Our family's heart is filled with the hope of our calling in Christ Jesus and we want to share! Our home town and now Hope Clinic is where we are called. We want to share our adventure with you!

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
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

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!

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!