Nick Vandenbogerd | January 2021
I left for Zambia Dec. 6th with a certain amount of confusion because Judy decided to stay several months to help her dad recuperate in Lashburn SK. It was great visiting with our African family in Chingola and seeing their latest baby girl named ‘Rita’ after my mom, fixing the family bikes, helping at their remote farm and also working laying tile at Amano for a week where David works. Andrew arrived for a 6 week university break and his uncle Thomas (David’s brother) is well underway with his house.
Just before Christmas Andrew and I travelled to Chavuma where we worked on the hospital grounds improving the facilities by mostly creating four new washrooms for patient families, workers and for the widows and visitors facilities. I spent some evenings visiting the children in the hospital (see photo) who have nothing to do while their broken limbs are in traction.
Judy arrived early February and she sewed medical gowns and held sewing classes several times a week. We left mid March for a stop in Uganda by bus as scheduled and then everything changed with cancelled flights and being stranded in Kenya for 8 days. We did a 3 day safari and then 5 days making friends with the street people. We left 24 hrs before the airport closed.
Within days of returning Judy was diagnosed with malaria and was in 3 hospitals for 2 months before coming home and having to get intermittent dialysis. Her kidneys are at 45% now and still gaining.
I was in quarantine so fretted and prayed (not in faith) and then decided to replace all the rugs with vinyl flooring. The biggest challenge was moving all the ‘stuff’.
Then I went to work in Jaffray, building an addition to a cabin and living there during the week (see picture).
Our girls were very supportive. Nadine pulled out all the stops working with the travel agency to get us out of Kenya and home. Laura was the spokesperson advocating for Judy with the doctors. Laura and Nola stayed in Calgary so they could be with Judy in the hospital in shifts until Covid rules shut that down.
When Judy came home I started a job in Sparwood where Judy went for dialysis twice a week at first, so I was able to take her a few times and do some work while waiting. By July, Judy was well enough to travel andwe visited the families in SK and MB.
On the way back we picked up Karyn and her daughter Chantel at Calgary airport and Karyn was with us for a few weeks whereas Chantel stayed for 2 months and worked with me and got some experience on 3 renovations. She learned what NOT to do with her life! (See next picture.)
I’ve kept selling used ‘stuff’ on line for the Fernie Friends of Refugees fund and we are happy our family of five application was approved in July but it may take up to 2 years to be processed. We are ready now to take responsibility for them for one year. Now I’m working on supplementing their income while they wait in Jordan.
After completing a residential to commercial office renovation we had a week in October to return to visit our parents which included a retreat in Nipawin with Judy’s siblings.
Eight years ago I built a 2 storey addition on a body shop in Jaffray and the owner bought a manufactured paint bay which stayed in crates until the shop area was completed. ICBC gave a deadline of Dec. 31st to get it functional. We had to provide a 2 hr. fire separation between the lower level and residential above which required 3 layers of 5/8 drywall on ceiling and bearing walls.
Before that, radiant heat tubing for the upstairs had to be installed in the floor joists with a layer of insulation. I embedded the plumbing in joist spaces as well. I embedded the plumbing in joists spaces as well. All told I was living there and working an average of 12 hr. days till the day before Christmas but we got it done. The owner and I go back more than 3 decades so we agreed that he would pay me in 2021 so that everybody else could get paid. At times I felt like I was under house arrest when I worked 24 days straight coming home overnight to wash clothes, get more food and materials.
I had already decided I wouldn’t be going back to Zambia in the years to come as I have sufficient contacts to further the work. One contact is Dr. Vincent who is a surgeon in training and does a rotation at Chavuma Mission Hospital several times a year. I used a year’s wages and he sourced and procured essential medical equipment from India which will be delivered when he goes there this month.
Henry Dyck, a co-worker there, updated us in regards to the ongoing need for medications which are purchased in the UK. Henry said it’s all fine and dandy that the hospital is getting needed equipment but don’t forget that we need to purchase $15k worth of medications from the UK every year. Sooo… if you want to partner financially with that need you can send funds to msc(at)msccanada.org or phone 905.947.0468 and designate it for ‘Chavuma Mission Hospital –Medications’. Don’t worry about getting flooded with literature or requests; you’ll get a receipt from the office but Henry will personally send you a note of appreciation if he gets your Email address.
Do I make sense of all that happened this year – even with hindsight? - No! - But somehow we are better people because of it and our family is closer. My motto this year was ‘Believe right, Live right, Die right’. Spent some time swimming and sledding with the grandkids this past week. Hope you did too. Ate New Year's fritters outdoors at Kathi’s house in 15 minute shifts.
1701 Dicken Rd
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