Emily's First Broken Bone...

Oh so graceful...

Fewer than 3 hours after landing in the U.S., Emily slipped on the ice and used her right arm to break her fall. Boom!- compression fracture of the radial head. (Translation- she broke her elbow.) Em has lived in cold climates her entire life, but it seems that after 3 months in West Africa, she somehow completely lost the ability to navigate an icy driveway. (Curse Detroit and its sub-freezing weather! Argh!)

At first we thought Emily just sprained her elbow, but after a couple of hours, movement of the joint became limited and muscle spasms set in. So, the two of us spent our first evening stateside in the ER. (Fortunately, they weren't very busy so the visit only took 3 hours.) The fracture was obvious on the xray. The ER splinted and wrapped Em's entire arm. It hurt like crazy the second day and she maxed out on ibuprofen. (In retrospect she admits that she should have accepted the PAs offer for something stronger. Oh well. Thankfully, the pain improved markedly on day 3.)

The ER sent Emily to an orthopedist 4 days later, just to make sure the bone was in good position to heal and it would be okay for her to travel the last leg of our journey (to Utah). The ortho said the radial head heals without any problem and it doesn't need a cast or even a splint. So, we are just wrapping the elbow (to prevent movement and to protect the bone from being bumped by kids) and Em is planning to wear a sling for a few weeks. As you can see it is very stylish...

Taking a break from Abidjan

Photos from Jay's drive to work.

U.N. troops guarding Ouattara's home and workplace (The Golf Hotel).

We just wanted to let everyone know that we are safe. Our family was okayed for an early R&R, so we will be leaving Abidjan on Wednesday (Dec 16th) to spend 3 weeks in the U.S. for the holidays. So far, there have been no major incidents of violence, so the Embassy has not yet issued an evacuation order. However, we have been stuck at home a lot over the past 2 weeks and the situation is tense enough that we would prefer to take the boys elsewhere. Please feel free to pass the news along to anyone who may be asking about us.

An update on the situation in Cote d'Ivoire:
Through various political maneuverings, Laurent Gbagbo (the incumbent) has "authenticated" his own claim to the presidency and is refusing to step down. The president-elect (Alasanne Ouattara) is attempting to run the government from the Golf Hotel (2-3 mile walk from our home). Gbagbo has secured the support of the Ivoirian military and is blockading the hotel to prevent Ouattara from carrying out his office. The UN troops have surrounded the hotel to protect Ouattara. Fortunately, both parties claim to want a peaceful resolution to the crisis. So, the situation has become a staring match between the UN and Ivoirian troops with mediators and international representatives working feverishly to end the stalemate.

Gbagbo's troops hiding in the bushes. See them? This area is a stone's throw from the U.S. Embassy.

The situation is unsettling and lately, the action is happening a bit too close to home. So, we are grateful to be given an opportunity to fly back to the States for a while. Just FYI, the Church has sent all of the non-African elders to Benin and Togo until the conflict is resolved. These countries are still a part of the Abidjan mission, so the missionaries will be able to complete their assignments but it will be in a safer part of the mission. We pray that all of our friends, coworkers, and the Ivoirian people will safe in our absence.

Looking forward to seeing many of you soon!

Cote d'Ivoire has 2 Presidents... this does not bode well.

We are doing fine. The weekend was a bit tense since both Ivoirian candidates for president were sworn in. Yes, Cote d'Ivoire now has 2 presidents.... Burning tires and protests ensued... What a mess!



Anyway, if you want to chat or to hear us rant about the political situation, feel free to call. Jay has been going to work as usual during the work week and Abidjan has been pretty quiet. (Maybe they think if they ignore the problem, it will go away. If only...) We continue to keep a low profile, but (thankfully) the kids are totally oblivious to the goings-on. It's fortunate that they are young.

The Embassy is looking after us. We live in a safe neighborhood and have a secure home with 24-hour guards. Please continue to pray for us... especially for Cote d'Ivoire and for the 14 non-Ivoirian elders who have been shut away in an apartment for 10 days. If there is any real trouble, the Embassy will take care of us and God will take care of the missionaries. I'm mostly worried for the Ivoirians...

Ivoirian Elections - Take 2

First, we should probably reassure you all that we are safe and well. The U.S. news agencies don’t tend to report on happenings in West Africa, so you may be unaware of the craziness going on in Cote d’Ivoire at present. We have been laying low for about a week now, limiting travel away from home. Yesterday, we remained inside all day.

For Cote d'Ivoire's first round of elections (held on October 31st), there were 14 candidates on the ballot. The voting results were announced without any major disturbances. However, no one candidate held a majority. This necessitated a second round of elections between the 2 front-runners (Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo). The final presidential election took place on November 28th and the results were not favorable. Everyone was hoping for a clear winner, but the results of the popular vote held both candidates too near 50% for comfort. A convoluted series of events ensued and both men are claiming victory, so Cote d’Ivoire is in a bit of an uproar.

LAURENT GBAGBO

(incumbent)

lost the election

ALASSANE OUATTARA

(opposition party)

won the election

There have been scattered episodes of violence, but nothing nearby where we live. The Ivoirian military, UN troops, and the local police force seem to have a good handle on things, but the situation remains tense. The next few days will hopefully provide the country with some level of resolution. We surely hope the politicians and diplomats can sort the situation out. For details and updates, please feel free to contact us. Be assured that the Embassy is keeping us well-informed and we are not in any danger. In the meantime, we (and Cote d’Ivoire) would certainly appreciate your prayers.