A few random pics....
Sunday, July 6, 2014
May 22
Our last day at the clinic was today…so many mixed emotions. Our day started in the chapel (as usual as they have chapel together every morning at 7:30). Today was different though as they prepared a wonderful breakfast for us as a going away party for ALL of the staff to attend. Each department had a spokesperson tell us of their gratitude and appreciation, the nurse anesthetist wrote a song for us, they all gave us more gifts (Everyone has been giving us gifts all week in preparing to say good-bye!), and we all ate together. It is difficult to leave people like this who have welcomed us into their families and their homes and their beloved workplace. They are all urging us to stay longer, to come back soon, or to come more permanently! They are so thankful and loving. We all spent the day working our last turns at different posts, doing surgery into the evening, packing, taking final pictures, and saying good-byes. All that, and we still have another good-bye party tonight in a few minutes with just the senior staffers, who've been hosting our meals all month, and taking care of our every need, our every whim to go to the market! So, for me, more crying will ensue soon, as we will hear more from them and their praise over us and over the God who sent us to them. It is all VERY humbling and hard to take in. As I said, mixed emotions. We are eager to come home (not eager for trip we must endure!) and see our children and spouses and friends we left in the states! I'm sure we must all admit we are anxious to experience a hot shower and our own washing machines! We have much catching up to do, much decompressing from our trip and all we have experienced, and much jet-lag to recover from. We all anticipate we will be learning from our trip for many months, even years, to come…as God will continue to show us things and open our hearts to new ways of thinking. Again, thank you all for your prayers. Yosef (the little boy with burns, I think I've forgotten to share his name with you all) needs prayer again as he returned to the clinic yesterday after falling off the moto with his momma, and freshening ALL of his burns wounds! It is so sad, yet it is their every day struggle to survive. Thank you for loving him, and all the other patients here, by loving them with your prayers, even though you did not know every story, or every name, or every result. God knows. And He will continue to be with them and draw them to Himself through the love shown through this clinic! See you all soon!
Our last day at the clinic was today…so many mixed emotions. Our day started in the chapel (as usual as they have chapel together every morning at 7:30). Today was different though as they prepared a wonderful breakfast for us as a going away party for ALL of the staff to attend. Each department had a spokesperson tell us of their gratitude and appreciation, the nurse anesthetist wrote a song for us, they all gave us more gifts (Everyone has been giving us gifts all week in preparing to say good-bye!), and we all ate together. It is difficult to leave people like this who have welcomed us into their families and their homes and their beloved workplace. They are all urging us to stay longer, to come back soon, or to come more permanently! They are so thankful and loving. We all spent the day working our last turns at different posts, doing surgery into the evening, packing, taking final pictures, and saying good-byes. All that, and we still have another good-bye party tonight in a few minutes with just the senior staffers, who've been hosting our meals all month, and taking care of our every need, our every whim to go to the market! So, for me, more crying will ensue soon, as we will hear more from them and their praise over us and over the God who sent us to them. It is all VERY humbling and hard to take in. As I said, mixed emotions. We are eager to come home (not eager for trip we must endure!) and see our children and spouses and friends we left in the states! I'm sure we must all admit we are anxious to experience a hot shower and our own washing machines! We have much catching up to do, much decompressing from our trip and all we have experienced, and much jet-lag to recover from. We all anticipate we will be learning from our trip for many months, even years, to come…as God will continue to show us things and open our hearts to new ways of thinking. Again, thank you all for your prayers. Yosef (the little boy with burns, I think I've forgotten to share his name with you all) needs prayer again as he returned to the clinic yesterday after falling off the moto with his momma, and freshening ALL of his burns wounds! It is so sad, yet it is their every day struggle to survive. Thank you for loving him, and all the other patients here, by loving them with your prayers, even though you did not know every story, or every name, or every result. God knows. And He will continue to be with them and draw them to Himself through the love shown through this clinic! See you all soon!
May 20
Here's what it's like going to visit the doctor in Guinea…Show up at the clinic at approximately 6:30 am (or come the night before and camp out) and wait for the gates to open. Once the gates open at seven you stand and wait for a number (there are different numbers for dental, children, adults, surgery, etc…its VERY confusing!). Around 7:30, the line begins for pre-paying for your visit (approx $3.50 for an adult consultation and about $1.30 for a child). Once you have paid, you get to wait again, with approximately 150 other people) in a large covered area with chairs set up "sanctuary style" facing a large screen (they do provide the "Jesus film" or sometimes live evangelism while you wait) to be called into the vital signs area. The vital signs area is a 10x10 foot area in the front corner of the waiting area by the video screen that is sectioned off by a metal frame and cloth curtains. You are called by number into the vital signs area, usually with 2 or 3 OTHER patients at the SAME time, men, women, kids, there is no separation . You stand barefoot on an old scale, the kind with the spots for your feet and the red arm thingy that swings around clock-style to show the weight (no digitals here!) that every other person for the past 8 years has stood on and has never been washed, to get your weight. Then you sit beside everyone else in there and bare your armpit for the thermometer (yes, the same thermometer that EVERYONE else uses…we do, however, wipe it off with some kind of antiseptic stuff on a piece of cloth, we use the same cloth ALL day, and the next…) to take your temperature. Yes, the women lift up their shirts if necessary (not many bras in africa), the men unbutton, all right there together, and there is probably a screaming child next to you that isn't yours! Then your pulse is checked and your blood pressure is taken. All the while, you are carrying with you a little book called a "carne" that is your medical record. You are responsible to keep this with you all the time, in between visits, during your visit, etc. It's the only way anyone can know your medical history. After your vitals are complete (it may be 10:30 or 11:00 by this time if you are in the first 20 patients for the day) you go back out to the waiting area to wait for your number to be called to go and wait in another outdoor "hallway" on concrete benches to actually be seen by someone. You may see a nurse who can order labs and prescribe meds for a certain protocol of things, or the doctor or surgeon for more serious issues. Then you go back to the place to pay and pre-pay for your lab orders (maybe $3-4 for basic work ups). Then you go to the lab and wait. Then you wait for the results. Your "carne" is taken back to the ordering nurse/physician so they can read the results. They then prescribe the medications needed. You go back to pre-pay for the medications. Then you go stand and wait at the pharmacy. Your order is filled in the order it went in. If you are lucky, it may be 4:00 when you get to go home (by walking or by paying a motorcycle taxi to take you and your spouse and your child all at the same time, home)! If you are staying for surgery, or need to be monitored for a hospital visit, you guessed it, you (or your family) go and pre-pay for the visit. Your family then is responsible to feed you, provide linens, drinks, bathroom arrangements, etc., for your entire hospital stay! Can you imagine?? I could go on and on about the spider we killed in the OR, or the laundry hanging on the fence outside of the hospital that was just hand washed by a family member, or the flies that surround those patients with wounds, or the patient who is having a seizure on the floor in the waiting room and they simply wait for the seizure to subside and the patient to awake from the nap that always follows, before attending to them. It is a completely opposite experience from what we would consider even remotely sane in the United States. Yet the people are always grateful, never complain, and know nothing different. It's so hard to see it, to want to change it all, but then to realize it's their culture, and the REALLY DON'T MIND!. And this hospital is 10 times better than even the biggest and best government run hospital around! I am grateful to be able to witness this, be a part, and to come home more grateful for the opportunities we have at our disposal at home! Two more days and we travel home! Can't wait to see everyone! Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragements! BTW, the boy with the burns went home smiling!
Here's what it's like going to visit the doctor in Guinea…Show up at the clinic at approximately 6:30 am (or come the night before and camp out) and wait for the gates to open. Once the gates open at seven you stand and wait for a number (there are different numbers for dental, children, adults, surgery, etc…its VERY confusing!). Around 7:30, the line begins for pre-paying for your visit (approx $3.50 for an adult consultation and about $1.30 for a child). Once you have paid, you get to wait again, with approximately 150 other people) in a large covered area with chairs set up "sanctuary style" facing a large screen (they do provide the "Jesus film" or sometimes live evangelism while you wait) to be called into the vital signs area. The vital signs area is a 10x10 foot area in the front corner of the waiting area by the video screen that is sectioned off by a metal frame and cloth curtains. You are called by number into the vital signs area, usually with 2 or 3 OTHER patients at the SAME time, men, women, kids, there is no separation . You stand barefoot on an old scale, the kind with the spots for your feet and the red arm thingy that swings around clock-style to show the weight (no digitals here!) that every other person for the past 8 years has stood on and has never been washed, to get your weight. Then you sit beside everyone else in there and bare your armpit for the thermometer (yes, the same thermometer that EVERYONE else uses…we do, however, wipe it off with some kind of antiseptic stuff on a piece of cloth, we use the same cloth ALL day, and the next…) to take your temperature. Yes, the women lift up their shirts if necessary (not many bras in africa), the men unbutton, all right there together, and there is probably a screaming child next to you that isn't yours! Then your pulse is checked and your blood pressure is taken. All the while, you are carrying with you a little book called a "carne" that is your medical record. You are responsible to keep this with you all the time, in between visits, during your visit, etc. It's the only way anyone can know your medical history. After your vitals are complete (it may be 10:30 or 11:00 by this time if you are in the first 20 patients for the day) you go back out to the waiting area to wait for your number to be called to go and wait in another outdoor "hallway" on concrete benches to actually be seen by someone. You may see a nurse who can order labs and prescribe meds for a certain protocol of things, or the doctor or surgeon for more serious issues. Then you go back to the place to pay and pre-pay for your lab orders (maybe $3-4 for basic work ups). Then you go to the lab and wait. Then you wait for the results. Your "carne" is taken back to the ordering nurse/physician so they can read the results. They then prescribe the medications needed. You go back to pre-pay for the medications. Then you go stand and wait at the pharmacy. Your order is filled in the order it went in. If you are lucky, it may be 4:00 when you get to go home (by walking or by paying a motorcycle taxi to take you and your spouse and your child all at the same time, home)! If you are staying for surgery, or need to be monitored for a hospital visit, you guessed it, you (or your family) go and pre-pay for the visit. Your family then is responsible to feed you, provide linens, drinks, bathroom arrangements, etc., for your entire hospital stay! Can you imagine?? I could go on and on about the spider we killed in the OR, or the laundry hanging on the fence outside of the hospital that was just hand washed by a family member, or the flies that surround those patients with wounds, or the patient who is having a seizure on the floor in the waiting room and they simply wait for the seizure to subside and the patient to awake from the nap that always follows, before attending to them. It is a completely opposite experience from what we would consider even remotely sane in the United States. Yet the people are always grateful, never complain, and know nothing different. It's so hard to see it, to want to change it all, but then to realize it's their culture, and the REALLY DON'T MIND!. And this hospital is 10 times better than even the biggest and best government run hospital around! I am grateful to be able to witness this, be a part, and to come home more grateful for the opportunities we have at our disposal at home! Two more days and we travel home! Can't wait to see everyone! Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragements! BTW, the boy with the burns went home smiling!
May 18
A wild Chimp Chase (somewhat akin to a Wild Goose Chase…well…you get the idea)…that's what we did for our Saturday adventure! There is a wild chimpanzee "reserve" a mere 70 km (2 hour drive because of the torrential downpours wreaking havoc on the already poor dirt roads) away. After passing crossing several bridges that didn't look like they could hold one person let alone a car, and dipping through several car sized mud puddles (there is a reason the exhaust pipe on the land rover is on the roof!) we arrived at our destination ready to hike away the next couple of hours watching chimps swing from limb to limb and cradle babies in their arms! The hike began immediately in extremely thick jungle terrain with our guide cutting our way ahead of us on the "path". It was fairly easy hiking the first 15 minutes or so. We were then halted and told to "listen" while another guide swung around in another direction hoping to spot the chimps and tell us exactly where to go - haha - like how in the world did they know how to tell us where to go??? We did see about 3-4 trees the whole trek that had tiny, worn out numbers on them (must be left at the 456 and then right at the 219!) We hiked again for a while on fairly easy terrain and were then stopped to wait another 30 minutes or so trying to keep two young boys from being bored out of their minds in a jungle where you couldn't be loud or even step more than a few steps in either direction without getting lost into oblivion. The pursuit began again in earnest up a VERY STEEP hill (still hacking our way through) that was soaked with recent rain and constant humidity. We pulled our way up using vines and trees as best we could. I wondered about Tarzan and the effortless way he swung through the trees at super speed! We then began the decent down the other side of the mini mountain still hoping to catch the chimps. The way down was much more dangerous than the way up…a steep jungle ravine on the left to encourage us to stay on track. It was long before Caden slipped on a slimy tree root sliding several feet into Rachel and knocking her down. She was stopped by a large tree of some sort. They both managed to get upright again with a few scrapes, bruises and head knot. Cade learned…walk farther apart so if you fall, you don't take out Rachel with you! It wasn't 5 minutes later we heard a jungly, crashing, tumbling sound…then silence…then a mousy "heellp?" Caden had managed to slide down the ravine about 20 feet (I could exaggerate and say 30…but it was probably a true 20!) before he found a providentially placed stump that broke his fall! Those who saw it happen (Marc McAllister and Jeff) were laughing at the head over heals tumble they witnessed. Fortunately I was ahead of him and didn't see it, I only heard it! The guide (wearing only rubber wading boots…how in the world???) went down and got him. He could've been injured so badly. We were very grateful that neither he nor Rachel were hurt. How we would've gotten an injured party member out of there…no idea. We finally emerged on a "clearing" which enabled those beat up to have a little reprieve. Jeff also took a fall about a half an hour later, again, fortunately, right after he had taken Krae off his shoulders! Needless to go on in detail, we continued on for a total of three hours, up steep climbs, down steep slides, following instructions in Mono tongue to "hurry", "they are just ahead" to, "wait" and "listen they might be right there"…all to NO AVAIL. The poor monkeys must've heard us coming! They ran the whole time away from us. Compare this to Connor and Kellen's experience a cpl years ago of walking 15 minutes and seeing the silly things!!! All for a mere 212,500 FG ($30) per person! A discount bartered for us down from the original $75 that was quoted to us! We didn't see the chimps but we got a REALLY cool, dense, jungle hike (minus the red ants that found their way UP my pant legs, and the tumbles, those weren't so cool) that reminded us of the BIG world God created with such diversity and beauty. Another day of rest today before our final 4 days of clinic this week. We will be home before we know it.
A wild Chimp Chase (somewhat akin to a Wild Goose Chase…well…you get the idea)…that's what we did for our Saturday adventure! There is a wild chimpanzee "reserve" a mere 70 km (2 hour drive because of the torrential downpours wreaking havoc on the already poor dirt roads) away. After passing crossing several bridges that didn't look like they could hold one person let alone a car, and dipping through several car sized mud puddles (there is a reason the exhaust pipe on the land rover is on the roof!) we arrived at our destination ready to hike away the next couple of hours watching chimps swing from limb to limb and cradle babies in their arms! The hike began immediately in extremely thick jungle terrain with our guide cutting our way ahead of us on the "path". It was fairly easy hiking the first 15 minutes or so. We were then halted and told to "listen" while another guide swung around in another direction hoping to spot the chimps and tell us exactly where to go - haha - like how in the world did they know how to tell us where to go??? We did see about 3-4 trees the whole trek that had tiny, worn out numbers on them (must be left at the 456 and then right at the 219!) We hiked again for a while on fairly easy terrain and were then stopped to wait another 30 minutes or so trying to keep two young boys from being bored out of their minds in a jungle where you couldn't be loud or even step more than a few steps in either direction without getting lost into oblivion. The pursuit began again in earnest up a VERY STEEP hill (still hacking our way through) that was soaked with recent rain and constant humidity. We pulled our way up using vines and trees as best we could. I wondered about Tarzan and the effortless way he swung through the trees at super speed! We then began the decent down the other side of the mini mountain still hoping to catch the chimps. The way down was much more dangerous than the way up…a steep jungle ravine on the left to encourage us to stay on track. It was long before Caden slipped on a slimy tree root sliding several feet into Rachel and knocking her down. She was stopped by a large tree of some sort. They both managed to get upright again with a few scrapes, bruises and head knot. Cade learned…walk farther apart so if you fall, you don't take out Rachel with you! It wasn't 5 minutes later we heard a jungly, crashing, tumbling sound…then silence…then a mousy "heellp?" Caden had managed to slide down the ravine about 20 feet (I could exaggerate and say 30…but it was probably a true 20!) before he found a providentially placed stump that broke his fall! Those who saw it happen (Marc McAllister and Jeff) were laughing at the head over heals tumble they witnessed. Fortunately I was ahead of him and didn't see it, I only heard it! The guide (wearing only rubber wading boots…how in the world???) went down and got him. He could've been injured so badly. We were very grateful that neither he nor Rachel were hurt. How we would've gotten an injured party member out of there…no idea. We finally emerged on a "clearing" which enabled those beat up to have a little reprieve. Jeff also took a fall about a half an hour later, again, fortunately, right after he had taken Krae off his shoulders! Needless to go on in detail, we continued on for a total of three hours, up steep climbs, down steep slides, following instructions in Mono tongue to "hurry", "they are just ahead" to, "wait" and "listen they might be right there"…all to NO AVAIL. The poor monkeys must've heard us coming! They ran the whole time away from us. Compare this to Connor and Kellen's experience a cpl years ago of walking 15 minutes and seeing the silly things!!! All for a mere 212,500 FG ($30) per person! A discount bartered for us down from the original $75 that was quoted to us! We didn't see the chimps but we got a REALLY cool, dense, jungle hike (minus the red ants that found their way UP my pant legs, and the tumbles, those weren't so cool) that reminded us of the BIG world God created with such diversity and beauty. Another day of rest today before our final 4 days of clinic this week. We will be home before we know it.
May 14
The past few days have seen several of us suffering from illness. Rachel with a severe head cold (seems odd in Africa, huh? Guess those bugs are here, too!) others from gastrointestinal distress (read: running to the toilet quite frequently ) and Krae from high fever, stomach pain, headache, vomiting…we all spent a few days lying low, off and on. We were watching Krae for malaria, but he has made a full recovery. My mother-in-law (Diane Mathisen) was having her friends pray for Krae, and I saw a post she made where she noted the time difference (Africa is 7 hours AHEAD of the Pacific time zone) and said Krae was probably beginning his recovery even before they started praying, and that God is not limited by time zones. She wrote that ultimately it's not the power of our prayers in and of themselves but the power of the One to whom we pray, and our obedience in asking for His help! So true! Thanks Diane Mathisen for the good reminder. It made me think of how frustrating it is to be here with such limited French. As the Guineans say, they speak "English small, small!!, I speak "French small, small!!" As I walk by the multitude of patients lining the concrete benches along the outdoor halls of the clinic and say "Bon jour, and how are you? I am well, tres bien, etc" but that is about the extent! I make the little babies cry most of the time; they are frightened, I think, by the crazy white lady who probably wants to steal them from their mamas or grandmamas! I wish I could speak to them fluently and tell them I love them, that Jesus loves them, and learn more about them! But Diane's reminder made me remember that God is not limited by time zones, NOR is He limited by language. He called me to be here and show His love by my actions, and to keep my mouth shut! Otherwise he would've miraculously had me learn fluent French in the past 6 months of my trying!! Just as in America, I sometimes allow my words to become unnecessary or judgmental. Oftentimes it is better to keep my mouth shut and just simply show love. God can do the rest without my "trying to help"! The people here are genuinely happy just to be spoken to with kindness, touched even though they made be dirty and diseased, and smiled at or to have their toddler toes tickled (although that often scares them too!!). The miracles are not just in the surgeries, the medications, the donated equipment; they are there for sure. But the miracles are also the simple act of OUR obedience to be present here, having the financial and prayerful support of all of YOU, and patiently waiting for Him to show us BOTH what He has for us next! God works in what we consider to be BIG ways, but He also works in what we consider to be SMALL ways. He is not bound by our limited understanding of His will. I am grateful for that! And Im grateful and humbled to be here. I want to remember all this when I return to America, because people in America need the same smiles, touches, and acceptance as the people in Africa! I ask you all to hold me accountable when I return! Thanks to you all for your prayers and encouragement. I love every comment! Now, to HIM who is able to do abundantly more that we could ever imagine….goes all the glory, honor, and praise!!
The past few days have seen several of us suffering from illness. Rachel with a severe head cold (seems odd in Africa, huh? Guess those bugs are here, too!) others from gastrointestinal distress (read: running to the toilet quite frequently ) and Krae from high fever, stomach pain, headache, vomiting…we all spent a few days lying low, off and on. We were watching Krae for malaria, but he has made a full recovery. My mother-in-law (Diane Mathisen) was having her friends pray for Krae, and I saw a post she made where she noted the time difference (Africa is 7 hours AHEAD of the Pacific time zone) and said Krae was probably beginning his recovery even before they started praying, and that God is not limited by time zones. She wrote that ultimately it's not the power of our prayers in and of themselves but the power of the One to whom we pray, and our obedience in asking for His help! So true! Thanks Diane Mathisen for the good reminder. It made me think of how frustrating it is to be here with such limited French. As the Guineans say, they speak "English small, small!!, I speak "French small, small!!" As I walk by the multitude of patients lining the concrete benches along the outdoor halls of the clinic and say "Bon jour, and how are you? I am well, tres bien, etc" but that is about the extent! I make the little babies cry most of the time; they are frightened, I think, by the crazy white lady who probably wants to steal them from their mamas or grandmamas! I wish I could speak to them fluently and tell them I love them, that Jesus loves them, and learn more about them! But Diane's reminder made me remember that God is not limited by time zones, NOR is He limited by language. He called me to be here and show His love by my actions, and to keep my mouth shut! Otherwise he would've miraculously had me learn fluent French in the past 6 months of my trying!! Just as in America, I sometimes allow my words to become unnecessary or judgmental. Oftentimes it is better to keep my mouth shut and just simply show love. God can do the rest without my "trying to help"! The people here are genuinely happy just to be spoken to with kindness, touched even though they made be dirty and diseased, and smiled at or to have their toddler toes tickled (although that often scares them too!!). The miracles are not just in the surgeries, the medications, the donated equipment; they are there for sure. But the miracles are also the simple act of OUR obedience to be present here, having the financial and prayerful support of all of YOU, and patiently waiting for Him to show us BOTH what He has for us next! God works in what we consider to be BIG ways, but He also works in what we consider to be SMALL ways. He is not bound by our limited understanding of His will. I am grateful for that! And Im grateful and humbled to be here. I want to remember all this when I return to America, because people in America need the same smiles, touches, and acceptance as the people in Africa! I ask you all to hold me accountable when I return! Thanks to you all for your prayers and encouragement. I love every comment! Now, to HIM who is able to do abundantly more that we could ever imagine….goes all the glory, honor, and praise!!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
I never tire of driving through the jungle forests and "country side" of Guinea! There is amazing natural beauty (VERY similar to the gorge in Oregon yet even MORE green than the greenest we see in Oregon, if you can imagine that! Just replace every pine tree in your minds' eye in Oregon with a palm tree and you will be imagining Guinea's landscape) and beautiful people everywhere you look. I will also never cease to be amazed at the piles of items carried on women's heads here (and even young children will be seen carrying things on their heads with babies strapped to their backs!)!! Rachel and I and the boys actually tried it tonight with the help of our hostess Iliane, to carry a basket of potatoes on our head with the aid of a rolled towel. We could each do it for a bit! Imagine if we continue practicing! I can see us now, in Washington Square mall carrying our bags on our heads so our hands are free! Haha! Actually, I can never really imagine going to a mall and buying enough to carry on my head, ever again. Seeing the poverty and simplicity and extreme effort that goes into every day tasks that we take for granted in the states is sobering. We visited Moise's palm tree farm today which is about a 1-1/2 hour drive from the clinic. He has three acres that was given to him about 8 years ago. He began planting palm trees about 7 years ago, which means they began producing palm nuts only about 2-3 years ago. The palm nuts are a main source of two kinds of oils (one from the outer nut flesh, another beaten/burned out of the inner seed) for the people of Guinea. He is very grateful for the ability to provide some income to help support his family while he continues to grow the clinic and evangelize the surrounding areas. From there we drove further through very rough roads along a mountain range very similar to the Klickitats and the cliffs/plateaus seen along the gorge, with a few higher peaks here and there, all covered in lush green foliage. The clouds were low and heavy with rain which down poured off and on all day long. As the clouds blew in and out and up and down, different peaks would be revealed and blue sky would show through and the clouds would weave in and out of the peaks. As we passed through a small village that used cows as a main means of support, the village children swarmed the truck yelling/smiling/laughing "tabaloo" "tabaloo" which in their local village dialect means "white man", and the women shoved 1.5 liter water bottles filled with "fresh" cow milk at us, trying to get us to buy some! Such joy! It's funny…in the village across the street from the clinic the children yell "creepaloo, creepaloo", again their word for white man. Wonder why their words for white man sound so much like our "scary" words of creepy and taboo!?!? We finally arrived at our destination of the natural land bridge. It was pouring when we got there, so we picnicked in the truck until the rain stopped again. We then got out to see the bridge, which from above looked nothing different than any other bridge we may have crossed. but as we walked around the side we could see down into the cavern. It was a small river, much like one you'd see in Oregon, with lots of rocks, a few rapids, and much foliage in and around. We climbed down a steep embankment to a rocky bottom that revealed a large natural rock bridge that the water flowed through. We stayed down there for a while, wading in the water, as it was clean, flowing water. Most water in guinea is unsafe to walk into. It was kind of like being in a cave that had an opening on both ends. It made us think of home and it was very nice to be in a cool place out of the sun with the ability to get in the water! Yes, we took lots of pictures, as always! We came back to the guest house and us girls got the young boys to watch Pride and Prejudice on the computer! The older guys knew better than to be tricked. The younger boys weren't too enthralled, but the girls had fun!! It was Saturday afternoon at the movies! Tomorrow we go into our closest big town, N'Zerekore near the market, where we will go to church of the pastor whom Jeff did surgery on last year…the one who was shot in the leg during the riots/fighting while his family was locked in their house and were threatened to be burned to death. The family was spared when the violators learned they were from Coite d'Viore and not Guinea, but their home and church were burned. We are excited to see him and his family in their church where they continue to serve. He is healing well and is very grateful to be alive! I will report on that experience in the next post. Until then, goodnight from Africa!
Today marks 2 weeks since we left The Dalles. We just received the one bag that we lost on the trip here, JUST in time to use the supplies that "happened" to be in there! Last night we did a surgery that we didn't have a supply that was needed for the after care. When Jeff opened the bag this morning, there was the one thing we needed! Amazing! The past few days have delivered more severe thunderstorms almost every night. They are extremely powerful, windy, and LOUD!! They, unbelievably , are not very scary. We feel quite safe. But there was a loud clap, like a cannonball being shot off,, in the middle of the night last night that made everyone JUMP awake, it was crazy! Yet the days prove to be sunny and extremely warm. Caden and Rachel continue to spend a lot of time working on computer input and they have also added the pharmacy to their jobs. I tried that today too. We count out frequently used medications to be dispensed (i.e. 30 count of cimetidine/antacid) in little baggies. So we stock them up on ones like that so they can pass them out more quickly. It is fun to see ALL the different aspects of what makes the clinic run. We've seen a fractured hip be repaired, a shotgun blast victim have emergency surgery last night to repair 15 holes in his intestines, a large breast cancer removed, a prostate removed, the little boy with the burns continue to heal and improve, Thyroids removed, hernias repaired, a huge neck mass removed, and much more.
I have been trying to help in the kitchen of the main family that prepares our meals and I've been turned away every time! They want us to be treated like royalty! Finally, yesterday, she invited me to come help prepare lunch and to teach her a few tips of how I cook in the US. I felt very honored to finally be welcomed in! It was very fun! We have scheduled for next Tuesday for me to join them again in the preparation of dinner so I can learn to make the traditional "leaf sauce" of Guinea. I'm excited for that! We have a trip planned tomorrow to see a "natural bridge". We are not sure exactly what that is but I guess it's a sight to see. And we will go see a large farm/land area that is owned by the "grandfather" of the clinic. It should be an adventurous day of road travel on roads that grow increasingly worse because of the torrential rains!! We are all healthy, feeling at home, yet missing all of you there! We are enjoying finding MANY ways to help here. I have even been asked to help a few of the guys from the pharmacy who want to learn better English. We have a couple of appointments set up next week! Pray I can set up some things to teach them and work with them on this weekend! Every day, God shows us new things, and allows us to reach into their hearts a little more! Thanks for your continued prayers! More later! Jen
I have been trying to help in the kitchen of the main family that prepares our meals and I've been turned away every time! They want us to be treated like royalty! Finally, yesterday, she invited me to come help prepare lunch and to teach her a few tips of how I cook in the US. I felt very honored to finally be welcomed in! It was very fun! We have scheduled for next Tuesday for me to join them again in the preparation of dinner so I can learn to make the traditional "leaf sauce" of Guinea. I'm excited for that! We have a trip planned tomorrow to see a "natural bridge". We are not sure exactly what that is but I guess it's a sight to see. And we will go see a large farm/land area that is owned by the "grandfather" of the clinic. It should be an adventurous day of road travel on roads that grow increasingly worse because of the torrential rains!! We are all healthy, feeling at home, yet missing all of you there! We are enjoying finding MANY ways to help here. I have even been asked to help a few of the guys from the pharmacy who want to learn better English. We have a couple of appointments set up next week! Pray I can set up some things to teach them and work with them on this weekend! Every day, God shows us new things, and allows us to reach into their hearts a little more! Thanks for your continued prayers! More later! Jen
Sorry I haven't been relaying the posts this last week guys! I was finishing up school and was really busy! I'm going to catch up right now!
-Connor
Since I last posted, we have been to church in the little village of N'Zao, which is right across the street from Hope. Church is a packed out little concrete hut with a metal roof and handmade benches inside. The report at the end of the service was about 57 men, 65 women and 90 some kids in attendance! Offering is taken in a moving "congo" line where everyone walks down the isles, row by row, to the front of the church to drop their offering in the baskets waiting in the hands of three attendants. Much music, drums, singing, and dancing accompany the offering. We also took communion in the same fashion. They had all visitors stand, and dr. Jeff (our leader ) has to introduce everyone. They usually ask where you are from and if you are a Christian. If not, then they ask if you want to become a Christian right now! They offered us a great deal of respect by not asking us that! After our introduction, they welcome us with clapping and a "ba sum, ba clash!" on the cymbals!! Imagine the drum/cimbal clash after a bad joke!! Haha! It was quite funny. They also have a person designated to walk around and wake people up who fall asleep! The 90 some children wander in and out, sometimes asking for money from their parents to buy a sucker from a vendor outside. Much praise, worship, preaching (in two languages both of which were NOT english!) and dancing were a part of the whole 2 hour service! We also had a rousing game of volleyball with the clinic staff/kids, an evening walk through N'Zao to the house of family. I have lots of pictures to show the housing situation here for most people which are very small, mud-made brick homes with either tin or grass roofs, outdoor cooking spots. Children run in rags, or in nothing sometimes, just like you see on tv. They run up to you like you are a celebrity and want to do the traditional Guinean handshake, which is a combo of a handshake and a finger/thumb snap with the other person. We were told of a "soccer field", really just an open area between a few small buildings, where there is always a soccer game going on. So we took one of our full-size soccer balls with us to give to them. When we arrived at the "field" there were two full teams of older teenage boys playing, and about 50 small children running around yelling and watching. They were playing with a very tiny/toddler sized ball that was many, many years old. The game stopped and EVERYONE ran to surround Cado, who was holding the ball. Agath, the missionary from Holland, was there with us. She told them in French who we were and that we wanted to present them with a new soccer ball. (Everything given here is done very ceremoniously!) the self-proclaimed "Captain" (Alex was his name) very graciously accepted the ball with much excitement, screaming, and running around by ALL the other children. He was so polite and thankful. He said, God Bless you! We said, no God bless YOU! And told them to run and play. As we turned to go, we looked back to see them ALL taking turns kissing the soccer ball before they started up a new game! If that just doesn't melt your heart, nothing will! Rachel and Caden have taken up working on computer input to enter old pharmacy information to get them current and up to date. they have been working together fabulously and are making slow, but good progress. They are working on May of 2013!! pharmacy purchases! Krae made popsicles from orange soda in ice-cube trays with toothpicks for handles to pass out to the kids on the compound. They loved it! We have spent one late afternoon passing out goody bags to the children in the hospital or with families in the hospital. That, again, was a humbling, moving experience to see their gratitude and awe over a tiny bag of candy and a few toys. We are taking a lot of vitals, doing a lot of consultations (Dawn helps with this a lot!), watching surgeries (I watched my FIRST surgery today!…crazy…Jeff's been doing this for 16 years or so and I've never seen it! Very cool!), and helping in the Cashiers station where they check in patients and take the small payments necessary to be seen in the office. For example, a surgery costs $40 US, and to see a doctor is about $3. We are being kept very busy, being very well taken care of, and we are ALL learning a lot. BTW, the little boy with the burns continues to do SO well! I saw him today walking around and smiling! His head that he could not hold up before the surgery was straight and tall! He has been to the OR twice to clean the wounds and change the dressings, and he probably has at least one more to go. We've seen other surgery patients heal and return home and we continue to see new needs every day. We are grateful we can be here to help and encourage. Thank you all for your prayers and notes of encouragement too! We are cherishing every moment here in our hearts and can't wait to bring all the stories home with us to share! Love to you all, jen
-Connor
Since I last posted, we have been to church in the little village of N'Zao, which is right across the street from Hope. Church is a packed out little concrete hut with a metal roof and handmade benches inside. The report at the end of the service was about 57 men, 65 women and 90 some kids in attendance! Offering is taken in a moving "congo" line where everyone walks down the isles, row by row, to the front of the church to drop their offering in the baskets waiting in the hands of three attendants. Much music, drums, singing, and dancing accompany the offering. We also took communion in the same fashion. They had all visitors stand, and dr. Jeff (our leader ) has to introduce everyone. They usually ask where you are from and if you are a Christian. If not, then they ask if you want to become a Christian right now! They offered us a great deal of respect by not asking us that! After our introduction, they welcome us with clapping and a "ba sum, ba clash!" on the cymbals!! Imagine the drum/cimbal clash after a bad joke!! Haha! It was quite funny. They also have a person designated to walk around and wake people up who fall asleep! The 90 some children wander in and out, sometimes asking for money from their parents to buy a sucker from a vendor outside. Much praise, worship, preaching (in two languages both of which were NOT english!) and dancing were a part of the whole 2 hour service! We also had a rousing game of volleyball with the clinic staff/kids, an evening walk through N'Zao to the house of family. I have lots of pictures to show the housing situation here for most people which are very small, mud-made brick homes with either tin or grass roofs, outdoor cooking spots. Children run in rags, or in nothing sometimes, just like you see on tv. They run up to you like you are a celebrity and want to do the traditional Guinean handshake, which is a combo of a handshake and a finger/thumb snap with the other person. We were told of a "soccer field", really just an open area between a few small buildings, where there is always a soccer game going on. So we took one of our full-size soccer balls with us to give to them. When we arrived at the "field" there were two full teams of older teenage boys playing, and about 50 small children running around yelling and watching. They were playing with a very tiny/toddler sized ball that was many, many years old. The game stopped and EVERYONE ran to surround Cado, who was holding the ball. Agath, the missionary from Holland, was there with us. She told them in French who we were and that we wanted to present them with a new soccer ball. (Everything given here is done very ceremoniously!) the self-proclaimed "Captain" (Alex was his name) very graciously accepted the ball with much excitement, screaming, and running around by ALL the other children. He was so polite and thankful. He said, God Bless you! We said, no God bless YOU! And told them to run and play. As we turned to go, we looked back to see them ALL taking turns kissing the soccer ball before they started up a new game! If that just doesn't melt your heart, nothing will! Rachel and Caden have taken up working on computer input to enter old pharmacy information to get them current and up to date. they have been working together fabulously and are making slow, but good progress. They are working on May of 2013!! pharmacy purchases! Krae made popsicles from orange soda in ice-cube trays with toothpicks for handles to pass out to the kids on the compound. They loved it! We have spent one late afternoon passing out goody bags to the children in the hospital or with families in the hospital. That, again, was a humbling, moving experience to see their gratitude and awe over a tiny bag of candy and a few toys. We are taking a lot of vitals, doing a lot of consultations (Dawn helps with this a lot!), watching surgeries (I watched my FIRST surgery today!…crazy…Jeff's been doing this for 16 years or so and I've never seen it! Very cool!), and helping in the Cashiers station where they check in patients and take the small payments necessary to be seen in the office. For example, a surgery costs $40 US, and to see a doctor is about $3. We are being kept very busy, being very well taken care of, and we are ALL learning a lot. BTW, the little boy with the burns continues to do SO well! I saw him today walking around and smiling! His head that he could not hold up before the surgery was straight and tall! He has been to the OR twice to clean the wounds and change the dressings, and he probably has at least one more to go. We've seen other surgery patients heal and return home and we continue to see new needs every day. We are grateful we can be here to help and encourage. Thank you all for your prayers and notes of encouragement too! We are cherishing every moment here in our hearts and can't wait to bring all the stories home with us to share! Love to you all, jen
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Hey guys here's the next post from my mom on Facebook! Keep praying for Gods hand!
Our Saturday was quite eventful today. Dawn, Rachel, and I went to the market with Agath (2 year nurse missionary from Holland) and Kadiatu (Dr. Simeons wife, Dr. Simeon came to the states for surgery last fall) to buy fabric to have dresses made! We also bought a few food supplies. When we stopped first, we were descended upon by about 8 men trying to exchange our money right at our car windows…fortunately Agath had dealt with them before so she knew who to trust! Guinea Francs here are 7000 to our $1! So I exchanged $150.00 for 1, 050,000 GF!! Crazy Stuff! The Grand march ("indoor" part of the outdoor market) here is hardly describable…such busy, dirty, hot, crowded, smelly, labyrinth maze of narrow, low-ceilinged, uneven dirt-pathed, garbage strewn, 6x6 cubicles of vendors selling everything from fabric, to raw meat and fish, to vegetables and soaps, etc. Momma's lay on the ground nursing their babies, toddlers sit on vending tables crying and smiling, …people constantly trying to push by you and around you and trying to get you to buy things. The outdoor part is an insane rush of honking motorbikes and cars, live animals, women and children carrying baskets of things to sell on their heads, garbage everywhere, 3 foot deep "moats" lining both sides of every road to drain garbage, human waste, and occasionally rain water with narrow bridges every 10 feet or so to allow for crossing to get to the goods for sale. We found our beautiful fabric and fresh pineapple, cucumber, tomatoes, limes, flour (which must be in the freezer for 3 days to kill bugs) and bananas. When thirsty, you buy bags (not bottles) of water from baskets on top of heads and bite a hole in the corner and squeeze it into your mouth! We bought butter at a lebanese market that is somewhat more akin to our supermarket but much, much smaller and still dark and dirty. Then we found a special, brand-new bakery (actually clean) which sold the most amazing bread! We splurged there! We then went to Kadiatu's niece to have her take measurements for our dresses/skirts. Her staff of three sit on the "porch" of her tiny handmade brick home/shop pumping foot powered sewing machines, while the chickens and roosters peck about! Then…Dr. Simeons family arranged a traditional "thank-you" session for us (and all of you in the US) who welcomed Dr. Simeon and saved his life. His parents are not well and could not make the trip so they sent representatives in their place (literal spokespersons as their personal representatives) from three different cities, hours away. They brought gifts of pineapple, traditional colo nuts (not coconuts, colo nuts) wrapped in some kind of leaves…it was all very cultural and traditional. I bawled just about the whole time, it was quite overwhelming; their gratitude and praise for God's provision through our helping him…Also each of us received a gift of traditional african clothing, each presented by one of us to each other (I presented to Marc, Rachel presented to Dawn, Caden to Krae, etc.). Very ceremonial, very emotional. They wanted us to pass on their gratitude to EVERYONE in The Dalles who was a part of this miracle that saved their friend, their colleague, and in actuality the ability of this clinic to care for 1000's of sick children and adults. Quite a day. What else can I say. I'm too tired to check my grammar much on this large post so forgive me! Also, the little boy with the burns, Marc and Jeff took him to the OR this am. He did well. The burns were not total thickness except for a small part on his ear, which is a praise. They feel he will heal well. Thanks for your prayers. Tomorrow we attend our first church service in the local village. I'm sure another great day tomorrow! Love to you all!
Our Saturday was quite eventful today. Dawn, Rachel, and I went to the market with Agath (2 year nurse missionary from Holland) and Kadiatu (Dr. Simeons wife, Dr. Simeon came to the states for surgery last fall) to buy fabric to have dresses made! We also bought a few food supplies. When we stopped first, we were descended upon by about 8 men trying to exchange our money right at our car windows…fortunately Agath had dealt with them before so she knew who to trust! Guinea Francs here are 7000 to our $1! So I exchanged $150.00 for 1, 050,000 GF!! Crazy Stuff! The Grand march ("indoor" part of the outdoor market) here is hardly describable…such busy, dirty, hot, crowded, smelly, labyrinth maze of narrow, low-ceilinged, uneven dirt-pathed, garbage strewn, 6x6 cubicles of vendors selling everything from fabric, to raw meat and fish, to vegetables and soaps, etc. Momma's lay on the ground nursing their babies, toddlers sit on vending tables crying and smiling, …people constantly trying to push by you and around you and trying to get you to buy things. The outdoor part is an insane rush of honking motorbikes and cars, live animals, women and children carrying baskets of things to sell on their heads, garbage everywhere, 3 foot deep "moats" lining both sides of every road to drain garbage, human waste, and occasionally rain water with narrow bridges every 10 feet or so to allow for crossing to get to the goods for sale. We found our beautiful fabric and fresh pineapple, cucumber, tomatoes, limes, flour (which must be in the freezer for 3 days to kill bugs) and bananas. When thirsty, you buy bags (not bottles) of water from baskets on top of heads and bite a hole in the corner and squeeze it into your mouth! We bought butter at a lebanese market that is somewhat more akin to our supermarket but much, much smaller and still dark and dirty. Then we found a special, brand-new bakery (actually clean) which sold the most amazing bread! We splurged there! We then went to Kadiatu's niece to have her take measurements for our dresses/skirts. Her staff of three sit on the "porch" of her tiny handmade brick home/shop pumping foot powered sewing machines, while the chickens and roosters peck about! Then…Dr. Simeons family arranged a traditional "thank-you" session for us (and all of you in the US) who welcomed Dr. Simeon and saved his life. His parents are not well and could not make the trip so they sent representatives in their place (literal spokespersons as their personal representatives) from three different cities, hours away. They brought gifts of pineapple, traditional colo nuts (not coconuts, colo nuts) wrapped in some kind of leaves…it was all very cultural and traditional. I bawled just about the whole time, it was quite overwhelming; their gratitude and praise for God's provision through our helping him…Also each of us received a gift of traditional african clothing, each presented by one of us to each other (I presented to Marc, Rachel presented to Dawn, Caden to Krae, etc.). Very ceremonial, very emotional. They wanted us to pass on their gratitude to EVERYONE in The Dalles who was a part of this miracle that saved their friend, their colleague, and in actuality the ability of this clinic to care for 1000's of sick children and adults. Quite a day. What else can I say. I'm too tired to check my grammar much on this large post so forgive me! Also, the little boy with the burns, Marc and Jeff took him to the OR this am. He did well. The burns were not total thickness except for a small part on his ear, which is a praise. They feel he will heal well. Thanks for your prayers. Tomorrow we attend our first church service in the local village. I'm sure another great day tomorrow! Love to you all!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Hey everyone, my mom messaged me again this morning and asked me to post some of her message to the blog. Here it is. Also it is her writing to me so it is a letter type perspective.
-Connor
Today I worked in the clinic doing vitals. Wow, what an experience! It was a great experience; yet a difficult one as well. Seeing all of the hurting, suffering people is sometimes very difficult. I saw a little boy of 6, who looked about 3, that was burned by boiling water on his shoulders, back, back of the head and side of the head. He has had to suffer through village medicine (dung) treatments for a week. It was so very sad, I almost couldn't contain my emotion. His family didn't even carry him but made him walk. You could see the dried dung/and skin hanging on by pieces, and fresh blood dripping, he was in so much pain. He is being admitted, given IV fluids and pain meds til Dad can do surgery tomorrow am for him, even though it is sat. Dad said most of his ear is gone, he will need a lot of skin grafts. Saw a lady have a full on seizure on the floor of the waiting room, and they really just left her there. She calmed then fell asleep, they left her on the floor. Very sad, the lack of privacy, and of course no HIPA, just everyone at the same time being seen, it's all difficult to watch. Dad had a mouth/jaw access from dental cavities that was so horrible. Her white count was 68000. She was almost dead. They took her to the OR, and now are watching her and continue to remove infection. She will have some more teeth removed to hopefully stop the infection from taking any more of her jaw and neck. Several surgeries have gone well, hysterectomies, hernia repairs, a huge neck mass was removed from a guy, Marcs done several urology cases. The fun things tho are the kids on the compound. Such laughter and fun. Cado is so good with the little girls. Chasing and teasing, their laughter is amazing! Dawn, Rachel, and I will go to town tomorrow to find fabric for Kadiatu's friend to make us dresses. Actually, Jeaneatte, the gal I carried the computer over for, pulled me aside today while i was working. She bought fabric for me and had her friend measure me for a dress as a thank you for bringing her the computer. They are such a loving people, and are very generous and kind!
-Connor
Today I worked in the clinic doing vitals. Wow, what an experience! It was a great experience; yet a difficult one as well. Seeing all of the hurting, suffering people is sometimes very difficult. I saw a little boy of 6, who looked about 3, that was burned by boiling water on his shoulders, back, back of the head and side of the head. He has had to suffer through village medicine (dung) treatments for a week. It was so very sad, I almost couldn't contain my emotion. His family didn't even carry him but made him walk. You could see the dried dung/and skin hanging on by pieces, and fresh blood dripping, he was in so much pain. He is being admitted, given IV fluids and pain meds til Dad can do surgery tomorrow am for him, even though it is sat. Dad said most of his ear is gone, he will need a lot of skin grafts. Saw a lady have a full on seizure on the floor of the waiting room, and they really just left her there. She calmed then fell asleep, they left her on the floor. Very sad, the lack of privacy, and of course no HIPA, just everyone at the same time being seen, it's all difficult to watch. Dad had a mouth/jaw access from dental cavities that was so horrible. Her white count was 68000. She was almost dead. They took her to the OR, and now are watching her and continue to remove infection. She will have some more teeth removed to hopefully stop the infection from taking any more of her jaw and neck. Several surgeries have gone well, hysterectomies, hernia repairs, a huge neck mass was removed from a guy, Marcs done several urology cases. The fun things tho are the kids on the compound. Such laughter and fun. Cado is so good with the little girls. Chasing and teasing, their laughter is amazing! Dawn, Rachel, and I will go to town tomorrow to find fabric for Kadiatu's friend to make us dresses. Actually, Jeaneatte, the gal I carried the computer over for, pulled me aside today while i was working. She bought fabric for me and had her friend measure me for a dress as a thank you for bringing her the computer. They are such a loving people, and are very generous and kind!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Hey again everyone! Good news for those of you not on Facebook! They got the internet up and running, but unfortunately my mom is having trouble accessing the blog from there. She has asked me to update the blog with the Facebook post so don't worry about not getting to know whats going on! Anyway here is her first post!
-Connor
Bon soile, (I think is how you spell it), good afternoon from hope clinic! We are well and fully enjoying the African lifestyle! We are finally beginning to be on the right time zone and are adjusting to the heat and extremely high humidity. Fortunately, it is actually the very beginning of the rainy season so we have experienced the drenching rain storms that lighten the humidity for short periods of time. The thunder was a little overwhelming last night! I've had a lizard jump out of a cupboard at me, sending me screaming/running and sending Dawn OpBroek jumping to the counter, a spider crawling down from my hair over my eye while eye was getting water from the special filter, again much screaming and water ending up everywhere!! The children here are amazingly beautiful and cheerful here, even the little boy carrying a live rat by the tail and playing with it like a pet! We are being treated like royalty; is hard to accept sometimes. It feels so undeserved when we see how little they have here. Jeff, Marc McAllister, and Dawn are seeing many patients, Caden has helped me and Rachel in the storeroom as we unloaded and checked in all the bags of supplies we were able to bring. It made them soooo happy! We will be unloading the laparoscopic equipment tomorrow and trying to get it installed and ready to go. I am able to teach English to the women on the clinic grounds and they are teaching me French! We love sharing Jesus' love with the patients waiting to see the docs. It's amazing, they sit on concrete benches ALL day waiting to be seen, for surgery, or for their family. No complaints, no whining, only smiles and joy as we say bonjour! and tickle the children! We enjoy chapel every morning, joining in their continual praise and worship. They are constantly grateful for what God is doing. We are so grateful to be here to encourage them that people in The Dalles, OR are loving them and praying for them ALL the way around the world. `THANK YOU ` for being a part of that, each and every one of you!! We are thankful for our health so far, our safety through the many days of difficult travel, and our ability to help and encourage here. Internet is very intermittent, so I will post when I can and will try to get some pics up next time! Until then, au revoir!
-Connor
Bon soile, (I think is how you spell it), good afternoon from hope clinic! We are well and fully enjoying the African lifestyle! We are finally beginning to be on the right time zone and are adjusting to the heat and extremely high humidity. Fortunately, it is actually the very beginning of the rainy season so we have experienced the drenching rain storms that lighten the humidity for short periods of time. The thunder was a little overwhelming last night! I've had a lizard jump out of a cupboard at me, sending me screaming/running and sending Dawn OpBroek jumping to the counter, a spider crawling down from my hair over my eye while eye was getting water from the special filter, again much screaming and water ending up everywhere!! The children here are amazingly beautiful and cheerful here, even the little boy carrying a live rat by the tail and playing with it like a pet! We are being treated like royalty; is hard to accept sometimes. It feels so undeserved when we see how little they have here. Jeff, Marc McAllister, and Dawn are seeing many patients, Caden has helped me and Rachel in the storeroom as we unloaded and checked in all the bags of supplies we were able to bring. It made them soooo happy! We will be unloading the laparoscopic equipment tomorrow and trying to get it installed and ready to go. I am able to teach English to the women on the clinic grounds and they are teaching me French! We love sharing Jesus' love with the patients waiting to see the docs. It's amazing, they sit on concrete benches ALL day waiting to be seen, for surgery, or for their family. No complaints, no whining, only smiles and joy as we say bonjour! and tickle the children! We enjoy chapel every morning, joining in their continual praise and worship. They are constantly grateful for what God is doing. We are so grateful to be here to encourage them that people in The Dalles, OR are loving them and praying for them ALL the way around the world. `THANK YOU ` for being a part of that, each and every one of you!! We are thankful for our health so far, our safety through the many days of difficult travel, and our ability to help and encourage here. Internet is very intermittent, so I will post when I can and will try to get some pics up next time! Until then, au revoir!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
They Made It!!
Hey everyone! If you have been wondering how the trip is going, the team made it safely to Hope Clinic! I'm guessing they haven't posted or anything yet because they have to set up the internet there. They will most likely post as soon as they get it up and running! I just wanted to update any worried people praying frantically for their safety, because the hadn't heard from them! Keep praying, but they are safe at the Clinic! Thank you so much for all of your prayers that have gotten them this far. Keep interceding for their safety and that God will work in amazing ways! You all should hear from them soon but until then thank you for your prayers!
-Connor Mathisen
-Connor Mathisen
Monday, April 21, 2014
FOUR DAYS AND COUNTING!!!
Lots of medication, much of it donated by Medical Teams International, as well as by YOU...those who gave financially to our trip were a part of enabling us to buy even more supplies that Hope Clinic needs! Thank you!
And...Rachel is on the mend! For those of you who don't know, Rachel (our 15 year old team member) had a burst appendix last week! She is a week post op and we are continually praying that she does not experience any secondary infections so that we can ALL travel together. Another matter of prayer. We are grateful this didn't happen during our 11 hour plane ride!
So here are the details for this week...
We leave The Dalles this Friday at 7:30 am to go to PDX. We fly out at 11:45 am to Detroit, then to Paris, then to Monrovia, Liberia. We will spend the night there at a hospital compound and then drive the 9 hours or so to Hope the next day. All together approximately 36 hours of travel time!
Pray for:
1) safe and seamless travel
2) rest
3) healing for Rachel
4) calming of any fears
5) safety from ebola!
6) protection for all the baggage, ease through customs
7) opportunities to share Christ even as we travel
8) our friends at Hope as they prepare for our arrival
9) the people of Guinea that we will have the pleasure of serving and loving once we arrive
10) our family members we are leaving behind, for comfort for us all.
WE ARE ALL VERY EXCITED! THANK YOU FOR JOINING IN OUR ADVENTURE!
We'll keep you as posted as we can!
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
PARTY-EBOLA-BOXES-UPDATES!!!
You'd never think those words would be on the same heading!! But here we are getting ready for a party THIS SAT!!...The ebola virus is still on the move in Guinea...BUT the boxes we've been praying for (with the laparoscopy equipment) HAVE ARRIVED in Conakry and the Jon Erickson from Hope Clinic will be driving the 17 hours to the capitol city to pick them up and deliver them to Hope! Jon isn't afraid of a little ebola!! Satan will try to thwart God's plans BUT God is more powerful and HIS WILL will be done! We are so excited and we are all full of HOPE! Jeff also was able to see pictures of the OR remodel that has been happening too! He says it looks amazing and things continue to fall into place for the new equipment to have a home there. Come celebrate with us this Sat at the Riverenza, see fun pictures, help make goody bags for children we will meet on our trip, buy a soccer ball for us to deliver, eat some yummy food, hear some great stories of what God has been and will continue to do there in N'Zao, Guinea at Hope Clinic! Our team is not discouraged at all...we truly are full of God's hope and we know if He doesn't want us there, He will make it clear. Until then we keep moving forward with YOUR HELP and will continue to obey. Thanks so much for all of your prayers, your financial support, and your concern for our safety and for the safety of those in the country of Guinea and its' surrounding neighbors. Continue to pray with us that we prove faithful to what God's called us to do and that above all stories of ebola and worries of our safety that God will be glorified and honored all what that happens! JOIN US SATURDAY for a bunch of fun!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
VIDEO!!!
)
Here's a great video (created by Steve Oproek with lots of love!!Thanks Steve!) that we have to represent our trip before we go. Watch, enjoy, and learn a little more about why we are going and what we are expecting God to do while we are there!
Our airline tickets have been purchased - Yay! They were even cheaper than we could've imagined! We are now awaiting the visa application process...and we need two, one for Liberia where we fly into and one for Guinea. It is a little tenuous as we have to apply by sending in ALL of our actual passports with the applications, one at a time, and within 3-4 weeks of our trip! If we apply too early, the visas will run out before our return date and then we won't be able to leave the country to come home! We need prayer that the timing is just perfect and that they don't lose our passports in the process!
We also just found out the overnight accommodations we thought were in place for when we land in Liberia are not available. So we need a place to stay for one night in Monrovia...anyone have any connections?! haha!
We are excited about planning the April 5 "Celebration of Hope" party! We will play the video and show lots of pictures, have live story-telling from those who've made the trip before us, have fun activities for you and your kids to participate in getting things ready for our trip, plus we'll have lots of yummy food! So plan to come join us at the Riverenza!
Prayer Requests:
-Continue to pray for the boxes of laparoscopic equipment to arrive safely and on time
-Pray for our visa application process
-Pray for a place for us to sleep in Monrovia that first night we land
-Pray for our April 5th party!
-Pray for those people we will come in contact with while we are there, that we can help them medically and also share Christ's love with them
Here's a great video (created by Steve Oproek with lots of love!!Thanks Steve!) that we have to represent our trip before we go. Watch, enjoy, and learn a little more about why we are going and what we are expecting God to do while we are there!
Our airline tickets have been purchased - Yay! They were even cheaper than we could've imagined! We are now awaiting the visa application process...and we need two, one for Liberia where we fly into and one for Guinea. It is a little tenuous as we have to apply by sending in ALL of our actual passports with the applications, one at a time, and within 3-4 weeks of our trip! If we apply too early, the visas will run out before our return date and then we won't be able to leave the country to come home! We need prayer that the timing is just perfect and that they don't lose our passports in the process!
We also just found out the overnight accommodations we thought were in place for when we land in Liberia are not available. So we need a place to stay for one night in Monrovia...anyone have any connections?! haha!
We are excited about planning the April 5 "Celebration of Hope" party! We will play the video and show lots of pictures, have live story-telling from those who've made the trip before us, have fun activities for you and your kids to participate in getting things ready for our trip, plus we'll have lots of yummy food! So plan to come join us at the Riverenza!
Prayer Requests:
-Continue to pray for the boxes of laparoscopic equipment to arrive safely and on time
-Pray for our visa application process
-Pray for a place for us to sleep in Monrovia that first night we land
-Pray for our April 5th party!
-Pray for those people we will come in contact with while we are there, that we can help them medically and also share Christ's love with them
Sunday, March 2, 2014
SHOTS!!!
We all got our shots tonight!! Jackie Gust (of Good News Clinics) who's done all of Jeff's shots for the past two years, braved the nasty Gorge weather to come to our meeting tonight and give us all our shots! Thank you, Lord, for her safety! Everyone was really brave... few screams here and there but overall a pretty tough crew!! Jen still has a few more to get (Jackie thought that 6 shots at one time tonight was enough to put her immune system into overload) so the last few will come over the next few weeks...she was a little behind in her immunizations! Plane tickets should be purchased this week. We have a short presentation at church this week so be on the lookout for that cool video (we will post online after Sunday)! We will plan to pass out prayer cards that day too.
The boxes you all have been wondering about and praying for are on their way across the ocean! They made it to the East coast and are sailing across the Atlantic now. We have been told there could be a hold-up at the receiving port in Conakry, Guinea because of the unloading/check-in time. Plus then the drive time to the clinic. Please, continue to pray for their safe and timely arrival at Hope!
Thank you all, in advance, for all of your prayers and support for this exciting journey! We are seeing God working EVERY DAY in our lives here...by seeing very real fears calmed, good airline prices, worries taken care of, plans falling into place in perfect timing. We are so excited to be able to be a part of this ministry! Our friends at Hope Clinic are VERY excited to have us all come and share in their ministry there, too! They are very grateful for every prayer, every effort, to further Christ's message through Hope Clinic!
The boxes you all have been wondering about and praying for are on their way across the ocean! They made it to the East coast and are sailing across the Atlantic now. We have been told there could be a hold-up at the receiving port in Conakry, Guinea because of the unloading/check-in time. Plus then the drive time to the clinic. Please, continue to pray for their safe and timely arrival at Hope!
Thank you all, in advance, for all of your prayers and support for this exciting journey! We are seeing God working EVERY DAY in our lives here...by seeing very real fears calmed, good airline prices, worries taken care of, plans falling into place in perfect timing. We are so excited to be able to be a part of this ministry! Our friends at Hope Clinic are VERY excited to have us all come and share in their ministry there, too! They are very grateful for every prayer, every effort, to further Christ's message through Hope Clinic!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
SIGN-UP IS EASIER!!
It's now super easy to sign-up to receive our blog, thanks to Connor! He put a quick link to the right (the yellow link that says follow our trip here)! He also set up links so you can easily visit Dawn/Rachel and Marc's blogs from our blog as well! Thanks so much, Con, for helping us out! It was a little cumbersome before to get signed up to receive emails whenever we post a new message, now it's super easy. So, click and sign up so you can be a part of our TEAM!
This next week should bring about finishing up necessary paperwork, buying plane tickets, planning for our April 5th party, and getting our SHOTS!! Then, and only then, can we apply for our "in-country" visas that Liberia (where we fly into) and Guinea both have to grant us in order for us to enter and leave their countries. You can pray for smooth planning and transitions, and you can thank God ahead of time for all He is going to do with this trip and everyone involved...that includes YOU! We love and appreciate you all! We thank our God every time we remember YOU, We always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phillipians 1:3-5.
This next week should bring about finishing up necessary paperwork, buying plane tickets, planning for our April 5th party, and getting our SHOTS!! Then, and only then, can we apply for our "in-country" visas that Liberia (where we fly into) and Guinea both have to grant us in order for us to enter and leave their countries. You can pray for smooth planning and transitions, and you can thank God ahead of time for all He is going to do with this trip and everyone involved...that includes YOU! We love and appreciate you all! We thank our God every time we remember YOU, We always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phillipians 1:3-5.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Please note,
Please note, in order to be in compliance with Calvary's 501c3, we need to change the memo line request on tax deductible donations from "Africa Trip" to "Missions Outreach". Thank you!!
Things Are Moving Right Along!
https://sites.google.com/site/steveopbroek/
Follow this link to see the prayer letter a more clearly and to print if you wish!
One day at a time, we are watching God move and lay the details in place; from finalizing our team members, to God's protection of Jeff from a landslide on his way to work Thursday that could have taken his life, to this amazing prayer letter! Praises all around! Our prayers right now are for the details of tickets purchases, visa procurement, financial provision, immunizations, continued safe travels for the boxes of equipment, and for a super fun party on April 5 at The Riverenza!! Thank you to Greg and Molly Ott for donating their wonderful event space! We "hope" you can join us! We want to be thanking God ahead of time for all He is going to do, because we are confident in Him and His travel and ministry plans. We will be celebrating with food, pictures, and stories from Jeff's previous trips. No RSVP necessary; it will be "open house" style so just drop in if you can. We are grateful to have you be a part of our team!
Saturday, February 15, 2014
PRAYER LETTER!
https://sites.google.com/site/steveopbroek/
Follow this link to see our prayer letter, with info on our team, our trip, and how to be a part of our journey yourself!
Follow this link to see our prayer letter, with info on our team, our trip, and how to be a part of our journey yourself!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Boxes in Missouri!
We just received word today that the boxes made it safely to Missouri! Thanks to all who prayed and encouraged! We will keep updates coming as we get them! God is good!
The Mattys
The Mattys
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Skops for Hope!!
Yes, I did say "us"...we have decided that God wants me (Jen) and our two youngest (Cade and Krae) to go with Jeff this next trip. It is a very uncertain time and the details are way beyond our understanding right now, however, we fully believe God is calling us to go together this time (thanks Jeremiah for the inspiring message Sunday! It was a defining moment for us!) So one day at a time, we will follow His leading and provision to get us there. I know there are a few others praying about joining us to make a "small" team as Hope can only handle so many visitors at one time. Won't you be a part of our prayer support starting right now!? Pray that all of us who are led by God to go will follow His leading and trust Him to supply the money and that the details of planning such a trip will fall into place. It's too big for us alone, we know that. We want to rely on Him fully to allow this to happen. Stay tuned for more updates as I have news to report!
Thank you for being willing to pray us through this calling on our lives! We will let you know of ways you can support financially if you are called to do so as the process moves along and our plans become more clear. God is truly amazing and we want everyone to know!
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