A recent experience

It has been a while since I have had a chance to share what God has been doing here. First of all, thank you for your prayers! Chitra, the guard who got hit, is healing well and all of us with malaria are almost fully recovered. For those that didn’t know, I came down with malaria last week. I actually had a wonderful week at work before I got sick and had written about one experience that I wanted to share with you but never had a chance to actually post it. I have been feeling so blessed to be called to work with thes people. I know I have thanked you before, but I want to thank you again for helping me make this possible. I am truly grateful.

October 7, 2009

Today I was inspired, humbled, ashamed and burdened.

I had the opportunity to join Suzanne, our palliative care nurse, on her morning visits out into the community. As the palliative nurse, Suey spends her days visiting patients of all ages in various locations who are dying. Because we were unable to help these patients with surgery, palliative care offers them pain medications, supplies to dress their wounds, calorie boosting nutrition, and money for food.

The first lady we visited is living with the largest malignant facial tumor I have ever seen. It has completely disfigured her face and has overtaken her mouth so that she is only able to drink. Somehow she is overflowing with the joy of the Lord. We were welcomed into her one-room house and sat with her on the bed as she preached to US of the goodness of God. Her daughter, who takes wonderful care of her mother, cleaning her open sores several times a day, chased her small 2 year old son Glory around the room as we prayed with this patient and gave her more pain medications to control her constant discomfort.

The young boy we visited next was equally inspiring. A lively 15-year-old with a contagious smile, he is dying of rapidly growing lymphomas. He takes care of all his needs himself, telling us what supplies he low on and how the medications are treating his pain. He diligently works through the workbooks Suzanne gave him and loves going to church to pray for 3-4 hours a day! He is praying in faith that God will heal him before Christmas. His mother is a strong, beautiful woman who wanted to sing and worship with us before we left.

Unfortunately the common theme of the day seemed to be the absence of male presence. The father was absent in each home we visited, absent for years, leaving the women responsible for finding ways to provide food as well as care for the entire family, including the sick family member. Not only that, but in two of the three cases, the man of the house had actually cursed the sick family member at some point and the voodoo belief that the curse was the reason for the illness was definitely present. What would entice a father to do that, especially to his teenage son? The devil, no doubt. While the strength, joy and faithful toil of the women inspired me, I came away shocked and ashamed by this much too prevalent reality.

As I said, it was a wonderful chance to be challenged, humbled and inspired. Being welcomed into a dying person’s home was so intimate. Not only that, the conditions in which they must live are amazing. One small, hot room with one bed for the entire family sufficed, filled with the pungent odor of the trash that was covering the dirt ground outside the door. What a reminder that I have been blessed with so much more than enough!

Prayers Please

Sometimes it feels like the world is falling apart.
That is when you have to realize you are not in control and all you can do is pray.
In the past two weeks, health and safety on this ship have seemed to be spinning out of control and that is why I ask for prayer: for the Lord's protection and encouragement.
Two weeks ago, despair hit the hospital walls as one of our translators was hit by a truck and killed; another translator was attacked by thieves who stabbed him and nearly cut his thumb off.
This last weekend two of our crew members grew incredibly sick and were admitted to the ICU for malaria. I had been feeling quite unwell but was sure it was not serious and did not want to make a big deal of it. I decided to pull it together for work as we were short on nurses. Luckily two of my friends convinced me to get tested for malaria, which came back positive. I was immediately summoned to bed and rightfully so. Within hours I was in so much pain I could barely move. My head throbbed and every bone and muscle in my body ached without relief. I joined the other two in ICU and after a few boluses of IV fluids and some good IV pain medications, my headache finally let up. (Not to mention, my parents were praying fervently by this point and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that their prayers were heard in alleviating my pain). I never realized how serious malaria can be: the strain we caught is the only potentially fatal strain which can cause cerebral malaria, pleural edema, anemia, etc. Praise the Lord we are recovering. I am now just feeling incredibly weak as my body tries to recouperate. Prayers for all of us are welcome as it is easy to get discouraged with the slow healing process.
Today Chitra, one of our security guards, got hit on his morning run (the morning run I always do at 6am with them). Luckily he was running alongside medical staff that included a surgeon and several nurses. He was unconscious and bleeding profusely. We rushed him back here to be scanned and examined and are praying against any lasting head injury.
This may come across as depressing. I guess all Im asking for is a bit of prayer as it seems to us that things just keep happening. It is a wonderful chance for us to look for God's grace in all of this and trust His goodness. Thank you.

Hiking, swimming, laughing

Can you picture yourself following a small, brutally strong African man with a machete through thick jungle and up steep cliffs to reach the highest waterfall in West Africa? Well I couldn't either... because I had no idea what I was getting myself into! After working a stretch of night shifts I could feel myself getting sick and wasn't sure how excited I was to to go on such a long adventure.

3am came far too early on Friday morning as the twelve of us sleepily piled into an old, creaky van and entrusted the drive to a hired African. Each border crossing (there were four) demanded a tiring amount of paperwork but praise the Lord we were eventually allowed to pass without too much hassle. Karl (our adventurous Aussie leader) did offer to barter off some of us girls in exchange for an expediated crossing...but luckily that was not necessary. :)

On our way through Togo we visited a Baptist mission hospital. This rural hospital set in the tropical mountains of Togo impressed us all! Megan, our Physical Therapist, was put right to work when we arrived as they were desperate for the input of a Physio. The rest of us were invited to tour the hospital and interact with the patients. Missionary doctors volunteer their time and all the nurses are locals who were trained on location. Because the Ship will be at port in Togo next year we were able to suggest that many of their patients who could not receive treatment come to us in the spring. It was such a treat to visualize an alternative way of serving medically in Africa!

Our drive carried on; we honked our way through narrow mountain roads which should technically be referred to as paths. At last we arrived at our hotel which overlooked the Wli Waterfall, the highest waterfall in West Africa. When we got out of the car it was as if we were all breathing for the first time. We never realized how polluted and smoggy Cotonou is until we soaked in the fresh mountain air, admired the lush tropical scenery and walked down dirt village roads, greeted by children who rarely see "yovos" or "white people."

To make a long story short...we had an incredible time. We hiked to the waterfall on Saturday which was much more strenuous than any of us had bargained for! Soaking in the waterfall, allowing the water to beat down on our backs was, well, painful but also extremely exilerating! Seriously, one of the most joyful moments of my life. I had a moment this weekend where God really freed me from a lot of anxiety. I have been a bit anxious about what to do next...where will God take me after this? Do I continue with missions? Travel? Get a job?...and it was this weekend that God stopped me and said "Angela, look around. You are sitting in Ghana. Did you ever think I would take you here? Trust me with what is next." Thank you, Lord. I can be an idiot :)
So after joyfully frolicking about we began the dangerous descent. Literally, dangerous....and FUN! Poor Cassidy, a super brave, beautiful ICU Trauma nurse was in front of me and took a hard fall...like most of us. But unfortunately she ended up a bit worse off. She recovered from the fall and turned around to look at me and held out her arm which was covered in dirt, sticks and bright red gushing blood. Ah! Had to think quick...we washed it off with the rest of my drinking water and I took my shirt too tourniquet the deep gash in her wrist. That got her down the mountain and luckily Karl was ultra prepared and had a suture kit in his pack. We created a makeshift operating room, got her a beer and watched her brave her way through stitches without pain meds.
Next day (ill make this shorter, I promise)... we explored Ghanan caves which turned out to be equally adventurous. The best part of this day was climbing down into a cave only to be greeted by a swarm of bats flying into my face!! I screamed like a little girl and our guide laughed at my fright...:)
I cannot tell you how refreshing it was to be active, to go jogging in the morning down a dirt village road as women got up to start their fires, to spend time with amazing people... Wow. We came back, re-energized for a week of work.
As for work, I am enjoying my little burn patients. They are precious! We have more fun the more I get to know them. This weekend they taught me how to count in Fon (a village language) and laughed as I danced in church. We are deep cleaning one of the wards in preparation for VVF (vaginal fistula) patients to arrive again. Their surgeries are very complicated and each one usually has a strain of infection that is extremely difficult to treat. We have lost a couple patients due to infection...sepsis... and are trying to prepare as much as possible.
I hope and pray this finds you well and that you are truly learning what it is to Live. Live joyfully. Live freely. Love with abandon. "Above all, love each other deeply..."1peter 3:9

On our way


Our fantastic group


The hospital in Togo...thats the nursery or neonatal ward on the left


An external fixator...rustic but useful


We did a lot of waiting at the borders... some beautiful friends


Finally we arrived! This is Ghana


Look at these little studs :)


On our way up...




The Wli WAterfall


One of the most joyful things to do! scary but fun


It hurt!!


We loved it


At the base of the falls when we came down...there was an AFrican dance party going on!


The hike down was rough..Cass with her tourniquet


And now..her stitches!!


Caving..


The rocks were quite slippery

The top was AMAZING


The kids were very curious...they don't see many white people. They were LOVELY and welcoming!!