Thursday, December 14, 2017

The changing world (30) Sept-Oct 1974

1st - David had an eye infection treated by the Egyptian doctor, Salah, at Gwoza hospital. The hospital established by our mission was take-over by the government.  4th evening at Cubitts road camp and saw The Taming of the Shrew despite the mosquito bites as we sat outdoors ninth dark. 5th - one of the students was married and we celebrated with lots of meat and rice. 8th preached in Hausa at Pulka. Evening English service in Gwoza. 11th took TEE seminar in Gwoza. 13th ditto at Pulka but only Akila (Aquila) the missionary evangelist present.
   14th a much more encouraging TEE seminar at Limankara. 15th climbed to hills to visit Guduf Sama christians. 17th drove to Molai, 110 miles, to stay a week. Missionary committee on 18th. I was diagnosed as having a viral infection. More news of persecution and bloodshed in Chad. 19th Bible School committee and led the Molai prayer meeting. 20th Maiguguri for District Church Council. 21st by coach to Jos in nine hours. Sunday church at Vom. 23rd Extension Bible School (EBS=TEE) Committee said I was tone appointed as supervisor at Panyam on the plateau. (It never happened.) The Bible School Committee said I would be teaching EBS in ten church districts. 25th eleven hors on the coach Jos to Maiduguri then had to borrow the bookshop van to Molai. 26th moved to Maiduguri and lunched with Nightingales. 27th five hours back to Limakara with supper at Gulas in Gwoza en route. Michael Phillips of SUM UK was with us. 28th Michael left and midwife Jean Bush came on a dispensary visit of several days. She was principal of midwifery school at Vom. EBS well attended. 29th preached at Limankara and had a Bible Study with three local teachers.
   Oct 1 - Independence Day and we bought food for Vwang our fellow Bible Scoolteacher to cook for staff and students. Oct 9 found EBS class at Gwoza more encouraging.  102F on our verandah and the boys have heat rash. Oct 11 news of narrow Labour general election win.
   Oct 12 took a boy with snake bite to Gwoza hospital. It as from haemolytic venom untreated except with native remedies. He was obviously terminal.  13th took students to Bama (50 miles) for Hausaservoce then I preached in English at Gwoz, 14th- a stink in our bedroom found to be from a dead lizard. Moved our bed onto verandah. Now 105 F. Jonathan has impetigo.
   Oct 24 - high wind from the north which probably indicates the rains are over. 25th very bad road to bank on Cameroon order. Going through a village a child ran in fronton the Landrover. Fortunately I was crawling along scold brake. In the town which straddled the border was asked it Would I like to greet our missionary over the border. She was Swiss and unusually had noEnglish.my schoolboy French was no good. She spoke Fulfulde (Fulani), I spoke Hausa and we had an African translate between the two languages so two Europeans could communicate.
   Oct 27 saddened to hear of the death of Peter great elder in IPC Ealing from testicular cancer. Students killed a monitor lizard two and a half feet long.
   Visitorsfrom Egypt, Nigeria, EnglandAustraliaHolland.

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