To the edge of darkness

Time for another post. It has been an eventful 3 days. Last Thursday being a Catholic holiday (Fete du Dieu) we did not go to the hospital but took a tour of the area around Cap Haitien starting with a trip up a hill to a view similar to the photo heading this blog. We were driven around by Major in a Nissan Pathfinder. He took us south to some famous monuments commemorating the Black Napoleon, who led the Haitian independence against France until tricked into boarding a French ship, being captured and taken back to a French prison where he died. Further south we visited a mission that Robyn had worked with in her early days in Haiti. Wherever Robyn goes there is always someone who will yell and scream to reunite an old friendship. We were heading to a town of Plaine du No, a centre for voodoo worship. After a bumpy ride over a rutted road through a more agricultural area we came to the town where the weekly voodoo ceremony was just starting. The priests carrying poles adorned with a cross and a black flag began to weave down the central plaza in front of the catholic cathedral. In the procession of worshippers waving coloured flags was a decorated bull about to be sacrificed in the Pool du Jacques. Robyn led us through the alleyways to the shrine where the blood would be presented. Already people were gathering and the rhythms of the drum beats were rising as people gathered for the event. This was the real thing, not just a show for tourists as there were no tourists except us. Some of us were getting quite spooked by it all but this was Major's home turf and he as a Christian was not affected by it. However, he and Robyn kept an eye on us and before things really got going, we decided to leave. I was reminded of that verse in 1 John 4:4 "Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world". I was also reminded this morning that darkness can never overcome light. On the way home we toured a Christian radio station. That evening Bernadette cooked our evening meal. We are eating very well if not too well and rather than just having European meals are tasting the local fare. Fruit, beans, rice, with various meats and fish all done very well. So much for my hope of losing some more weight!

Friday was a hospital day in which I did my first operation. I arrived at the end of a ward round to find that the patient I had been asked to see three days before was still obstructed and they decided to operate that morning. I was given the honour of "principal surgeon" but there were 3 other surgeons assisting. I had borrowed a set of surgical scrubs from Steve Benford who was anaesthetizing. The docs all provide their own theatre scrubs. Glove selection was very limited. The operating theatre looks quite good in the photo below but conditions are very primitive and infection is a big problem. The air conditioning occasionally works, many things are reused (diathermy plates etc) and some theatres do not have any light. Steve used his penlight for the operator doing a haemorrhoidectomy. We found that our lady had a cancer of the stomach

with metastases in liver, omentum and ovaries (Kruckenburg tumours). We did a gastroenterostomy to bypass the stomach blockage but there is very little else that can be done for such and advanced cancer. Not a very auspicious start for my first case!

We were finished by midday so spent the afternoon with Robyn, chatting up her bank manager, and visiting Pastor Megy. He heads the large indigenous Evangelical Church of Haiti. They recently had a prayer march for all Christians in Cap that extended for 5 miles! He asked me to preach on Sunday 20th at his church which extends over 4 levels and about 800 in the congregation. For the evening meal we went out to Kokiyaj restaurant with a view over the bay at Cap Haitien. We had accra as an entree - grated taro with dried fish, deep fried. It was very nice. I then had poulet

nationale with creole sauce, a really tough old bird but the trimmings were good. Unfortunately near the end of my meal, I failed to notice in my fork of brown rice a chilli. Once bitten it took over. Fortunately, I was already sweating from the heat so the others did not notice my discomfort as I reached for my citron drink loaded with extra ice to cool my inflamed mouth. It lasted about 10 minutes, then calmed to a pleasant glow in the mouth which was not too bad.

Today, Saturday is free so after breakfast of sausages and eggs, we went for a walk in the oppressive heat along the coast from where we are staying. It is part of an old French fort, complete with rusting cannons. There was a slight breeze and I longed to jump into the cool waters like some of the locals were. At the end of the road was a hotel where we bought cool drinks and rested for the walk home. Robyn's heart condition keeps us all

going at a pleasant pace, not like our kids who are always charging ahead wondering why the heavies cannot keep up. I got my first diarrhoea today, possibly related to the chilli incident last night. It's not too bad but I have been a little cautious on my eating today, especially after Enoch, the local lad w

hose house we are staying in ate the meal we had as a takeaway, but threw it all back at us about an hour later. He immediately felt better. The others have had some bowel issues as well but I seem to be coming right very quickly. We have spent the evening relaxing and sweating, listening to my ipod, interrupted by Robyn and Dale in a 10 tone dump truck bringing a bigger bed for Steve to sleep on. Major was at the wheel, happily careering down the darkened streets with no lights and Robyn and Dale hanging on for dear life.

For those who want to look up Steve Benfords blog site go to http://frstevebenford.blogspot.com