Final Ramblings

The last 2 weeks have been quite full and I'm disappointed in myself for not blogging more often. It's not that I haven't wanted to, however. Between the internet being unavailable one day, electricity the next, and a nasty case of the flu in the latter part of my last week in the hospital, it was an honest oversight.

The problem is that I'm afraid of forgetting it. Although east Africa is only hours behind me - so recent that I can still smell it in my clothes and the dusty fabric of my backpack - I am afraid to let it become a distant memory. I wish I could bottle and take with me the sounds of the kids on the street and the taste of cold Fanta in recycled glass "choopa" from the shop across the street. I want to make sure I don't forget how simple life was and that it was okay. Not always convenient, and sometimes simply uncomfortable, but always easy. It was a privilege to meet my patients and help them get well - and sometimes not - and learn from them that the problems in my life are really pretty minor. The important things are not things. And there's not enough time to get all worked up about them.

Here are a few pictures of my last weeks in Tanzania, with more entries to come as I get settled back at home and have time to reflect on them. Thanks to all the friends and family who take the time to read this sight and let me ramble on about things that I wish I'd learned much earlier in life.

Oskar and Chloe Wendell, our backyard Neighbors

This sweet Little boy to the Right is Christopher, a child who suffered severe burns years ago and was worked on by the plastic surgeons this month. His smile is unforgettable.

Internal Medicine Rounds with Dr. Debes and Univ of MN med students Katie and Maiken

Megan, Kurt and I at the Snake Park. Photo taken by Rob

This is a photo of some of the members of our church choir at a fundraiser for Hospice. We joined about a dozen other Tanzanian choirs for the benefit, which culminated in a massive group performance of Handel's Hallelujah Kuu from "The Messiah", sung in Kiswahili. It was pretty powerful. But here's the best part: after a rather long, hot day of each choir performing their own songs and several solos, it was time for all of us to join together for the finale. Just as they called us up to the front of the church, the rain began. It rained so hard that the sound of it beating on the aluminum rooftops completely overcame the sound of our voices. There were a lot of very happy locals in the crowd that day. We waited for the rain to subside before we sang...