A little over a year ago my friend Blair called and asked me how I felt about Tanzania. "I don't know. It sounds like a great place to visit". After a month here, I couldn't agree more. I'm coming to the end of my stay and I feel regret about having to leave after "only a month". (This regret may have proceeded frantic efforts to change my plane ticket that were met time and again with resistance. There is a time and a season for everything and I suppose it is my time to go back to the United States.)

Last week was the culmination of a lot of my projects at Haydom. I finished my short chart audit of tracking malaria diagnosis and treatment and presented them to the appropriate people. I met a gentleman at the hospital who is working on a US-funded project in another town to develop a malaria vaccine. He invited me to visit the project (again, bummer that I'm leaving). We discussed the diagnosis of malaria at Haydom and possibility of many febrile illnesses being misdiagnosed as malaria and he said that this is a widespread problem in Tanzania. I won't bore you with any more of the details but there are fascinating things happening here.

The changes for reception were presented by the nursing officers to the nursing staff and they started working on implementation. I helped to find some additional supplies for ICU and reception from one of the storage containers (here is my plug: if you want to give donations to missions organizations/hospitals, give money. It is much easier for them to buy their own supplies than sort through donations). I also worked with Elin Mari and a local nurse Beatrice to develop curriculum and a plan for training the staff on recognizing and treating the deteriorating patient. The training starts today; I can't wait to hear how it goes.

I thought I eluded sickness while I was here until Tuesday. There is a virus making its way through the Norwegian volunteers. As Dr. Erik said, I joined their "club." I literally laid on the concrete floor and didn't move for a long time. I had to miss a day and a half of work but all is well now. I am so thankful for Elin Mari and Nina who took care of me when Mom was a continent away.

I spent my last day at Haydom biking through the country with Andrea and Elin Mari. Andrea is the nurse manager of ICU, surgical ward, reception, AND theater. He was kind enough to take us by his farm and introduce us to his family who was harvesting beans. When I returned to Haydom I said goodbye to the little one in CCU who has just stolen my heart. After dinner many of the volunteers gathered in the gazebo for goodbyes to Lillian and me. It was such a sweet time. There are so many amazing people that I met while at Haydom.

I'm in Arusha with some of the other volunteers and visitors that are heading home. Our flights leave tonight and, if all goes as planned, I will be in Seattle Tuesday afternoon.