things I will miss

Somebody asked me today: “what was the most significant thing you learned during your time here in Kumbo?”.  I don’t remember what I answered because I really don’t know. I have learned and experienced so much that I do not know where to begin in order to express those thoughts and feelings. However, as I lay in bed on my last night in Kumbo, what I do know and what I can put into words are the things I will miss about Kumbo and the Banso Baptist Hospital. I will miss going to devotions each morning with the guys on the OR staff and singing from their “sacred songs and solos” book. There is no guitar or piano or anything; just twenty guys singing their hearts out to the Lord. I will miss going on rounds with Dr Ndasi, even though I don’t know what he’s saying or doing half the time. I will miss scrubbing in for surgeries and seeing things I am told I will only read about in medical school. I will miss the residents and their joking, stories, godly character and friendship. I will miss joking around with the guys in the OR between cases. I will miss them ask me questions about anything having to do with internet or computers because they are convinced that I know all about it. I will miss the craziness of the market and trying to bargain with the store owners. I will miss the homecooked meals and motherly love that Yvonne showed to me. I will miss making jokes with Mark and learning about medicine from him. I will miss going on a run with Mark and stopping by the Ngwangs house, saying hello and convincing Prosper that he should run with us rather than study. I will miss Prosper, the 17 year old boy who wants to be a doctor but his family has no money so he has to work extra hard to get into medical school. The boy who was too shy to carry on a conversation, but by the end of my time here we would talk on our runs. I will miss seeing the Ngwang girls, their smiles and teasing Yvonne about her fiance. I will miss falling asleep to torrential downpours on the tin roof. I will miss the long and early church services on Sunday mornings. I will miss the smiles, friendliness and simplicity of the Cameroonians. I will miss Kumbo.