Children everywhere... and 225 kool-aid cups

It turns out Sunday afternoons have been a good time for reflection... they are nice and quiet, and usually the hardest decision is whether to take a nap or go to the pool! (yes, they have a pool here... it was donated by a US pool company, and in heat like this it is wonderful)

This past week has been eventful. For one thing, the hospital has had so many deaths – and too many of them children. There's been a lot of malaria (especially cerebral malaria), a lot of stillbirths, and a lot of trauma. On a normal month they average 12-13 deaths here, but we have topped that just in the past week. I won't forget standing with one young mother, trying to comfort her in some way as her 1 yr old baby lay dying from malaria. I knew the baby would die before the mother had figured it out (based on the babies blown pupils, low pulse ox and heart rate, and the futility of bagging a baby like that indefinitely). At first I was amazed at her composure, but when she realized the baby was really dying she fell apart. I helped hold the mother until the chaplain came and walked her away. Death may be common place here, but they love their children just as much in Togo as anywhere. In fact, in some ways perhaps more – the commitment and care families show to their loved ones is something I often only wish for at my hospital back home.

Yesterday there were 5 births – all of them by c-section. Stephen and I were present for 2 of them. In the first one we received the baby, and together got to suction her, dry her, cut her cord, do her exam, etc. I'm no labor and delivery nurse but that has become one of my favorite things to do here! The second delivery was twins. Dr. Ebersole (the pediatrician) told me “you take baby A, and I'll take baby B – baby B is always in worse shape”. Famous last words. Well, it turned out Dr. Ebersole couldn't be there so while Stephen did the delivery with Todd, the surgical physician's assistant here, Jeff (the other medical student) took baby B while I took baby A. Of course it was baby A who decided to be blue while baby B was perfectly fine! Jeff helped me out with her, and though it took her awhile eventually she did figure out how to breath and the mama had two healthy little girls. Nothing makes you appreciate God's handiwork more than seeing it so closely in newborn life!

Every Wednesday the Ebbersole family has a kid's Bible club in their home. So I think to myself “Ah, that's familiar ground. I've done lots of those!” Right? Ha! This club started with one little boy from Adeta (one of the larger villages a couple of miles away) who was brought to the Lord by this family. They started having him over weekly to disciple him. Of course he invited his cousins, who invited their friends... long story short, there were 225 children who came to the club this week! This family single handedly buses most of these children over to their house from Adeta every week, where they invite them inside (though now they are of course spilling out the doors), single Bible songs, play games and have kool-aid and cookies, and of course are taught the Bible. The classes are divided into little kids, big kids, and those who have accepted Christ and are now being discipled. While of course some of these kids just come in order to get inside a “yovo” house and get a “yovo” snack, so many young lives have really and truly been changed by meeting Jesus Christ at this club. Most of the afternoon I spent just in awe at the sheer volume of children, and as I poured kool-aid into 225 cups and in the process flooded Mrs. Ebersole's kitchen with red and purple punch, I could not help but think of the kids clubs I had done at home and feel humbled. What a difference in response!!! And I confess that a good part of me was wondering if it was really necessary to serve every child kool-aid, but I realized later they did it because they were determined to make a gesture of hospitality and generosity that would be meaningful to these kids. I was also humbled by Mrs. Ebbersole opening her home and life like this. It would be so difficult for me to open my life to that kind of chaos, and here she was willing to do it week after week because she loves Jesus and loves children.

Along those same lines, one of the best things about being here has been getting to pick the brains of the missionaries. All the families here are so different, yet what a pool of wisdom that we get to glean from for a little while! I was able to spend Tuesday driving to Lome with Jennifer, Beth (fellow short termer, nurse, and doctor's wife) and 2 of Jennifer's kids. Jennifer's husband is a surgical physician's assistant, and they are about to move up north to where ABWE is building a new hospital in a Muslim area. I learned so much from her- about being a wife and mom here, about reaching out to women, about learning a language and supporting your husband's ministry. And yesterday the Ebersoles took us and Jeff to the market in Kpalime, and then out to dinner. I respect this family so much for their continual sacrificial giving! Perhaps more than anyone else, their home is continually open – it seems there are always Togolese going in and out of their home. In so many ways this place is a model for us- a model of evangelism, a model of compassionate ministry, of giving. We want to emulate this – whether back at home or wherever in the world we end up – perhaps even here!