Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Back Home
After all of the adventure making sure we had a flight back to the US, the actual traveling went quite smoothly. We arrived in Philly yesterday afternoon where Lisa's family picked us up. While we miss our friends in Africa, we are also excited about spending some time with family before graduation. Thank you so much for your prayers.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Last update from Africa!
So... our second flight was cancelled, but we are now on a third to Philadelphia! I'm determined to get Stephen home for his graduation even if we have to swim ;-) Seriously though, please pray that this flight won't be cancelled and we will make all our connection etc. We leave in the morning to drive to Ghana, and our flight to London leaves tomorrow night. Lord willing we will be in the US around 3:00pm on Tuesday.
We had always intended to write one or two more blog posts, just to tell about our last week here and reflect a little bit on what we've learned. But those will have to be done from home now - so watch for that if you're still interested! Also, we'll post a link to our pictures once we put them up on a web album.
Thank you to all of you for your birthday wishes - I had a very special birthday here. I had mango pie for my birthday cake, and I had the happy birthday song sung to me in 3 languages - French, English, and Ewe. I will never forget that.
Well, I'm signing off from Africa for the last time... (for this trip, that is!). That is sad in some ways, but we are excited about seeing people at home and what is ahead of us there. We are even more excited about what God has done in our hearts while we have been here, and to see where He will take us next! We are so thankful and full of praise to the God who made us, redeemed us, and called us - the same One who is at work in this place and in these people. What an awesome God, and what a privilege to play a part in what He is doing in the world!
We had always intended to write one or two more blog posts, just to tell about our last week here and reflect a little bit on what we've learned. But those will have to be done from home now - so watch for that if you're still interested! Also, we'll post a link to our pictures once we put them up on a web album.
Thank you to all of you for your birthday wishes - I had a very special birthday here. I had mango pie for my birthday cake, and I had the happy birthday song sung to me in 3 languages - French, English, and Ewe. I will never forget that.
Well, I'm signing off from Africa for the last time... (for this trip, that is!). That is sad in some ways, but we are excited about seeing people at home and what is ahead of us there. We are even more excited about what God has done in our hearts while we have been here, and to see where He will take us next! We are so thankful and full of praise to the God who made us, redeemed us, and called us - the same One who is at work in this place and in these people. What an awesome God, and what a privilege to play a part in what He is doing in the world!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Answer to Prayer
Just got word that we are now on a flight to DC. Thanks for all of you who prayed. God is always good, but we are thankful He choose to do this for us.
Prayer Request
We just found out that our flight from London to BWI has been cancelled because of the British Airways strike, and we are unclear as to when or how we will get home. We are working with our travel agent to figure this situation out, but as you can imagine, many around the world have been affected by this. Please pray that we would trust God in the midst of the uncertainty, that if it is His will we would be able to get home by graduation, and that we would have wisdom as to any decisions that we need to make. Thank you so much.
Btw, we are still having fun.
Btw, we are still having fun.
Hospital Work
I've realized that in all of our blogging, I haven't devoted a whole post to describing my work in the hospital. It would be a shame to never do so, since not only has it been my primary responsibility, but there have been a host of fun experiences that deserve to be shared.
Hospital rounds start at 7:30-8 each morning, during which time we discuss patients who have been admitted to the hospital and decide upon their course of care. Sometimes decisions are fairly straightforward, and at other times the cases are bizarre, such as a snakebite or tetanus. I find it funny, though, as to what may be considered straightforward – for example, I've seen so much pediatric malaria, that I can basically recite the care to be given in a variety of clinical situations, as well as how to deal with various complications. Something that is a novelty in the states has now become very routine, and I'll probably have more experience treating it than all of my attendings in residency (so if a case ever comes in, I'll have a chance to look like an all star). Another few crazy facts on malaria in Togo – it's so common that you have to consider it for anyone with a fever, and will often treat without running tests. Also, it can cause such severe anemia, that single digit hematocrits are common upon admission. My personal record is 8, though patients with hematocrits as low as 4.5 have survived. (For the non-medical people, this is a measure of how anemic a person is...doctors usually transfuse a patient when their hemoglobin is less than 7, which is the equivalent of a hematocrit of 21.)
Being a family medicine (almost) doctor, I've tried to spend time helping with all types of patients – OB, medicine, pediatrics, and surgical. OB cases are some of my favorite. It's been exciting to deliver babies here in Togo. I've also gotten to get a significant amount of C-section experience. A lot of this consists of assisting the surgeons here, but I've gotten to deliver several of the babies in the OR after we have opened the uterus. Additionally, there have been 3 C-sections where I have done a majority of the operation, which has been one of the medical highlights of the trip. Many family medicine residents have never done a C-section, and I've already gotten to do 3!
After rounds, I usually go up to the clinic to see patients. It's been a new experience to have to interview patients through a translator. It works for the most part, though there are many times where I've felt I'm not getting the full picture. Sometimes this is frustrating, because knowing the language really would allow me to provide better care at times. Still, we manage to consistently help people, and it's been fun to have more responsibility in treating patients.
I'll also take call every 3-4 nights, which consists of taking phone calls when there are questions about patients and going down to the hospital when someone needs to be admitted. Fortunately, most people don't come in late at night so I would usually get at least 6 hours of sleep. The responsibility of admitting patients and having to make more decisions has been invaluable, and I feel much better prepared for residency after my 6 weeks here. I don't want it to sound like my responsibilities have meant I have little oversight. I have worked with some great doctors who have watched me make decisions and taught me a wealth of knowledge. Michael Gayle is a family medicine doctor who has been a wealth of information both in clinic and treating adult medicine patients. Russ Ebersole is a pediatrician who does an incredible job of what basically amounts to running a partial peds ICU with limited resources and monitoring, yet he saves innumerable lives. He taught me much of what I know about malaria. Todd DeKryger is a surgical PA, and he was one of the main people working on my surgical skills to train me to perform C-sections. Mary Jo is our midwife, and she has walked me through deliveries. And our short term surgeons have taught me about post-op care and allowed me to assist in the OR. All of these people have served to sharpen my skills, and I think I will only realize how much they contributed to my education once I start residency.
Some other medical highlights have included:
• getting my first intubation on a pediatric patient
• giving spinal anesthesia
• seeing a child survive a severe tetanus attack (the docs here have learned that giving antibodies into the fluid around the spinal cord and brain increases survival from 15% to 85% over conventional treatment, and while a few people had recommended this before, only in the last year is it becoming recommended practice by the experts)
• getting to practice medicine alongside Lisa...and getting to hand off the first baby I delivered by C-section to her (by the way, getting the baby after a C-section is Lisa's favorite thing to do medically)
• seeing a patient with a snake bite
• pulling out a twin during a C-section
In addition to the medical aspect, it has been a blessing to also be free to address patient's spiritual needs. And God in His grace is doing a mighty work in Togo. I have seen many people pray to accept Christ in the hospital and clinic, and it is exciting to know that our love and service is playing a role in bringing these people to salvation. It is probably true that some commitments are not genuine...after all Christ tells us in the parable of the sower that many who accept the gospel initially will fall away. But He also promises that many will go onto bear fruit, so we can trust that if the true gospel is given many confessions of faith will bear great fruit. I have already seen a picture of that as many of the Togolese serving in the hospital became believers through its ministry. One chaplain shared how his mother came to the hospital, was saved, and later led him to Christ. Now he serves sharing Christ's gospel and taking part in the work of salvation God is accomplishing at HBB. One of the PA's who is also a pastor was saved after working on the construction of the hospital 25 years ago. I had the privilege of seeing a women in clinic whose chart went back to the first year in the hospital, and she shared how during her first hospitalization she accepted Christ. A quarter century later she is faithfully serving Him. To take part in caring for these patient's as full humans – body and spirit – has been the greatest blessing of this trip. Sharing the gospel or watching others share the gospel and see patients respond to Christ's mercy is and incredible thrill. Jesus told us the angels rejoice over one who is saved, so I am certain there is a large party that keeps going on for the people of Togo. Praise God that He is making Himself known and that He lets us be a part of His work.
Hospital rounds start at 7:30-8 each morning, during which time we discuss patients who have been admitted to the hospital and decide upon their course of care. Sometimes decisions are fairly straightforward, and at other times the cases are bizarre, such as a snakebite or tetanus. I find it funny, though, as to what may be considered straightforward – for example, I've seen so much pediatric malaria, that I can basically recite the care to be given in a variety of clinical situations, as well as how to deal with various complications. Something that is a novelty in the states has now become very routine, and I'll probably have more experience treating it than all of my attendings in residency (so if a case ever comes in, I'll have a chance to look like an all star). Another few crazy facts on malaria in Togo – it's so common that you have to consider it for anyone with a fever, and will often treat without running tests. Also, it can cause such severe anemia, that single digit hematocrits are common upon admission. My personal record is 8, though patients with hematocrits as low as 4.5 have survived. (For the non-medical people, this is a measure of how anemic a person is...doctors usually transfuse a patient when their hemoglobin is less than 7, which is the equivalent of a hematocrit of 21.)
Being a family medicine (almost) doctor, I've tried to spend time helping with all types of patients – OB, medicine, pediatrics, and surgical. OB cases are some of my favorite. It's been exciting to deliver babies here in Togo. I've also gotten to get a significant amount of C-section experience. A lot of this consists of assisting the surgeons here, but I've gotten to deliver several of the babies in the OR after we have opened the uterus. Additionally, there have been 3 C-sections where I have done a majority of the operation, which has been one of the medical highlights of the trip. Many family medicine residents have never done a C-section, and I've already gotten to do 3!
After rounds, I usually go up to the clinic to see patients. It's been a new experience to have to interview patients through a translator. It works for the most part, though there are many times where I've felt I'm not getting the full picture. Sometimes this is frustrating, because knowing the language really would allow me to provide better care at times. Still, we manage to consistently help people, and it's been fun to have more responsibility in treating patients.
I'll also take call every 3-4 nights, which consists of taking phone calls when there are questions about patients and going down to the hospital when someone needs to be admitted. Fortunately, most people don't come in late at night so I would usually get at least 6 hours of sleep. The responsibility of admitting patients and having to make more decisions has been invaluable, and I feel much better prepared for residency after my 6 weeks here. I don't want it to sound like my responsibilities have meant I have little oversight. I have worked with some great doctors who have watched me make decisions and taught me a wealth of knowledge. Michael Gayle is a family medicine doctor who has been a wealth of information both in clinic and treating adult medicine patients. Russ Ebersole is a pediatrician who does an incredible job of what basically amounts to running a partial peds ICU with limited resources and monitoring, yet he saves innumerable lives. He taught me much of what I know about malaria. Todd DeKryger is a surgical PA, and he was one of the main people working on my surgical skills to train me to perform C-sections. Mary Jo is our midwife, and she has walked me through deliveries. And our short term surgeons have taught me about post-op care and allowed me to assist in the OR. All of these people have served to sharpen my skills, and I think I will only realize how much they contributed to my education once I start residency.
Some other medical highlights have included:
• getting my first intubation on a pediatric patient
• giving spinal anesthesia
• seeing a child survive a severe tetanus attack (the docs here have learned that giving antibodies into the fluid around the spinal cord and brain increases survival from 15% to 85% over conventional treatment, and while a few people had recommended this before, only in the last year is it becoming recommended practice by the experts)
• getting to practice medicine alongside Lisa...and getting to hand off the first baby I delivered by C-section to her (by the way, getting the baby after a C-section is Lisa's favorite thing to do medically)
• seeing a patient with a snake bite
• pulling out a twin during a C-section
In addition to the medical aspect, it has been a blessing to also be free to address patient's spiritual needs. And God in His grace is doing a mighty work in Togo. I have seen many people pray to accept Christ in the hospital and clinic, and it is exciting to know that our love and service is playing a role in bringing these people to salvation. It is probably true that some commitments are not genuine...after all Christ tells us in the parable of the sower that many who accept the gospel initially will fall away. But He also promises that many will go onto bear fruit, so we can trust that if the true gospel is given many confessions of faith will bear great fruit. I have already seen a picture of that as many of the Togolese serving in the hospital became believers through its ministry. One chaplain shared how his mother came to the hospital, was saved, and later led him to Christ. Now he serves sharing Christ's gospel and taking part in the work of salvation God is accomplishing at HBB. One of the PA's who is also a pastor was saved after working on the construction of the hospital 25 years ago. I had the privilege of seeing a women in clinic whose chart went back to the first year in the hospital, and she shared how during her first hospitalization she accepted Christ. A quarter century later she is faithfully serving Him. To take part in caring for these patient's as full humans – body and spirit – has been the greatest blessing of this trip. Sharing the gospel or watching others share the gospel and see patients respond to Christ's mercy is and incredible thrill. Jesus told us the angels rejoice over one who is saved, so I am certain there is a large party that keeps going on for the people of Togo. Praise God that He is making Himself known and that He lets us be a part of His work.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Things I miss, things I don't!
What I miss about America:
•Wal-mart
•Ice-cream!! (especially mint chocolate chip)
•Going to church and worshiping in a language I can understand
•The bathrooms (enough said)
•Taking care of my own house – yes, even cooking and cleaning!
•Driving down the road without feeling bruised from all the bumps
•The food, and how easy it is to get it
•My cell phone... oh yes, and the people I talk to on it! (so I guess really what I miss is talking to my far away friends and family)
•Getting together with friends... no translators necessary
•Wearing shorts!!!
•Being able to invite people over to my house
•Um, did I mention ice cream?
What I don't miss about America:
•Work (ok, maybe I do miss it a little bit...)
•Doing my own laundry
•Rude, unfriendly people
•Being so busy it's hard to fit in the really important stuff, like people
•The news – I haven't seen a headline since I've been here
•Traffic and commuting (a 3 minute walk to the hospital is nice)
•The obsession with stuff and entertainment
What I will miss about Africa:
•The huge smiles on people's faces just from saying hello
•The bright colors people wear
•The little babies tied to their mother's backs
•Being awestruck every time I see the enormous loads women carry on their heads, and feeling small that I couldn't even carry that much in my arms
•Afternoon siestas! Seriously, how can they manage a 2 hr afternoon break in the hospital here and some days at work I can't even manage a 5 minute one?
•The beautiful harmony and rhythms in church
•The fruit! Pineapples, mangos, bananas...
•The sweet, friendly people
•Being with my best friend (Stephen, in case you couldn't figure it out) all day long
What I won't miss about Africa:
•The potholes big enough to lose half your car in (I finally found a place with worse roads than Baltimore city)
•Sweating
•The smell of sweating
•Bugs – little ones, big ones, slimy ones, crawling ones, flying ones...
•Bargaining for everything I buy (Stephen would put this in the “what I'll miss” category, but not me!)
•Never being able to just blend in and be normal
•Feeling filthy rich
•My new best friend, Cipro (only fellow medical people or fellow travelers will understand this one, but I don't think I want to elaborate...)
•Malaria pills
•Wal-mart
•Ice-cream!! (especially mint chocolate chip)
•Going to church and worshiping in a language I can understand
•The bathrooms (enough said)
•Taking care of my own house – yes, even cooking and cleaning!
•Driving down the road without feeling bruised from all the bumps
•The food, and how easy it is to get it
•My cell phone... oh yes, and the people I talk to on it! (so I guess really what I miss is talking to my far away friends and family)
•Getting together with friends... no translators necessary
•Wearing shorts!!!
•Being able to invite people over to my house
•Um, did I mention ice cream?
What I don't miss about America:
•Work (ok, maybe I do miss it a little bit...)
•Doing my own laundry
•Rude, unfriendly people
•Being so busy it's hard to fit in the really important stuff, like people
•The news – I haven't seen a headline since I've been here
•Traffic and commuting (a 3 minute walk to the hospital is nice)
•The obsession with stuff and entertainment
What I will miss about Africa:
•The huge smiles on people's faces just from saying hello
•The bright colors people wear
•The little babies tied to their mother's backs
•Being awestruck every time I see the enormous loads women carry on their heads, and feeling small that I couldn't even carry that much in my arms
•Afternoon siestas! Seriously, how can they manage a 2 hr afternoon break in the hospital here and some days at work I can't even manage a 5 minute one?
•The beautiful harmony and rhythms in church
•The fruit! Pineapples, mangos, bananas...
•The sweet, friendly people
•Being with my best friend (Stephen, in case you couldn't figure it out) all day long
What I won't miss about Africa:
•The potholes big enough to lose half your car in (I finally found a place with worse roads than Baltimore city)
•Sweating
•The smell of sweating
•Bugs – little ones, big ones, slimy ones, crawling ones, flying ones...
•Bargaining for everything I buy (Stephen would put this in the “what I'll miss” category, but not me!)
•Never being able to just blend in and be normal
•Feeling filthy rich
•My new best friend, Cipro (only fellow medical people or fellow travelers will understand this one, but I don't think I want to elaborate...)
•Malaria pills
Saturday, May 15, 2010
You know you're in Africa/Togo when...
* There are more military personnel at the TV station than the border (because coups are the greater threat)
* You're excited to have a lizard roaming your walls because the bugs are worse than the reptiles
* A good machete is half the price of a small jar of peanut butter
* Kids love talking with you because you're a stranger
* A good road equals only a couple potholes every ¼ mile
* The woman carry more weight on their head than you could in your arms
* Your attempts at kicking a soccer ball are great entertainment to the local children
* 85 degrees with 85 percent humidity is one of your more comfortable days
* You're happy the electricity was out ½ an hour (instead of ½ a day)
* Your church service has more rhythm and harmony than most of your CDs
* Someone you'd consider anemic in the US is a candidate to donate blood
* Modesty (for women) means not showing any of your thighs, but clothing above the waist is optional
* You know people who never graduated high school, but speak 4 languages.
* Cats are a delicacy (no, I did not eat one)
* You are bored with diagnosing malaria, but your professors back in the states are stoked to make the diagnosis
* You've seen twins delivered by C-section without an MD in the operating room
* A shopkeeper insists he's not ripping you off because his sandals are made with “Italian plastic”
* A nine passenger van carrying 12 people is considered below capacity
* People run alongside a semi-truck going up a hill with cement blocks so they can stop the truck if it starts rolling backwards
* A simple greeting brings out a huge smile
* Your pictures of medical conditions are better than the textbooks
* You can buy Barack Obama boxers in the market (a few booths over from the fish)
* A shopkeeper knocks 20% off his “very-final price” (as opposed to his first “final price”)
* Dancing and drums are normal in a Baptist church
* You've been far more blessed than you have served, and “sacrificing” time and comforts to come is a great misnomer, because your joy is far greater than anything given up
* You're excited to have a lizard roaming your walls because the bugs are worse than the reptiles
* A good machete is half the price of a small jar of peanut butter
* Kids love talking with you because you're a stranger
* A good road equals only a couple potholes every ¼ mile
* The woman carry more weight on their head than you could in your arms
* Your attempts at kicking a soccer ball are great entertainment to the local children
* 85 degrees with 85 percent humidity is one of your more comfortable days
* You're happy the electricity was out ½ an hour (instead of ½ a day)
* Your church service has more rhythm and harmony than most of your CDs
* Someone you'd consider anemic in the US is a candidate to donate blood
* Modesty (for women) means not showing any of your thighs, but clothing above the waist is optional
* You know people who never graduated high school, but speak 4 languages.
* Cats are a delicacy (no, I did not eat one)
* You are bored with diagnosing malaria, but your professors back in the states are stoked to make the diagnosis
* You've seen twins delivered by C-section without an MD in the operating room
* A shopkeeper insists he's not ripping you off because his sandals are made with “Italian plastic”
* A nine passenger van carrying 12 people is considered below capacity
* People run alongside a semi-truck going up a hill with cement blocks so they can stop the truck if it starts rolling backwards
* A simple greeting brings out a huge smile
* Your pictures of medical conditions are better than the textbooks
* You can buy Barack Obama boxers in the market (a few booths over from the fish)
* A shopkeeper knocks 20% off his “very-final price” (as opposed to his first “final price”)
* Dancing and drums are normal in a Baptist church
* You've been far more blessed than you have served, and “sacrificing” time and comforts to come is a great misnomer, because your joy is far greater than anything given up
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Our Mango Adventure
We have returned safe and sound from our trip up north – and with quite a collection of good Africa stories to tell! We are in such a comfy environment down here in Tsiko (though that word is relative I guess – some may not call it that). Our trip up to Mango was our first real “rustic” African experience, and it was kind of fun!
So Mango is... hot and ugly. It is the hottest place in Togo (think 120-130 F). The town is mostly brown mud huts with either corrugated tin or thatched roofs (not sure which is better), with a spattering of concrete buildings in various stages of decay – all with a liberal supply of trash and garbage surrounding them for decoration. The people there come from a number of different tribes such as the Filane, Tsikose, and Housa (yeah, totally guessing on the spelling there). These tribes are considered the lowest and most despised in this area, and most of them are some sort of Muslim, or Muslim/fetish combo. Mango is one of the largest cities in northern Togo, yet it has been completely ignored by the government and even most mission organizations. There is virtually no medical care available there. Though the town is Muslim, they begged ABWE to start a hospital in their town like the one in Tsiko, even knowing that it will be an evangelistic Christian hospital. The need there is tremendous, and the people are beautiful and just as sweet and friendly as they are down south. So a team of church planters has moved up to Mango to prepare the way for the hospital (named Hospital of Hope), and construction is underway on the site which should open in 2014. Stephen and I are really excited about what they are doing there, and are praying about whether it is a place that the Lord would have us come back to.
I know I made Mango sound like it's all awful, but it's not. The town is surrounded by savannah-type plains, and during the rainy season (which I think is from May-November ish) there is actually green grass and a spattering of trees – nothing like the stunning tropical jungle down in Tsiko, but beautiful in its own way. I believe the land is brown the rest of the year. Just outside of Mango there is a river and a dam, which has formed a large lake where hippos now live. So of course we went to see the hippos and happened to get some amazing views and pictures. Those things are enormous! It seemed like they were as big as a bus with their front teeth about the size of my entire body. They were so cool – as long as they were in the water and I was safely on the bank! =-) Oh yes, and on the ride up to Mango the people we were riding with stopped at a small wildlife preserve. It wasn't big enough to have large game like lions and elephants, but we did get to see things like zebras, antelope, crocodiles, wildebeasts, water buffalo... it was beautiful!
Ok, so a few good Africa stories. I grew to dread the bathroom up there... yes, the bathroom. The first night I went marching in there and flipped the light on to find a dead somewhat-smashed lizard (which I know had not been there an hour before) right by my bare foot, which I think I might have just stepped on. And there were about 70 ants (giant ants!!!!) crawling around all over it and the bathroom floor. Our hostess was on the phone with her grandmother in the US, so I determined I'd have to clean it up myself. Gulp. Well, almost by myself. My hero (Stephen) came in to take care of the lizard. I then scrub the lizard blood off the floor and begin to smash ants and chase them around with a broom I found, trying to sweep them down the shower drain (the shower was just a drain and a faucet in the corner of the bathroom anyway). Well, that seemed like a good idea until they started to come up the drain! Oh, did I mention I had shoes on at this point? I don't think I took those things off the rest of my time there. That was just the beginning of that shower experience – by the time it was over I had knocked the faucet off at least twice and completely tore the towel rack off the wall. I really don't know how I managed that. Also, I was told they had no hot water. That was a joke, because really they had no cold water – the water was whatever temperature it felt like being, and that was always hot! I was usually sweating just as much after the shower as before. Anyways... I admit I wasn't sorry to see our little simple, mostly clean, mostly vermin-free bathroom when we got back down here!
We had a few other fun adventures – like piercing a baby's ears and taking stitches out of a man's face. Like I said – no medical care there! The ear piercing would also make a good story, but maybe another post as this one is already too long. The trip back was also kind of an adventure. It went quite smoothly, but taking an enormous bus on crumbling African mountain roads with people who can't speak English can possibly present some challenges. I had two concerns, and therefore two prayers – that I would not have to go to the bathroom on the 8hr trip (squatting by the side of the bus like the African women just wasn't going to cut it for me) and that we would get off at the right stop. I am pleased to announce God graciously answered both! In all, it was a very exciting trip. It was exciting to see and hear and imagine what God is doing and will be doing in Mango. Please pray for this town, that God would use this new hospital to spread His gospel in a place where it has never been before.
P.S. - We will eventually post pictures, probably as a web album, but the internet is too slow here so we will have to do it when we get home!
So Mango is... hot and ugly. It is the hottest place in Togo (think 120-130 F). The town is mostly brown mud huts with either corrugated tin or thatched roofs (not sure which is better), with a spattering of concrete buildings in various stages of decay – all with a liberal supply of trash and garbage surrounding them for decoration. The people there come from a number of different tribes such as the Filane, Tsikose, and Housa (yeah, totally guessing on the spelling there). These tribes are considered the lowest and most despised in this area, and most of them are some sort of Muslim, or Muslim/fetish combo. Mango is one of the largest cities in northern Togo, yet it has been completely ignored by the government and even most mission organizations. There is virtually no medical care available there. Though the town is Muslim, they begged ABWE to start a hospital in their town like the one in Tsiko, even knowing that it will be an evangelistic Christian hospital. The need there is tremendous, and the people are beautiful and just as sweet and friendly as they are down south. So a team of church planters has moved up to Mango to prepare the way for the hospital (named Hospital of Hope), and construction is underway on the site which should open in 2014. Stephen and I are really excited about what they are doing there, and are praying about whether it is a place that the Lord would have us come back to.
I know I made Mango sound like it's all awful, but it's not. The town is surrounded by savannah-type plains, and during the rainy season (which I think is from May-November ish) there is actually green grass and a spattering of trees – nothing like the stunning tropical jungle down in Tsiko, but beautiful in its own way. I believe the land is brown the rest of the year. Just outside of Mango there is a river and a dam, which has formed a large lake where hippos now live. So of course we went to see the hippos and happened to get some amazing views and pictures. Those things are enormous! It seemed like they were as big as a bus with their front teeth about the size of my entire body. They were so cool – as long as they were in the water and I was safely on the bank! =-) Oh yes, and on the ride up to Mango the people we were riding with stopped at a small wildlife preserve. It wasn't big enough to have large game like lions and elephants, but we did get to see things like zebras, antelope, crocodiles, wildebeasts, water buffalo... it was beautiful!
Ok, so a few good Africa stories. I grew to dread the bathroom up there... yes, the bathroom. The first night I went marching in there and flipped the light on to find a dead somewhat-smashed lizard (which I know had not been there an hour before) right by my bare foot, which I think I might have just stepped on. And there were about 70 ants (giant ants!!!!) crawling around all over it and the bathroom floor. Our hostess was on the phone with her grandmother in the US, so I determined I'd have to clean it up myself. Gulp. Well, almost by myself. My hero (Stephen) came in to take care of the lizard. I then scrub the lizard blood off the floor and begin to smash ants and chase them around with a broom I found, trying to sweep them down the shower drain (the shower was just a drain and a faucet in the corner of the bathroom anyway). Well, that seemed like a good idea until they started to come up the drain! Oh, did I mention I had shoes on at this point? I don't think I took those things off the rest of my time there. That was just the beginning of that shower experience – by the time it was over I had knocked the faucet off at least twice and completely tore the towel rack off the wall. I really don't know how I managed that. Also, I was told they had no hot water. That was a joke, because really they had no cold water – the water was whatever temperature it felt like being, and that was always hot! I was usually sweating just as much after the shower as before. Anyways... I admit I wasn't sorry to see our little simple, mostly clean, mostly vermin-free bathroom when we got back down here!
We had a few other fun adventures – like piercing a baby's ears and taking stitches out of a man's face. Like I said – no medical care there! The ear piercing would also make a good story, but maybe another post as this one is already too long. The trip back was also kind of an adventure. It went quite smoothly, but taking an enormous bus on crumbling African mountain roads with people who can't speak English can possibly present some challenges. I had two concerns, and therefore two prayers – that I would not have to go to the bathroom on the 8hr trip (squatting by the side of the bus like the African women just wasn't going to cut it for me) and that we would get off at the right stop. I am pleased to announce God graciously answered both! In all, it was a very exciting trip. It was exciting to see and hear and imagine what God is doing and will be doing in Mango. Please pray for this town, that God would use this new hospital to spread His gospel in a place where it has never been before.
P.S. - We will eventually post pictures, probably as a web album, but the internet is too slow here so we will have to do it when we get home!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Balancing the glorious and the mundane
I guess the mood to write hasn’t struck me very often this past week or two, because Stephen has done all the updating! Let’s see… I’ve been doing a lot of odds and ends the last few weeks. If anything, it’s taught me that life “here” is just like life “there”. I’m not sure if I can describe what I mean by that… I guess that all the mundane daily tasks of life still happen here. Much of the missionaries daily lives are taken up with ordinary things like paperwork, housework, maintenance, etc. Not everything is fun and glorious with inspiring results. The last few weeks Stephen has been busy with more of the fun and glorious stuff (though he might disagree with that) and I’ve been busy helping people with more of the mundane and ordinary stuff. It has made me think about what is more pleasing to the Lord. There is a surgeon who lives here 6 months of the year, and he just left to go back home. Before he left he was talking about how doing surgery always seems to be the more dramatic and glorious thing, but how he believes the nurse’s aid who shows kindness to a patient is just as much, if not more, valuable in the Lord’s eyes. Perhaps we sometimes have it backwards. Perhaps the Lord does not care so much about the result of what we do but the attitude and the motive with which we do it.
While Stephen has been in the hospital or clinic all day, I’ve been able to get a more well-rounded view of what life here is like – and I like it! I’ve been in lots of villages and markets, even a few of the people’s homes. We are different, but we are also so much the same in the truly important things. But I also really like being in the hospital, especially when Stephen and I can work together. Yesterday I got to follow a Togolese nurse (Mawuli) around so that he could show me the ropes in the hospital from a nursing perspective. Fortunately he spoke English – but it is still rather intimidating when I don’t know what I’m doing and he was under the impression that I did! For instance, how in the world do you run an IV without a pump? And how in the world do you mix medications? And how do you know when a baby ate last if it isn’t charted? And how in the world did I get stuck with giving shots and suppositories, two of my least favorite tasks of all time? ;-) Again, it’s so different… and yet so much the same. But you know, nursing is simpler here and I like that.
This weekend Stephen and I are traveling to a city up north called Mango. It is in a Muslim area, and ABWE is building a new hospital there (the town actually begged them to) which should be done in 2014. We are very excited about this project and what they are doing – we’ll try to write more about it when we come back. Pray for us – it’s an 8 hr drive on bad roads. Some people we know are driving us up, but we’ll be coming back by bus on Tuesday (sounds kind of adventurous to me!) We’ll try to post soon after we return, but I don’t think we’ll have access to internet until then.
While Stephen has been in the hospital or clinic all day, I’ve been able to get a more well-rounded view of what life here is like – and I like it! I’ve been in lots of villages and markets, even a few of the people’s homes. We are different, but we are also so much the same in the truly important things. But I also really like being in the hospital, especially when Stephen and I can work together. Yesterday I got to follow a Togolese nurse (Mawuli) around so that he could show me the ropes in the hospital from a nursing perspective. Fortunately he spoke English – but it is still rather intimidating when I don’t know what I’m doing and he was under the impression that I did! For instance, how in the world do you run an IV without a pump? And how in the world do you mix medications? And how do you know when a baby ate last if it isn’t charted? And how in the world did I get stuck with giving shots and suppositories, two of my least favorite tasks of all time? ;-) Again, it’s so different… and yet so much the same. But you know, nursing is simpler here and I like that.
This weekend Stephen and I are traveling to a city up north called Mango. It is in a Muslim area, and ABWE is building a new hospital there (the town actually begged them to) which should be done in 2014. We are very excited about this project and what they are doing – we’ll try to write more about it when we come back. Pray for us – it’s an 8 hr drive on bad roads. Some people we know are driving us up, but we’ll be coming back by bus on Tuesday (sounds kind of adventurous to me!) We’ll try to post soon after we return, but I don’t think we’ll have access to internet until then.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
3 Continents Down…3 to Go
As many of you already know, delivering babies is my favorite part of medicine. It is amazing how God has created human life and brings it into the world, and I continued to be in awe of this process. On Monday, while on call, I got to deliver my first baby in Africa…it never gets old and I always find it such a joy to take part in this process. Now, I can say that I’ve delivered babies on 3 of the inhabitable continents (also Asia and N. America). We’ll see if I can ever add to that in the future.
Lisa and I are continuing to enjoy our time. I’m continuing to serve in the hospital, and she has been helping out the last two days watching kids as the missionaries have team meetings. Can’t believe we are half way through our trip. Thank you for all of you prayers. You are in our thoughts too.
Lisa and I are continuing to enjoy our time. I’m continuing to serve in the hospital, and she has been helping out the last two days watching kids as the missionaries have team meetings. Can’t believe we are half way through our trip. Thank you for all of you prayers. You are in our thoughts too.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
A Snake Bite
This hospital never has a dull moment, and I love bouncing around from C-sections to traumas to pediatric malaria and seeing such a wide variety of cases. Last Tuesday, a small, elderly man came in during morning rounds. He had been farming out in the fields, when he felt a pain in his left foot and looked to see a snake had just bitten him. His sons quickly brought him into the hospital...as well as the dead snake in a plastic bag. (A note on this from our hospital's treatment manual: “First try to determine the type of snake responsible for the bite... If the snake has been killed, ask to have it brought in to determine the type [which allows us to know if our anti-venom {rare and expensive} will work], but in general, it is not wise to try and kill the snake, since more people are then at risk for bites.” Hope none of you ever have to use this trivia).
We identified the perpetrator as a saw-scaled viper (I would post pictures if internet was faster...it was 3 feet long, and fortunately it was fully dead, because my pictures are from a few feet away). Its venom causes victims to bleed to death, and when the man arrived he already had some bleeding from his mouth and nose. Fortunately, the hospital's anti-venom covers this snake, though even when treated there is still the risk of bleeding to death and the patient must be watched for several days.
Later that afternoon, things finally slowed down. Our patient was getting his 4th vial of anti-venom because he was still bleeding. With the outcome of his bite still unclear, I realized that this man needed to hear the gospel that day. Even if his outcome was poor, he could still have eternal life if he accepted Jesus. Of course, most of you could probably guess speaking Kabie is not my strength nor is tongues my spiritual gift. Fortunately, after asking around, I found a nurse who spoke this man's language. Using him as interpreter, I began to ask this man about his spiritual beliefs. He had never heard much about Jesus but was interested in learning more. So I shared how the true Creator of this world was God, that God had made man, but man had rejected God by disobeying God. As I began to explain how God justly punishes men and women for sinning against him, my interpreter began to go ahead himself and share how God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross and that if we trust in Jesus alone (not our own good deeds) we can receive salvation. After hearing this, the man said that he wanted to receive Jesus as his Savior. So we prayed with him, there at his hospital bed, and this man put his faith in Christ.
By God's grace, the man stopped bleeding and was discharged from the hospital yesterday. I had several opportunities to talk with him during his stay, and he continued to affirm his new faith in Christ. What a great opportunity to be a part of God's changing this man's heart and making him one of His children (and I am humbled that God uses us to play a role in salvation). One day, he will still face death, but a life in heaven with Jesus now awaits because of his new faith. I was struck by the ability of our sovereign God to take evil events and through His grace turn them to good. Through an unfortunate snake bite, God brought this man to our hospital so the man could hear of Jesus' love. Thousands of years ago, sin (along with sickness and death) came into the world by a serpent who deceived Adam and Eve; now God, in His sense of humor, used another serpent to start a series of events that brought this man to know His Savior.
So pray for this man and his new salvation; and praise our God who is lovingly at work to bring men and women to Himself!
We identified the perpetrator as a saw-scaled viper (I would post pictures if internet was faster...it was 3 feet long, and fortunately it was fully dead, because my pictures are from a few feet away). Its venom causes victims to bleed to death, and when the man arrived he already had some bleeding from his mouth and nose. Fortunately, the hospital's anti-venom covers this snake, though even when treated there is still the risk of bleeding to death and the patient must be watched for several days.
Later that afternoon, things finally slowed down. Our patient was getting his 4th vial of anti-venom because he was still bleeding. With the outcome of his bite still unclear, I realized that this man needed to hear the gospel that day. Even if his outcome was poor, he could still have eternal life if he accepted Jesus. Of course, most of you could probably guess speaking Kabie is not my strength nor is tongues my spiritual gift. Fortunately, after asking around, I found a nurse who spoke this man's language. Using him as interpreter, I began to ask this man about his spiritual beliefs. He had never heard much about Jesus but was interested in learning more. So I shared how the true Creator of this world was God, that God had made man, but man had rejected God by disobeying God. As I began to explain how God justly punishes men and women for sinning against him, my interpreter began to go ahead himself and share how God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross and that if we trust in Jesus alone (not our own good deeds) we can receive salvation. After hearing this, the man said that he wanted to receive Jesus as his Savior. So we prayed with him, there at his hospital bed, and this man put his faith in Christ.
By God's grace, the man stopped bleeding and was discharged from the hospital yesterday. I had several opportunities to talk with him during his stay, and he continued to affirm his new faith in Christ. What a great opportunity to be a part of God's changing this man's heart and making him one of His children (and I am humbled that God uses us to play a role in salvation). One day, he will still face death, but a life in heaven with Jesus now awaits because of his new faith. I was struck by the ability of our sovereign God to take evil events and through His grace turn them to good. Through an unfortunate snake bite, God brought this man to our hospital so the man could hear of Jesus' love. Thousands of years ago, sin (along with sickness and death) came into the world by a serpent who deceived Adam and Eve; now God, in His sense of humor, used another serpent to start a series of events that brought this man to know His Savior.
So pray for this man and his new salvation; and praise our God who is lovingly at work to bring men and women to Himself!
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