The Beginning of the End

Yes, you heard right. In just a few short weeks we'll be back on Canadian soil! Why? Many reasons, but we're very happy to report that a Senegalais in his last year of medicine will be taking our place in the interim, while the Mission arranges for a permanent nurse. Even better, is that he has served at the Dispensaire in the past and is familiar with the work and the staff!

The plans for our departure have been in the making for some time now, with the details just recently being finalized. So JP and I have been very busy getting the place ready for 'take over' and it's been exciting seeing the fruits of our labour unfold. We've now got a few SOPs and flowcharts to guide the work that's done here; roles and responsibilities of staff are a bit more clearly defined; medication inventory is more complete; and a whack of maintenance has been done inside and out.

Still more to do, though, so we can expect long days at the clinic this coming week to tidy things up before our last day at the clinic - July 25th!¨(OK, that's only 2 days away now, but we've been without internet at home since last week; when we drafted this posting!) Our plans so far are to travel to Dakar on the 26th, and then fly out of Dakar on August 6th... via Italy and France! The Mission kindly agreed to send us home the 'not so direct' route, so we'll be spending about 12 days in Europe, unwinding, before heading to Toronto on August 17th - which coincidentally is our 4th wedding anniversary!

As for the minous, we're sending them ahead on Air France for a little holiday of their own in Southern Ontario. Memere and Pepere (JP's parents) have generously agreed to receive them at the Toronto airport and 'put up with them' for two weeks until our return.

Then it's back to our former life, nestled among family and friends, facing the realities of finding a car, a place to live, and going back to work (JP at least...)

We hope to post a few more entries over the remainder of our time here and maybe continue a few retrospective postings here and there as we travel home. We've truly appreciated all of the feedback and comments and emails we've recieved from so many people during our time here. Our blog has often given us the feeling that so many people were participating with us in this experience! Can't wait to get home and fill you all in on the details we couldn't fit into decent length blog entries!

By the way, if anyone out there thinks they'd like to come take their turn here for a year or more, Luc, the Mission President, is taking names! ; ) (mission@adventistesenegal.org)

Now where's that Canada place again?