Gaisuwa!
.JPG) |
| Girls outside the junior-high school |
We’ve learned a lot in the last week—and perhaps most
importantly, that there is a lot more to learn. Here are a few snapshots from
the last week:
·
Ian spent the first few days rounding on
patients with one of the full time physicians here, and he’s now taking call on
his own and seeing patients in clinic with the help of a translator. On his
first evening, a two-year old boy was admitted, very sick with malaria. He
needed a transfusion, and Ian asked me if I might donate blood—I did so, but
didn’t end up having a match for him. He
eventually got the transfusion, but died later that night. Since then, Ian has seen multiple children
and babies die. The physicians do what
they can, and we pray for these patients, but it’s hard not to wonder if you
could be doing more or what might have happened if you could have intervened
earlier. The suffering here is immense.
The physician Ian is working with said that malaria season, in the fall, is the
most difficult—he has seen over 30 children die over a weekend. I don’t know how the physicians and families
here go on after days like this. Please
pray for their endurance.
·
I (Laura) have been teaching beginning and
intermediate English classes with hospital staff, working on writing projects
with two of the missionary children here, and tutoring another child. I have really enjoyed getting to know some of
the staff. One of the individuals in my
English class works as a gardener and security guard on the compound, but he
told me that he is an evangelist and was eager to learn English because of the opportunities
that he thought it would provide for studying and communicating the Gospel.
Pray that he would be bold to share the Good News in this culture where
believers are often ostracized.
 |
| Women with their babies outside the malnutrition center |
·
We are adjusting to life here in other ways too:
Meal preparation requires a bit more creativity here. I used a pressure cooker for the first time
last weekend to soften up some stew meat.
It was a success, and I didn’t blow anything up. My neighbor also offered me a stalk of
broccoli from her garden, which had not grown any crowns. I chopped up the leaves and put it in potato
soup made with some chicken broth (from bullion) and milk (from powder). Very
tasty! We’re learning the tricks for hand-washing clothes and how to keep the
house as cool as possible during the day. (“Cool” being a somewhat relative
term that includes anything under 90 degrees—hopefully!). Ian and I also braved
the heat (and I got over the fact that I would have to wear a skirt) to go for
a run last week on the airstrip. It felt
good to get some exercise.
·
And we’ve had a few opportunities to attend
cultural events: We’ve gone to the local church, visited an English class at
the junior-high; attended a baby naming ceremony (“biki”), and have helped with
preparations for the dedication of the new OB ward, an event attended by many
national dignitaries. It’s only a
glimpse of the culture, but it’s been fascinating!
 |
| My pressure-cooker stew! |
Our time here is going quickly, and we want to make the most
of our opportunities. Please pray for attitudes
that are willing and ready to take on any challenges and keep praying that we
would be a help and encouragement to those around us. Finally, as the temperatures heat up,
especially in the afternoons, we find that we get easily drained. Please pray for energy and good sleep at
night. So far, we have stayed healthy, and we are very thankful for that.
Thanks so much for your love and support!
Comments