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.
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