredith got too hot and tired after 8 miles so Amelia and Malin biked the last 2 miles, got the car and met us. Before stopping we enjoyed some fresh, roasted, buttered, salted sweet corn and fruit sundaes. To finish out the weekend we shared a BBQ at our friends the Starr Redwines.These pictures are of Amelia and Meredith enjoying our porch during Sunday's thunderstorm. Wonder what will the storms be like in Cameroon?

To Chicago

Malin left this morning with a 10foot Budget truck loaded with medical supplies for Cameroon. Thankfully, he called to say he had arrived safely in Chicago. The truck needs to be returned by Sat at 9am, so he won't be lingering very long! This means we're taking one step closer to leaving for Cameroon.

In preparation for the truckload. I wrapped an ultrasound in over 100 ft of bubble wrap. Malin packed-up his dental equipment. Amelia and I went to Target to get a few things to send. While we were there I reminded her she had a doctor's appointment tomorrow. She asked if she had to get any shots. I said,"I think you might." Then she said, "Then I think I'm going to have to start crying." Which is exactly what she did. Fortunately Target has plenty of barbies to look at and that resolved the crying. She did end-up with 4 shots today so, her arms are pretty sore. 

Meredith's busy playing the kazoo and putting necklaces on. We're are going out for dinner tonight with friends. 

A wonderful visit

After a red-eye flight we made it back from Seattle, sorry to leave the Northwest once again. Our visit started with Malin's family reunion at Crescent Lake. Amelia thought celebrating her birthday with her cousins was the best party ever. I can't believe she is already five. While we were there Amelia became particularly tired and crabby as I talked to her about controlling her emotions she tearfully said, "Mommy I'm just not used to being 5. I need more practice."

Meredith enjoyed every sand, dust particle, rock and stick by tasting them first. She tried hard to keep up with the older cousins and was frequently wandering off to the slide without adult supervision. Her vocabulary expanded dramatically and she also learned many new animal noises. Her favorite word is still BALLOOOOON!

After a week the kids were completely worn out and then we headed to Oak Harbor. My family got in the usual crabbing, fishing, large meals and a special trip to the Vancouver aquarium. Amelia really enjoyed meeting the baby Beluga and Meredith proudly learned the word "fish". 

Going Home

1 more week before we get to go back to Bend and Oak Harbor. We're all excited. Amelia talks about the plane ride, playing with her cousins, things to do at Crescent Lake, crabbing with Nana  on Papa's boat, seeing Auntie Rachel, and everything else she hopes to do for those two weeks. 

212 Casterton Ave FOR SALE!

After a 3 week mad scramble of painting, cleaning, mulching, weeding, garage-selling, shuffling boxes, and staging our house is on the market.  Please let our agent know if you are aware of a potential buyer!  

   Now the real challenge begins with keeping it presentable with sticky fingers Meredith & Amelia on the prowl.

polio booster,yellow fever & typhoid

The whole family made the uplifting trip to the Summit County Health Department for our vaccinations of all the rare diseases Africa offers.  After 2 hours of counseling with the travel consultation nurse the Friess family was tired of being poked.  Malin took 3 shots to the left arm without tears.  Meredith had 2 shots to her left cute chubby thigh with 10 seconds of fear, crying, trembling, and a flinch of her thigh.  Amelia screamed hysterically, "No, No, don't let them do it..They said it would only be one shot and it was two.  It hurts.  It hurts. It hurts.  It hurts."  Amelia was escorted immediatly out of the waiting room to avoid scaring the other chidren.  Sara bravely took her 3 vaccinations.

 

Amelia's Myringotomy Reversal

Amelia was sedated under light general anesthesia and her tubes in her left and right tympanic membrane were removed.  The surgery took 30 minutes.  Bleeding occurred and was treated with gel-foam in her ears.  Amelia woke up from the sedation hysterical about the "boo-boo" on her left hand from the IV insertion site.  Sara was their to comfort Amelia as she kicked her legs trying to shake off the BP cuff.  

Amelia screamed, "The doctor said it wouldn't hurt.  It hurts.  The doctor was wrong."  Grampie our favorite ENT was not available for an immediate consult.   

Amelia is recovering well this evening after a few donuts and oreo cookies.  She is now making a bath tub for her pet frog and catching lightening bugs.  

Back to Work

Well July 1st came and that meant returning to Akron General to finish. I had really enjoyed the month off to study, and of course it helps that it's one of the nicest times of year in Akron. As I left early this morning I was reminded how many mornings I've missed seeing Amelia and Meredith wake-up. 

The test went well...I think, but don't get the results until after I graduate in Sept. So, another lesson in patience for me. Patience has never come easy for me. 

We were very encouraged today to find out how much First Reformed Church of Oak Harbor will be supporting our mission trip, both financially and in prayer. We're looking forward to speaking with the church in August. Our church in Akron is also planning on holding a luncheon in our honor and commissioning service late September. 

We did something radical today... well actually it's not that big, but we did sell our TV. No more television at the Friess's. Apparently I sold it for a good price given the 50 responses I had to the Craig's List ad in 12 hours. It took up quite a bit of space and our living room looks much better. Now on to the painting...

Amelia played with her friend Ruby today. As I was mulching I found a baby frog which is now sleeping next to her bed in a cage. Amelia understands I want the frog out of our house by tomorrow and so she told me this will just be like a "sleep-over" or "vacation" for the frog. Oh and she named it too, "Frogme." I wonder how long it will actually be around.

Meredith gets a check-up tomorrow and I think 4 shots. She's proudly walking down the stairs now. This week her vocabulary has really grown. 

Only 3 days left before Boards, 4 days left before I return to residency and 30 days left before we leave for Oregon. Guess I better get a good night's sleep and keep studying. 

Moving and Going

We had a busy week. Studying, enjoying time with the girls, camping at Put-in-Bay with our friends Derek, Amy, Sarah and Quinn, church picnic, running, yard sale, and choosing a realtor... It's starting to really become real that we are moving. It's also a bit overwhelming all that needs to happen. We've got to clean, paint, organize, pack, take medical equipment to Chicago (to later go on to Cameroon) and perhaps the hardest part, deciding exactly what to take. What clothes, toys and household items do we bring for the next two years?

Amelia is rather sentimental and hasn't found a toy, clothing item, or decoration she wants to leave behind. I keep watching her take-out what I put in the trash or a box and start explaining to me why it needs to stay out. 

Several missionaries in Cameroon have provided a  list of what to take. So I guess that's where we will start. 

Amelia, No biting your sister Meredith!

We look over to see Amelia saying, "Meredith sweetie it's ok, I'll kiss your finger."  Meredith elicits a loud scream.   Two bite marks appear on her index finger. 

     "Mommy," Amelia says, "Meredith saw the gum in my mouth and she put her finger in my mouth to try to get it out and I bited her."

      Amelia spent the next hour in her room on her bed thinking about what she should not have done.  Amelia then wrote the following note: 

                    BITING IS NAUGHTY

                    I WILL NOT BITE

                    SORRY MEREDITH

                    I WILL BEHAVE --   AMELIA

 

(attached is the picture showing Meredith's shiner above her left eye after falling down the stairs)

Roadtrip to Alexandria, Virginia

Friday we left on a 360 mile trip through Pennsylvania, Maryland & Virginia across I-70 to Alexandria Virginia.  

     Saturday the family road the Metro Blue line from King Street Station directly to the Smithsonian stop.  We came up the escalator and to our right was the Washington Monument, to our left was the Capitol, and all around us was the humid weather of our Nation's capital.  We spent several hours at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural Science.  Amelia particularly enjoyed the life butterfly exhibit.  We saw the T-Rex skeleton, Hope Diamond, and touched Moon Rock.   Amelia wanted to see, "where the President lives," but Pennsylvania Ave proved to be to far of a walk.  Amelia also wanted to see, "Hillary Clinton." We took the blue line back to Arlington National Cemetery.  A trolley tour paid honor to the many fallen soldiers, presidents, chief justices, and journalists of our great nation..a cemetery that will fill in 2020..At 3:00 we called it quits and hit the pool back at the hotel to Meredith and Amelia's delight!  You can see the Washington Monument behind Sara's left shoulder.

     Sunday Zobapago (Zobapago.com explains more) debuted at the Alexandria Red Cross Kids festival.  Our music and act was well received by the parents and children attending.    It may have been the first and only time in my life where my bongos and conga drums were sound checked!  The back-stage pass for myself and family was unexpected.  Ralph's world followed Zobapago.  Amelia met Ralph and he signed her frisbee.  It was a wonderful Father's day to have the love and presence of my favorite girls..Sara, Amelia, & Meredith.

Becoming Better

In Atul Gawande's book Better - A Surgeon's Notes on Performance suggestion are given on how to become a positive deviant in society.  That is how can one make a worthy difference is society.  How can one not be content with just being average?  The advice Gawande gives is directed toward surgeons but I find it relevant to fatherhood, dentistry, spirituality, athletics, and much more.  I was moved and motivated by his suggestions and thought to write them down.   

5 Suggestions To Becoming a Positive Deviant 

1) Ask an Unscripted Question- take a moment when you meet someone new to ask them an unexpected question.  A child--what is your favorite food?  A waiter or waitress--do you have kids?  An acquaintance -- How long have you lived here and where are you from?

2) Don't complain- All of us as parents, professionals, members of a congregation, teammates have plenty to complain about.  It is easy to feel worn out.  Resist complaining.  It never solves the problem.  It is counter-productive.  It usually turns to malicious gossip.  It brings the morale of everyone down.  

3) Count Something- How many patients get dry-sockets post extraction.   How many miles biked in 2008.   How many words Meredith can say in June. The number of times Amelia finishes her jobs.  How many times Scripture is read.  You will be surprised at the successes and the failures.  

4) Write Something-  (As you can see I was motivated...)  A blog, thank-you note to a friend or relative, letter of protest to a senator.  It helps give one a sense of purpose.

5) Change-  Don't be afraid to see outside the routine and the habitual. Believe that you can be different and better.  

Meredith & Amelia--How they change!

Update on Meredith & Amelia by Dad....

Meredith

Favorite toy-shoes  (pulling them in and out of the closet and             bringing Crocs, Keens, Nikes or sandals to the appropriate person)

Favorite Food--Dirt, Sand, Crayons, & Shoes

New Words--Ballooooon, Me, Shoe

Most Recent Shining Moment-  In just over 12 hours Meredith 1) pulls antique lamp off coffee table and shatters fixture and bulb 2) falls down porch stairs and receives a shiner on her right eye 3) tumbles down stairs again and receives shiner above left eye...

Most like a Friess- Meredith is specially fitted for shoes and measured to be a five-double wide..(i'm sorry)  I've been told she has a 'high volume' foot..that would mean thick between the sole and the top of the foot.

Amelia (pink of course)

Best Question-  Mommy what does H..E...L...L spell?  After Sara explains what Hell is...Amelia adds, "Oh yeah Mommy, I forgot there was an 'O' on the end of the word."

Amelia's Favorite Foods- Quiche, Salmon Lox on an everything bagel with cream cheese, & pop-tarts (blueberry)

Most like a Cichowski-  1) Mommy that toy Meredith plays with that makes all the songs...it gives me a headache. 2)I'm carsick!

Nana's Visit

We were so glad Mom came out for my graduation or at least that was the reason she gave, but we knew she really wanted to see the girls. Amelia and Meredith had so much fun putting together puzzles, shopping, playing dolls, and reading books with Nana. 

I was particularly honored to have her at my graduation. It's hard to believe my education is nearly complete, for a while. As Malin said, "I think the only person happier to see you finished is me." Technically I'm done Sept 30th, to make-up for the time I took off for Meredith. But I do have all this month off to study for the written boards June 30th.  So I better get studying, since playing Scrabble and shopping with mom was more enticing. 

The pictures are from graduation and Stan Hywet Hall and gardens. 

Amelia receives her diploma

Amelia has now graduated from St. Paul's Nursery school on May 21, 2008.  She received her diploma proudly.  Thankfully, she is moving on.  Amelia came home one day to tell me, "Daddy, hugging and kissing is not allowed at school."  

Oh really, "what happened?" I said.  

"Vince kissed me," Amelia bashfully exclaimed.

        "Where?"

         "On the playground."

         "No, Amelia where?"  Amelia points to her left cheek much too close to her lips!

     "But I told my teacher and they told Vince that kissing and hugging is not allowed.  But Daddy Ben is really funny and he liked Lauren, but then Ben and I got to be line leaders and hold hands and now he likes me."

          

      

     

Cruising Amelia

Look! No training wheels.  I'm not even five and I'm riding free.  Joel & Andrew watch out.  My ride is my one speed princess bicycle, and I wear a cinderella helmet.  Don't ever underestimate the speed of cute!

The big news after the weekend--Amelia has pierced ears. She's been asking since age 2. We waited a while before agreeing to this change. I half expected her to chicken out once we got to Claire's. Instead she sat quietly in the chair, held completely still and then let out the biggest smile I've seen after it was over. No tears, no crying, no complaining, just contentment. She's taken complete responsibility for twisting her earrings and cleaning her ears. And will get to change her earrings at Crescent Lake. We wanted time for her ears to heal prior to going to Cameroon. 

Grammie's Visit

Amelia and Meredith have been enjoying Grammie's visit for the past week. They've gone to the park, Nature realm, shopping, decorated cupcakes, gone to the library, read volumes of books and colored for hours. The girls will really miss her when she leaves tomorrow. 

Meredith is finally saying some new words, "book and ball." She is trying to walk down the stairs and is quick to escape the house if the door is left open. 

Amelia recovered from her illness this weekend.  She checked-out a book with Grammie called, "I lost my tooth in Africa." The girl places her tooth under a gourd and gets 2 chickens. Amelia is already planning what color her chickens should be when she loses her 1st tooth.

      Amelia and Mom made a special date to Akron Civic's Theater ballet performance of Cinderella.  Here you can see Amelia getting ready--glass slippers, purse, gloves, tierra, for a magical evening.  

Mother's Day Photo

A Whole Month

Somehow my intentions to write weekly turned into a 5 week absence. I think this testifies to the busy month I've had at work and how quickly time will continue to go before we leave. 

Spring has finally arrived in Akron and we are grateful. Last night we biked as a family to Subway for dinner. Amelia ordered her favorite sandwhich: turkey and mayonaise. 

Two weeks ago I participated in a fundraiser for the Women's battered shelter by getting pictures with the girls. We dressed up on request of Amelia and if you look closely she's wearing the pearls Auntie Ana gave her just like me.

Tomorrow is a day filled with the ordinary, playing with the kids, meals, laundry, cleaning the house grocery shopping and hopefully going for a run.