Hi all. Here is a testimony from the post caesarian section/eclamptic ward that I was in this week.
We cannot detest the small. Even taking someone’s blood pressure can change their life.
This is written by one of the students from South Korea .
I was working in the ICU and met Rehema she is 20 and had just lost a baby for the second time, I asked her if I could pr*ay for her but she said no, so I just took her vitals. After lunch I went to take her vitals again, her pulse was weak, and she didn’t want to eat anything. Her heart was broken. I told her I knew she was feeling sad, and I told her my testimony that before I knew J*sus I didn’t want to live, but I met JESUS. I said “Now I am here so I want to introduce you to J*SUS, J*SUS gave me hope, do you want to believe in J*SUS.” This time she said YES, I led her in a pr*ayer of sal*ation, and I pr*ayed for her after and her face was radiant and her smile beautiful, her pulse was strong and she even wanted to eat. The next day I went to see her again; I gave her Kiswahili sc*ipture and taught her how to pr*ay, she was so happy to know J*SUS.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
I am multitasking: typing and wincing at my sunburned shoulders and legs.
Sunburned from our Thanksgiving celebration. Contradiction?
Yesterday, with the locals on staff and our whole team, we crammed ourselves into two “vans” and we were on our way to the ocean. I spent the day playing catch, beach/water balloon volleyball, beach soccer and swimming. It was freeing, not only to wear shorts, but also to be together as a family for a whole afternoon and evening. In the evening we shared why we celebrated thanksgiving and then around our tables, while nibbling on Trifle, we also shared the things that we were thankful for at that moment. Throughout the week we have been doing this, polishing up on habitual thankfulness, each time there has been something different that popped into mind. I think Thanksgiving is Bib*lical, as is feasting. So enjoy your family feasting on Thursday, can’t wait to hear all about them.
I am hopping back and forth between the stories to tell you. Okay, I think I’ve got them.
Thursday. I was in the postnatal/admissions ward. 4 students. About 100 women.
One student was caring for the women who’d had their babies, taking vital signs, doing breastfeeding teachings, looking for extra digits, etc. She found one baby who had a fever of about 38 degrees (100F). It is all too common for fevers to happen, which leads to exhausted babies who won’t feed and become dehydrated and then diarrhea and then every day is a fight. After notifying the ward charge, she began to take this mum and bub under her wing. She began with assisting the feeding process, which resulted in the mom expressing milk and cup feeding. She also stripped the baby’s layers down to a single piece of fabric and dabbed him with another wet piece of fabric. All the while she continued to pray. Within an hour or so, the baby’s temperature was down to 37 degrees (98.6F) and his overall condition had improved! Mir*acle? I think so.
This same day, one of doctor friends, whom most of us have worked with, came to us with something on his heart. He said “I want to be like you people, can you pray with me?” And just like that, Doctor G repeated after Melisa in a prayer and gave his life to the L*ord.
So much to thank G*od for.
I am thankful for my blogger friends.
Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t miss the Radiocity Rockettes!
Sunburned from our Thanksgiving celebration. Contradiction?
Yesterday, with the locals on staff and our whole team, we crammed ourselves into two “vans” and we were on our way to the ocean. I spent the day playing catch, beach/water balloon volleyball, beach soccer and swimming. It was freeing, not only to wear shorts, but also to be together as a family for a whole afternoon and evening. In the evening we shared why we celebrated thanksgiving and then around our tables, while nibbling on Trifle, we also shared the things that we were thankful for at that moment. Throughout the week we have been doing this, polishing up on habitual thankfulness, each time there has been something different that popped into mind. I think Thanksgiving is Bib*lical, as is feasting. So enjoy your family feasting on Thursday, can’t wait to hear all about them.
I am hopping back and forth between the stories to tell you. Okay, I think I’ve got them.
Thursday. I was in the postnatal/admissions ward. 4 students. About 100 women.
One student was caring for the women who’d had their babies, taking vital signs, doing breastfeeding teachings, looking for extra digits, etc. She found one baby who had a fever of about 38 degrees (100F). It is all too common for fevers to happen, which leads to exhausted babies who won’t feed and become dehydrated and then diarrhea and then every day is a fight. After notifying the ward charge, she began to take this mum and bub under her wing. She began with assisting the feeding process, which resulted in the mom expressing milk and cup feeding. She also stripped the baby’s layers down to a single piece of fabric and dabbed him with another wet piece of fabric. All the while she continued to pray. Within an hour or so, the baby’s temperature was down to 37 degrees (98.6F) and his overall condition had improved! Mir*acle? I think so.
This same day, one of doctor friends, whom most of us have worked with, came to us with something on his heart. He said “I want to be like you people, can you pray with me?” And just like that, Doctor G repeated after Melisa in a prayer and gave his life to the L*ord.
So much to thank G*od for.
I am thankful for my blogger friends.
Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t miss the Radiocity Rockettes!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
here you are.
This week I was in the labour ward. We have weekly rotations so the students are in one section for a week and we as staff do the same, rotating weekly so we are with different groups and in different wards. This is a story from this week.
Our first week in the labour ward began by orientating ourselves to the protocols and learning about the function of rotation, few women were close to delivering which gave us the chance to strip down the baby’s cribs where resuscitating happens and the “waiting room” crib. We pra*yed over the cribs, binding and rebuking the spi*rit of death and blatantly proclaimed it was a place for life to be loosed. There is also one crib in the corner of the room where babies who die remain until their family can take them. The babies stay there from the night and are there when we arrived in the mornings. The first day, there were three dead babies, our second day to the hospital-two dead babies, the third day-one dead baby. Yesterday was our last day in the ward and as we walked in several of us quickly shot a glance at the crib and it was empty. Not one baby died while we were present in the labour ward this week. Life is coming abruptly at Temeke Hosipitali.
I feel like I still have a lot to process. How often do I say that in my posts? Very often. I want you to know where I am at though even if my mental filter feels blocked like a siev with soggy noodles, if you will.
Bleh, so I feel hopeful, but I don't geel like it is coming right now, but I need to sit in this place of "where is the hope for these women, the hospital, the overworked staff?" I need to think, pray, dream and the hope will come. I need to wrestle with these realities of suffering, the lack of joy, the overcrowding, the chaos and in the meantime daily ask for sustinance to be hope, to be light, to be with the women in the hospital.
There have been endless opportunities for the students this week to insert catheters, cannulas, catch babies. They are bubbling with excitement and experience.
This week each group found themselves deep cleaning their wards, nothing slowed down in the wards, rather-sing to a mama while dusting the window sill, drop your mop, change your gloves-catch that baby. On the ride home one ward shared that they had the inside scoop, Naomi Campbell-the British super model, was coming on Friday.
Normally, we don't go to the hospital on Fridays but Robyn heard from G*od that she was to go and share. She recalled a prop*hesy over our team that we would go before Kings and that we needn't have anxiety because G*od would fill our mouths. And so, yesterday, Robyn and two students headed to the hospital while the rest of us remained for our day of teaching. G*od was there. They were able to share about the need in the hospital, share about G*od!, share about our school...ahhh, incredible report. They spoke with Princess Sarah of Jordan, a photographer from Spain, a musician from Tanzanian, a journalist from Tanzania and of course-Naomi Campbell.
G*od is really cool. I will send a more specific test*imony next week but couldn't wait that long to tell you the amazing way G*od redirected yesterday.
Thanks guys. Love you my friends. Thanks for pra*ying for healing, in total 17 ended up having malaria, only two are still recovering.
Just a couple photos. I was a bit hesitant to post them. I don't want to exploit the women, but I decided to. So, this is how it is, this is reality.
the ward where our lovely women wait to be 4 cm, and then they go to the labour ward.
This is one after they have delivered.
One thing that Princess Sarah of Jordan said yesterday was "These women shouldn't be on the floor", we agree.
Our first week in the labour ward began by orientating ourselves to the protocols and learning about the function of rotation, few women were close to delivering which gave us the chance to strip down the baby’s cribs where resuscitating happens and the “waiting room” crib. We pra*yed over the cribs, binding and rebuking the spi*rit of death and blatantly proclaimed it was a place for life to be loosed. There is also one crib in the corner of the room where babies who die remain until their family can take them. The babies stay there from the night and are there when we arrived in the mornings. The first day, there were three dead babies, our second day to the hospital-two dead babies, the third day-one dead baby. Yesterday was our last day in the ward and as we walked in several of us quickly shot a glance at the crib and it was empty. Not one baby died while we were present in the labour ward this week. Life is coming abruptly at Temeke Hosipitali.
I feel like I still have a lot to process. How often do I say that in my posts? Very often. I want you to know where I am at though even if my mental filter feels blocked like a siev with soggy noodles, if you will.
Bleh, so I feel hopeful, but I don't geel like it is coming right now, but I need to sit in this place of "where is the hope for these women, the hospital, the overworked staff?" I need to think, pray, dream and the hope will come. I need to wrestle with these realities of suffering, the lack of joy, the overcrowding, the chaos and in the meantime daily ask for sustinance to be hope, to be light, to be with the women in the hospital.
There have been endless opportunities for the students this week to insert catheters, cannulas, catch babies. They are bubbling with excitement and experience.
This week each group found themselves deep cleaning their wards, nothing slowed down in the wards, rather-sing to a mama while dusting the window sill, drop your mop, change your gloves-catch that baby. On the ride home one ward shared that they had the inside scoop, Naomi Campbell-the British super model, was coming on Friday.
Normally, we don't go to the hospital on Fridays but Robyn heard from G*od that she was to go and share. She recalled a prop*hesy over our team that we would go before Kings and that we needn't have anxiety because G*od would fill our mouths. And so, yesterday, Robyn and two students headed to the hospital while the rest of us remained for our day of teaching. G*od was there. They were able to share about the need in the hospital, share about G*od!, share about our school...ahhh, incredible report. They spoke with Princess Sarah of Jordan, a photographer from Spain, a musician from Tanzanian, a journalist from Tanzania and of course-Naomi Campbell.
G*od is really cool. I will send a more specific test*imony next week but couldn't wait that long to tell you the amazing way G*od redirected yesterday.
Thanks guys. Love you my friends. Thanks for pra*ying for healing, in total 17 ended up having malaria, only two are still recovering.
Just a couple photos. I was a bit hesitant to post them. I don't want to exploit the women, but I decided to. So, this is how it is, this is reality.
the ward where our lovely women wait to be 4 cm, and then they go to the labour ward.
This is one after they have delivered.
One thing that Princess Sarah of Jordan said yesterday was "These women shouldn't be on the floor", we agree.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
hmmm
well, on the bus ride here i was racking my thoughts from the last week about what in the world to share.
so this is what i've come up with:
this week katie and paula were part of a breech delivery and the baby came out without breathing, looking flat, and the nurse handed them the baby and said "fresh stillbirth". they jumped to resussing the baby and soon enough with pr*ayer and hard work the baby was crying. the nurse was just a little surprised.
thank you J*esus.
short and powerful.
learning a lot. wondering even more. what about the endings that aren't that happy?
still processing.
bless you guys.
so this is what i've come up with:
this week katie and paula were part of a breech delivery and the baby came out without breathing, looking flat, and the nurse handed them the baby and said "fresh stillbirth". they jumped to resussing the baby and soon enough with pr*ayer and hard work the baby was crying. the nurse was just a little surprised.
thank you J*esus.
short and powerful.
learning a lot. wondering even more. what about the endings that aren't that happy?
still processing.
bless you guys.
my update from last week. don't worry i will post a new one too.
Hi family and friends.
Today is undoubtedly Halloween, however, what I found out in Germany is that saying “Happy Halloween” usually denotes that you welcome demons, etc. So I have erased that little phrase from my vocabulary. Something still dings in my brain every time I see the 31st of October written that I cannot simply ignore it…give it a couple more years.
All of that to say that today is the last of the month and I get to update you for the first time since I have been in Tanzania . Let me first just exclaim “Thank you G*od for all those who have sent me and are still supporting me!”. It is such a joy to update you. Now that I have that out of the way, what a startlingly impressive month we have experienced together as our team of 27 hailing from 11 nations in a brand new nation.
We are living in a predominately Muslim village. The local greeting comes from the strong Arab influence of Zanzibar where slave trading was heavily indulged in. To anyone considerably older than you, so for me to say to a 40ish year old, I would say “shikamoo”, meaning: “I am under your feet” and they would respond with “marahaba”, meaning: I reduce your punishment”. We have learned about the passivity of the people to see any change in their village, due to “enshallah”, basically everything is Allah’s will, so why would I try and change anything?
In having the last month to settle in and wait for our work permits for the hospital, we have been able to dig our heels into the environment of the village. Through pra*yer walking and making friends in the village, we met a Chri*stian woman who gave us an open door to begin doing health care teachings with children, which lead to more friend making, which lead to the women’s class. It was a massive pra*ise report to be able to start a women’s class with about 18 Muslim women because of this prevalent mindset that “everything that is happening to me is supposed to happening to me, why would education change anything?”. We are committed to see the group continue to meet while we are here and dream of handing it over to a new staff here at the base that also has a heart for health care. Women need a space to be silly, dance, ask questions and find solid friendship. It is beginning with health care and we pr*ay that it will fuel freedom and value for each of the women.
We have been battling for work permits for our team and saw them released finally! We started going to the hospital and clinic this week. On average there are about 50-70 deliveries daily at the hospital. There are many women, labouring there on the floor, sometimes delivering without anyone near them, babies dying from fevers, mothers with eclampsia. We have been discussing on our lunch breaks “How can we bring God’s kingdom here?”, knowing what is happening is not God’s will. G*od is all about reconciliation (2 Cor 5:16-21) and rebuilding and redeeming. The answer does not always lie in beginning our own clinic, but we know G*od’s heart is restoration, now. So we are set to be a part of it all for the next three months.
Here at the base is a small clinic. It is peaceful, like a refuge. We are able to see the two extremes and learn from both, we are so blessed to take part.
Thank you guys for your support, each month. Every email is a tangible blessing. Please feel free to send some input or questions and I will get back to you when I am able!
Bekah
A request; the team has been riddled with malaria and currently seven are infected. If you could offer that one up and cover our unity we would appreciate any pra*yers to see the sickness flee.
Today is undoubtedly Halloween, however, what I found out in Germany is that saying “Happy Halloween” usually denotes that you welcome demons, etc. So I have erased that little phrase from my vocabulary. Something still dings in my brain every time I see the 31st of October written that I cannot simply ignore it…give it a couple more years.
All of that to say that today is the last of the month and I get to update you for the first time since I have been in Tanzania . Let me first just exclaim “Thank you G*od for all those who have sent me and are still supporting me!”. It is such a joy to update you. Now that I have that out of the way, what a startlingly impressive month we have experienced together as our team of 27 hailing from 11 nations in a brand new nation.
We are living in a predominately Muslim village. The local greeting comes from the strong Arab influence of Zanzibar where slave trading was heavily indulged in. To anyone considerably older than you, so for me to say to a 40ish year old, I would say “shikamoo”, meaning: “I am under your feet” and they would respond with “marahaba”, meaning: I reduce your punishment”. We have learned about the passivity of the people to see any change in their village, due to “enshallah”, basically everything is Allah’s will, so why would I try and change anything?
In having the last month to settle in and wait for our work permits for the hospital, we have been able to dig our heels into the environment of the village. Through pra*yer walking and making friends in the village, we met a Chri*stian woman who gave us an open door to begin doing health care teachings with children, which lead to more friend making, which lead to the women’s class. It was a massive pra*ise report to be able to start a women’s class with about 18 Muslim women because of this prevalent mindset that “everything that is happening to me is supposed to happening to me, why would education change anything?”. We are committed to see the group continue to meet while we are here and dream of handing it over to a new staff here at the base that also has a heart for health care. Women need a space to be silly, dance, ask questions and find solid friendship. It is beginning with health care and we pr*ay that it will fuel freedom and value for each of the women.
We have been battling for work permits for our team and saw them released finally! We started going to the hospital and clinic this week. On average there are about 50-70 deliveries daily at the hospital. There are many women, labouring there on the floor, sometimes delivering without anyone near them, babies dying from fevers, mothers with eclampsia. We have been discussing on our lunch breaks “How can we bring God’s kingdom here?”, knowing what is happening is not God’s will. G*od is all about reconciliation (2 Cor 5:16-21) and rebuilding and redeeming. The answer does not always lie in beginning our own clinic, but we know G*od’s heart is restoration, now. So we are set to be a part of it all for the next three months.
Here at the base is a small clinic. It is peaceful, like a refuge. We are able to see the two extremes and learn from both, we are so blessed to take part.
Thank you guys for your support, each month. Every email is a tangible blessing. Please feel free to send some input or questions and I will get back to you when I am able!
Bekah
A request; the team has been riddled with malaria and currently seven are infected. If you could offer that one up and cover our unity we would appreciate any pra*yers to see the sickness flee.
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