The Goats

"Kate, your goats are bothering us."

"Kate, your goat is so angry all the time."

"Kate, your goats are so friendly and used to people."

"Don't worry Kate, I won't let your goats escape."

"Kate, your goats are going to get into the garden."

"Kate, your goat and I were just fighting the other day."

"Kate, we haven't seen much of your goats these days."

My goats are keeping me busy. They keep wandering away from where they are supposed to be, sometimes even threatening to leave the hospital altogether. Even though they have 17 acres to roam in, they don’t seem content. Ramsey got out one day and even crossed the road, and I had to run and get him back, before Nina would follow. Ramsey is so used to me he will never run from me, but Nina is a different story. Once she leaves the hospital I will never get her back. I am especially attentive because she will be having a baby soon and I do not want to lose her and the baby to the town of Impfondo.

Maternity

I really enjoy my work in Maternity - getting to spend lots of times with moms and their babies, teaching, talking hanging out, delivering babies, doing prenatal care and postpartum care, and a bunch of other stuff as well. I am very blessed to be able to do this!

Helping a new mom with feeding her baby

Maternity is my domain in the hospital, and a little of pediatrics. Really I am supposed to be doing both, but I am struggling to keep up with everything! 

Newborn babies are always exciting!

Another baby Kate!

Doing rounds

I usually only do rounds in Maternity and Pediatrics, but sometimes, for educational purposes, or because a translator is needed, I will round with the doctors throughout the whole hospital.

Luke assessing a malnourished baby in Pediatrics

This baby is six months old and under her birth weight

Trying to keep up with our awesome supervisor Urbain

more goodbyes

Today I had to say goodbye to this wonderful group of people. It has been an amazing month with them. Lots of laughter, so many card games, trips to the river and the market, wrestling goats, hours of hard work, several adventures and a fantastic water fight. I will miss them so much. Visitors come and go all the time, but the time with these people has been especially good.

Emily R and I bonded over a two day trip on the river to Enyelle, and then for the rest of the time we got to help moms with breastfeeding and deliver babies together! She helped me with finance reports, brought me snacks and kept me from going crazy. We also had coffee together in the mornings at my house, lots of good talks and lots of fun. I'm going to miss her cheerful personality. She has the ability to make everybody around her laugh and she brings energy and joy to each person she meets. 

 (Not to mention she took great care of me while I was sick)

Emily M and Emily R. 

These girls are just wonderful. 

I feel as though I am always saying goodbye to people. Really the goodbyes will never end - and being here they are just more frequent. But every minute is worth it.

Always the river...

 You can see the shoreline of the DRC behind us

We met this kind lady on an island in the middle of the river

 “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” -1 John 3:11

“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” 

-Psalm 24:1

Ice cream

We found the ice cream man in town again. This is only the second time I've had ice-cream since being here, and the first time I wasn't too impressed. It was much better this time. I think it will continue to improve the longer I am here. :)

Baby Baths

Benonie enjoying bath time!

One of my friends here had her first baby yesterday. I have been with her through her pregnancy -  every prenatal checkup, several illnesses, two bouts of malaria and many other challenges...But God has seen her through, and with very thankful hearts we welcomed her baby girl into the world. Due to her serious physical handicap, she had to have the baby by C-section. But everything went well, the Bloc team were exceptional and there were no complications. What started out as a rather tense and stressful morning ended well, and I got another namesake. I think I am starting to lose count of the Congolese baby Kates. :)

Emily and I back in Maternity after the C-section

Bakandi Market

I went with “The Guys” to the Bakandi market the other day, and actually got some pictures. I almost never take pictures in the market because it’s a touristy kind of thing to do, and sometimes people don’t like it, but since I was already with two other white people - and since they were both men no one was bothering me, I took the opportunity to take some photos so you all can see a little of what it looks like.

Palm nuts, which are crushed to make oil which is used for cooking

Dishes, machetes, brooms, a lantern…whatever you could possibly need

Seasoning, onions and peppers

Broiled fish

Soap and oil for sale

A little guy enjoying a special treat

There are endless clothing shops with a wide variety of cheap clothing, beautiful fabric and other odds and ends

Corn, beans, coffee and other random things