Greetings to all of the Mission Doctors Association family from Cameroon. I have been here for the last month or so with Chris and Alicia Johnson, along with their sons Keaton and Quinn, who are on a long-term mission with Lay Mission-Helpers. We have spent most of the time traveling to rural clinics in Northwest Cameroon run by the Catholic Diocese of Kumbo and working on educational materials for the nurses and nursing assistants who provide care in these villages. It has been a privilege and a wonderful experience to participate in the work being done here by the Johnsons.

The hardest adjustment medically has been to appreciate the scope of the burden of malaria here. It is hard to imagine the impact that malaria has on the lives of people in tropical countries, especially with it’s severity in children and the frequency with which it is contracted by some. It is heartening to see the exceptional care provided by local nurses and nursing assistants, some with a year or less of training. You are always humbled to see babies who have been delivered by the light of a kerosene lamp and medical care provided in a clinic with mud brick walls by a nursing assistant which would require several specialists and an ICU at home!

It is planting season now and people all have a short window of time to get their crops planted as the monsoon season starts. Just as with farmers at home, you know that if people leave their fields to come to the clinic, they are going to be quite ill.

As Easter approaches, please know that we continue to pray for all those dedicated to the work of MDA. Nothing is done without the ongoing prayers, work, and contributions of the MDA, MDA Auxiliary, and benefactors.

God Bless and have a joyous Easter Season,

Tim Cavanagh