Feb 2017 DRC/Uganda/Thailand

We added a new employee to the work force.
He had to go home for a nap, but was doing a
great job cleaning up before he left.

I was less than 2 minutes late walking into work
and I came into this: my new colleague already starting to teach!
It was nice to see everyone ready and engaged.

Teaching seems to be the theme of the month.
This was learning about high blood pressure while taking a coffee break.

Everyone, mostly, hard at work.
We are trying to decrease the number of infections after surgery,
but it always seems to be a struggle.
They are working on cleaning out the wound.

Dr. Deborah and I.
She will be taking over the department when I leave in May.

Drs. Willem and Joanna.
They have now moved to a smaller village to start working in a hospital.
They will be missed.

All the people with Samaritan's Purse saying goodbye to Willem and Joanna.

Anna's mom came to visit again for a few weeks.
It's nice to have a guest.

In mid-February I headed to Thailand for a medical conference.  I was able to meet a lot of people, learn a lot about medicine (meetings from 8am-4:30pm), and to see a little bit of the surrounding area.  I didn't take any pictures, but have a lot of good memories and a lot to teach when I get back to Nyankunde.

Spending time on the beach in Thailand.
After the conference I met up with my host family I lived with in Switzerland.
It was nice to rest.

Checking out the plankton under the microscope at the local pearl farm.
Not nearly as interesting as medical slides.

Holding up the oysters that make the pearls.
I'm with Robert and Christine.

The last look at the beach.
Now I'm headed back to Nyankunde.

Timeline:

March 6-10: Visit from mission organization called Serge. (Once my contract is finished with Samaritan's Purse, I will need to find another way to continue working in Nyankunde).

March 8-April 10: Visit from my friend Anita, an ICU nurse.

April 28-May 8: Visit of health centers and hospitals in northeastern DRC

May 9-13: Meeting with all Samaritan's Purse post-residents (that's what program I'm in) near Nairobi, Kenya.

May 14: Back in the US

Summer: I'm looking forward to visiting people, hoping to find a temporary job, and going to take my board exams October 20th.