Orthopedic Fellowship-- Round #2

I attempted to post a note last evening, but the Internet was not working well, and I awoke this morning to find the post had been lost somewhere in Cyberspace. Today was interesting in that the two cases we did revolved around orthopedics. The folks here are sure that when I come, the bones start breaking... One of the nurses from the clinic fell on Sunday and arrived Monday to find she had a broken fibula. We waited for the swelling to subside, and then placed her in a cast this morning. Another young girl had a two month old shoulder dislocation that we were able to surgically reduce with some great advice from my US correspondent, Dr. Charlie Petit. I'm fairly sure he would have cringed to see what it took to get the joint reduced, but she should have full use of her shoulder in a few weeks. There are actual general surgical cases on for tomorrow, which means less studying tonight!

Yesterday I had written about how quiet the clinic has been during this visit, compared to last, and have found it is due to Ramadan, hungry month, and bad roadways that make it difficult
 for folks to travel to the clinic. The staff here at the clinic decided to threaten a strike as well if demands for a pay raise we're not met. The administration has taken the noble path, and asked folks to come directly to them for friendly discussion. So, we stay tuned, and keep plugging
 away for now.

Despite all of the turmoil, a few patients continue to come, and the Lord is blessing our work. The guys have been helping all over the clinic and in the village, and even got to observe some surgery today. We are thankful for health, cooler weather, friends to get to know better, ways to serve, and even sketchy Internet connections! Thank you all for your kind words and prayers.

God is the God of Many Languages

The guys and I had the special opportunity to travel with three families to nearby N'Zerekore to attend a small church. The building was a small concrete block structure with a roof that covered half of the building. Our group equaled approximately half of the attendance. When it intermittently would begin to rain, everyone would squish together on the wooden benches to remain dry, and as the rains would subside, some would return to their original seats. A pastor from Togo led Sunday School and the morning service in an animated and passionate manner. I could only smile as we enjoyed the beautiful music that I remembered from my previous trip. We traveled home in the rain, refreshed and challenged to ask God for power in any situation. We enjoyed lunch with the Albright's, and then I napped for a couple of hours while the guys played the Wii with many of the kids on the clinic grounds. At 4pm, we reconvened for two hours of sand volleyball, which was a blast. We enjoyed dinner with the Barry's and then returned to the guesthouse to Skype with Jen. We spent some time with our Bible study that we have been going thru together, and now are headed to bed after a very fun and relaxing weekend. Tomorrow should prove to be a busy start to a productive week at the clinic, giving us an opportunity to treat physical illness, and observe God as he heals the souls of many.

hiking pics!

Here are a few pics Connor posted on Facebook of their "mountain top experience".  I've reposted here for those of you not on facebook!

Thanks to you all for your support and prayers! Jen

A Beautiful Rainy Day

We awoke this morning to a light rain that had begun several hours before dawn. After morning rounds with Dr. Yaraduono, Con, Kel, and I climbed to the summit of Mt. Golo with Amos and Yakabou, the oldest son of the new administrator. It was a wet climb to the top, but the rains ceased upon our descent providing fantastic views of Liberia and the Ivory Coast. We returned wet, muddy, and exhilarated. After grabbing a quick lunch, we went into the market in N'Zerekore, where the rains resumed, turning the streets and market into a quagmire. The weather did little to deter most people who needed to shop, but certainly shortened our excursion. We returned to the clinic, and once again changed into dry clothes, and then relaxed for an hour. Dr. Yaraduono and his wife Jackie invited us for dinner, which was excellent. We had many good laughs, and enjoyed each others' company. We sit now in the guesthouse, once again listening to the rain fall on the metal roof, and are thankful for the safety, lodging, and friendships he has provided. We continue to learn firsthand what it means to be thankful with very little, and hope to return with greater appreciation for our family, home, and friends. We thank you all for your prayers and kind words. Until tomorrow...

Joyous Reunions

Dr. Yaraduono graciously scheduled Modey and Mamadou to return to the clinic today for follow up evals, and to see me. Modey is up and about on his repaired femur and his X-rays look great. His prosthesis is still being modified, so he is using a walker, but smiling from ear to ear. Mamadou's facial wounds have healed completely, he has restored hearing, and gave me a big hug, despite cultural norms. He faces some facial reconstruction for his jaw in November. Con and Kel worked in the administrative office this am, and have had the afternoon to relax and catch up on sleep after being ill and traveling. They plan to go hiking on a nearby mountain in the morning with Amos, Jairus's son. God has been great about providing young men for them to hang with who speak excellent English. We have had more rain and sunshine here, with the stickiness of the humidity I remember from growing up in the Midwest. Nights have been cool, which is good for sleeping. This week has seen many children with malaria and infections improve significantly, and a few have been able to return home. August is a slower month here at Hope due to Ramadan, and because this is considered "hungry month". However, surgery has remained steady, which is essential for the health of the clinic. All in all, a very fun day, full of rejoicing.

An Average Day... In Guinea

We all awoke fairly early this morning, not having slept very well due to music blaring all thru the night. Con and Kel went to Lola to complete the water reservoir project and arrive home at about 4:30, after having a good day. I spent the day with Dr. Jean who allowed me to assist him with a cleft lip repair, which I haven't seen for 15 years. It was fascinating to watch this child's life being transformed before our eyes. We did another small case, and saw several consults in between. The young boy with the tumor on his head returned, and unfortunately his skull X-rays demonstrated that a section of his skull may have been eroded, and there was a direct connection with the brain. We explained that we couldn't resect this mass, but could remove a lymph node, and I could take it back to the states for evaluation. However , the best option was to travel to Conakry and get a CT scan, and possible treatment. The boy's father told us they tried to do that, but we're told it would cost them about 1000$ to do so. They had come to Hope, hoping to find good medical care at a better price. Dr. Jean asked me to pray for this boy and his trip to Conakry, and then we shook hands, and they disappeared. We sat silent for a few moments, letting the emotion of this situation sink in, and then moved on to others that could be helped. The truth is, we will probably never see this boy again, but God knows where he is, and holds his future in his hands. This evening we enjoyed dinner with the Albright's, our host family, and are now sitting and catching up on Emails and Facebook. Plans are for the guys to work in clinic tomorrow and I will spend the day seeing consults with Dr. Jean. I may have a chance to meet with Modey tomorrow as he is due to return to the clinic for evaluation of his leg. He now has a prosthesis for the other leg and is walking without an assist device. Only God knows the other folks we will meet that come to Hope for help...

Lots of Rain, but Plenty of Hope

We have already experienced more rain here in Guinea than I saw my entire last visit during the winter. Nature is green, and everything is fresh. Kel awoke feeling much better, and got to spend some time observing in the OR, and travelled to a nearby town to help install a reserve water tank. Con had a rough night with the "Kel Disease", and spent most of the day in bed with fever and chills. He is feeling better this pm and was able to go to dinner with us in the village at the home of Jairus and his family. I had the opportunity to accompany Dr.Yaraduono on rounds this am, and then do an interesting case with him. We saw several consults, including a young boy with an enormous growth on his head that is infected, and may be growing from his skull or brain. The plan is to do some more testing in the am, and hopefully understand a plan to help this young man. The rain has provided lower temperatures which should allow for some great sleeping. Was fun greeting many friends here at Hope today, and enjoyable to help many grateful pts as well. Good night from Guinea. Until we blog again...

Safe, at last, at Hope

We have been outside of cell phone and Internet service for the last 48 hours, but have been safe. We survived the treacherous roads to Hope today, chaeuffered skillfully by Caleb Sellars, who is a Bible translator in the nearby city of Lola. The Lord was gracious, as Kel awoke with a nasty GI bug this am that had him down for the entire day without eating... No joking! He is feeling better this pm and was able to eat a little bit without nausea. We had a great time with the Anderson's, who have twin boys who are in the same class as Con. These guys were excellent hosts and took Con and Kel mudding, bird hunting, and even played some softball in the swamp. We had dinner tonight with the Albright's, said hello to a few friends from last visit, and the boys collapsed into bed after Skyping their Mom, briefly. I was able to catch up with Jen for a good while, which restored both of our souls. Tomorrow, I hope to start in the clinic with Dr. Jean, as well as in the OR, and be as helpful as possible in the transition process as he plans for his month of vacation. Thank you for all of your notes and prayers. We are all anxious to see what God has in store for us here at Hope over the course of the next few days.

Safe and Sound in Guinea

The Lord was by our sides every step of the way across the pond. The flights were smooth, and fairly close to on time, allowing us to arrive safely in Conakry shortly before 5pm. I'm certain the guys are grateful that we will be no where near an airport for several weeks. All of our luggage arrived safely, with the exception of my bag, but all the medical supplies arrived safely. Fortunately the boys have some extra clothes I can borrow until my bag arrives sometime in the next two weeks. I knew I brought them for a purpose! I would recommend waiting to give Dramamine to teenagers until after boarding the plane, as "pretreating" them 15 minutes before boarding almost caused me to have to carry them on board! Fortunately they slept great, and are now sleeping again. We leave at 5am tomorrow am to make a 12 hour truck ride to Faranah, to stay with the Anderson's, a missionary family that has generously offered to drive us that far. We will stay all day Monday with them, and then proceed on to Hope on Tuesday. This will allow us to begin serving at Hope on Wed am. It is good to be back in Guinea again. The culture here is fascinating, and at the same time, shocking as well. The opportunity to demonstrate Christ's love here is incredible. We will be without Internet service for the next two and a half days, but will fire up the blog again on Tuesday pm after our arrival at Hope. I thank you for all of your prayers for us, and know we will be praying for you as well.

A Great Opportunity

The Lord has given Con, Kel, and me the opportunity to travel to Hope Clinic in Guinea. We are currently sitting in a hotel in Portland relaxing and talking about travel plans for tomorrow. We leave at 7am for New York City, and then Paris, and eventually Conakry. We will then travel to Hope over the course of two days with a stop in Faranah to take in the culture. We will be arriving at Hope on Tuesday the 24th, and then will begin to serve the following day. Many have asked what Con and Kel will be doing at Hope. I'm not sure that we know exactly what the Lord has for them, but that's the fun of this trip--the unknown. Pray for them that they will be open minded and willing to take part in whatever they are asked to do. Hopefully they will both get an opportunity to watch some surgical procedures and interact with patients and their families. After my experience just five months ago, I know they will not return the same guys... To all of you who are praying, we ask that you keep us in mind as we fly and drive over the course of the next four days. Also, that we would be smart and remember to take our malaria meds and avoid other illnesses and injuries. The experience of getting thru customs in Conakry can be interesting, and we pray that someone who speaks English will be there and graciously allow us to pass thru without little hassle. There will be many opportunities to help, and we hope to build relationships with many. I will try to report in daily, but it may be a little spotty over the next few days as we travel. Thank you all for your support and prayers.