another week. time is playing tricks on me- i feel like i've been here a long time, yet the week went by in a flash. God is good. I came here to give, give, give... yet in just two short weeks the patients on the ward have given and taught ME SO MUCH. The picture I included this time, is the "after" picture of the woman in the last entry, that recieved surgery on a Mercy Ship. I've never met this woman, got her picture of the M.S. website, but it is a perfect pictation of the transformation that is taking place here, its amazing. This deformity is more common in this area of the world than anywhere else, and no one knows exactly why? Because of this deformity and many others we see on the ward, they are treated as total outcasts to their societies, not wanted by family, not given work to provide for themselves, as many think their deformities were caused by evil spirits. This culture is very much into Animism. Over the past two weeks that i've gotten to know the patients staying with us, they have completely melted my heart. I worked several night shifts this past week and looking over the ward in the middle of the night, it made me laugh- looks like a M.A.S.H combat zone with everyones bandaged head, arms, and legs! Unlike my job at Children's in Austin, the patients tend to have a longer hospital duration time, which i'm really enjoying as i can get to know them better. Went for a walk in the morning and ran into my blind pt (Janlop) i told you about last time. He saw me coming 20 ft away :) He was just coming back to say thanks!
Some of my favorites... Solomon~ who smiles even when he sleeps, Edward~ who wakes up every morning to meticulous check out his trach site and new nose, Agnes~ the 80 year old who randomly sits up and does a little jiggy when she's happy, and tries to drive a tricycle everytime we take her out on the deck for fresh air, Kate~ who gives me a BIG thumbs up EVERYTIME i look her way to see if she's doing okay, Bernice who insists on calling me her "motha" (mother):), and Samuel who could hardly talk or eat b/c of one of the largest facial tumors Dr Gary has seen in his 20 years here, who when he got his bandages off the other day, burst out with tons of questions for me and preachin' it! ha These people are incredible- with so little, they have the spirit of a giant. Many come timid from years of social isolation and leave a different person- singing and laughing, smiling. The humbleness and simpleness of these people hits me to the core everytime i look at them, everytime. I look forward to going to work at this place.
I think the biggest thing I'm learning here so far is what patience looks like. I look at the patience these people show day after day, contently sitting in their hospital beds waiting to heal, from huge wounds~ physically/emotionally/spiritually, and it makes me realize what an instant gratification person i can be in my own life. I want the world to work around MY timing! What i want, when i want it. These people put me to shame and i'm thankful for it. I can feel myself struggling inside with certain issues of patience in my life, but being here i know i am being forced to work on them and God is faithful to do his perfect will for my life. I just need to trust in God's timing, not mine. It took alot of passion to get here, I don't want it to become mediocre just because I'm here now.
Speaking of timing issues... Africa Mercy is scheduled to be finished and meet us in Tema, Ghana this Feburary...but there is a chance that for any number of reasons i'm sure, it might not be (it has a long history of being delayed). They are extremely hopeful this time, but if it is not, the ship I'm on now, The Anastasis is not able to sail or have passengers after mid Feburary under the law (too old!) People joke around here the ship wouldn't sink from the bottom, but from the TOP....and its true. The other night we were all sitting in the dining hall eating dinner and part of the ceiling started caving in from someone taking a shower above, and just last night i found a leak in our ceiling about 1 foot away from my bed! and when I told my roommate about it today she said.."oh just put a diaper over that spot, thats what we usually do, not worth fixing b/c we are moving soon!" yikes! haha The point is. I would really love to continue with Mercy Ships in Liberia in Feburary, so please be praying for the completion of the ship or we will all be sent home!
As for what i did with myself for the rest of the week, lets see...tried to go to a supermarket Monday but it was closed for Ramadan. The trip wasn't a lost cause though b/c it was an incredible sight to see hundreds of African Muslims flooding out of the local mosque all in their finest white linens. After that I spent the afternoon off the ship helping put together housing units for rabbits and snails that local woman will be taught how to start a business with. Tuesday learned how to play Cricket and almost got my head chopped off by the ball!!! Wednesday got to go to Sister of Charity Orphanage- one that was started by Mother Teresa. The nuns really do wear those blue and white sarai's wrapped around their little bodies!!! 2 rooms held 50 children under the age of two!!!! Only 6 nuns to run it- pretty well run for that i must say. I was exhausted from playing with em' after 3 hrs, i don't know how they do it. no idea. A little 2 year old kid with two different size legs just wanted me to tickle him...for hours! ha. he had an amazing grin :) They are beautiful children. We were not allowed to take pictures, which is probably for the best, but one mental picture will never leave me from that day- six tiny girls in dresses sitting on a little bench in a row, with the nun kneeling down, lining up the six bowls and six spoons by each one, taking her hand to feed them a spoonful of cereal one by one down the row, and then starting at the beginning again til it was all gone. All shared one cup filled with water. Snacks are bits of bread they are expected to learn early how to hold and eat themselves.
Today, finally got my body back on schedule after a few night shifts, went to church and a local wedding, and later we had "Ghana Games" and a Barbeque on the Aft deck. My team is in the picture above. I didn't look at our score, i'm pretty sure it wasn't worth looking at. ha! But it sure was fun!
As for this week, not much planned. Will go observe the mobile dental and eye clinics off ship, as well as the maternity ward they are building on Wednesday. With the arrival of a new surgeon we will be starting a bunch of thyroidectomy's (Goiter pt's) this week! Gotta go study up on that!
Miss you guys :)
