many neighborhoods are inundated with water...

 

Thank you for praying for us and our health. Your prayers are needed especially this time of year.

 

The rains this season have been abundant for around 5 weeks now. It’s a really tough time for life in N’Djamena. With all the rain, many neighborhoods are inundated with water. These become full of contaminants and and mosquito larvae. So many of our Chadian colleagues and staff have been sick with bad colds, malaria, dysentery or amoebas. Nearly everyday someone else is suffering or dying. They go to the clinics or hospitals for treatments which is costly. But many of the government workers have been on strike, so no doctors to help the sick. My cleaning lady’s daughter was there for 5 days. Finally they just went home because there was no doctor to read her exam results and give her a treatment. It’s just crazy. We try to help with giving them some pain medicine, head cold or cough medicine, or money so they can buy what they need. But it seems just a drop in the bucket. It’s heart breaking. Please pray for them. The rains are getting less here now and should stop by October. Then the dry season begins, hopefully with less sickness.

But, the rains continue in the South part of Chad. Here’s a prayer request from the only translator we have in the South. “On the trip to the South, there was so much water everywhere! Between Bongor and Kelo many people have abandoned their concessions (homes) that are in knee deep water and are camped in makeshift shelters up along the sides of the road. Please pray that soon the heavy rains stop. At the moment, we are having rains nearly every other day! Pray for people who are already worrying how they will feed their families without a good harvest and for others who will need to rebuild their homes once dry season comes”

Sickness has also affected us. Three Sundays ago Jim came down with something like the flu. He recovered in two days. Saturday, a week ago, I came down with something that felt like the same flu bug. After two days of fever, up to 104 at one point, headache, body aches and diarrhea, the fever broke and body aches and head ache left. But the last symptom continued along with extreme fatigue. So the nurse thought I might have amoebas. That is how I’m being treated. It has improved but the medicine did not taken it all away. I had been out of the office since the beginning of last week. Five days ago I started an herbal treatment. It’s a tea made from a plant that grows this time of year. Isn’t our creator God incredible! I need to drink a liter of it every day for 8 days. (It tastes like an herbal tea). Sunday the doctor, an SIL member who works at a clinic north of town, came to see me. She put me on an antibiotic. I am grateful to be feeling better and returned to work on Monday. I was so touched by so many of my Chadian colleagues who either came to pray for me or sent wished for my good health to return. It’s a very caring atmosphere here.

 

So how does one get amoeba? Either by eating unclean raw foods like veggies, salad, tomatoes, etc. or unclean water. I don’t think it was food because I properly clean them and Jim didn’t get it. So it could have been the water. Even in Tucson I’m very sensitive to the well water during the rainy season. I often just drink bottled water to avoid a stomach ache.

We do have a wonderful 80 foot deep well which gives us very clean water, but with the rains, the contaminants and germs just soak into the water table. We have 3 or 4 types of filters which the water goes through and Jim changed 3 of them before the rainy season started, but the 4th which has exceeded its recommended use by 4 times, costs $600. Thankfully today our director told Jim to just order it and we will trust God for the money. Hallelujah!

Jim was able to finish up one major project last week, so he could make a trip to our village center out in Mongo (in central Chad). Yeah! (I was supposed to go too but wisdom said stay). He left Saturday with a Scottish lady and two Chadian men. He has two pages of repairs that need his attention. He will be there until Friday, when, Lord willing, he will catch a free flight with World Food Program, back to N’Djamena.

 

Recap prayer and praise:

1. Please pray for the health of the Chadians. My Chadian boss just went home sick yesterday with malaria and his wife has it also.

2. Pray the rains stop soon.

3. Pray that the antibiotics will kick these bugs out of me.

4. Pray that the new filter will be purchased (and provided for) and it arrives safely in Chad.

5. Pray for Jim to have wisdom and stamina to tackle the “to-do” list in Mongo. He and I plan to go out East end of the month to help another gal set up her solar panels.

6. Praise for the Great Physician and His helpers, nurses and doctors. For returning to good health.

 

Be in good health and be thankful when you are!

 

Jim and Judy McCabe

Serving in Chad