This morning started out like it was going to be “one of those days”. Zorash called me close to 9 am saying she was up all night with her little nephew who was having belly aches. She said she just got to sleep around dawn and she had just got up so she would be running a little late. Then Meri showed up with two of her children. Your son Hussein had been sick for several days and the health insurance card had expired. When she went to the office on Friday she was told their internet connection was down so she couldn’t renew it. I guess I was the only one she could think of that would help her with a little cash to be able to go to the Yendi Hospital for his treatment. Of, course I did help her.
As soon as Amama arrived I put her to the task of getting all my dirty dishes washed and then she started cleaning the spare bedroom that is on our side of the house. This is where Kandie’s brother Paul will stay while he is in Yendi.
Iddrisu and I didn’t have to run the center by ourselves very long. Zorash showed up about 15 minutes later which surprised me. You could tell she wasn’t running on all cylinders but who would be when you’re up all night with a crying child.
We saw 4 or 5 sets of twins this morning at the Center. Most of the twins we see are fraternal twins (two different eggs that were fertilized at the same time). One particular set of twins were brought by their father and mother with prescriptions for baby formula. These twins are fifteen months old and not candidates for formula or the baby cereal called Cerelac. Both children were definitely low weight. I took some extra time to talk with the parents about the different foods the children could eat and how many times to feed them during the day. I remember wanting the best for my kids when they were growing up and I wanted to afford these parents the same courtesy. We helped them with some weaning mix and multivitamins and instructed them to return in two weeks for a weight recheck.
After we closed the Center as I was about to start eating my lunch I noticed two babies with their guardians out under the mango tree. They were here for formula according to Iddrisu. He told me he would take care of them. He was just finishing up his lunch. We ended up seeing 48 children today.
After my lunch break I went up town to take back the eggs crates that I had borrowed yesterday, look for windshield wipers, and get some communion juice to take out to Timothy Niligrini at Kulkpeni. I was just about to leave town for Timothy’s house when Divine called and said they were coming to the compound to pick up the money that I have been holding that will be used to fuel the bulldozer. It’s weird how you have to provide everything for the services render around here. In our area it would seem that no contractor has the money in reserve to keep their operation running like having fuel on hand. I had just returned from Timothy’s house when Divine and company arrived. After giving them some water they were on their way very quickly to get the fuel purchased.
After Bro. Divine left I dug up some clean sheets from the trunk and made the bed up in the spare bedroom. Amama did a good job getting the room cleaned. Finishing the spare bedroom was one major item I could check off my list.
I had started writing the Yendi Notes when Bro. Divine called me to come open the front gate. The tractor was waiting outside the gate. I was afraid there was a problem but Divine reassured me there wasn’t. If fact the contractor instructed them to go to a certain gas station in town to buy the diesel and they saved 200 GH Cedis by taking his advice. Divine was leaving the 200 GH Cedis with me to hold in reserve. Boy that usually doesn’t happen around here; that is saving money. Prices usually keeps going up, not down.
That just about sums up my day. Have a good day and please keep our family in your prayers. We have several family members that are under the weather with seasonal illnesses. We will keep all of you in our prayers as well!
In His service,
Stephen Taylor
