Time really seems to be flying by at the moment, I really didn't think it had been so long since our last blog entry! We've all been really busy lately, even Elliot!
Patricia has been involved with training with the Mental Health people, which has been off and on-ship. They have basically been teaching Biblical trauma counselling to local Pastors & their wives. There was also a Pastors Conference on board which she helped out in. Then there's writing patient stories and 'Mercy Minutes' for the Communications Dept, and also the Stationery department, making sure that all departments have enough printer paper and not too many pens and pencils etc; a big job in itself. Being responsible for any and everything to do with 'office supplies' is not Patricia's favourite job in the whole world, but she is making great improvements, believe me.
Thought you might like to see a couple of photos of Andrew, now an 'ex' patient. He came back to visit recently, it was great to see him again. Just to give you an idea of how most people have to live here, I've included a pic of his home by the sea. Sadly, after one of the staff who was involved in his medical care during his stay on board visited him at his home, he, and his home were robbed of most of the very little he had. The robbery was apparently precipitated 'as the Americans must have given him things'. Welcome to the daily challanges of living in Liberia, for the locals, and us.
Also included, a pic of Alfred, who has been here for quite a while. He had been discharged, but had infection problems with his foot. He's quite a character, and, like many 14 year olds anywhere in the world in his current environment, seems to rather enjoy trying to chat up the female nurses!
Patricia saw a club foot operation recently, and no she didn't faint. All staff can request to watch almost any operation, but there are, rightly, rules about what photos can be taken. This one is actually just before, some of you may be pleased to know that I didn't add any 'during' ones!
She has also been to a baby shower; some nationalities have them before the birth, some after! Apparently the 'diaper cake' is quite traditional; useful rather than tasty.
The only pic I haven't yet mentioned is one of Paticia with Blessing. This brave, fiesty lady (well both of them are actually!) is gradually having her lower face reconstructed after 'Noma', a particularly nasty disease that makes your flesh drop off. It's fairly common here, but then lots of bad things are fairly common here. Some examples; 25% of children will die before their 4th birthday, from water-bourne diseases or daily hazards. Most people cook on open charcoal fires, many children get burnt from falling in them. Infected burns can kill you here. The 7 year old daughter of one of the hospital translators didn't come home from school a few weeks ago; her mother eventually found her at the side of the road on her route home. She was dead, knocked down by a passing car. Nobody knew anything. There are no ambulances here, and not a lot of A&E departments. No one saw anything, I think because until recently, during the civil war, to know anything and speak it out would probably bring a painful death to you and you loved ones. Old habits die hard. It is a hard, cruel palce here often, and yet under people's tough protection mechanisms they are amazingly kind and loving. The sister of a friend of Patricia's who is a translator here was doing Patricia's hair. She clearly wasn't well, and apparently had been diagnosed with typhoid. Around 35% of adults who get it will die of it if untreated. The treatment was unaffordable to her; $10 US for one simple course of tablets...back home Patricia would've paid at least ten times that for her hairdo, so it was an easy decision to give her the money for the prescription. Once these stories & statistics were about 'other people', now they are about friends, children of friends, people we meet in the street. These folks are really just the same as us, they really, really are. They just happen to live here. We say that when people see us, we want them to see Jesus. What Would Jesus Do....we can wear it on a wristband, or live it out in our lives in the power of His Spirit!
Patricia has been involved with training with the Mental Health people, which has been off and on-ship. They have basically been teaching Biblical trauma counselling to local Pastors & their wives. There was also a Pastors Conference on board which she helped out in. Then there's writing patient stories and 'Mercy Minutes' for the Communications Dept, and also the Stationery department, making sure that all departments have enough printer paper and not too many pens and pencils etc; a big job in itself. Being responsible for any and everything to do with 'office supplies' is not Patricia's favourite job in the whole world, but she is making great improvements, believe me.
Thought you might like to see a couple of photos of Andrew, now an 'ex' patient. He came back to visit recently, it was great to see him again. Just to give you an idea of how most people have to live here, I've included a pic of his home by the sea. Sadly, after one of the staff who was involved in his medical care during his stay on board visited him at his home, he, and his home were robbed of most of the very little he had. The robbery was apparently precipitated 'as the Americans must have given him things'. Welcome to the daily challanges of living in Liberia, for the locals, and us.
Also included, a pic of Alfred, who has been here for quite a while. He had been discharged, but had infection problems with his foot. He's quite a character, and, like many 14 year olds anywhere in the world in his current environment, seems to rather enjoy trying to chat up the female nurses!
Patricia saw a club foot operation recently, and no she didn't faint. All staff can request to watch almost any operation, but there are, rightly, rules about what photos can be taken. This one is actually just before, some of you may be pleased to know that I didn't add any 'during' ones!
She has also been to a baby shower; some nationalities have them before the birth, some after! Apparently the 'diaper cake' is quite traditional; useful rather than tasty.Elliot has been part of the junior school running club every Wednesday, where they run up & 
down the dock, have energenic 
games and healthy snacks. The certificates were given out last week, and he received a medal for totalling over 26 miles altogether! He as also been learning piano, although at the moment he seems to be doing better with the recorder.
down the dock, have energenic 
games and healthy snacks. The certificates were given out last week, and he received a medal for totalling over 26 miles altogether! He as also been learning piano, although at the moment he seems to be doing better with the recorder.We did make time to go and visit a local(ish) wildlife park...well, Liberia's only one I think. A few land-rover's worth of us went, and it was quite fun. We ended up having a meal, and I had a can of Coka Cola made in Algiers!
The rusty crane is a constant companion on our starboard side; every weekend a few locals come and try to remove a few more bits to sell for scrap, often at considerable risk, as pieces come crashing down. People will do almost anything to make some money, usually they're not being greedy, just trying to survive.
The only pic I haven't yet mentioned is one of Paticia with Blessing. This brave, fiesty lady (well both of them are actually!) is gradually having her lower face reconstructed after 'Noma', a particularly nasty disease that makes your flesh drop off. It's fairly common here, but then lots of bad things are fairly common here. Some examples; 25% of children will die before their 4th birthday, from water-bourne diseases or daily hazards. Most people cook on open charcoal fires, many children get burnt from falling in them. Infected burns can kill you here. The 7 year old daughter of one of the hospital translators didn't come home from school a few weeks ago; her mother eventually found her at the side of the road on her route home. She was dead, knocked down by a passing car. Nobody knew anything. There are no ambulances here, and not a lot of A&E departments. No one saw anything, I think because until recently, during the civil war, to know anything and speak it out would probably bring a painful death to you and you loved ones. Old habits die hard. It is a hard, cruel palce here often, and yet under people's tough protection mechanisms they are amazingly kind and loving. The sister of a friend of Patricia's who is a translator here was doing Patricia's hair. She clearly wasn't well, and apparently had been diagnosed with typhoid. Around 35% of adults who get it will die of it if untreated. The treatment was unaffordable to her; $10 US for one simple course of tablets...back home Patricia would've paid at least ten times that for her hairdo, so it was an easy decision to give her the money for the prescription. Once these stories & statistics were about 'other people', now they are about friends, children of friends, people we meet in the street. These folks are really just the same as us, they really, really are. They just happen to live here. We say that when people see us, we want them to see Jesus. What Would Jesus Do....we can wear it on a wristband, or live it out in our lives in the power of His Spirit!I think that's it for now..hopefully not so long until next time. Please pray for health and strength, it 'takes it out of you' here, and we're all a bit run down at the moment. I've just been reminded that 'our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against principalities & powers...', I need to remember that. Wouldn't be anywhere else though, even though, as the title says, the rain is geting more frequent!
