Upon my arrival in Douala, Cameroon, I witnessed so many things,
but most of all, what welcomed me was the warm hospitality of those I met. The
main group consisted of Franciscan nuns and other religious orders. From Douala,
three of us lay missionaries had a day trip to our assigned site, and mine was
in Shisong, Cameroon.
I have to admit that
the road was not like LA, but it was worth traveling. I saw plantations of
bananas, pineapples, mangoes, corn, and many other produce that stand along the
road. There were green beans, carrots, okra, mangosteen, rambutan, etc. They
have rich natural resources. When we stopped by one of the stands, the vendor
peeled a pineapple right away and handed a slice of it to each of us, which was
so sweet and juicy.
We were also met by the missionary families, the Hornes and the Newburns, with such kind hospitality and that was a blessing that I witnessed. I arrived in Shisong with Sr. Renata and their driver who pulled our car right in front of the hospital house they assigned to me. Almost everyone who saw me arrive greeted me, "You are welcome, and we will take care of you." Their reaction was so memorable.
St. Elisabeth Catholic
Hospital is pretty big and their cardiac care center is truly state-of-the-art.
It is managed by the Franciscan sisters, and the site is very clean and
organized. I saw green surroundings, and different livestock, such as cows,
goats, chicken, and turkey. The common modes of transportation are taxis and
motorbikes. I heard different people speak English, French, Pidgin, and their dialect
Lamnso.
We toured different
departments in the hospital compound, including their shops for carpentry,
laundry, engineering, housekeeping, sewing, cooking, and others that make the
hospital function independently. I also visited the oxygen, vacuum and
compressed air control section, and other biomed equipment in the cardiac care
center.
They have three chapels in the hospital property and a parish church about 50 feet away. People ordinarily greet each other anytime of the day.
How would you like to join me here in Cameroon?
