The Stolen Soul

The time was 12:45pm. We were nearing the very hottest part of the day. With temperatures soaring above 100 and humidity thick enough to slice, I was glad we were nearing the end of the line of patients waiting outside the clinic. Needless to say when Tenning told me about a sick girl in the neighboring village Grimol, I was less than excited about taking the hike. We wrapped up clinic, grabbed a bite to eat and were on our way to Grimol by 2:00pm. We arrived at the compound with the said sick woman and were immediately offered chairs to sit in and swarmed with children all vying for attention. After 5-10 minutes of polite conversation, we were shown into the room of the sick woman. There in a dark corner lay a 20 year old girl shaking, dripping with sweat, too weak to even sit up or roll over on her own. One look told me that she was very sick. Upon questioning the mother and other people in the compound, I was surprised to see what little they knew about this girl’s symptoms. They could only roughly guess that she had been sick for five days. Some said she had vomited, others claimed she had not. Some said she was eating, her mother said she had not eaten in three days. Immediately I suspected malaria and was surprised when this test along with typhoid fever were both negative. I went down several different medical routes and gave the medication along with thorough instructions on what she should eat, drink and to send for me if anything changed.

The next day I went back to check on her and she was no better. Still thinking she has malaria, I decided to treat for it in spite of the negative test. Not only was she just as sick as before but her mother, the one woman who had been caring for her, had left for several days to go to Bissau. The young woman had not eaten or drank anything and her medicine had not been taken. I was shocked and very angry. Why was no one taking care of her? Why had no one fed her? Why was no one giving her anything to drink? Why had no one given her the medicine I left next to her mat? There are at least five other women in this compound. I had talked to these women! I gave them instructions! I told them how important it was to give her clean water and food! Why was everyone ignoring this young woman? I stormed home and quickly cooked food and mixed up several bottles of oral rehydration solution and headed back to Grimol.

Thank God the malaria treatment worked and within one day there was marked improvement. I continued to bring food until she was able to cook for herself. Five days later this young woman and her mother come to the clinic. At this point she was still very weak but is definitely out of the woods. This is when I hear the whole story.

When this young woman first started with high fevers and vomiting, the mother took her to the Jambakus (Witch doctor) The Jambakus looked at her and “consulted the spirits” and then proceeded to tell the mother this: “Your daughter’s soul has been stolen by a sorcerer. She will die in five days. If anyone tries to save her, they will make the sorcerer angry and he could steal their souls as well.” The mother quickly stated, “Now we see that this is not true.” A torrent of emotions hit me at that moment. Anger! How could the Jambakus condemn her to death like that? Grief! How could a mother be in such bondage to darkness that she would leave and let her daughter die? My heart cries when exposed to such evil.

This is not a lack of healthcare problem. This is a lack of Jesus problem.

With all the Christians in the world, how has one not made it to Grimol? Wasn’t that the final command of Jesus?

I was so blessed to be raised in a Christian home. I say from a young age I felt a “call” to missions. I didn’t know if it would be foreign... or stateside… or what it would look like, but I knew I was going to be a missionary. I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Looking back, I am not sure if it was a call… or simply a decision to obey what I was taught from the Bible.

If I understood correctly, there really wasn’t any other way to be a Christian. I watched my parents work daily spreading Gods love, counseling, pastoring and introducing people to Jesus. I grew up watching my parents serve Jesus and grow the Church. In my mind being a missionary wasn’t an option. I knew that if I were to take my faith seriously, it meant radical obedience to the Bible, and to the command: go and make disciples.

When Jesus promises us abundant life (John 10:10) or commands us to love our enemies (Matt 5:44) we obey. We believe that these were written for us. In Matt 28:19 Jesus said “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations”. How can we take this command to “go and make disciples” and turn it into a calling? Why does one need to be “called” into missions? Isn’t this a matter of obedience?

I have exactly one week left in Guinea Bissau. When I look at returning home I cannot escape the question: Why am I so blessed and others not? Why was I able to go to school and get a medical education? Why was I introduced to Jesus as a child? Why did I always have enough food and access to medicine?

God has given me all these wonderful blessings not so I can simply have a good life living the American dream. He has blessed me for his glory. He has blessed me richly so that I may be able to spread his love to the nations. He has blessed me to show mercy and compassion to the sick in Guinea Bissau.

May I never disconnect God’s blessing from God’s purpose.

An African Folk Story:

One day a cow, goat and dog all got on a toka toka (public transport van) The  adjudante (man who collects the money) came around and the cow paid. The dog however, only had large coins so he asked for some change. The adjudante did not have the correct amount of change and said “wait until the goat pays and then I will use the goat’s payment to make correct change you.” Unfortunately at the next stop, the goat quickly disembarked and ran away without paying. This is why when a car passes by, the cow just stands there, the goat runs away and the dog chases.

Interesting fact: the number one cause of motorcycle/bicycle accidents I have encountered has been cows standing on the road.

Interesting question: Jon was talking with Mamadu (late 20s) about western movies that he had seen. Apparently Chuck Norris (Chika Nordi) has made it pretty big here. They were discussing his obvious strength and skill. With all seriousness, Mamadu asked “why hasn’t Chuck Norris taken over America yet, to rule it?”

I never cease to be amazed at this different world of Africa. However, the object of my amazement continually changes…. It changes from being amazed to see a cow/goat/chicken/pig walk into a house…. To being amazed that I am not amazed at seeing a cow/goat/chicken/pig walk into a house.

Jon and I have exactly one month left here in Catel. Sometimes it’s hard for me to think about leaving other times (mostly when the heat gets the best of me) I can think of nothing else but leaving. With no replacement yet found to run the clinic, leaving is very hard. It is hard for me to leave a task uncompleted. Ask Jon… once I start a Sudoku puzzle… it is almost impossible to persuade me to stop until it is finished. I feel that leaving now is dropping a project right in the middle. The clinic has been started, it continues to grow in both what we can treat and number of patients daily. Tenning is learning so much but will have two years of school before he can officially run the clinic on his own. I keep asking God what his plan is here….This clinic is obviously desperately needed.  Is there no one to take this responsibility off my shoulders?

Then I am reminded. This is not my project. The clinic is God’s project and he knows how to take care of what is his.

“God does not call us to be successful; only faithful” –Mother Theresa

Meet Sadja

One of Jon and I’s constant companion and good friend is a twelve year old boy named Sadja. Sadja comes from a family of 13 children, three wives and one husband. His family is Muslim so he is not permitted to come to church, but attends Bible study and frequently comes over to read the Bible. He eagerly absorbs any Bible teaching and is excited about loving God. We have been continually impressed with the maturity level of such a young boy.

Sadja has an incredibly compassionate heart. One day when He came for a visit I was battling a high fever and vomiting. He noticed I was feeling pretty miserable in the intense heat, and asked what was wrong. I told him I was sick and immediately without hesitation he placed his hand on my head and began fervently praying for my healing. I wasn’t instantly healed, but my spirit was lifted beyond explanation at this display of passion and faith.

Sadja with his orange tree that planted
 when he was 10 years old. He waters
and cares for it daily

Sadja  states that he wants to work every day and save his money so that he can go to school to be a nurse. He often watches/helps me in the clinic and has become quite good at dressing changes. One day as Jon was watering the orchard, he followed him from tree to tree singing a song he wrote that went something like this: “I want to go to America with my good friends Jon and Annette, pack me in your guitar case” He spends his morning working in the cashew orchard and attends school in the afternoon. He often enjoys helping Jon with the many different work projects around the mission. He speaks several languages and we are amazed at how much English he has picked up in the last months. Sadja is quite the hunter and can show you how to smoke a ground squirrel or a giant rat out of the ground.

 I asked Sadja if there was anything he would like to tell my friends and family in America, and he said “Jon and Annette are my very good friends, please pray for the work in the clinic and the church.”

The new clinic building

The new clinic building

The clinic work continues to go well. We have a prospective building!!! We are hoping for a construction team to come in January to work on the many necessary renovations. Currently it is pretty much a shell so we are hoping to add a floor, ceiling, finish the walls, and add solar electricity and possibly even plumbing! We have been doing much paperwork and hope to have our official license soon.

With the monsoon season starting, I have seen a slight increase in malaria and am bracing myself for more as the rains increase. There has also been a sharp increase in machete wounds. I was puzzled until Tening explained that this was the time to start clearing the rice fields with the machete as the primary tool. Buying supplies and medication continue to be a constant struggle. It is not uncommon for West Africa to be completed exhausted of certain medications. Even large hospitals are completely out of some staples like Ibuprofen and de-worming medication.

Please continue to pray for the Church in Guinea Bissau. Pray that God would lead EMM to the right person to continue the work in the clinic when we leave. Pray that people here would continue to experience a thirst for more of God and his Word.

Meet Alura

Alura and his Mother in front of their new home!

I would like to introduce you to Alura and tell you his story.

Alura is 18 years old and currently an employee of the mission. He works hard in the orchard watering trees. He has the heart of a worshipper; sitting next to him Sunday morning, his joy and enthusiasm are contagious.

His life has definitely not been without hardship. Alura is epileptic with some mental dissability. His mother is blind. In this culture epilepsy is viewed as spirit possession.  Him and his mother were expelled from their compound and currently live under a mango tree. This is possible during the dry season, however it is fairly miserable when the rain comes (1-2 weeks from now)
 In spite of the physical handicaps, him and his mother have worked hard to harvest their small cashew orchard, and to make mud bricks for a new house. With the help of family and the mission, they will soon put the very last piece of zinc on the roof! Thanks to a new pill box/organizer, persistent reminders and weekly clinic appointments, he is now taking his medication regularly and his seizures are controlled. If you would see him today he has an (almost) constant smile on his face. He is very excited to move into his new house.

Church men helping to split palm trees for the roof

The inside of Alura's new home

“Poverty keeps people in moral equilibrium. Keeps hard-working families virtuous, sets limits to their desire for possessions, preserves humility in personal relationship, encourages them to be industrious, and nourishes hope.

I say “poverty” not misery.

Poverty is the happy medium between two curses. The one is wealth, which is nearly always the fruit of exploitation, injustice or extortion. The other, misery is evidence of an evil deed committed by you or a result of the sins of others." -Carlo Carrette

Here in Catel, I am forced on a daily basis to face the fact that I have much more material possessions than every person I see here. Sometimes I feel guilty, other times I don’t.

It is a constant struggle for me to find the line between misery and poverty. I often find myself applying my silly western ideals to this small village. They simply do not fit. Who says that you must have a closet full of clothes and a nice computer to have a good life?

“To have what we want is riches, but to be able to do without is power” – George McDonald

A world without television, internet, running water, electricity, cars, refrigeration…. The average American would not know how to manage, yet this is the life here in Catel and people here are happy. Don’t get me wrong. There is much suffering and misery. Lack of healthcare, mothers losing on average 1-2 children, lack of food, poor/non-existent education programs… these are all real problems that need addressing.

However, when I think of all the different small villages of GB who have never heard the gospel…. This is when my heart starts to race; this is when I feel a strong sense of urgency. This is an emergency. This is true poverty.

I pray that these stories and pictures would not evoke feelings of guilt, but they would instead raise up a sense of urgency; a realization that all is not right with the world and a yearning and striving for change. 

No, I don’t think everyone should be a missionary to Africa. But I believe as Christians, we are all called to care.

Psalm 82:3-4a

  “Give justice to the poor and the orphan;

      uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.

  Rescue the poor and helpless.”

Alura with his new home

A Time For Celebration

I am always interested in seeing how different cultures celebrate. Unfortunately there are very little celebrations in Catel. Because of the poverty, most people cannot afford weddings. Birthdays are not recognized or celebrated. (I mostly get laughs when I ask how old people are in the clinic) Funerals are the main events in Guinea Bissau.

Easter was a time of celebration for the church in Guinea Bissau. It started Thursday evening when Beryl led a “Last Supper.” We took communion while thanking God for his sacrifice on the Cross. Each person had a chance to share what Jesus’ death meant to them. The insights into what Christ’s death means for a person in Catel were truly inspiring. I wish you could have been there.

Saturday, the church women spent all afternoon cooking up a special dish made of rice, bananas, sugar, peanuts and peanut butter. Not my favorite but Jon enjoyed it and they love it.

Sunday morning the excitement was contagious. Beryl started the service with a film from the Gospel of John depicting the resurrection.  We watched the film THREE times. Each time it played you would see men, women and children sitting on hard wooden benches leaning forward with excitement. We then spent over an hour singing about every praise song we know. I’m sure Jesus was just smiling at the exuberant faces singing to him oh so loudly. When you have many people in a small space, with 100+ degrees, singing with arms raised to Jesus…  the aroma is horrific... BUT the atmosphere if sacred.

Coming out of incredible spiritual bondage, the Church of Catel truly understands and appreciates the freedom in Christ. I have learned so much from them.

The rest of the day was spent “ junbia” (Kiriol for hang out) at different compounds and roasting cashews. Which then led to a small episode of red, swollen face, itchy, angry skin reaction to the cashew smoke….. not fun… but a couple prednisone later and all is well again. (Benefits of having a pharmacy right in your bedroom)

I hope all of you had a blessed Easter. My prayer was that you would all be able to truly celebrate the incredible freedom we have in the cross. 

May this freedom never be taken for granted!

Help From a Distant Land

Cashew season has begun. Cashews are the main crop for GB and most people here have large cashew orchards. Cashew season is full of long days in the orchard collecting the nuts. Americans do not know what they are missing when it comes to cashews. Attached to every nut is a delicious juicy amazing cashew apple. They are only good for about a day once picked, so they are quickly eaten or made into a delicious sweet, tart juice.

Clinic in Bisseral

The last four weeks have been very busy with different medical teams visiting. We had two Doctors, Ron and Troy, and two Nurse practitioner students Jamie and Danielle, here for one week. This was spent traveling to different far out villages to have clinic days. We developed a pretty efficient system with Jon handing out numbers, getting vitals and main complaint and then we had three different patient care areas and a pharmacy. With this system in place we were able to see up to 60 patients a day. We were overwhelmed at most villages with many patients and sadly had to send people away at the end of the day.

This child was much more
cooperative than others

The second team was Dr. Ron and five of his medical students. They spent two weeks doing physical surveys in Catel and other villages. Measuring malnutrition, malaria and many other health indicators, we hope to take this data to the village officials, presenting the problems and helping to implement change.

With the coming of the teams came many much needed supplies! Jon and I’s bedroom is now also the most well stocked pharmacy in GB. We have everything from cough medicine to Malaria treatment.  The clinic is now also able to test for HIV, Syphilis, Malaria, TB and Typhoid fever.  Before this I was only able to advice them to travel to larger villages to be tested. Lack of finances to travel and then pay for a consultation and tests often kept people from seeking further care.

However, with the ability to test for HIV, I also have the hard task of telling individuals that they have HIV. Two weeks ago we diagnosed my friend and her five year old daughter with HIV/AIDS. The hopelessness these people feel upon hearing this diagnosis is right there with a death sentence. I cried. In one weeks time we diagnosed three people and a possible fourth with HIV/AIDS. 

Theoretically AIDS treatment is available in Guinea Bissau. This being said, no one in Catel or the surrounding area knew anything about this. So last week we took my friend and her daughter to Bissau (capital city of GB) to hunt out a treatment center. What we found was better than I even hoped for!  A very well run Aids clinic offering the latest in testing and medication. Thank God!  Even with free medication, testing and consultations, the patient dropout rate is very high. Patients get tired of taking medication and turn to traditional medicines, or they don’t have the money to pay for the trip to Bissau every month. 

Some days it is hard for me to keep going. I look at these people with real sickness, real problems, real suffering….. my heart breaks. I know they deserve so much better than a simple nurse with a cupboard and a bench. Please join me in prayer that God would raise up more medical doctors and nurses for Guinea Bissau. 

A Funeral In Guinea Bissau

Several weeks ago there was a death in Catel. No one knew the exact age, but I was assured she was “very old and needed to die.” In Guinea Bissau, when there is a death of an older person, the funeral is a celebration as opposed to the mourning of a younger death.

                The woman was the grandmother of a youth in the church. Jon and I were invited to the funeral so I grabbed my camera and we set out. Once again my eyes were opened to the extreme bondage gripping Catel. Upon arrival at the funeral, the spiritual darkness was thick enough to slice. I immediately felt extreme heaviness. The drums, the dancing, the chanting, many rituals to worship the dead…. people continued to pour in. A little after we arrived, young men placed the body on a sort of bush stretcher and took of running down a dirt path. Hundreds of people ran after them chanting, drumming and dancing.

                It is believed in the that the spirits of the ancestors live at the door of each house. They ran with the body to each relatives house and lifted the stretcher up, holding it at the top of each door so that the deceased can communicate with the ancestors to see if there was any foul play (curses) related to her death. The deceased is also supposed to communicate her coming and see who should take care of the family now that she is gone. After several hours of running from hut to hut, the procession arrived at the house of the witch doctor. He told them what sacrifices needed to be done and how they should proceed. After many more rituals, they laid the body to rest right outside the front door. Jon and I walked home, however the constant drumming and chanting over the next five days continually reminded us of the surrounding darkness. Later that night, a woman came to the clinic with a gash on her head from a large beam in the house falling on her. Over the next several days, many animals were killed, many people were drunk on palm wine and many fights broke out.

                According to the animistic belief, it is so important to give your ancestors a proper funeral because the belief is that they have much power over your life. This often causes the family to go into great debt. So many animals are slaughtered and fed to the 1000 people, when it is all over the family goes hungry.

                Please pray that there would be freedom from this darkness in Catel. 

...but what will the pigs eat?

In the Spring of 2009 I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Waynesburg University. I soon started my first job as a nurse in the hospital and there was no doubt in my mind, I had received a quality education. I am very thankful for the nursing program at WU. 

However, today I feel the need to sit down with Dr. Mosser, Dr. Small, Dr. Morris and the rest of the gang. I would like to review some areas where I am fairly certain they failed to cover. Nausea, shortness of air and fever… I know these. There is a whole set of symptoms out there that I was never taught. Here are a few I have faced here in Africa:

-          “I have a worm crawling in my arm”

-          “The pigs don’t eat my feces”

-          “The bottom of my feet are hot”

-          “There is a small animal in my stomach”

-          “I have pain in my entire body” (85% of patients)

It has been said that over 80% of the sickness and disease here in Africa is preventable. Upon my arrival I have been excited about education. I love explaining to my patients how babies and pigs living together leads to skin problems and other sickness. I love explaining the importance of a balanced diet. I love going to the different compounds and explaining how to live better, healthier lives. Unfortunately I am finding that these problems run so much deeper than mere lack of education.

Upon explanation of why it is so important to have a latrine, and how these can greatly improve their lives, one compound politely refused stating “We could use latrines… but what would the pigs eat?” (Pretty certain I will never eat pork again) There is an astronomical number of various fungal and bacterial skin infections; many of them carried by the numerous animals that live in and around the mud huts. I try to explain that as long as the animals are kept with the children, they will continually be sick. A simple pen would solve this problem. They then explain how they cannot fence the animals or they will have to feed them (they currently are scavengers) and they will get stolen.

Guinea Bissau is one of the most undeveloped countries in Africa. With zero industry, no university, no electricity, no healthcare; people here survive. It is not uncommon for government workers to go months to years without being paid. This results in many of them not showing up to work including teachers. Education in GB is a travesty. Many people have speculated as to why there is this extreme lack of development. The rest of Africa has given up on them and refuses to accept immigrants from GB.

Community Health Evangelism (CHE) is a highly successful program that has taken on the task of solving these problems. This week from 8:00am-5:00pm you will find a group of young men and women sitting on hard wooden benches with no backs in the heat of up to 120˚ eagerly learning how to be educators in their own villages. CHE has prepared thousands of lessons ranging from health and hygiene to family relations to money management and agriculture. Each lesson is Biblically based and introduces Jesus to the community. Ultimately, He is the only one who can truly free these people from the bondage they are held in that is preventing development.

We have had the great privilege of having Dayo Obaweya with us from Nigeria to lead this seminar. CHE not only teaches the problems and solutions. This program has a unique way of addressing worldview and explaining the difference between relief and development. It encourages the people of Africa to stop simply wanting handouts. Dayo has truly motivated and empowered these young men to make a difference. He taught that God has given them the ability to think and to solve their own problems. He taught that they need to stop looking at the white man as the solution to their problems but to instead look to Jesus. He showed them that they do have the ability and intellect to bring about change.

There is a noticeable change in an African once the truth is revealed and believed. The bondage here is so real. They believe that they are simply impoverished and incapable of change or good because they are African. This fatalistic attitude has stunted development.

Each man has a village that he will go to and speak with the village leaders, discover the top four problems, (catel = no food, clean water, no latrines and lack of agriculture) form committees and solve the problems using the resources available. The program’s success is based on it being locally led and implemented. Once the community claims this as their own, real change happens. How different this is from white people coming for a week, building latrines and digging wells that no one cares to maintain or use and soon break. Jon and I are beyond excited about this program and how God is going to use these young men and women to spread the Gospel and aid in development.

Please pray for these CHE participants. That God would continue to work in and through them. That this excitement they have will not fade.

Dry Compost System = Best Thing Ever

Since my first large, swollen, tender spider bite on my shoulder, my fight against the spiders continues. I killed 22 in the kitchen in preparation for our guests. I am constantly greeted by them when I open the cabinet doors in the clinic. (which is actually quite handy… right by the first aid supplies if I were to be bitten). I have often debated… should I continue this fight? Or should choose to live at peace? The answer evades me.

Another area of question is faced regarding the very affectionate children. Hygiene is very different here. Without the use of diapers, what do I do when I am handed a child to hold? Do I push this fact to the back of my mind and try hard to ignore the permeating wetness in my lap? Do I pick up these babies up as they crawl to me knowing the risk I face? Do I grab the extended hand of the child smiling up at me who has just used that very hand to wipe his dripping nose? (or worse) So far my motto has been “grit my teeth and love” (needless to say I wash my hand vigilantly and was ecstatic to find antibacterial soap in the neighboring country)

Ginny and I working in the clinic

Judy (RN) was truly wonderful in the clinic!

The mission feels very oddly quiet. For the past fourteen days there have been an extra 8-13 people here. A mission team came from Pennsylvania and was much appreciated. The team included two nurses, Judy and Ginny. It was truly wonderful to have extra help in the clinic. I was ecstatic over the chance to be able to dialogue over different diagnosis and treatments. There was also a much welcomed break from the constant “on-call” status. We were able to take first aid/hygiene lessons to different compounds and talk with the women.

Along with the nurses, were several women who started a preschool (which is being continued by Mario), Lloyd and Elaine Hoover who did an excellent job assisting with the structure and leadership of the growing church of Catel; several men who worked extremely hard pouring concrete in new church buildings and worked on various other building projects; and last but most certainly not least, two amazing cooks! We had such a great time of work and fellowship… even managed to fit a couple board/card games in. Beryl, Andrew, Jonathan and I have been so blessed by each one. It is interesting to see how each person had a unique set of skills that was used in a specific way.

I try hard not to pick favorites….. Alas, I failed.  My favorite team member is Jim. He is fun-loving and full of wisdom… an all around great guy, but more importantly he is a master mason and built me an incredible new outhouse that I love dearly. No more chickens pecking at my feet, lizards in the toilet or snakes slithering on by as I sit. Beryl is excited about it because it is a dry compost system and in one year’s time should supply us with excellent fertilizer. Very progressively green. Since outhouses are quite rare in Catel, we are hoping to use this as a prototype and to get many other people excited about dry composting systems.

Jon enjoyed learning the art of pouring concrete. He quickly caught on as they painstakingly drew water from the well, mix that with gravel, cement mix and sand and then transported it on a half broken wheelbarrow (fixed with some extra rebar) and poured on the site. All of this done with no power tools… no cement mixer etc. in extreme heat. They were able to teach several other local men this art and they will be able to work on the cashew processing plant and other various jobs.

please note the knife held in the mouth.... previously used to end the life of these chickens

Everyone loves these very unnecessary knit hats 

Last week, Andrews’s hard labor and careful planning finally paid off as we slaughtered three scrumptious chickens. Jon enjoyed this entirely too much. Meat was a welcome addition to our vegetarian diet. We have now learned how to take a small chick and turn it into a delectable meal…. From start to finish… every step completed.

Last Thursday night we introduced the Leaders of the church council. Over the past months, Beryl has been teaching what the different roles in the church council look like and what kind of qualities would make a good administrator, pastor, teacher, evangelist etc... It is so exciting to see the different qualities in the different people in the church and to see how they are matched with the different roles.  Each man stood and gave his testimony and what his vision for his position was. I am continually amazed at how God has changed the lives of these people. Jon and I believe we have an exceptional group of leaders in the church of Catel.

Jon and I covet your prayers. Please pray for this new group of church leaders. Pray for the women, we have had three Bible studies and more women show up at each one. Pray that I would be able to relate to them despite very different cultural backgrounds.

We continue to enjoy Africa. As I watched the team leave, Sadja (12 year old boy) asked me if I wish I was going back to America with the others. I truthfully stated, “No, I will cry when I leave.”

                 

Dominga

Yesterday for the first time, I did not want to be here. It was a hot saturday evening I was craving some hang out time with friends. I decided to put away the many projects and relax. I was at a loss for how to relax in Africa. The children kept coming to the gate and begging for Jon and I to play with them. I wished so badly that I was home, on my couch with some popcorn, a good movie and friends. Reluctantly I started supper, potatoes and beans. We had just sat down when Mario came and asked us to come see his sister who was very ill.

This was the first weekend that both Beryl and Andrew were gone. So Jon and I gathered supplies Upon arrival at kasa de Mario, I was momentarily stunned at the conditions.  The room was dimly lit and I could barely make out dominga lying on mat on the dirt floor. Dominga was barely conscious, assessment showed a fever of 105.2, blood pressure at 58/35. I quickly called for some water to be drawn, started her on several medications including Tylenol. We sat her up and began to try to hydrate her with a recipe Jon had mixed up earlier.  Mario, Jon and I began to pray fervently that God would heal Dominga. The water soon arrived and we began stripping away the many layers she was covered with…. Several blankets and jackets…. then began to bathe her with cool water. The long night began. It was a struggle to be able to get her to eat/drink anything. Her mouth was ridden with painful blisters all the way down her throat. Because of these, and severe abdominal pain, she had not eaten or drank anything in three days. Jon retrieved my one bottle of chloraseptic spray (I had randomly packed this in case I had a sore throat) With this spray, she was able to eat and drink.

How I longed to pick her up and take her to my previous job on 7 East at University of Kentucky Hospital. The lack of resources and primitive conditions nearly got the best of me. At times my mind would wander…. Page the primary team, 2 liter bolus of normal saline, draw two sets of blood cultures, stat IV antibiotics… is there a unit bed available?

Within 2 hours of constant spooning bananas and hydration mix into her and continual bathing with cool water, her blood pressure was up to 65/50 and her temp was down to 102. With careful instructions to Mario, we headed back to the mission for a rest. Within five minutes after we sat down, four men appeared at the gate, one with blood pouring from a 3-4 inch gash in his head. Unfortunately no one spoke English. With many hand gestures and our broken Kiriol, we discovered that 30 minutes ago he had been trying to break up a fight and was smacked on the head with a large stick. My stomach turned and my vision blurred when I examined the wound and was able to see a large portion of his skull. Jon boiled water and I cleaned the wound, created as best of a sterile filed as I could, gritted my teeth and started stitching him up. Thankfully I had 1 bottle of lidocaine and several insulin syringes. By 12 am we finished cleaning up, 8 stitches successfully in place; we headed back to check on Dominga.

By 2 am her fever broke. With the sunrise, Dominga was sitting up and talking some. She and her family, along with Jon and I praise and thank God for her recovery. We continued to check on her every four hours. Her blood pressure is up to 85/60 with no fever. Praise God. Today Dominga’s father stated “God has healed Dominga.”

I am so humbled by this experience. Here I was, exhausted, wishing to be home and comfortable. It is clearer to me now than ever. God passionately loves his people in Catel. I am so privileged to be his hand and feet, to be his expression of love to Dominga and her family. Understanding Gods heart for the people of Guinea Bissau and relying on his strength is what has carried me through another night in Africa.

Life is sweeter with a renewed realization of Gods calling on my life. I challenge you. Who is God loving through you? Galations 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do what is right.”

Isaiah 40:31: “but those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.”  I recently learned that the original Greek word for “wait” means “to wait upon, to serve”. The renewed strength isn’t for those who sit around doing nothing… it’s for the workers, those who get up every day with the purpose of showing God to the nations. What an incredible promise! I thank God for making this promise true in my life.

To all you weary workers, be encouraged. My prayer for you today is the promise that God has given. That you would run and not grow weary, that you would walk and not be faint; that your strength may be renewed.
Here is a link to our pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/100217601093466491231/ThirdImpressions?authkey=Gv1sRgCN-pnqzhhNjIFQ#

Crayons, snakes and rice

Did you know that walking out into the village of Catel with a bag of crayons and two coloring books is a is not exactly a smart plan? This is something I learned this week. Beryl showed me some crayons in a box at the mission. Thursday I took some and started coloring with the neighbor kids… apparently the word spread. The rest of the week kids kept coming to the gate and asking to color. I told them I would again Sunday afternoon. So Sunday, I innocently grabbed my bag of crayons and set out to meet the kids. I was then mobbed by 40+ kids all jumping up and down, yelling, huge smiles and grabbing at the crayons and coloring books. Overwhelming!!! I was grossly outnumbered. (Kiriol words I need to learn: sit, be quiet, and wait)

The big happening this week was Bible School. Beryl, Andrew and several of the new believers from GB have been traveling to outlying villages to witness and have church on Sunday mornings. We have quite a number of new believers at these villages, but do not have the people to disciple them. This is a huge need. Beryl decided to do a monthly bible school. The first one was last Saturday. It was a great success. Two believers from every village came. They arrived Friday night and stayed till Saturday evening. The curriculum was very basic… what it means to be a Christian… This week we started with the creation of the world and went to the resurrection of Christ. We also taught basic Christian disciplines, how to pray, how to become a disciple, how faith grows, worship as a lifestyle and what the Christian life looks like. These two believers from each village are then responsible to go back to their village and teach the other believers there. There were about 15-20 people present. Beryl, Andrew and Jonathan all taught different segments and then many of the believers from Guinea Bissau gave their testimony of how God has changed their lives. Please pray that God would continue to raise up strong Church leaders here in Guinea Bissau. Pray for more workers.

While the men were in seminar, Kinta and I prepared the food. I learned how to cook Africa style. (see pictures) It was hot and exhausting. Rice, fish and vegetables were on the menu. Let me just say that long skirts, wind and cooking over an open fire do not go well together.

The clinic continues to be busy. We are really looking forward to a team of doctors coming in March. I am saving up patients that are to come back to see the Doctors.  This can be confusing, because they all think that I am a doctor. I have given up trying to convince them otherwise. Our last trip to Senegal for medications proved to be unsuccessful. My supply has dwindled quite low; hopefully this trip will be a success. I am continually confronted with completely new and foreign situations. One case this week was a 6-8 year old girl (they don’t celebrate birthdays here so no one knows their age… frustrating) a boil that opened into a sore with a kind of white string hanging out of the middle. I then grabbed forceps and pulled a 3.5 inch worm from this ulcer.  Flagyl and amoxicillin were given and all is well. I have decided that this was a simple case of Guinea Worm. (Though I may be wrong… pretty new at this) I treated a rat bite this morning; unfortunately there is no access to rabies vaccine or tetanus shots. I then had four machete wounds in a row.  Malaria, possible TB, and much worms and parasites… and that was my day in the clinic. Our “hours” are from 8am-2pm; however, I have yet to have a day where I did not treat emergencies later in the evening.

Lack of health care education continues to astound Jon and I. We have noticed many people with large scars on their temples. It is common practice to slit your temples to relieve a headache. Essentially release whatever bad spirit is inside.  Several people have debated taking Ibuprofen because the pill I have is red. They believe this means it will give them more blood. We burn the trash from the clinic and apparently this is a problem because to burn blood is messing with the spirit of that person…. the list goes on and on.

Another big event in Catel was the slaying of a 13 foot (12 inch circumference) python. Unfortunately, we were unable to take pictures until it had already been skinned and eaten. More of highlight for Jon than I. Don’t get me wrong…  I celebrated its death… but alas, I did not appreciate the reminder of its existence.

We continue to muddle through language studies. Today Mario, (our instructor) told me my Kiriol was not clean. I replied that his English was not clean. He laughed and then said “but we are not in America.”

Please keep us in your prayers as we continue at the clinic and surviving in Guinea Bissau. Pray for the new believers and that God would raise up more workers for Guinea Bissau. 

Minjer, kal ku bu purblema?

One week has passed since Jon and I arrived in this different world of Africa. Lack of plumbing, electricity and so much more makes us feel like we have stepped into another time zone. Yet every day I have spent here my love of Africa grows.

Our trip to Catel was quite an adventure. The flight to Dakar went well. We arrived early in the morning; Beryl met us and took us to a mission house where we slept. We then boarded our boat for Ziguinchor. The only seats were a few benches on the deck, instead we had bunks. Beryl calls them coffins. Eight bunks to a 12x8 cabin. Beryl and Jonathan had it pretty good on the men’s side. Eight men, it was snug, I was on the women’s side with seven women and five kids. Now this was a hot and smelly crowd.  Ear plugs and a sleeping mask put me to sleep quite nicely and at 10am the next day we reached our destination. We spent the day in Ziguinchor buying visa’s and supplies. A long car ride and we arrived in Catel.

The village of Catel is basically one main road with many dirt paths branching off it leading to many different compounds. A typical compound has several brothers each with several wives (3-4) and several other elderly relatives and MANY kids. Each wife has an average of six children.  Since he purchases his bride, and builds another hut, the number of wives a man has is a reflection of his wealth. The women do 90% of the labor. Generally the men sit around all day drinking.

The Church is alive and growing in Guinea Bissau! Saturday night we have singing with the kids (40-50). They LOVE to sing and will bring drums and sing, clap and dance for hours. I think it would go longer but their voices give out. Sunday morning we have a small service, an hour of singing and a message brought by Tchalino. Tchalino works with Beryl throughout the week preparing his message and is a very effective preacher.  The attendance is much smaller than the actual church size because many of the young men travel to outlying villages to evangelize. The need for workers is great. I am currently planning and looking for ideas to start a children’s church/Sunday school. (I would love any suggestions) Today I fashioned a bubble blower with a stick, string and some soap. The kids went crazy. It was hysterical. I have seen little if any toys of any kind.

 Tuesday and Thursday nights we have Bible study. Last week we looked at what the Bible had to say about marriage. The Bible teaching about marriage… to love your wife… etc… goes against so much of their culture.  The Christian life is not easy for them here and calls for a lot of change. They are definitely persecuted. If one of them so much as tries to help his wife carry the water, he is harshly reprimanded. Please pray for these new Christian young men who are trying to live according to the Bible.

Minjer, kal ku bu purblema. (literal translation “woman, what is your problem”) So begins a day in the clinic. The days have been very busy seeing anywhere from 20-40 patients a day. Malaria, parasites, worms, rheumatic fever, bronchitis, many infected wounds, UTIs, eye infections, STIs, fungi, alcoholism, animal bites… I have seen SO much! I work with Tene and Julio. Both have been functioning as a sort of pharmacy for Guinea Bissau. Both have had a little medical training. Both speak very little English. We have many humorous moments trying to communicate. Either Beryl or Andrew is available to help translate most of the time. Today I treated village witch doctor. Due to strong animistic beliefs, he is very wealthy and took his sixth wife yesterday.  Sunday I went on my first house call. A woman had a miscarriage presumably from a raging STI that I discovered upon examination. She was very sick but is doing much better today.

Jon has been busy helping teach new believers and doing all kinds of work with the orange trees, helping with the clinic and a lot of maintenance work. He spent an entire day fishing a lovely rat (junkador) from our well. (see pic) After a day or two of noticing an odd smell to our water, Andrew discovered a large rat. It took the whole day and many unsuccessful ideas to figure out a way to remove it. By the time we succeeded, some decomposition had definitely taken place. However, it was a joyous occasion. Needless to say we have been walking to the school for our water these days.

I hope all of you are doing well. Please keep the church and the clinic of Guinea Bissau in your prayers. 

Dakar, Ziguinchor and Catel

We have arrived safely in Ziguinchor. So far it has been wonderful. We have enjoyed the warmer weather. We are sitting at a cyber cafe in Senegal and my battery is just about to run out... will update more later.

leaving on a jet plane

Two weeks of training complete... six bags packed... six vaccines injected... anti-malarial medication started... all other possessions packed in a 10x10 storage unit... we are ready... or rather, we feel ready.

Tomorrow at 5:30 pm, Jon and I  will be flying to Dakar, Senegal. Beryl Forester (long-term missionary) will meet us there. The plan is to then take a ferry to Ziguinchor, Senegal. We will then purchase our visas and drive to Catel, Guinea-Bissau.
We enjoyed excellent sessions and teaching at Harrisburg Discipleship Center. Each session seemed to only build my excitement! After the first session excitedly I thought "ok, now I am ready." Then we would have another session and I thought "ok... wasn't ready then... but I am ready now!" We eventually just ran out of sessions...
Many thanks to everyone who has contributed and helped us get this far. One thing we have realized on this adventure, is that we are richly blessed in friends, relatives and incredible church families.