by Sr. Margaret Anne Meyer, MMM                                   USA                         15.11.2025

Our hopes and expectations were high because we realized that the number of patients were increasing every day and we needed another Doctor. Finally, a new lay Doctor and his wife and four children were on the way. Dr. Rijken was a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology. His wife Margriet was also a doctor.  They had previously completed a missionary tour in Suriname.

I can still see them the day they arrived at the door. They looked young and energetic and so were their children, aged from 10 years to two and a half. They were all extremely good looking and we welcomed them all with open arms. We had a large staff house whose kitchen overlooked a view of Mount Hanang in the distance and was bright and cheery. Doctor Margriet had planned on home schooling the children and wanted to look after the Pediatric Ward. This was very agreeable to all of us, and I offered to do call for her when she was thus occupied.
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One time an incredibly young baby, about 3-4 months of age, fell from a height and suffered a depressed fracture of the skull. Margriet had the brilliant idea of lifting the skull with the smallest cup of a vacuum extractor. Her husband did it in our presence and praised her inventive remedy very much. It was a beautiful experience to behold. They were a wonderful couple. I learned much from them and their true missionary dedication.

It was a wonderful experience for me to assist Dr. Ynze Rijken with surgery.
Cases that were extremely difficult like deep machete wounds to the neck just millimeters away from the carotid artery, he was able to suture and restore the person to health. There continued to be accidents along the escarpment. One man fractured his pelvis and suffered urethral complications. He always knew what to do, and made you feel you were part of it.

One cold early morning, I rushed to assist him with a Caesarean section and after the baby was delivered I felt faint. I told him I did not take the time to have a cup of coffee before the operation. In his soft Dutch accent Dr. Rijken said. “You must have your coffee, Margaret. It is good for you.” I thought he was exceedingly kind and understanding.

Because of political problems, the Kenyan-Tanzanian border was closed and many useful commodities were prevented entrance into the country. This lack of imported goods led some of the men using the money that they intended to use for the benefit of their wives and children, for drinking in the bars. They had worked hard all year to obtain a good harvest from their farms and now they had money but were unable to buy especially useful commodities. They felt very frustrated and got into tavern fights. Many jaws were fractured. Dr. Rijken spent many hours in the operating theatre wiring the jaw together with wire sutures. I often assisted him. For three weeks the men would get nourishment through a straw and then the sutures would be removed. They suffered a lot.

Doctor Margriet was fantastic in how she managed to homeschool her children, look after the children’s ward and be a loving and caring mother.  We always loved a visit from her and the children. They certainly livened up our community with their pranks and laughter. I admired how she not only diagnosed a little boy with lymphoma but was able to get his proper treatment flown out from Holland.

It was a terribly busy but happy time for all of us working and living on the same compound. In October we both received the news that my mother was coming from the USA to visit for three weeks and at the same time, Dr. Margriet’s mother from Holland was coming to visit. Again, we managed to arrange everything very agreeable to both mothers and us, but that is another story.