This is Mama Josephine who does the consultation. She is a nurse specializing in the eyes. She only uses one of those handheld light things. All the consulting we do is pretty basic stuff... if they need more attention we forward them to a hospital.
Just a few things I wanted to mention about Anna's last week... 
she works on her plantation. They look like the grub worms that infest sweet potatoes back home! Those were not as good and it turned out both of us had to choke them down! After dinner there was a little dancing - always a good time with that group!!
Anna has left me now (the last of the Americans). So from here on out it will be French in the house... I will be teaching them English when I can work it in, but since there are three of them, I think I will be speaking French. Mama Jeanine and Pastor Jean Marc (pictured here as the cutest Gabonese couple!) thought it best if a few people stayed with me, so now there are two guys living downstairs and a woman staying with me upstairs.
Okay Meredith here's an update... thought others might be curious on day to day as well so here it is! This won't be in any particular order, but just as I remember it. Gave Titus a bath today and put him in his kennel for a little while to dry. (see photo) Of course when he got out he got back dirty again, but his fur does feel softer! I gave Gentile her Frontline treatment today, still waiting for Bandit to show up for his... I'll get him tonight when he comes for supper! Here's also a picture of Gentile eating, she's actually been really good except for seeming a little clingy. Titus prefers to eat in the afternoon now... don't know if it is the heat or what??!! But he is eating!
I actually forgot to take pictures Thanksgiving, but I think Anna took a couple, I'll get some from her and pass them on!
Life is tres calme here, but we are slowly filling up the schedule so it's not just Anna and I staring at each other. Monday night a girl Sangoye knows came over and we spoke English. She told me a quick version of her life story and how she has many questions about God... we are supposed to meet again next week - please pray for our time (her name is Chanie). A few of the girls from Nzong were supposed to come over today, but we had French and they didn't want to come after 3pm, so they are supposed to come Tuesday.
Next week is my last week of English class for level 1!!! We talked about them continuing on to level 2, but I think they are a little hesitant... so we decided that the Tuesday after next they should take the test (didn't take it in the first place) and that would be able to tell me if they are really ready for level 2... I think they are! The printer guy is supposed to come tomorrow and take a look at our yard sale one... called him today just to confirm.
Mama Jeanine came to English class Thursday and I think she is feeling better! She has invited Anna and I to work out in the bush, but it won't be this Saturday, maybe next. She also talked about eating what sounded like grub worms. I was able to work it into the lesson on "might/may/maybe" by saying "I might eat insects." It was funny... they loved it!!!
I had called the salad guy earlier in the week and he said he would have some stuff Friday... so he came by this morning with his wheelbarrow. I bought a few heads of lettuce (which reminds me I need to wash them!), some tomatoes, and some green leafs that start with an "F". Mama Justine showed me how to prepare them today!!! They were good... think I might have to do that again!
That's about all I can think of right now... we all miss you and hope you are doing well!!
Do you remember my blog on the Okalasi church? It's the one that started small, but then has grown due to the Samaritan's Purse Christmas Shoeboxes. We took some teams out there this past summer and helped them start on the foundation for the church. There were a few kids that came everyday and helped us... Seraphin and Oliver are two of those kids. We went there this past Sunday for church with Pastor Jean Marc (the man who is in charge of the Samaritan's Purse program for Gabon - yeah we know all the important people :) Well it turns out he was going to give some kids in the church certificates for participating in the Mailbox Club.
(Old picture of Paul - our guard and Titus - our dog who is now too big to pick up)
Wednesday: Leanne’s Birthday. Meredith had made some cinnamon bread! And had a bunch of presents sitting on the breakfast table. Leanne got sung to that morning as she opened presents, a few of which came from home, Christie, Angie, and Dad.
Here I met Mama Jeanine for the second time. She had been one of Leanne’s students, but was really the person in charge of the health clinic. I met a few others with the clinic and another “character”, Joseph. (See a picture of the best buds in "Dad's trip (first two days)") 
Leanne was introducing me as “papa” so when I reached to shake Joseph’s hand he just grabbed mine and gave me a big hug. [by the way Dad - they said to say "bonjour" yesterday] From that point on he and I were cutting up quite a bit even though I couldn’t understand a word of his French. Later I found him in Leanne’s English class, and at about every event that I went to!
Leanne had brought plenty of paper and crayons so most of them did some amazing drawings. (This was the first time we had done this and I was amazed at how engrossed they were, but they really don't get to color much - if at all, so they loved it!) Josh went with some of the older boys and played soccer in the front yard. 
Steve is the missionary pilot awaiting a newly refurbished plane to carry patients to and from the Bongolo hospital. It costs about $120 to get cataracts taken off both eyes at Bongolo hospital, but in Libreville, the capital of the country, it costs about $1500 per eye.
I went to Gabon to see how Daddy’s “little girl” was doing. I needed to see that she was OK in her new adventure. I can’t remember missing one of her birthdays and I wanted to be there for that even though I was missing Sandy’s surprise birthday party that I found out about on the day (Sandy’s Birthday), I was leaving. It is really amazing what experiences one can have traveling to a far away birthday party. But the most moving experience, for me at least, was the realization that I love Leanne very much and miss her and that I love Sandy very much and missed her if just for 17 days. And in return I realized that I was loved by both these wonderful women. I told Meredith this, during my stay there, that I have been blessed! I guess you don’t realize what is happening until you venture out of your own little cocoon and take that “Road Less Traveled”. And boy was this road less traveled! I think that these trips/ventures are really necessary as you travel though life to get to know what you have (and appreciate that) and what you may not have and especially what many others do not have. I don’t just mean material things, but the love, health, time, and friendships to enjoy this trip (life) we are all involved in.
So on dad's second day here we headed down to Bongolo (an 8-10hr drive). He did well for being couped up in a van for most of that time (we had a few stops). One of the stops was at the Equator for pictures... here is Dad and I in front of the sign.
We took a walk down to the river. The river is where Bongolo hospital gets their water and their power. Actually the power plant there gives power to a few "cities" in southern Gabon. 
His first day here I had English class so I had the class greet him and ask him a few questions. At the end of class they brought in some brownies and had the class sing happy birthday to me!
He came for my birthday! That morning when I came down for breakfast they had the table all decorated and Meredith had made her awesome cinnamon bread! I opened gifts from here and home! Thank you! Definitely one of my best birthdays ever!
After breakfast we went on a medical caravan to a fishing village here in Libreville. Dad and I did the blood pressure and weight.
We also went for a short hike with Joseph down to the shore and saw where they smoked the fish. Dad really bonded with Joseph. Here's a picture of them at the smokehouses on the shore.
It started raining when we were down there so one of the locals picked up a piece of "tull" (roofing that they use to cover the fish when they are smoking them) and we walked part of the way back under that... the local soon found three umbrellas that they lent to us. Love this photo!
Some girls at a church we worked at this summer, gave me this fabric and I finally got it made into an ensemble!
So lately God has been hitting me up in a couple different ways with that Matthew 6 verses I wrote about a few weeks ago. The latest is through this book "Through Painted Deserts" by Donald Miller.
So it is 12:30am and I'm up, and probably will be for at least another hour until my heartbeat slows down. I'm pretty pumped! It used to be that my favorite Awana night was pajama night, but I think I might have to change. Yep - tonight was "Leanne night", and now that I think of it I was actually in my pajamas for Leanne night so it definitely is my new favorite night! Kate had made a sticker from this photo for all the kids to wear - how cute is that! The only thing that stinks about Leanne night is that I'm not physically at Awana. But they did a great job of making me feel like I was! When we were saying the pledges she moved the computer a couple times so that I would be facing the correct flag (so cute! made me giggle!). I got to see all the kids, say hi, speak a little French, answer a few questions, and see how they have changed! Oh how I love and miss them! It was also great to speak to the rest of my church family!! I miss my Whiteville family!!
Had a friend of mine from the US write the other day. I really appreciated the raw honesty of it and wanted to share it and give a short responseI love it when you have a friend who is close enough to be angry with you and tell you. My momma once told me "I love you... I am mad at you right now, but I still love you"... telling me there was a difference between love and a short term feeling like anger. The more I read about love, the less I think it is a feeling and the more I believe it is a decision (insert sermon on love here...)
It also reminds me of that verse in Proverbs 27:6...
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
I also love the fact that she feels secure enough in our relationship to be able to express her true feelings; that she can put them out there and we can deal with them.
So to those of you who might be a tad mad at me (it's ok if you are), I'm sorry. But I do feel that God has led me here, not necessarily for bigger and better things but for different things. God knows that I need to grow and I believe that we grow the most through struggles and challenges. Actually this experience has been a humbling one for me... I'm not the big dog at Awana, in fact the greatest thing I've done for the church is to show them how to make pizzas - not quite the same.
But also know that I miss you guys too, and regret not getting to hear the details of your life, how you and your kids continue to grow, being there when you are going through rough times, etc...
I love you,
leannie
It wasn't even wool! I didn't bring any wool... not like I would need it. But there are little moths or bugs that eat away at your clothes here. Discovered this one morning getting ready for church. I have to admit it did sadden me a little, but it also reminded me of the above verse. The cool thing is what happened when I went to church that morning... a girl came up to me and gave me a gift... a bag of clothes! That reminded me of the verses below... a little later in chapter 6.
