Theo Edwards - 1 week down:

Sitting here in Iringa at an internet cafe, finally getting a chance to write a few things for our blog. I think the best way to summarize this adventure so far is to reiterate our debrief today. We were asked what has been our biggest challenge, what has amazed us, and what we are looking forward too. So I will start with my thorn (biggest challenge). This has been just trying to make sense of the chaos that goes on in the hospital. Communication has obviously proved to be a major obstacle, and we do the best with what we have. Now I could go on about this, but I will just leave it at that. My rose (that which has amazed me), is a number of things, but I will only name a few. 1) I am amazed at what a significant impact Randy, Gary, Ken, and all the others have made through the years, and they are very humble about it. So Bravo!!!! 2) I feel incredibly lucky to be working along side such an amazing group of people. Everyone has their own unique talents (from nutrition, to pharmacy, to psychology), and I see this paying dividends in the lives of our patients each day. Lastly, I should mention what I am looking forward to in the coming days. Yes, spending 3 days on safari next week will be a magical experience, but moreso, I am excited to what surprises are in store each day. A quote I heard when we arrived has kinda stuck with me. "you come to africa trying to change africa, and you realizes that it is africa that changes you". Asante Sana!!

Theo