Monday, February 2

There were some last day things to do today in the village. We needed to deliver left over medical supplies to the hospital in Mbanga and to the village clinic where we had left the microscope last week. While we were at the latter, a family carried in an older child whom we could hear crying out in the “ER” room. We had to leave before finding out what was going on with her and whether she was OK. At the former we got to see a baby which had been brought in as an abandoned newborn three weeks ago. Some of the Linfield students had been there at the time. I understand that this sweet babe had been found in a toilet, covered with feces. This is something that happens all over the world. It always makes me ill, especially when the circumstances are so disgusting – a baby left in a toilet like a bowel movement. The baby is on a regimen of antibiotics but doing fine. The hospital staff is taking care of him there at the hospital until he is transferred to Yaounde for processing for adoption. Ruth and I both noted that he had a grownup sort of face, more distinctively formed than in the case with most babies. The staff named him Emmanuel. Ruth also referred to him as Moses, though the mother of the first Moses abandoned him in a much more careful way than this guy was. When I was holding him I silently blessed him.

When we got home we finished our packing. Just before dinner we gave Ruth's house staff a gift and thank you card. Plantains and the local fish for a closing dinner. Then it was time to go to the airport. Check-in was pretty easy and we then waited for the flight to leave Cameroon. Good byes were difficult.