Mission doctors count their blessings for safely returning home.
By Shelley Wolf
Two Connecticut doctors were just beginning a medical mission in Ghana, West Africa, when the first cases of the coronavirus hit and the country went into lockdown. Worried about getting access to food and the newfound feeling that foreigners were no longer welcome, Robyn and Brian Jennings decided the best thing for their family was to return home. And they are grateful that they did.
“Our journey has reminded me to be grateful for God’s gift of life and to trust him more completely,” Robyn says. “We ask for prayers as Brian returns to work in the U.S. and we discern the next steps in God’s plan for our family.”
The doctors and their family flew home in late March after cutting short a three-year commitment for Mission Doctors Association in in Ghana that began in January. Concerns about food insecurity and social unrest caused them to get on a list to fly home. At the time, there were a few COVID-19 cases in Ghana but the couple had not treated any cases.
“When we left there were only a few confirmed cases in the capital,” Robyn says. “However, the country instituted travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders as soon as the first cases arrived, so these were already in place for a few weeks before we left.”
Once the coronavirus hit, the price of food shot up and foreigners who left the hospital compound were suddenly made to feel unwelcome. The family got on a list for possible flights back to the United States and were notified of their acceptance during dinner one night, with just hours to pack for a flight leaving the next day.
“We worried about social unrest and food insecurity, and we agreed that the safest thing for our family was to go,” says Robyn, who was expecting her third child and was near her due date. “We felt returning to Connecticut was the safest thing for our children.”
Returning home turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The family left on March 28, a few days after Robyn’s due date. They endured the 35-hour trip home and had one day to rest before Robyn’s new addition came into the family.
“I was sad to leave our community and ministry in Ghana,” Robyn says. “However, we are happy to share that our third child was born on March 30 soon after we arrived in the U.S. Sophia Grace is now a joy for our family.”
Robyn, who experienced some post-pregnancy complications, says she was grateful to be in the United States where she received the best possible treatment.
“If we hadn’t decided to get on that plane, I might not be here today,” she admits. “I am reminded to never take life for granted, never lose focus on the important things, and always seek to be in God’s will, because his plans may be incomprehensible but are always best.”
Still, the Jennings relish the time the spent in Ghana. Brian and Robyn, who grew up in Norwalk and Suffield, met at UConn School of Medicine, then married and decided on a career in international medicine. Last year, they accepted an assignment for the Mission Doctors Association.
“When we arrived in Ghana the first week of January, we received a warm welcome from the community at Anfoega Catholic Hospital,” Robyn says. “Brian began helping out in the adult medical ward, and I cared for the patients admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric unit.”
Their two children, Emily, 4, and Jack, 2, adjusted well, attending the Catholic school at the hospital compound. In addition to spending mornings at the hospital, the two physicians also helped in an outpatient clinic and in the emergency room. “As expected, the lack of resources made caring for patients more challenging. We often had to be creative, for example, making wound dressings out of household supplies,” Robyn says.
Today, the growing Jennings family is staying with Brian’s parents. “We are spending time with family in New Canaan, and interviewing for jobs in the U.S. by phone,” Robyn says.
In the meantime, they are counting their many blessings, both spiritual and physical. Brian says, “I am grateful for all the prayers for my family and for my wife.”
credit for the photo: Courtesy of the Jennings Family