We made it!

Just a quick update to thank all of you who sponsored us for the Great Manchester Run- we both completed the gruelling 10 kilometres in glorious sunshine.  Adam in 52 mins and me in 1 hour 10 mins

If you would still like to sponsor us please log onto www.justgiving.com/greatdignityrun

Thank you   All the pennies you donate will go towards the ongoing work and projects in Mibila.

News from Mibila :)

A little bit on the late side but very keen to keep you in the loop of what’s going on, just horribly slow at getting round to tapping into our blog now we’re out of the habit!

We had a good meeting last night to discuss the clinic and the ongoing plans for the summer months….

Good news firstly in that the fridge has now been taken to Mibila and we are reliably informed is working!  This is amazing news as our avid readers may remember with much lobbying we’d managed to get a fridge as far as the District Health Office but it still needed to be checked that it was in working order and transported to Mibila-no mean feat!  Thank you for all your prayers and to Barry and George for making this possible!

The clinic continues to be very busy we can only pray that the workload does not become unmanageable in the short term and the long term!

World Vision have put in a proposal for funding of solar power at the clinic-please pray the decision on this is favourable!

Plans are afoot to ensure the building of the nurse’s new house goes ahead this summer…a short term mission team is also in the pipeline so watch this space.  We may also take a team over to do some Communtiy Health Worker training so again watch this space and if you’re interested in joining us let us know!

We hope to be transferring funds over shortly to supply the clinic with a motor bike-we were hoping to gain tax exemption to save a considerable about of money but have so far met with dead ends, but all prayers welcome that the purchasing of the bike goes ahead without any hitches and reaches the clinic speedily!

Other good news is Adam was successful in his job applications and will be starting the Academic GP training post in August this year

We are aiming to get fit in the next few weeks as we head off on the Dignity Derby aka the Great Manchester Run.  If you’d like to pop a few pennies in the pot for the ongoing work in Mibila they would be very much appreciated and wisely used! please follow the link www.justgiving.com/greatdignityrun

Thanks for tuning in…more soon!

Mini Update

Wow, we’ve been back six weeks today and can only apologise that we’ve not updated the blog in that time-things have been pretty hectic!  Neither of us had anticipated the difficulties in adjusting to the pace of life back here.  Full time work/study alongside commuting, cooking, cleaning, shopping and erecting Ikea furniture has filled our days to bursting.

Saying that we are enjoying being home but still our thoughts and prayers find themselves in Mibila as we picture how life is there, feeling so far removed from it now.  We have had a couple of e-mails from our amazing nurse George to update us on how the clinic is going and a couple of representatives from Dignity went to visit Mibila at the end of last week!  Crazy to see one of them, Mark, in church on Sunday!  The world is a small place and amazing to think of the distances you are able to cover in such a short space of time!

 We would be very grateful of your prayers for the ongoing work in Mibila-hopefully we’ll get some more info together once we meet up with Mark and Jon on their return from Zambia and will be able to feed it back to you-including some prayer points no doubt!

Thanks for tuning in again just off to finish our report for the BMA Humanitarian Fund who kindly gave us a grant for our Zambian adventure!

Will update more soon….

Winter Wonderland

We’ve been very spoilt since our return with Cleckheaton covered in a blanket of snow when we awoke on Saturday morning.  Needless to say we didn’t brave the outside temperatures until we’d layered up somewhat and the snow was beginning to melt!

We’ve had a busy few days house hunting and reacclimatising to chilly England   The good news is we have found somewhere to live!  We received a telephone call this morning with the happy news we can collect the keys for our new flat in Newton-le-Willows this afternoon!  This is amazing news and we did think it’d take a little longer and we’ d be living our lives in Littlest Hobo style for a few weeks longer.  Phew, bit of a relief although now we have the arduous task of touring the country to collect our belongings from the various kind friends and family who have housed them for us over the last six months.

As we have now returned we think we’ll keep the blog going, but maybe more focused on the clinic and how things progress in the coming months.  We’re not sure the life and times of Adam and Helen in Newton-le-Willows will bring as much entertainment….but “Adam and Helen Firth-A Newton-le-Willows Adventure -medical mission in Salford and beyond” does have a certain ring to it so who knows??

It is our intention to sumarize the last six months to reflect on how things have progressed and how your support and prayers have helped us achieve so much!  We’ll maybe take a few days to digest the last six months but do keep checking in from time to time as we will try and update things as we get news from Mibila  

Home Sweet Home

It’s colder than Siberia but everything works and it’s unbelievably clean!  How’s that for a first impression of England   We’re back safe and sound and actually have to admit that it’s lovely if not a little bizarre!

The decision we made last week to fly back a little earlier was probably one of the best we’ve ever made as we forgot how hectic it was trying to find a house whilst getting used to the business of Blighty.  The roads are crazy with too many distractions knocking around such as people, pushchairs, dogs, roundabouts, advertisements, shops and roundabouts again!  Helen did  a fantastic job of driving back from Newbury and we’re still in one piece. 

We’d been looking forward to watching about 5 movies during our 9 hour flight on Tuesday but unfortunately the entertainment system wasn’t working which meant that we played Scrabble and Helen slept until I had to rudely wake her up.  Hot air from the Sahara caused about 45 minutes of jiggily turbulence which didn’t mix well with the curry we were served for breakfast!   I must say that the comment from the stewardess about the weight of my stomach contents was one of the highlights of the last 6 months

Heathrow was wonderfully quiet and organised and we whizzed straight through immigration to collect our bags within a few minutes slightly puzzled by the efficiency and the fact that nobody was stopping to speak to us despite my smiling and provocative eyebrow raising in every direction.  Apologies for the eyebrow antics when we see you – it’s cultural thing   Other surprises included the gleaming cleanliness of the place, the fact that the luggage trolley’s were better than most cars we’d seen in the last 6 months and the new fangled witchcraft employed for toilet flushing at the airport!  Helen almost ran from the cubicle to exclaim that she didn’t have to touch anything but that by waving her hand in front of the toilet it flushed!  I had to give it a go just because I could……..twice

Having been inappropriately friendly to the customs lady we made it safely to the terminal building and the warm comforting arms of the great British tradition that is Starbucks.  Helen’s very pregnant sister Lizzie had amazingly battled the traffic to come and collect us and despite the fact she’s ready to pop in a couple of months looks brilliant   After a small, excited Starbucks jig we ventured out to the cold, cold, cold winter air and the tiniest car in the world!  After driving Frankie for 6 months Helen’s Clio looked like a toy but like everything else we’d seen was cleaner than an operating theatre. 

Fajita’s, a hot shower and a very comfy bed completed a good day of travelling and we went to sleep happy to be back but slightly confused by the fact that we’d left Lusaka only that morning and yet it felt like another world! 

Final days

Well, we’re all packed up, bags waiting by the door and ready to head to Lusaka.  It doesn’t seem real right now, and we both feel like we’re heading off for a few days to the capital but will be back next week!  We could be in for a rude shock, although I’m sure it’ll sink in once we’re on the plane

We’ve spent the day over in Ipafu visiting Danny and Carol our friends who are peace corps volunteers.  We took Barry along as he and Freda will hopefully be able to offer some support to Gret, a six year old girl who Danny and Carol have befriended and will be very sad to leave in August.  They’re looking to find some way of supporting her when they return to the States and we’re hoping Freda will be able to help them out

After a speedy packing and cleaning session (and a small sleep for me!) we headed off to the Protea (again!) to meet with our friend Bill and his family.  An hour and a half after we’d planned to meet they arrived telling an equally sad tale of vehicle breakdowns-we could well and truly sympathise!

More goodbyes and onto the office to handover our new fancy posh clinic folder to Barry and discuss the final ins and outs so it hopefully runs smoothly on our departure…..

After scratching our heads a little over the budget it was time to head up for our last supper with the family Ilunga plus guests (16 of us in total!).  We were spoilt with a fantastic spread and treated to a lovely African clock and some lovely words

It’s now past midnight and there are only 3 sleeps left until we’ll be home……

Woop Woop!!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah!!  Feast your eyes on the picture below for the source of our joy!

After six months of lobbying the District, on our farewell visit to their office, we were greeted by the vaccine fridge for Mibila   I could hardly contain my excitement and much to the amusement of Mr Waotolo we insisted he have his photo taken with the fridge which he has helped to get this far.  Your prayers are still needed to ensure it successfully passes it’s checks and makes it’s way to Mibila but we’re hopeful it will be fully functional at the clinic very soon!!

This gift was part of an amazing day, we met with World Vision to introduce Barry to their team and discuss the proposal for the development of Mibila.  It’s all go and they hope to have a draft with us by next Friday before it gets sent for approval   This is all very good news as we’re one step closer to solar power, a second staff house and a great working relationship with a fantastic charity

Smiles all round!

Next on the list was completing the paperwork for Frankie, Barry is now the official owner and we pray she can be healthy after her hiccups over the last week or so!

We then met with a Pastor from Ndola who is working with a charity in the UK to set up a rural health post and wanted some advice.  Between the 3 of us we had plenty!  Hopefully we can meet with the charity in the UK and work alongside them too…..

Phew, another crazy day, but amazingly productive for Zambia!  That was at least four jobs completed!  We headed home to begin packing as we are very nearly homeward bound….

4 more sleeps…….but tonight we’ll fall asleep with a smile on our face, Mibila has a fridge, thank you for your prayers!  They work!

More disasters

Well, for all those who managed to survive Adam’s rant-Congratulations!  He’s now apologising for letting off steam in such a long, mis-spelt fashion in places and asks that you stick with us for the few blogs we have left!-he promises no more lengthy tales of car exploits and encounters with the boys in blue (or khaki as it is here!).

That said we had yet more disasters following our last blog-can you believe it!  We could hardly bare to write with the details but I’ll try and keep it brief so you don’t have to put your head in your hands for too long! 

Following our last blog we were happy not only had all 5 parcels arrived  but Frankie was well and we packed her up to travel to Mibila on Thursday for our final goodbyes and to pick George up for his appraisal meeting.  As we set off from Barry’s place there was an unmistakable rattle and having learnt from the previous day’s mistake, at the first sound of a problem we headed straight for the garage!  After a quick peek at her undercarriage it was decided that the rubbers cushioning the suspension torsion bar were the cause of the problem as they were looking a little worn.  Two hours later she was passed as fit to leave the garage and we hoped we’d be on our way albeit a little poorer!  Unfortunately on our test run round the car park she continued to rattle and she was quickly back up on the ramp!  After much sucking through teeth and head scratching the source of the problem was found….the brake shoe which had gone missing the previous day, presumed lost in the road, was found in the brake drum!  Thankfully once the offending article was removed and the drum skimmed we were on our way! Phew!

We bumped our way along the Mibila road for one last time and thankfully there were no further problems with Frankie and we arrived safely   We unloaded and I proudly handed over my new poster, see Mandefu modelling it below!  Mandefu was also my star pupil testing out the malaria flash cards I’d made for the Under-5′s clinic.

           

Barry decided to take advantage of our visit to the clinic and had a review by George, only to be tested positive for malaria!  Thankfully treatment in stock he was able to start taking his medication and will soon be restored to full health! 

We took a quick tour of George’s maize field to see how much I could look like a borrower (see piccie below). 

It was then time for us to say our goodbyes and everyone gathered on the verandah to hear Adam’s speech and treat us to some amazing African singing and dancing.  I’m sure it won’t be long til we’re back and I guess it just didn’t really sink in that we were leaving for good.  Although I was keen to take a bit of Mibila with me as far as we could and kept bundling people into the back of Frankie who needed a lift to town!

Back in Chingola we sat down with George and Barry to carry out his appraisal   All went well and we were able to congratulate George on his first three months at the clinic.  George has been happy despite the busy caseload and is very motivated to improve the health of Mibila and surrounds.  “Surrounds” being the operative word as the reputation of Mibila is so good people are travelling from miles around, including a family who walked 8 hours to get to Mibila!  Crazy!

After a sad farewell to George, his wife Mercy and George junior it was time to return home and get an early night.  After the ups and downs of the last few days we were both exhausted and had another busy day ahead of us….phew!

The final straw!

Unblinkinlievable!  We’ve had a crazy few days and so much has happened it’s hard to know where to begin……but begin I shall

The last time there was another blackout and Frankie was on the brink of a momentous return.  Kyembe called shortly after the computer ran out of batteries and said was ‘just coming’.  In the excitement I dashed outside to wait for him foolishly forgetting that ‘just coming’ actually doesn’t mean anything of the sort and I ended up chatting with our guard for half an hour.  I should say that although having a guard makes it sound like we live in a dangerous area or have a lot to steal but actually I think it’s just fashionable   The chap didn’t even have a torch or a phone so I’m not sure what he could do if the militia turned up!  Anyway, Frankie turned up and although she looked rather grubby and smelled like onions all seemed well.  The tie-rod ends had been replaced and we were mobile again

On Wednesday we planned to drive over to Kitwe to go and help at the CURE clinic and got up extra early to ask Roger (the gardener) if he’d help me try get Frankie looking a bit shinier and smelling less like onions (the onion smell actually came from several squashed onions I found in the back!!!!!) 

After a quick scrub and polish and a new magic tree we were off down to pick up Barry who needed a lift to a bible college in Kitwe.  A few minutes after setting off the warning light came on suggesting the brake fluid needing topping up which we duly did and all seemed well until we were driving up to the ‘old’ house to get Barry when the rear break seemed to bind a little.  Having checked with Barry if everything had been fine with the brakes whilst Frankie was away in Lumwana and contemplating another trip to the garage we decided that the problem had settled and set off to Kitwe with the plan to go to the garage after the clinic. 

After dropping Barry at the college we had a major battle on our hands utilising all my 4×4 driving experience to avoid the big ditches at either side of the muddiest, sloppiest road in Zamiba!  We thankfully made it to the clinic fairly unscathed

The clinic seemed well under control and there was no real need for us to get stuck in seeing patients so we dashed off to the nearby hospital to collect a patient who needed to be seen.  With no sign of them at the hospital entrance we made a quick phone call and discovered they were waiting near the main gate.  Just as we reached the gate and started to pull out Rebecca (who’d come along to help us find the patient) spotted them and shouted for me to stop.  I put my foot on the break having only just started to roll forward and disaster – my foot went straight to the floor and the brakes completely failed leaving me to continue rolling forward into the road.  Thankfully the only thing coming the other way was a police car some 100m away and I put on the hazards and pushed the gearstick into Park to stop Frankie’s prgress.  The brakes then returned and I carefully edged to the side of the road to investigate the problem.  By this time the police car had pulled up opposite and the officer was shouting at me to pull further forward and off the road.  Obviously I obliged and thought he was getting out to come and help as he strode over the road.  This impression soon changed as he announced that he was booking me for causing an obstruction in the road!  Despite trying to explain that the brakes failed he wasn’t interested at all and just took down my details and told us to report to the local police station later that day so he could fine me and teach me a lesson stating that I should no better than to stop in the middle of the road.  I couldn’t believe it and had to work hard to just to stay calm explaining that I’d happily go to the station once I’d taken the car to the garage to get repaired.  In order to prove there was nothing wrong with the brakes and basically prove I was lying he walked around the car and touched each wheel rim suggesting that the wheels would be hot if the brakes were bad!!!!!!   The fine was set at £20 and he wanted it paying even if I turned up with the receipt for the repairs.  Let’s just say he wasn’t very nice

We limped straight to the garage with Frankie making a horrible noise and were definitely pretty fed up!  After almost 6 months with next to no problems she’d died twice since Barry decided to buy her from us – bonkers!  Setting off to walk back to the clinic thoughts of home were definitely at the front of my mind.  John & Becky were really helpful and we went back to there’s for a much needed cup of tea and to think of a plan. 

Having sent a couple of emails the day before to enquire about the possibility of flying home a few days sooner I decided to borrow Becky’s landline and ring the travel company for an update.  The good news being that there are seats available, the bad news being that we’d have to pay £144 to change despite the fact that our charity fair means we only have to pay any difference in tax!  With Frankie in the garage and struggling the thought of trying to drive to Lusaka didn’t fill us with great hope so John & Becky decided to reschedule their week to offer us a lift down whenever we wanted.  Amazing  

First stop after lunch was to see the ‘nice’ police officer who wanted some money.  I’d decided that we wouldn’t pay a penny so approached the guy using every skill we learned during our marriage prep last year!  I pleaded my case again and again with no progress and was about to give up when Mr Officer stated that all he wanted was an apology and admission of guilt.  Stubborn Adam couldn’t bring himself to admit guilt by apologising for the offence so with a stroke of genius I apologised very sincerely for wasting his time and pleaded for his forgiveness on this count   Forgiveness granted I was able to leave with my head held high and with enough money left in the wallet to pay for Frankie’s new brake shoes

Our regular readers may recall that we replaced the brake shoes about a month ago when we were in Lusaka so I was surprised to hear that they’d worn so badly that one had fallen off!!  The mechanic handed them to me and was equally surprised to hear that they’d been replaced a month ago!  It basically appears that we were scammed by a reputable garage in Lusaka and they simply took the money without changing the shoes despite going to the effort of actually getting the parts and removing the wheels etc. etc.  I’m very much looking forward to visiting them next week

Once again all seemed well as we drove back to Chingola and straight to the Protea to further investigate the possibility of a flight change.  My plan was to call the BA desk in Lusaka to see if they could change the flights for less and was amazed to hear them confirm that we could change to the flight on Tuesday 29th with no charge at all

All’s well, that ends well and coming back 4 days sooner than originally planned gives us a little more time to find a house and get ready for my pending exam.  As I said at the start – unblinkinlievable!

Thanks for reading all that – I hope it wasn’t too painful and if it was……..imagine what it was like being there

See you soon

Blackout

We’ve now been plunged into darkness for the third time in as many days   this is particularly bad news as again we hadn’t started making dinner and it could easily be another round of cheese sandwiches if it doesn’t reappear before too long!

The good news is we can feast on some of the goodies that have arrived from home, a bumper bonanza of five arrived today so we celebrated a mini Christmas over some Quality Street treats and are tucking into a couple of new books too   We’re not sure we can actually consume the vast quantity of goodies which have arrived but we’ll give it a go and I’m sure find some willing volunteers to help us out! (the turkey gravy has arrived safely too thanks Dad!)

We are still awaiting the return of Frankie, she apparently made it back to Lumwana this morning and was on the return leg to Chingola a few hours back.  Any minute now we’re hoping for the call to say she’s back safely…hopefully in one piece although we know she’ll definitely be in need of a wash!

This could mean the end of our days trudging into town and expanding our horizons to Kitwe and beyond and hopefully leaving on a high note!  World Vision may well provide this as we are meeting with them on Friday to discuss the proposal for plans at Mibila (apparently they have been busy pricing up solar panels so it’s all pretty exciting)!

The District are paying surprise trip to Mibila this week so hopefully they will be happy with things there and put the wheels in motion for our official stamp and number…..and maybe they’ll bring our fridge…

Anyway,no power and no Frankie…I’m off to make a cheese sandwich…still no pickle!