Thursday 21st September, 2006

Dear Friends:

Just wanted to update you on me and what is happening with my health. I wrote most of you during my 4th hospitalization due to complications from my hernia repair in April. They thought I was reacting to the mesh they had put in to strengthen the repair, but found out it had been well taken in by the body and that I was just having a bad infection from a drain that had been put in during surgery #3.

I ended up staying in 6 nights and 7 days in the hospital before talking my doctor into letting me go to my flat in Harare. I went home with an open abdominal incision that I had to clean and pack twice a day. I was not allowed to return to Chidamoyo until the secondary closure was to be made. So I was discharged to my flat in Harare.

I took a few days to recover from that surgery-feeling very weak and tired after a massive infection that took awhile to respond to antibiotics. When I went into surgery my White blood Count was higher than my Hemoglobin, so it took awhile to recover.

I stayed in Harare and my visitors from my home church went on the houseboat for 3 nights in Kariba and did our ministers retreat. They had a wonderful time and saw a lot of animals, fished and had good fellowship and teaching with 14 of our ministers. I was able to talk to them on the phone 2-3 times a day since they were in cell phone contact.

They then returned for another week at Chidamoyo with many jobs to do. They even did a minister's wives day conference. Gene was able to get the internal phone system up and running, so I have to look forward to when I finally get home! It was so hard for me to be in Harare and my good friends at Chidamoyo-but God's timing was perfect and 4 of the 6 visitors had been here twice before and so they jumped right in and took care of themselves and found plenty to keep themselves busy!

They came into Harare on the 7th of Sept so that I could finally see them after 2 ½ weeks away from them! On the 9th of Sept we took off for Victoria Falls and a 3-day safari in Hwange Park. I told my doctor I wasn't missing this trip-I could do my dressings there as well as here. So off we went and finally had some time to visit and laugh together.

We returned on the 14th of Sept in the evening in time for them to pack up. Major Mereki (our Administrator) came in on that day to cook sadza for our last meal together and also to help get them to the airport.

We took them to the airport at 6 a.m. on the 15th and Major took me to the hospital on the way home from the airport, to check in for the closure of my abdominal incision. By 12:30 I was in surgery and back in my room and awake by 6 p.m. when I called Major and asked him to bring me some Nando's chicken and frozen yogurt to eat!

I was only in the hospital 1 night and the next morning was dressed and packed when the doctor came to visit and agreed to discharge me (I was going I told him!) with a drain still in. I have had to stay in Harare until the drain comes out-so this week I have seen the doctor twice and so far the drain is not out. The plan now is for the drain to be pulled on Monday and then I will go home. Monday is my birthday-so that would be a nice birthday present!

I have been in Harare for 5 weeks-the longest I ever have lived in the city here! I am very anxious to go home! I've watched more TV, read more books, and seen more DVDs in the past weeks than ever in my life! I try and walk to the local shopping center a few times a week to build up my strength and to have something to do! I even walk up and down my stairs here at the flat when I am bored!

If some of you have contacted me on bushmail address and I haven't replied it is because it has been very difficult to get on the Internet and read them. Zimbabwe owes the US $700,000 US for use of Satellite uptake and they don't have the money to pay for it, so Internet is hard to get on and international phone calls in and out are difficult.

I have been able to be in touch with the mission through E-mail, which is nice, and Major has had to come in for meetings at least once a week. They tell me they miss me and want me to come back, so that is good to hear!

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for me-it has really helped. I have been getting many messages to take it easy and rest from US and Chidamoyo. I am well rested and anxious to get home and get back to work! I really am back to normal now and am thankful for all the rest and help from many friends who took care of me here in Harare.

A nurse from Albuquerque, NM arrives on Sunday for a 3-week visit, so I look forward to going to Chidamoyo with her. Major will come in tomorrow (Fri) for a meeting Sat and to take us home. I still have stitches in for another week or so-but they can be taken out at Chidamoyo!

I hope to be in touch with you when I get back to Chidamoyo. God has been good and taken care of things there. Our X-ray machine got fixed this week after almost 3 years of not working-PTL for that!

In His Service, Kathy