Last week marked one year since we heard that there were rebels advancing from the north, that there was fighting 200km north of N'Djamena, near the town of Mao, that tanks began to appear on the streets, that we hunkered down on our compound and held daily meetings to discuss the situation with MAFI, that the British Embassy issued advise to its citizens to leave the country, that school closed and people started to leave the city. Last year we flew flights around the country to evacuate people to safer places, and on the 20th April, president Deby was killed.
To commemorate his life, a ceremony was held in the capital and one of the main roads, Avenue Mobutu, was renamed to the much more catchy 'Boulevard du Marechal du Tchad Idriss Deby Itno'.
This week our compound also got a lot quieter, as we said goodbye (or see you again soon) to our visitors and the Henderson family. That leaves just our family and the temporary program manager here for the next four months. As we are blessed to have a small pool on the compound I am sure it won't be entirely peaceful here in the coming weeks.
On a more positive note, we had a really encouraging meeting with a partner who has been working in Ghana and doing short term trips to Chad but has now set up a permanent team in the north. We are looking forward to being able to begin working with the team to bring help, hope and healing as they live there permanently ministering to the local population, and as visiting teams of doctors, eye surgeons and dentists begin to set up clinics in this isolated region. I also finally made it to the tailor to get a dress made, shopping is not my favourite thing to do so it has taken over four years and the encouragement of a friend to actually find the shop and order an outfit!
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