 |
| ...Daniel, one of our amazing translators, & me displaying an Independence Day Scarf-Banner that was given to me (a gift from a patient)... |
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
...Happy Independence Day Sierra Leone...
...i won't let my love grow cold...
It's been far too long since I last wrote… I do feel horrible about that…but let me give you a general overview of life in the last 4 weeks…
I was sick…along with many other crew members…So many of the crew were plagued with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, that the captain ordered a mandatory “diarrhea” survey to be completed by all crew members, to determine the cause of the diarrhea outbreak ( a small scale epidemiological study- I really wanted to help count the data and look at the trends causing all the “crap” and use my knowledge from my tropical disease class to help solve the “diarrhea disaster”, but I didn’t have enough free time to volunteer to help in the epidemiological study). The results from the study are still pending, but with prayer, increased hand-washing, prayer, and more prayer, the “poopy” situation has improved.
I took worm medicine…felt better for a few weeks, worked too much…and have felt totally tired again, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
Our water situation has improved. Restrictions were lifted shortly after all of you started praying after my last update. We did not have to cancel any surgeries; we acquired drinking water, were able to resume normal water requiring functions on the ship, and we had enough water during the “diarrhea disaster” to flush toilets to our hearts content!
I have been feeling tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
The power and air-conditioning on the ship have been cutting in and out many times in the last month. The port we are currently sitting in is filthy! Although I have a coveted window in my cabin on the ship, the view out my window is less than exciting. What I see is far from a tropical paradise, with crystal clear water, instead all I see is wave after wave of trash, rubbish, plastic bags, medical waste, an occasional wooden fishing boat, and innumerable objects of filthiness floating past! All of the filthy debris has managed to repeatedly clog the ventilation and engineering systems on the bottom- outside of the ship, resulting in power outages and blocks in the ventilation on the ship! Our ship divers have been working daily and hourly to keep the ship in operation. In past outreaches, being on the dive team was a side-job, requiring only a few hours of volunteering per week, this outreach; diving has become a fulltime job & we are in an urgent need of more divers. I cannot promise views of tropical fish or coral reefs to would-be-potential divers, but I can promise adventure, so if you know any certified divers that are crazy enough to come to Sierra Leone to dive in E-coli infested water… for His glory…send them my way.
I have been working too much…I am tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
Sierra Leone celebrated 50 years of independence! The patients decorated the ward with paper chains in the colors of the Sierra Leone flag; we wore blue & green scrubs in honor of the celebration, and went all out in craziness, celebrating Independence Day with our patients & translators!
I got sick again, spent more time in bed, on the toilet, and near a bucket, didn’t eat a real meal in over 72 hours… and felt tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
Jesus is RISEN! He is RISEN indeed! I celebrated my second Easter onboard the Africa Mercy! It was a special week, reflecting on God’s incredible passion & love demonstrated in Christ’s death & resurrection!
Many crew members and nurses have had to suddenly leave because of unforeseen circumstances at home. Two of my nurses left and upon their arrival home, their beloved mother passed away. Another one of my ICU nurses was life-flighted home because of cardiac arrhythmias. Our receptionist hurried home because her father became ill, upon her return home, he passed away. Three crew members’ grandparents have passed away. And our phlebotomist just had to rush home this past week because of an ill family member.
Orthopedic surgeries for the 2011 Sierra Leone outreach are officially finished. My last little casted children are being discharged home with brand new legs and the ward beds are filling up with plastic surgery patients.
I have been tired…I have been too tired to write… My perfectionism has kept me from writing because all my creative juices are gone and I hate to post updates when I have no creativity. I have been too tired to go to the beach or to explore Sierra Leone on my days off. I haven’t gone off the ship since Easter. In the past month, I can count on one hand the number of times I have gone outside, even though, outside is only a few steps away every day.
May 12th we celebrated international nurse’s day! I love being a nurse!
God is my strength…an ever present help…when so much goes wrong..or not the way one may have planned..it is tempting to give up…to stop caring…to throw in the towel...A book I like to refer to daily says “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…” (Matthew 24:12) Caring hurts…Loving people always involves risk…Human nature says to self protect…and in this protective mechanism, we may let our love grow cold… we may start looking out for number one…But I declare…that I will refuse to let my love grow cold…in the heat, when I am tired, with stomach cramps, without showers, when things happen that I don’t understand, in the dark without electricity…I won’t let my love grow cold… I have been working…maybe working too much…and that has made me tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
I was sick…along with many other crew members…So many of the crew were plagued with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, that the captain ordered a mandatory “diarrhea” survey to be completed by all crew members, to determine the cause of the diarrhea outbreak ( a small scale epidemiological study- I really wanted to help count the data and look at the trends causing all the “crap” and use my knowledge from my tropical disease class to help solve the “diarrhea disaster”, but I didn’t have enough free time to volunteer to help in the epidemiological study). The results from the study are still pending, but with prayer, increased hand-washing, prayer, and more prayer, the “poopy” situation has improved.
I took worm medicine…felt better for a few weeks, worked too much…and have felt totally tired again, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
Our water situation has improved. Restrictions were lifted shortly after all of you started praying after my last update. We did not have to cancel any surgeries; we acquired drinking water, were able to resume normal water requiring functions on the ship, and we had enough water during the “diarrhea disaster” to flush toilets to our hearts content!
I have been feeling tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
The power and air-conditioning on the ship have been cutting in and out many times in the last month. The port we are currently sitting in is filthy! Although I have a coveted window in my cabin on the ship, the view out my window is less than exciting. What I see is far from a tropical paradise, with crystal clear water, instead all I see is wave after wave of trash, rubbish, plastic bags, medical waste, an occasional wooden fishing boat, and innumerable objects of filthiness floating past! All of the filthy debris has managed to repeatedly clog the ventilation and engineering systems on the bottom- outside of the ship, resulting in power outages and blocks in the ventilation on the ship! Our ship divers have been working daily and hourly to keep the ship in operation. In past outreaches, being on the dive team was a side-job, requiring only a few hours of volunteering per week, this outreach; diving has become a fulltime job & we are in an urgent need of more divers. I cannot promise views of tropical fish or coral reefs to would-be-potential divers, but I can promise adventure, so if you know any certified divers that are crazy enough to come to Sierra Leone to dive in E-coli infested water… for His glory…send them my way.
I have been working too much…I am tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
Sierra Leone celebrated 50 years of independence! The patients decorated the ward with paper chains in the colors of the Sierra Leone flag; we wore blue & green scrubs in honor of the celebration, and went all out in craziness, celebrating Independence Day with our patients & translators!
I got sick again, spent more time in bed, on the toilet, and near a bucket, didn’t eat a real meal in over 72 hours… and felt tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
Jesus is RISEN! He is RISEN indeed! I celebrated my second Easter onboard the Africa Mercy! It was a special week, reflecting on God’s incredible passion & love demonstrated in Christ’s death & resurrection!
Many crew members and nurses have had to suddenly leave because of unforeseen circumstances at home. Two of my nurses left and upon their arrival home, their beloved mother passed away. Another one of my ICU nurses was life-flighted home because of cardiac arrhythmias. Our receptionist hurried home because her father became ill, upon her return home, he passed away. Three crew members’ grandparents have passed away. And our phlebotomist just had to rush home this past week because of an ill family member.
Orthopedic surgeries for the 2011 Sierra Leone outreach are officially finished. My last little casted children are being discharged home with brand new legs and the ward beds are filling up with plastic surgery patients.
I have been tired…I have been too tired to write… My perfectionism has kept me from writing because all my creative juices are gone and I hate to post updates when I have no creativity. I have been too tired to go to the beach or to explore Sierra Leone on my days off. I haven’t gone off the ship since Easter. In the past month, I can count on one hand the number of times I have gone outside, even though, outside is only a few steps away every day.
May 12th we celebrated international nurse’s day! I love being a nurse!
God is my strength…an ever present help…when so much goes wrong..or not the way one may have planned..it is tempting to give up…to stop caring…to throw in the towel...A book I like to refer to daily says “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…” (Matthew 24:12) Caring hurts…Loving people always involves risk…Human nature says to self protect…and in this protective mechanism, we may let our love grow cold… we may start looking out for number one…But I declare…that I will refuse to let my love grow cold…in the heat, when I am tired, with stomach cramps, without showers, when things happen that I don’t understand, in the dark without electricity…I won’t let my love grow cold… I have been working…maybe working too much…and that has made me tired, but I won’t let my love grow cold…
Sunday, April 10, 2011
...the long & the short of it...
LONG- I have been working very LONG days and shifts lately. This past week I worked about 70 hours in a 5 day period. Yikes!
SHORT-This past Wednesday the captain informed the crew that we are once again experiencing a water SHORTage. The captain asked us to ration water and limit the use of water to only essential needs. The crew laundry room was closed. We started using disposable dishes in the dining room. We stopped changing bed linen in the hospital unless it was very soiled or a new patient was coming in. We covered all the shower heads in the hospital bathrooms with plastic bags and have implemented having our patients take bucket baths instead of showers. We were reminded once again to be taking true “ship-showers” which involves getting wet, shutting off the water, soaping up & applying shampoo, turning the water on to rinse off the soap, turning the water off, then applying conditioner, then running the water one last time to get the conditioner out. A process that SHOULD limit water use to less than 2 minutes total per crew member, per shower. (Because of my long shifts, & being too tired to shower, I personally haven’t washed my hair in a week, scarves work just fine& I have had baby-wipe showers since Tuesday. I was hoping for a longer shower this weekend, using a few of the minutes I didn’t use during the week, but that won’t be happening). We closed down part of Starbucks because it takes too much water to wash the blenders and coffee making devices (I don’t drink coffee anyway and cannot fathom drinking a hot drink when it is hotter than Hades outside, so this cutback hasn’t hurt my feelings too much, but I have some co-workers who seriously need their coffee every day, so this could be an issue). We were informed that when all the water sloshed out of the swimming pool that it would not be filled again. (I have dreamed of using the swimming pool, but have been too tired even on my days off to walk the 5 flights of stairs that would lead me to the swimming pool that is made out of shipping containers and sits on top of the ship, so even if I had the energy, I guess I won’t be using it anytime soon). We also started the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow & if it’s brown flush it down” motto.
With all these cutbacks we hoped that we would have enough water to continue surgical operations, run the sterilizer, cook, and maintain adequate amounts of water to drink. The captain requested more water trucks to come to the ship- knowing that even if water was delivered we would still need to ration water because it takes up to 72 hours to treat the water we receive to make it clean enough to use.
The water didn’t come. And even with all the cutbacks mentioned above, somehow we consumed 15% MORE water on Thursday and Friday than last year at the same time, on a busy day, with ALL usage of water permitted. Yesterday, the captain closed the crew galley, we are no longer allowed to wash personal dishes, or bake on our own, because this requires water usage. The galley won’t be allowed to serve lettuce & other fresh vegetables because it takes too much water to wash and clean them. The water supply to the showers was cut off. All hot water was shut off. We are trying to supply enough water to flush the toilets and wash our hands. The captain is looking at different ways to supply water to the ward and the captain is looking to see if there is a leak or if we are losing water somewhere. We are praying that we receive a water delivery, but were told that the sources that may deliver water are not as reliable as normal and the water we receive may be dirtier than normal, requiring more time to treat it and make it safe to use. ALL that to say- we are SHORT off water: please pray.
LONG- My orthopedic patients are getting LONGer legs & arms as we provide surgeries to straighten what was crooked, to re-align what was out of line, & to stretch what has been curved. I love my patients!
SHORT- I am not the only one working overtime, many of the other hospital managers are working crazy hours too. Tempers & patience may soon be running SHORT: please pray.
LONG- I LONG for God to continue filling me with his strength, wisdom, energy, patience, love, gentleness, kindness, goodness, and passion to continue serving the people of Sierra Leone!
SHORT-This past Wednesday the captain informed the crew that we are once again experiencing a water SHORTage. The captain asked us to ration water and limit the use of water to only essential needs. The crew laundry room was closed. We started using disposable dishes in the dining room. We stopped changing bed linen in the hospital unless it was very soiled or a new patient was coming in. We covered all the shower heads in the hospital bathrooms with plastic bags and have implemented having our patients take bucket baths instead of showers. We were reminded once again to be taking true “ship-showers” which involves getting wet, shutting off the water, soaping up & applying shampoo, turning the water on to rinse off the soap, turning the water off, then applying conditioner, then running the water one last time to get the conditioner out. A process that SHOULD limit water use to less than 2 minutes total per crew member, per shower. (Because of my long shifts, & being too tired to shower, I personally haven’t washed my hair in a week, scarves work just fine& I have had baby-wipe showers since Tuesday. I was hoping for a longer shower this weekend, using a few of the minutes I didn’t use during the week, but that won’t be happening). We closed down part of Starbucks because it takes too much water to wash the blenders and coffee making devices (I don’t drink coffee anyway and cannot fathom drinking a hot drink when it is hotter than Hades outside, so this cutback hasn’t hurt my feelings too much, but I have some co-workers who seriously need their coffee every day, so this could be an issue). We were informed that when all the water sloshed out of the swimming pool that it would not be filled again. (I have dreamed of using the swimming pool, but have been too tired even on my days off to walk the 5 flights of stairs that would lead me to the swimming pool that is made out of shipping containers and sits on top of the ship, so even if I had the energy, I guess I won’t be using it anytime soon). We also started the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow & if it’s brown flush it down” motto.
With all these cutbacks we hoped that we would have enough water to continue surgical operations, run the sterilizer, cook, and maintain adequate amounts of water to drink. The captain requested more water trucks to come to the ship- knowing that even if water was delivered we would still need to ration water because it takes up to 72 hours to treat the water we receive to make it clean enough to use.
The water didn’t come. And even with all the cutbacks mentioned above, somehow we consumed 15% MORE water on Thursday and Friday than last year at the same time, on a busy day, with ALL usage of water permitted. Yesterday, the captain closed the crew galley, we are no longer allowed to wash personal dishes, or bake on our own, because this requires water usage. The galley won’t be allowed to serve lettuce & other fresh vegetables because it takes too much water to wash and clean them. The water supply to the showers was cut off. All hot water was shut off. We are trying to supply enough water to flush the toilets and wash our hands. The captain is looking at different ways to supply water to the ward and the captain is looking to see if there is a leak or if we are losing water somewhere. We are praying that we receive a water delivery, but were told that the sources that may deliver water are not as reliable as normal and the water we receive may be dirtier than normal, requiring more time to treat it and make it safe to use. ALL that to say- we are SHORT off water: please pray.
LONG- My orthopedic patients are getting LONGer legs & arms as we provide surgeries to straighten what was crooked, to re-align what was out of line, & to stretch what has been curved. I love my patients!
SHORT- I am not the only one working overtime, many of the other hospital managers are working crazy hours too. Tempers & patience may soon be running SHORT: please pray.
LONG- I LONG for God to continue filling me with his strength, wisdom, energy, patience, love, gentleness, kindness, goodness, and passion to continue serving the people of Sierra Leone!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Random Update Points
-The water situation is improving- normal restrictions continue to apply, but praise God, we have secured enough water to: drink, run our sterilizing machines, wash our hospital laundry, wash the dishes for our family of 400, to flush our toilets, to wash our personal laundry, and to have an occasional “ship-shower.”
-We have officially completed our first full week of surgeries. This year we are starting with the orthopedic, eye, and maxillo-facial, surgical specialties. We have some of the most beautiful children on-board right now. It isn’t a secret that I love the African children, but the ones with cleft lips, bow legs, and club feet are my favorite and my ward is full of them!
-This year I will be working as a ward nurse, a charge nurse, and during our 10 weeks of orthopedic surgeries I will be the Orthopedic Nurse Team Leader- which sort of means I am the nurse manager of the Orthopedic Ward. My ward has 40 beds and almost all are full! My responsibilities include organizing beds- admissions & discharges, rounds with the surgeons, kissing the babies, writing daily progress notes, sitting on the floor with the babies, assisting the ward nurses, blowing up balloons & making sure the little kids share them, answering questions, playing balloon volleyball on the ward, changing dressings, finding the elevator when it gets lost upstairs, sorting out the location and placement of supplies in my ward, assisting with patient allocations, kissing babies, arranging follow-up care for the orthopedic patients, orienting and welcoming our new day volunteers-translators to the ward and helping them find things, reminding them to wash their hands, & guiding them in the right direction when they are lost, working with our physical therapists, frequent runs from deck 3 where the ward is, to deck 6 where the only working ice machine is, to get ice for all my patients with aching legs, hugging the children, praying with the patients when they are in pain, answering more random questions, running to the lab to see the malaria parasites that my patient was just diagnosed with, talking with the dietician to see if we can order milk for my patients since the pharmacy has no great source of calcium supplements for the patients, trying to get the translators to distribute the milk to my patients instead of letting it sit in the kitchen all day, making post-operative checks, ensuring the patients are receiving adequate amounts of meds to relieve their pain, smiling at my patients, making sure the patients get craft supplies, delegation, putting up curtains with magnets around my patient’s beds for privacy, kissing the babies, dancing or attempting to dance when we have worship time, and of course any other task that may presents itself! I love my job!
-This past week I worked 69 hours in 6 days, averaging 11.5 hours a day. God has given me amazing strength! Unfortunately, I caught the respiratory bug that is spreading around the ship. My throat is as rosy as my sun-burned skin, my body aches all over, my nose is running, I feel feverish, but couldn't be happier! I love being back in Africa!
-We have officially completed our first full week of surgeries. This year we are starting with the orthopedic, eye, and maxillo-facial, surgical specialties. We have some of the most beautiful children on-board right now. It isn’t a secret that I love the African children, but the ones with cleft lips, bow legs, and club feet are my favorite and my ward is full of them!
-This year I will be working as a ward nurse, a charge nurse, and during our 10 weeks of orthopedic surgeries I will be the Orthopedic Nurse Team Leader- which sort of means I am the nurse manager of the Orthopedic Ward. My ward has 40 beds and almost all are full! My responsibilities include organizing beds- admissions & discharges, rounds with the surgeons, kissing the babies, writing daily progress notes, sitting on the floor with the babies, assisting the ward nurses, blowing up balloons & making sure the little kids share them, answering questions, playing balloon volleyball on the ward, changing dressings, finding the elevator when it gets lost upstairs, sorting out the location and placement of supplies in my ward, assisting with patient allocations, kissing babies, arranging follow-up care for the orthopedic patients, orienting and welcoming our new day volunteers-translators to the ward and helping them find things, reminding them to wash their hands, & guiding them in the right direction when they are lost, working with our physical therapists, frequent runs from deck 3 where the ward is, to deck 6 where the only working ice machine is, to get ice for all my patients with aching legs, hugging the children, praying with the patients when they are in pain, answering more random questions, running to the lab to see the malaria parasites that my patient was just diagnosed with, talking with the dietician to see if we can order milk for my patients since the pharmacy has no great source of calcium supplements for the patients, trying to get the translators to distribute the milk to my patients instead of letting it sit in the kitchen all day, making post-operative checks, ensuring the patients are receiving adequate amounts of meds to relieve their pain, smiling at my patients, making sure the patients get craft supplies, delegation, putting up curtains with magnets around my patient’s beds for privacy, kissing the babies, dancing or attempting to dance when we have worship time, and of course any other task that may presents itself! I love my job!
-This past week I worked 69 hours in 6 days, averaging 11.5 hours a day. God has given me amazing strength! Unfortunately, I caught the respiratory bug that is spreading around the ship. My throat is as rosy as my sun-burned skin, my body aches all over, my nose is running, I feel feverish, but couldn't be happier! I love being back in Africa!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
All Mercy Ships' Crew Are Safe...but Prayers Appreciated!
Please Lift up the People of Sierra Leone & The Mercy Ships' Crew in Your Prayers...
A very sad incident occurred in the course of screening activities on Monday in Freetown, Sierra Leone of which you need to be aware.
Initial incident reports indicate that when screening personnel arrived at the stadium this morning there were 700 people already allowed into the stadium and a large crowd outside. Sometime after 9:30 events yet to be conclusively determined occurred to agitate the crowd and cause it to storm the gate. In response 200 more people were admitted to relieve pressure, but tragically 13 were injured, including one fatality and two life threatening situations. Mercy Ships personnel on site cared for the victims and accompanied them to hospitals. No Mercy Ships personnel were injured. Ongoing investigation will determine the facts. Please keep the individuals affected and their families in prayer, and pray also for the entire crew. This is certainly a time to pray and believe that God will work all things together for good in this tragic situation.
Mercy Ships is deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred today during medical screening at the Freetown National Stadium when a crowd stormed the gate resulting in several injuries and one life lost. Mercy Ships personnel working at the site attended the injured and accompanied them to local hospitals. "Our hearts and prayers are with the individuals and families of those affected by today's events. The occurrence of this incident in the course of activities intended to restore lives is tragic. We move forward with tremendous sadness, but great determination, to assist as many people as possible in the next ten months," stated Mercy Ships Founder, Don Stephens.
Mercy Ships exists to serve the forgotten poor and has served Sierra Leone five times over the past two decades, also helping establish two land based health care facilities. For the next ten months, Mercy Ships will be providing surgeries for qualified patients while working alongside the Sierra Leonean Government to support its five-year healthcare plan and strengthen the functions of the national health system.
All Mercy Ship Crew are Safe, but Prayers Appreciated!!!
A very sad incident occurred in the course of screening activities on Monday in Freetown, Sierra Leone of which you need to be aware.
Initial incident reports indicate that when screening personnel arrived at the stadium this morning there were 700 people already allowed into the stadium and a large crowd outside. Sometime after 9:30 events yet to be conclusively determined occurred to agitate the crowd and cause it to storm the gate. In response 200 more people were admitted to relieve pressure, but tragically 13 were injured, including one fatality and two life threatening situations. Mercy Ships personnel on site cared for the victims and accompanied them to hospitals. No Mercy Ships personnel were injured. Ongoing investigation will determine the facts. Please keep the individuals affected and their families in prayer, and pray also for the entire crew. This is certainly a time to pray and believe that God will work all things together for good in this tragic situation.
Mercy Ships is deeply saddened by the tragic events that occurred today during medical screening at the Freetown National Stadium when a crowd stormed the gate resulting in several injuries and one life lost. Mercy Ships personnel working at the site attended the injured and accompanied them to local hospitals. "Our hearts and prayers are with the individuals and families of those affected by today's events. The occurrence of this incident in the course of activities intended to restore lives is tragic. We move forward with tremendous sadness, but great determination, to assist as many people as possible in the next ten months," stated Mercy Ships Founder, Don Stephens.
Mercy Ships exists to serve the forgotten poor and has served Sierra Leone five times over the past two decades, also helping establish two land based health care facilities. For the next ten months, Mercy Ships will be providing surgeries for qualified patients while working alongside the Sierra Leonean Government to support its five-year healthcare plan and strengthen the functions of the national health system.
All Mercy Ship Crew are Safe, but Prayers Appreciated!!!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
a quick note
I am back in Africa!!!
I am in Freetown, Sierra Leone!!!
I arrived safely on the ship after a flight from London to Brussels, a layover in Brussels, and a sketchy, water-taxi ride across the river/ocean (more to come about this adventure)...
I love being back on the ship!!!
I/we need prayer...we are currently relying on a dwindling water supply that the ship carried with them from South Africa... our reserves are quickly running out...we have not yet been able to secure our supply of water with our host country, Sierra Leone, because we recently found out the local water is contaminated with e-coli...this issue presents a small problem... not only for the local people, but us...we are in need of extra water at this point in our outreach because we are in the middle of cleaning & scouring the hospital, sterilizing our surgical instruments, & cleaning all our equipment that was stored in containers while the ship was in dry dock. With the water shortage we have had to halt all but essential uses of water...
Intervention is needed from God in the area of the port. The day after the ship arrived in Sierra Leone, control of the port went from government owned to private ownership. This change is huge & the ship is in the middle of it! We need a mountain of shipping containers to move so that we can secure our dock & set-up our dockside units.
I/we/the people of Sierra Leone need your prayers....tomorrow & Tuesday...are the screening days for Mercy Ships. The day we triage and select those that we will be able to operate on during the next 10 months & those we will not be able to help. We are holding the screening at the local stadium in Freetown. Please pray that those we can help will come to seek help & pray that those we will be unable to help will stay away. Pray for divine intervention in the entire process...We expect thousands of people to come...
I must go to bed now. Morning is going to come before I know it!
I am in Freetown, Sierra Leone!!!
I arrived safely on the ship after a flight from London to Brussels, a layover in Brussels, and a sketchy, water-taxi ride across the river/ocean (more to come about this adventure)...
I love being back on the ship!!!
I/we need prayer...we are currently relying on a dwindling water supply that the ship carried with them from South Africa... our reserves are quickly running out...we have not yet been able to secure our supply of water with our host country, Sierra Leone, because we recently found out the local water is contaminated with e-coli...this issue presents a small problem... not only for the local people, but us...we are in need of extra water at this point in our outreach because we are in the middle of cleaning & scouring the hospital, sterilizing our surgical instruments, & cleaning all our equipment that was stored in containers while the ship was in dry dock. With the water shortage we have had to halt all but essential uses of water...
Intervention is needed from God in the area of the port. The day after the ship arrived in Sierra Leone, control of the port went from government owned to private ownership. This change is huge & the ship is in the middle of it! We need a mountain of shipping containers to move so that we can secure our dock & set-up our dockside units.
I/we/the people of Sierra Leone need your prayers....tomorrow & Tuesday...are the screening days for Mercy Ships. The day we triage and select those that we will be able to operate on during the next 10 months & those we will not be able to help. We are holding the screening at the local stadium in Freetown. Please pray that those we can help will come to seek help & pray that those we will be unable to help will stay away. Pray for divine intervention in the entire process...We expect thousands of people to come...
I must go to bed now. Morning is going to come before I know it!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Crazy Professors & Sterile Coconut Milk
Only four short months ago I began my adventure of diving into the textbook world of tropical diseases and in two weeks that formal swim in a sea of unending information & knowledge will come to an end. I have been privileged to sit under the instruction of some of the greatest tropical disease doctors, epidemiologists, inventors, nurses, and adventurers of our time as I have studied at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, here in London, England. I have sat in awe as I have listened to great minds explain their life work of trying to invent a malaria vaccine or a new treatment for one of the neglected tropical diseases. My professors are crazy (one of them purposely infected himself with worms to test the theory of their help in treating asthma and Crohn’s disease), but my professors are also crazy- passionate about making the world a better place, and so am I. I have learned so much during my short time studying tropical diseases here in London. I have learned some incredible things that will no doubt help me in the future as I volunteer as a nurse in the remote corners of the earth. For example, supposedly coconut milk is sterile, so if ever short on IV solution, I can pop open a coconut and let the infusions continue. I learned how to deliver a baby in the bush. I learned how to numb & pull teeth. In war zones, diesel vehicles are safer than gasoline powered vehicles. I have learned how to identify parasites under the microscope & how to type blood. Poo is the most dangerous thing in the world. And when in foreign countries, remember this saying to protect yourself from inevitable pain: cook it, boil it, peel it, or don’t freakin eat it!
I have also discovered some incredibly humbling things about the reality of our fallen world. The statistics about the numbers of those dying daily from preventable diseases is unreal. Also, although difficult to fathom, despite all the poverty and intensity of daily life for one group of African women, when asked, the one thing they wished for above anything else, was a safe, clean place to go to the bathroom. They didn’t wish for peace, air conditioner, food, clothing, washing machines, or a life free from war and pain, they simply wanted a clean, safe, place to go to the bathroom. Having a bathroom for them meant comfort, freedom from constant smells & flies, the chance to escape some of the horrible diseases caused by improper sanitation, prestige, the chance for visitors, and life… You see, because of their tribe’s beliefs, the women in their village were not allowed out of the house during the day. That meant they could only go out when it was dark. Living without electricity, the village latrine was located in the dark, outside the village boundaries, and all too often the village women were raped and killed just in the attempt to relieve themselves.
My eyes have been opened to more of the sad reality of this world and I am convinced even more that instead of constantly debating policy, politics, religion, and waving our fists in the air during those intense conversations with God when we yell at him wondering how he can even exist when there is so much suffering all around, that we need to get out in our neighborhoods, schools, cities, states, countries, and world and show them the love that God asked us to pass on. Hug a friend, smile at a stranger, heck, hug that stranger, mend those broken family relationships, visit the widow, cook a meal & share it, pray for your enemies, and love as if you have never been hurt. I have only a few more weeks in London and many of those days here I will spend pouring over the facts and specifics about schistosomiasis, trichuris trichiura, leshmaniasis, plasmodium falciparum malaria, kwashiorkor, filariasis, hookworm, tetanus, lepromatous, loa loa worm, trypanosome rhodisiense, mycrobacterium leprae, hydaatid disease, entamoeba histolytica, trypanosoma cruzi, cholera, onchocerciacis, & tenia saginata, all in preparation for my final exams. There is so much I have learned and so much I still don’t know. There is so much my professors know and still so much even they don’t know.
Many times in our lectures, we have discussed the care of patients in remote, resource poor areas, and our professors have said, “what next?” and we would come up with some creative way in which we would deal with the situation without modern medical technology. Then the professor would say, “and what next?” the “what nexts” would continue on and on until even the brainiest student in my class didn’t have any more suggestions…at that point it was almost as if one could divide the room in two groups by simply looking at facial expressions…humanitarian aid workers versus missionary nurses… Although it breaks my heart when caring for patients and we run out of options because we lack simple supplies that are so readily available at home…I don’t have to feel defeated because it is when we are weakest that He is strongest and it is when we are at our breaking point, our whit’s end… that He carries us… 
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