Final post on Chad

Nos amies, Thurs. Aug. 26th

Thank you for your support and encouragement and prayers. We arrived home safely late Monday night (Tuesday am?) in Greensboro and Andy’s brother, Jim, was at the airport to greet us (the boys were thankful that they could finally fall asleep and not worry about us waking them up for one more trek through an airport!). We are now trying to adjust to life back in the US – grass! Warm showers! Air conditioning! Bills! I still do dishes barefoot, but I can’t help worrying what’s going to crawl over my foot!

Both the boys started school on Wednesday. Drew’s school had forgotten to place him in a class (small miscommunication somewhere) but was quick to assign him to Mrs. Bobbitt after Cari called to confirm. It meant he didn’t have his name sticker on the door (are we in the right place?), his desk wasn’t prepared, and they had to put a folder together, but Drew didn’t mind. He said the teacher gave him lots of special attention and he also didn’t have an apple to “drop” so he couldn’t get in trouble! Tony LOVED his first day of school.

We are very grateful to all of you for making this trip possible. We have seen and heard and done some incredible things over the past 7 weeks. We very much have it in our hearts to go back and help our Chadian brothers and sisters in Christ in the near future. The needs of the developing world and especially the countries in the “10-40 window” are incredible. We are working with the AIM office in New York to figure out our next steps.

Treasured memories:
God’s protection from injury from the camel crash.
God protecting and healing Pam Propst.
Having the Chadian church leaders come and pray with us and for us just after arriving in Bebalem when Cari and the boys were really sick.
Encouragement and comfort from all of you and the team during times of suffering (after the accident and while the family was sick).
Andy’s medical experience in a very resource-poor hospital (rounding in the dark by flashlight, morning devotions by kerosene lantern, lack of oxygen and IV fluids, running out of steroids and seizure medications, 2 and even 3 patients per bed)
Andy struggling with discouragement because so many patients were dying, knowing they could have recovered with better care/supplies.
Cari teaching English to 20-30 school kids (with many others leaning in windows and doors trying to participate!).
Drew running off to the soccer/basketball/tennis court with a passel of laughing Chadian kids shouting over his shoulder, “I’m going to play soccer with my friends, ok?”
Tony sitting in a mud puddle drinking “chocolate milk” while Andy tries to remember how to treat Amoebic dysentery.
Friday afternoons when Drew and Tony and Cari visited the kids and families in the pediatric ward, singing, passing out stickers, and blowing bubbles.
Tony blowing bubbles for the goats.
Snakes, rats, and scorpions!
Praying with and for the hospital chaplains just before leaving Bebalem.
Returning to N’Djamena and going to the “Ice cream store”!
Birthday party/Dinner with the entire AIM team in N’Djamena (minus Dr. Ann) the night before leaving.
A lovely overnight stay in London - The Tower of London, London Bridge, double decker buses, “The Tube” (London underground), trains, SLEEP! Pizza, Cadbury chocolate, Trafalgar Square, strolling down Gracechurch Street (“Aunt and Uncle (Brogan) would gladly take you with them to Gracechurch Street after Christmas. And why would you have (us) go to London, dear Lizzie? Oh, no reason, a change of scene and society perhaps.”)
Realizing what it means to live and serve in the 4th poorest country in the world.
Seeing God at work in yet another place and country and culture so very different from ours here in the US. God is an amazingly big God, and his love for us is beyond understanding!

We continue to pray for you – that you continue to hear the Good Shepherd’s voice calling your name, that you follow Him with your whole heart and mind and strength, and that you grow in grace and the fear of the Lord all of your days. We hope we will have a chance to share more with you in person SOON. And if anyone is planning a vacation near Chad in the next couple years, we would love to be able to host you for a few days, weeks, or even months!

Thanks again for being so important to us.
In the Shadow of the Almighty ----- Cari, Andy, Drew, and Tony Robertson