There is a first time for everything…..

and Rob took one for the team!! He returned from Cameroon with a really bad stomach ache and little bites all over one arm. He thought the stomach ache must have been from the food (he consumed a lot of fish – which is a staple in their diet), and the bites must have been something that got him in the night. He had taken malaria medication prior to traveling, so we thought we had all of our bases covered. Cameroon is a very tropical climate with warmer temperatures as well, so while we were seeing it dip into the low 40’s/high 30’s at the farm, it was very warm for them. Upon returning we were in full swing with the 6 week interns and Rob just wasn’t feeling any better. We were scheduled to eat with the 6 week interns at the dining hall 3 times a week and as we were getting ready to join them, Rob decided to stay back and head to bed early. I took the kids for dinner and after eating, I sent Tanner and Hudson home to get ready for bed. Tate, Austin and I stayed behind to help with clean-up. When we walked back into the silo the first thing we heard from Hudson was, “MOM – you are never going to believe this……dad just popped worms out of his arm, it was SOOOOO cool!!” There was a little plastic bag on the kitchen counter with the evidence. (Coolest science project ever for the kids!!)

How did this happen? Well, every morning Rob hung his wet towel out to dry. Later we learned that hanging anything outside to dry in areas of high tropical rainfall can be risky if they are not ironed properly. Mango flies are common in these areas. It is possible for a female fly to lay eggs and the eggs penetrate the skin. People will usually complain that their body is itching and within three days, painful, boil-like lesions occur. Over the next three days, pus emerges from each sore as it gets ripe. Once the sore is expressed a worm comes out of it. Below are pictures to show the painful boil-like lesions on his arm, and one of the worms.

Finally Rob took a trip to the doctor. The mango worms were not an issue, but the doctor was concerned more about the stomach problems. Praise God with 10 days of strong antibiotics, he was feeling back to normal!!

Also below Rob captured some footage of their taxi ride to the airport. This was after riding on a bus for several hours longer then expected, because of the many accidents on the only road between Yaounde to Douala.

We have included both of these experiences to give you all a small taste of Africa!!

On a positive note, the trip was a great success. John was able to do 3 days of training, and they were able to spend quality time with Leo, Florence and their team. They were also able to visit the training center to see all of the work that has been done – way to go Grace Community for all of your hard work!!

In addition, one of the most encouraging aspects of the trip was to learn about all the opportunities that Leo and Florence have had to train people in surrounding countries, which are almost 100% muslim and unreached. Below are a few pictures from their trip.