Well, here goes for the 'little and often' approach to blogging! Firstly, it's official..Patricia is indeed Liberian! She has been 'mistaken' as a local many times during our time here, but earlier today she visited the orphanage and had a very friendly 'argument' with a couple of the older boys on this subject. They were adamant about this, even down to which tribe she was from, and what African name she should have! It's funny, because when we were in the Dominican Republic last year, people were sure she was Haitian! We know that she has an interesting recent ancestry, but it would be very interesting to try and trace it back a bit further.
What else? Some excitement at the start of the week...a flood and a birth! Totally unrelated by the way. One of the patients, being under 15, came in with his Mum. Usually, the patient will sleep on a bed in the ward, and the carer on a thin mattress under the bed! This Mum was 8 months pregnant, so she was sharing the bed itself. About 1am, she complained of pain, and was given a paracetamol and a hot towel, after all she had 4 weeks to go! At 4pm, she was most definitely in labour, and the ward doctor and an off-duty nurse who is actually a midwife were awoken. Forty minutes later...
What else? Some excitement at the start of the week...a flood and a birth! Totally unrelated by the way. One of the patients, being under 15, came in with his Mum. Usually, the patient will sleep on a bed in the ward, and the carer on a thin mattress under the bed! This Mum was 8 months pregnant, so she was sharing the bed itself. About 1am, she complained of pain, and was given a paracetamol and a hot towel, after all she had 4 weeks to go! At 4pm, she was most definitely in labour, and the ward doctor and an off-duty nurse who is actually a midwife were awoken. Forty minutes later...
Nancy, 4Lbs something, mother and baby fine-o. Last I saw, baby was asleep by her Mama's bed curled up in a blanket in a washing basket..no cots here, there's no maternity ward as this is mainly a surgical hospital.
The flood; well every week all the Operating Theatre areas get wiped down with disinfectant. The sterilising room (where all the surgical instruments etc are cleaned for re-use) was getting clean walls and ceiling when someone got too close to a fire sprinkler. Next, 80 gallons a minute of dirty water rushing out! Your shower will treat you to around 3 gallons per minute for comparision, so people came running fast with whatever they could to stop the water getting into other rooms. It was turned off before the ship sank, but only after the on-board tank ran out and the system started pumping dirty seawater instead. Well the cleaning is all done, but I've got a lot of repairing of equipment to do, as salty water and electronics DO NOT mix!!!!
Final comment. We went to Cheesemanburg again today to worship & fellowship. There were about 88 adults, and 118 children!!!! Children's church is lively to say the least, and they really don't have anything in the way of resources (paper, workbooks, colouring stuff). Even if they did have, they can't just photocopy worksheets or print them off. We are looking into getting some fuzzy felt things etc etc that could be re-used, and don't rely on expensive technology. They are such welcoming people, who have so little and yet have so much to give. And God is working in and through them!
A nice pic of my beautiful wife don't you think? She isn't actually wearing the dress, but it is being held over her while she is being presented with it, as is the lady on her right. This is the last day of a mental health seminar on 'healing the wounds of (mental) trauma'. It provides biblically centred tools to help Pastors & their wives to council and pray for some of the many, many people affected by the last 14 or so years of civil war. It teaches on forgiveness, reconciliation, healing etc; were not talking handling someone being hurt because another has been given a job that they feel that they deserve or something like that. No, it was an incredibly evil and bloody civil war, and too many people saw, experienced or were forced to carry out atrocities that left deep wounds, physical, emotional and spiritual. If our son were Liberian and living here during the war, he would quite likely have been abducted by one faction or another, and pschologically or chemically (drugs) forced to carry and use an AK47!!!!!! If that sort of think happened, then I'll leave you to consider what else went on. I think many Christians who lived through it all are wondering if they could've done more to bring peace, even though many gave their lives to do that where they were. Clearly there is need for healing there.
It's yellow, it's a car, so in Liberia that's a taxi! They are pretty much the only transport for most Liberians...about 8 passengers plus 'luggage' in each one!
