Fun and Lots of Laughing in Week 3

There is so much to share, just from one week

Sundays Dinner!! :)

Patient Stories - I just love working in the wards!.....it is amazing how all the patients help each other out.......require such little medication for post-op pain......get up and moving so quickly after surgery......our hernia repair patients are going up 4 flights of stairs to go outside one day after surgery.

A typical shifts consists of passing meds, playing games and carrying babies on our backs!!.........Mom’s who are having surgery bring their babies in with them because they are breastfeeding.......so we get two to care for instead of one......Since I have no grand babies yet, I love grabbing up these precious little chocolate babies !!!

It took me a second to adjust to the fact that when Mom’s breastfeed they let their “Ta Ta’s” hang out in front of everyone.....including men that are sitting next to them in bed.I am told the breast of African women are not a “sexual” part of the body!

Funny.......Our poor day workers, these fellows are from the Congo and are hired to help us translate......mind you, they have no Healthcare background......I think we have exposed them to more then they ever wanted to see. We laugh, yet it is so embarrassing for them to ask patients if they have “Ka ka” (Pooped) or peeeed!

We did have a very sad story this week...a precious little 4 year old did pass away. She had a large tumor in her palate that was blocking her airway and it was cancerous. From my understanding she bypassed the screening process and was sent directly here from another hospital. Once here, they biopsied and found the tumor to be cancerous. Because there is not follow up care for cancer treatment, they chose not to operate because the tumor will come back. So, she was placed on palliative care. She was so smart and adorable, yet often struggled to breath. She began to bleed from her mouth...I held her and felt she was going to pass away then. She did hold on and passed the next morning. Ironically, she passed away while being papoosed on the back of one of the nurses. Very sad for all!!

This pictures are just a few of the people we have or will do surgery on while in the Congo!

Above -- Before Surgery
Below - After Surgery

He is Doing Awesome!!

My Roommate....Heather from Canada!

The Hospital Ward

Congo Life

This weekend was a great ending to the week. My roommate Heather befriended two of the Congolese Day Workers who offered to take us around the area. “Momma Kathy” wanted to see a village......so we headed to the village!....Both days we traveled to the village.....After bartering with the taxi driver we begun our journey flying through the streets, in and out of traffic and then off to the sand roads....I felt like I was in a dune buggy once we got out of the city!  

Crazy Driving through the sand!

My two roommates.......Betsy from LA and Heather from Canada
We found this beautiful beach that went for miles!
There are some cottages along the way that are owned by "white people".....our hope is to rent one for the weekend.......We just need to find out who these "white people" are!  :)

They offered to let "Momma Kathy" Drive

This picture is  out of order.......It is smoked fish that we got at the restaurant

Flowers in the Taxi

Friends..........Casey from Texas......Fred from Everywhere......Me and Aimee.......He is one of the Day Workers who took us around on Saturday

Me and Philrese!.........Taken at the Gorge
Philrese took us to his families home.......His mother cooked us an Awesome Meal

Pig Roast............They have a Pig Farm......That cute little pig at the beginning of my Blog will be dinner next week!!

Yummy Pig!!!

On our way to look at the fish pond

Dinner is being served!!

Philrese and his Family

Saturday......... true Congolese restaurant.......Very interesting!........This was a “hole in the wall” place down an alley......the food was awesome!.......So, we learned that you barter for the price of the food.....the fish, chicken are on the grill and then there were pans of foods that you peeked under and told them what you wanted.....It took us about 20 minutes to negotiate the food and price that we wanted!........i had my first Cassava....It is a major staple in Africa......(Of course I like it because it is a Carb!!) Our patients get it everyday. I comes wrapped in a big leaf.

Chicken on the Grill

Pans of Fish...Legumes.......Cassava.......You picked what your wanted

Dinner is served!!

Fred and Casey dancing after dinner!

Spiritual

• I am amazed at how spiritual all the young Congo people are......God is truly the center of their lives!
• Many have told me how brave and courageous I am for going on this trip. I did not think of it that way........It was my way of running close to the embrace of God!!..............A safe Haven!!
• It is funny......many have said and I now understand why.......They went to serve and now are being served”!.......The patients are so thankful, loving and fun......The crew members are awesome and loving. I am surrounded by people journeying through life that choose to use scripture to guide them and have lots of fun at the same time!!
• I admit, I am shedding some tears.....they come without warning......I realize these tears come NOT from a need to be consoled....but from the recognition of the reality that I am “unfolding”.....The truth in me is being revealed....It is ALL good.......yet the love I feel is overwhleming .......thus the tears are flowing from underlying JOY!
• I can now be myself and center myself around those who choose to sow the fruits of the spirit......patience, kindness, love, joy, temperance, and self-control......and those who choose to encourage one another!!.

Community Living

• Blessed to have 6 in my room that all get along and have fun together
• always someone to eat with
• You are never alone......yet, I have found places to go to be alone.....the pool at night, the library, even my room sometimes
• Roll out of bed, turn my  little light on and put my makeup on while I wait for my turn in the bathroom
• I washed two loads of clothes while I worked the other night
• Can get all my errands done in less than 10 minutes...go to bank, stop at store, go to Starbucks, drop off book at library......
• Whatever you want to do you can do......chill out, read, play on computer, chat, play games, have dutch blitz tournaments, go shopping, go out to eat, sit at pool, lay out at beach, exercise.....we even have pilates on the Deck overlooking the port and city, Bible Studies, practice French.....even a Free Rosetta Stone series to learn French!

Good Books  

I laugh because I said I was not going to read anything “deep” on the ship.....well, that did not last for long...we have an awesome library of “BOOKS”......AWE!!!.....I can sit with a cup of coffee, lounge on the couch and read....Life is Good!!

• Gray Matter - Dr David Levy...A neurosurgeon that is on the ship wrote this book....he shares a great story of initial rebellion toward faith in life and then over the years how he was transformed. He did a couple of inspirational talks while on the ship!!  
• Mother Teresa - A Simple Path
• Faith is Not a Feeling - Ney Bailey

Wisdom........for those of you who miss having a glass of wine with me and discussing life!!!

• 75% of life is made up of struggles, concerns, frustrations and trials. That 75% will always be with us. LET your life be characaterized by the 75%, not with unbelief, but with faith, by believing God and hoping in him. 
• In the other 25%, trust the LORD and go out and have a good time!!

Jesus said.......”In the world, we will have troubles”

Negative circumstances and people do not put negative reactions in our hearts...they merely reveal what is already there.........God’s word is not meant to be a threat but a PROMISE of all that He wants to do in my life by His spirit. 

So.......take personal responsiblity for our own behavior and finding a passage of scripute that will minister to that need.

Suggestion from book:.......For that particular situation, reflect on the following:

1. Things I like about the situation
2. Things I don’t like about the situation
3. My reactions or responses to the situation
4. What God might want to teach me or specific scripture to discusses it

You may find that person or circumstance that initlly seemed to be a noose around your neck becomes a blessing God has given to teach you more about his character and help to chisel away some of your own flaws!

God is the only “constant” in life and everything else is a variable. If we put our hopes in variables, we will invariably be disappointed!

If we place our hopes in another persons performance or even our own , our lives will become a roller coaster ride, simply becuase performances go up and down!