Last year, our church supported the shipment of used medical equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Drs Jim and Becky Campbell of Horseshoe Valley Ont, (family of Trinity's Ken Campbell) are over in the Congo for the month of January and send this letter:
Dear Friends and Family
Its Sunday afternoon. Hot and clear and thankfully a little breezy.
We had a wonderful service at church this morning. Great singing, several choirs, passionate Biblical preaching en francais, several friends from the hospital community to chat with after the service. We had a buffet lunch at the "Greek Club", our first restaurant foray in DRC. We sat on the porch, the restaurant 20 metres from the wall surrounding the UN peacekeeping base. There is still a machine gun manned in each corner, but no one expects anything to happen and there are far fewer signs of peacekeeping forces around this year than last. Apparently a large part of the Bunia contingent was sent north to intimidate the "Lord's Resistance Army" that have been driven out of Uganda and are causing havoc in Congolese villages to the north. We have two young men/teenagers in the hospital with infected fractured leg gun shot wounds to their thighs from this area.
The UN compound beside us at lunch, just a 2 or 3 acres in size, is in the very centre of the city, and it housed 5000 refugees in 2002 for several months where they were trapped when this city was completely evacuated excepted for warring rebel groups. The city was completely devastated- bombed, looted, burned, etc. during that year, but today everyone has returned and the population is said to be about 300,000.
Yesterday, the Centre Medical Évangelique staff (including the 5 Congelese doctors we work with here, and Philip and Nancy Wood- our friends), hosted a medical conference and invited doctors from other parts of the city and a few visitors from outside. There were 20 present for the day. About 9 presentation, each of 30 minutes length were given. Becky and I each were included and gave talks that were well received. They treat us very well here and are keen to learn what they can of western ways. We, of course, have a lot to learn about the diseases that are new to us, and our French remains very weak. The moderator walked over during the last talk and ask if I would close in prayer. I said "no" saying my French wasn't up to it. He said "then pray in English". I had to puzzle that through. In one's native language they would expect a 5 minute prayer at least. En francais I thought I could get out a short prayer and was successful. My friends assured me afterwards it was acceptable, with no linguistic disasters of mangled meaning.
The work continues to be very challanging. The junior doctors are quite keen to learn. The anaesthesia students with Becky are doing very well and Becky has been able to improve the basic equipment available here tremendously-both by figuring out how to use monitors delivered in the container and also with some equipment she brought. The whole level of anaesthesia here has improved substantially in the last few years. Better equipment. Becky's persistence with training, and with the senior nurse-anaesthetist here, called Aaron, recently back from 2 months training in a real hospital in Kampala, Uganda that Becky organized.
So we are happy and better rested this afternoon.
We find it exhausting here, and in many ways very frustrating and difficult, but the people are really lovely, gracious and appreciative. They are also immensely tough and resilient, having lived most difficult lives.
Thanks for you love, prayers and encouragements.
Love to you all.
Jim and Becky
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