Update From Dr Ngoumape

I received an email this morning from Dr Ngoumape. The rebels are still advancing however the president of CAR is willing to talk with the rebels unconditionally now. I take this as a sign of progress and pray a resolution will soon be reached. Today Dr Ngoumape is going to speak at a National Day of Prayer meeting. His wife and children have been sent to the village of Bouar and are doing well. He decided to stay back in order to watch other kids (orphans) and take care of Pastor Dounia. Pastor Dounia recently had a stroke and is not well enough to travel to safety. Dr Ngoumape's home is on the outskirts of Bangui and he's hoping far enough away from where the fighting will occur, if it occurs, that they will be far away from the danger and noise.

Updated Map on Rebel Activity in the Central African Republic

Rebel Activity in the Central African Republic

I received news on December 19 that rebels had taken the villages of Ndele and Bria. Three or more rebel groups had banded together to accomplish this. Large numbers came from the north out of Chad. CAR military forces were deployed and made blockades at the towns of Bambari and Koga-Bandoro with the goal of blocking the major roads leading to the capital city of Bangui. On December 20th I received word that Batangafo was taken as well. Seven towns in total had been taken in just two weeks. The missionaries I stayed with were temporarily moving to Gamboula located on the border of Cameroon as a precaution. 

On December 21st Peace talks had begun between rebel delegates and the CAR government in N’Djamena. Rebeles have stopped the attacks and the Chadian government has sent troops to Sibut to block rebels from moving into Bangui.

I’ll keep the updates coming as I receive them.

Basic Gear

You may have noticed I’ve monetized my blog. I promise I won’t make earning money the main priority of this blog. My hope by doing this is that a) I ‘ll be able to fund some future trips/projects with any money that comes in and b) I can share some books, gear and other items I think might be of interest to you.  Conveniently I now have a segue to a post about gear I think you should bring with you.

A good backpack -   This will be used both on the plane as a carry on and in the field. Inevitably one of the planes you’ll find yourself in will be smaller. A regular carry on – even a carry on that fits the airline requirements will have to be checked which leaves you open to the risk of losing your bag. A backpack however will always fit in the overhead compartment.

In the field you need a good sturdy pack that will take a beating.  I recommend any of the 5.11 packs. I especially like the 5.11 Tactical All Hazards Prime pack. This is a very expensive pack but well worth the money.  There are plenty of reviews on Amazon if you’re interested. I highly recommend you not get any pack that is camouflage.  It might attract unwanted suspicion and scrutiny from customs. Remember you are a guest to your host country so be a gracious one and avoid doing anything that would cause suspicion.

Dickies Cargo Pants – I love these pants. They’re durable and clean up easily. There’s plenty of room to move around in them which is great if you have to walk any distances or if you find yourself crammed in the back of a suv with eight other guys for an hour or two.

Hanes Comfort Blend V-necks – My favorite shirt. They’re cheap so it’s not a big deal if they get ruined or you leave them for a friend you made in the field it’s no big deal. They’re light weight, cool and comfortable.

First Aid Kit – Lucky for me one of the more experienced men on my trip brought  a first aid kit. I was breaking up a large stone with a hammer when two small pieces chipped off and went straight into my hand. The cut was very small but bled a lot. Thanks to Gary’s first aid kit I was able to clean the wound, put some antibacterial ointment on it and cover it with a bandage. My lack of a first aid kit also earned me the nickname “Rookie” for the remainder of the trip. Save yourself some embarrassment and bring one. It’s also a great gift to leave behind for people who don’t have access to bandages or antibacterial ointment.

Electrolytes – If you catch a bug and end up sick you’re going to lose a lot of fluids. It’s imperative you keep hydrated. The more dehydrated you are the harder it is for your body to keep itself in good working order. Keep hydrated!

Boots – This is really more of a personal decision. Everyone moves differently so my recommendation is for you to find a boot you like. Personally, I really like the Timberland Pro Pitboss and the Catepillar Sentry boot. My reasoning is twofold - they aren’t too hot, the sole is thinner and more flexible. I had to climb around in some rafters for some electrical work in Africa and a thinner sole made it a lot easier to maneuver up there.

Socks & Underwear – I’m not sure if it matters much which brand you pick up but bring a lot of them. Keep your feet dry and change your socks a lot. Same with the underwear – you can wear the same pants repeated days and as long as you have clean underwear you’ll be fine. Underwear take less room in your bag than pants so it’s lighter to carry more underwear and less pants.

Hat – For me it’s the Real Deal Brazil cowboy hat. It’s tough and keeps your face and neck out of the sun which is extremely important.

Sunscreen – If you’re going to be outside in the sun you need lots of very powerful sunscreen. Sunburns in the comfort of your own home are bad enough. Sunburns in a foreign land are miserable.

Travel Vaccinations

Depending on where your short term missions trip takes you it may be necessary to get some additional vaccinations. I recommend going to the CDC Travelers’ Health site and looking up the country you plan to visit. Give yourself as much time as possible. When I went to the Central African Republic I opted to get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B. This is a series of three shots. The second course is scheduled a month after the first and the third course is scheduled six months after the first shot. I categorize vaccinations in three categories.   

Required – You must have all required vaccinations before you’re permitted in the destination country. In my case I was required to have the Yellow Fever vaccination. The travel clinic will give you a small yellow card with documentation to put with your passport.

Recommended – As the name indicates these are vaccinations the CDC recommends but are not required. I chose to get all recommended vaccinations. In most cases insurance will not cover travel vaccinations. You may be tempted to skip on these to save money. I highly encourage you to think twice about skipping on these. It was rough coming up with the over $600 I spent on vaccinations. However one day on my visit, after a heavy rainfall, I fell up to my waist in a ditch on the side of the road. The streets in Bangui are not clean. After watching all the litter, debris, and who knows what floating past me I was VERY happy I decided to spend the extra money.

Routine – The good news is that there’s a very good chance insurance will cover these and they can be administered by your regular physician. Routine vaccinations are the MMR and the DPT vaccines. The DPT is the important one. If you do suffer an injury while abroad it’s better to get the vaccination here rather than there.  

Keeping a Positive Attitude

I’m happy to update that Dr Mboi received the blood pressure machine I sent down - many thanks to Myra for taking it along with her. One of the medical staff at Three Strands did some research and found some quality blood pressure machines which will be taken down with a team in early January. I’m very grateful to be in a position where I am able to help in this way.

This ordeal reminds me that a key to having a positive attitude in life is to remember single events are part of a longer chain of events.  Looking at the single event of this great man falling ill is very negative. However when you consider it as part of a greater chain of events it’s not a stretch to see this one negative circumstance has been the genesis of many positive outcomes.

A positive outcome for Dr Mboi is that he discovered he has high blood pressure before he had a stroke. My personal benefit is that I was able to connect with some previous friends from Africa and meet an additional friend, Mike Taylor. From that meeting I was able to send a BP machine to Dr Mboi so he can monitor his condition. Furthermore, additional BP machines will be going down with the group from Three Strands heading down in early January. These BP machines will benefit hundreds of people who would otherwise not have access to this equipment.

Blood Pressure Machines

I recently received news that one of the men I met in Africa was very ill. I was concerned about his health so I sent an email inquiring about his health. The full time missionary in Bangui informed me he was ill but getting treatment. She also informed me it was quite fortuitous that he became ill because they also discovered he has high blood pressure. 

She told me high blood is a big problem in Bangui. The typical Bangui resident has VERY limited access to even simple medical equipment and most have a stroke before high blood pressure is diagnosed. It only costs $30 for a simple blood pressure machine. I told her how many do they need and where to send them. She put me in touch with Mike Taylor of Three Strands. His wife Myra is going to Bangui in about a week and will be able to take the machine down to Dr Mboi so he can monitor his BP. Mike is heading to Bangui in January with a large medical team. I can send an entire trunk down filled with blood pressure machines with the team. The airline charges $200 for an extra bag. I would like to send along at least 12 quality blood pressure machines in the trunk and I'm hoping to do so for under $300 for a total expenditure of $500.

The orphan children of Sakpa

One of the side trips we took while in C.A.R. was to deliver a gift bag to the orphans attending the Hand in Hand school at Sakpa. Hand in Hand schools are one of the many outreaches of Project Hope and Charite’, a ministry focused on orphans and widows.

Sakpa is about ten miles southeast of Bangui. It took about 30 minutes to get there as we had to navigate traffic and all the potholes. All eight of us were excited to get out of the cramped SUV with our cargo of over 100 gift bags.

The gift bags contained three items.

1) A can of sardines: Sardines are a highly valued source of nutrition. Some of the children had a red tint to their hair which is an indication of malnutrition. One boy had a swollen stomach.

2) A box of Vermox: Most of the children have parasites. They don’t have regular access to clean water. They don’t have regular access to soap. Simply stepping in a puddle barefoot can introduce parasites. Vermox is a medicine used to get rid of parasites. Without parasites the children’s immune system has a better chance of fighting off other diseases. If they are healthy they have a better start to the school year.

3) A small beaded bracelet.

Passing out the gift bags was an incredible privilege. The kids were all very appreciative. They were all very gracious in the way they accepted the gifts. In Africa when you truly appreciate a gift you hold your hands out and wait for the giver to place the gift in your hands. Each child accepted their gift bag in this manner. 

Getting your passport

Getting all the paperwork in order was a larger undertaking than I first thought. Give yourself plenty of time to gather all the required paperwork. It took me about four months to get my passport and visa. You may not be required to get a visa, the group you’re travelling with will be able to tell you if a visa is required.

The list of all required documents for your passport can be found here.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html

All the necessary forms needed here.

 http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html

Additionally the fees associated can be found on the same site.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/fees/fees_837.html

And finally the processing times.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/processing/processing_1740.html

As of this post the processing time is approximately 4-6 weeks. You can expedite the process for an additional $60. Expedited times as of this post are 2-3 weeks.

You’ll also need to get a passport photo. I went to CVS for my photo. http://www.cvsphoto.com/passport-photos

It only took about 10 minutes to process and I walked out with two copies of the photo in my hand.  Some post offices will also take the photo for you. I wouldn’t recommend it but if you’re particularly adventurous you can try to take one of your own. Make sure you research the proper dimensions for it though.

You’ll also need a certified copy of your birth certificate.  The following site lists where to get a copy, by state, if you don’t have one on hand.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm

It was only 10 minutes away so I went to the Department of Health to pick up a copy of mine. The cost was $21.50.

Stepping out of my comfort zone

I think I was sitting in my cubicle at work when I finally summoned the nerve to send the email to begin this adventure. I’m a bit of an introvert so it isn’t a very natural act for me to send an email to a complete stranger expressing my interest in joining a short term mission team. However when I’m in a situation like this I find it helps to think about the fact that tonight I can take the safe route, do nothing and  go to bed wondering “What if” or I can step out of my comfort zone and wonder  ‘What next”.  

My name is Ben. I recently took my first short term missionary trip to Bangui, Central African Republic. The primary purpose of the team I was on was to help build the James Gribble Leadership Training Center. I was also privileged to work on the Bensvie construction site which housed a book store, print shop and a small office. In addition to construction projects we also visited two schools for orphans. The above picture is from the Hand In Hand school at Sakpa. My trip was such an amazing experience! I want to share my experiences in hopes of encouraging other people to step out of their comfort zones and take a short term mission trip.