Dear folks at home,
Needless to say my thoughts are very much with everyone at Boyden, hour by hour. And of course this is not my case alone, but several others near and far. For about the first time in 95 years, my mother is following the meetings by phone from Magnolia.
The West Africa conventions are over. Visitors have returned to their fields – Colombia, Sweden, Canada, Hungary, England and the Caribbean. We had very good days from start to finish.
Now most of the West Africa workers, English and French are having a few days with family before launching out again. Tom asked Shola and I to come to Jos, Nigeria for two weeks. This is my 3rd visit here. So I am with family too – Charles (79) and Moses (80 +) our two friends here, and both are men of substantial depth.
At Gbétagbo, Benin a new sister started out, Adjovi Stokè. Most all of our friends in Benin are from the Fon Tribe. About 75% of the testimonies at convention (close to 700) are in Fon. But Adjovi and her sister are the only ones from the Aja tribe. This past year while waiting to go, she studied French and did very well, speaking in French in the convention. She will be with Léontine Ahossi in the big city Abidjan, Ivory Coast. This has been another fruitful year for Benin and 23 were baptized.
Soon on the rounds some of the workers were hit with a strange virus. Maybe it goes with the terrain. I also had it. But then in Togo I came down with malaria. Getting on it quickly with the now available malaria self test kits, I seemed to recuperate and kept up with my part of the schedule. But in Ikorodu it came back on me with a real vengeance. While in meeting one afternoon the bottom just went out of any strength I had left. Fortunately Dr Omila, from Port Harcourt, was present. Soon she had IVs strung from the curtain rods and that went on nonstop for 48 hours. She stood by me day and night. Tests showed that I had typhoid fever at the same time which also really weakens you. So that has been my state the past couple of weeks – really weak and trying to recover. I feel grateful to be alive. So many don’t make it – 619,000 globally per year. A young sister worker from Ireland, Mabel McKendry, that everyone loved so much is buried in a lonely village here in Nigeria. All our workers, native and foreign, have to deal with it all the time. I am so fortunate to have gone two years without that. I go for short walks and everyone is so friendly. It is heartwarming.
This Thursday Shola and I return to Lagos, Nigeria – 1 1/2 hour flight. It is too dangerous to travel by land the two day journey through some of that territory. Then Monday, Sep 25, Gildas Bewa and I are to travel back to our field, Liberia (DV).
With every good wish.
Your brother,
Dan
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