Clinic Experience

             Yesterday I took some kiddos to the hospital/clinic. I have been doing screenings at the orphanages here and a few of the kids were definitely running a fever. So yesterday I  took four of them to the clinic. I got there and had absolutely no idea what to do. Somehow every single other person knew what was going on. And I was the one confused white woman in the group with 4 really sick kids. All i know is there was a man yelling, no signs showing what to do, I needed four yellow registration cards, and there were three different lines to sit in. So the craziness began. I got all of them registered and then we sat, and we sat, and we sat. It felt like the whole world was moving around us and I didn't understand what was going on. Like the little kid standing in front of the counter that nobody can see. Then I received a call saying a 5th kid was coming and so was some much welcomed Liberian help. So they arrived and to my relief we started moving along.
               The first step in the process was weights and temperatures. Every kid had a temp over 101. So tylenol was given and of course they all drank out of the same cup. O Liberia. Then I was sent to the cashier to pay for the doctor. The cashier just happened to be on the other side of the campus. I returned with a receipt and the kids saw the doctor. Then the doctor sent for labs on all the kids. So the next step involved taking all the kids to the cashier and paying for the labs and then taking them to the lab on the other side of the hospital, getting labs drawn, and then taking the results back to the doctor. A couple hours later we find that some kids have malaria, and some don't. So everyone gets malaria treatment anyways! Next stop the pharmacy. BUT WAIT you guessed it we have to go to the cashier again. Then they send me to see if all the meds are available and then I go back and pay. Then I wait in what I guess they call a line to pick up 3 or 4 different medicines for each kid. Are you feeling the confusion yet? After all is said and done the kids are on their way to recovery and I had an experience that I will not forget.

Today I went to visit a little girl named Emmie who is new at one of the orphanages. We got word that she had been dropped off this week by a family member because her stepmom had been abusing her and put caustic chemicals on her head which burned her scalp really badly. When we got there she was quite frightened of us. I am not sure if it was because of the bag of medical supplies we had with us or simply because we were white and just different. She began to cry and the little girls around her tried to console her. We began to see that the burn was pretty much covering her whole scalp. I held her as Deb cleaned and applied cream and gauze to her head. Unfortunately we had to cut all of her hair to treat it. I could feel her tensing up with every movement. I gave her some stickers to look at and try to distract her. After we were done she was still a bit scared. We covered her head with one of my bandanas and by the time we were leaving I saw a little smile shining from her sweet little face.

            
        Please be in prayer for Emmie as she is healing physically and emotionally. Pray for these kids as rainy season is underway and malaria is pretty prevalent. Please pray for my last few days here. I have been getting sick to my stomach in the evenings. It has been frustrating, but I am really looking forward to what God has in store for these last few days. Also for safe travel as I leave to head back to the States on Wednesday.

My 26 On You-O!

          Happy Liberian Independence Day! It has been a busy couple weeks. Last week I did some health screenings at two of the orphanages. I also taught hand washing to the kiddos. So things have been really busy. I am sorry I have not given an update.
        Last Thursday I headed to Cottontree which is where one of the orphanages that ORR works with is located. I was able to get the height and weight on all the kids as well as ask them if they had any other problems going on. After that we headed outside to go over hand washing. I used green paint as the "germ" and one kid passed the germ to the other as they shook hands. Then we sang Jesus Loves the Little Children as each one of them washed their hands. It was pretty fun.
     The kids had moved into their new home a year ago so we had a party that included singing, dancing, and food. The true Liberian way to celebrate!
         This weekend I was not feeling well so I just rested around the house. Thank goodness I felt better Sunday night. On monday I headed to Robertsport with a group of missionaries from a hospital nearby. Robertsport is about 2 hours north of Monrovia and a lot of the drive is on a really bumpy dirt road. But it was all worth it because the beach was gorgeous. I got to swim a little. The currents here are incredibly strong so you have to be extremely careful. I enjoyed watching some Liberian kids surf on some of the boards that we brought. After a day at the beach we headed back down the dirt road and back to town.

              Today is Liberian Independence Day and all the Liberians are celebrating and spending time with family. So we are spending some time away from all of the noise and chaos at a nearby resort area. I do admit it is strange to go from living within the community to feeling like a real tourist as I sat out at the beach with a bunch of other white people and after that walked into an air conditioned room. It is nice for a break and to get away from the noise and enjoy a hot shower, but I can't help but to think about how different the world is right outside these walls. But I am quickly reminded that I am still in Liberia as I move my pillow and find a giant spider.

        I head back next week and cannot believe my time left here is so short. Please pray this week as I continue to finish the screenings and other various odds and ends. Thanks for your prayers!

          

Oh Liberia-o...

      A lot of this past week has not been blogable (is that a word?). A lot has happened over the past week from safety scares to just Liberia being Liberia. I got to hang out with the kids more last week, specifically the older girls at Francis Gaskin's. The girls sewed on Monday and baked on Friday. They baked cassava bread and coconut cake. They were both really good. I am still struggling with understanding Liberian English and the Liberians don't understand me very well either so this makes for some very interesting games of charades and most of the time ends in neither of us understanding and just laughing it off.
     God has really been teaching me a lot over the past two weeks. He really has been teaching me about totally trusting in Him through all situations. This is what I read in my Jesus Lives devotion by Sarah Young.... "I want to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop striving for a lifestyle that feels safe. I know how ambivalent your heart is in all of this: You long for the adventure that a life abandoned to Me can be, and at the same time, you cling to old ways because change frightens you. Though you feel safest when your life is predictable and things seem to be under control, I want you to break free and discover the adventures I have planned for you. The greatest adventure of all is knowing Me abundantly: discovering how wide and long and high and deep is My Love for you. The power of My vast Love can feel overwhelming. That is why many people choose to limit their knowledge of Me, keeping Me at a distance. How this grieves Me! People settle for mediocrity because it feels more comfortable. Meanwhile, they continue to battle fear. Only My Love is strong enough to break the hold that fear has on you. A predictable lifestyle may feel safer, but it can shield you from what you need most of all--Me! When unexpected events shake up your routine, rejoice! This is exactly what you need, to wake up and point toward Me. Recognize that you are on the threshold of a new adventure, and that I will be with you each step of the way. As we venture out together, cling tightly to My hand. The more you abandon you can experience My Love."
       And that devotion has pretty much summed up the last week of my life. Please pray for the kids and the people I am working with this week as I am beginning health screenings and the sort this Wednesday. I am also taking some of the kids to the clinic later this week. Pray for the ORR team as things are wrapping up here during this really wet rainy season. Also for guidance and wisdom in the next few weeks.

Warm Welcome!

I am adjusting to Liberia pretty well. Jetlag has been alright and I have been able to sleep a decent amount. I think the main thing to adjust to is the heat. It's a lot cooler than at home, but it is a lot more humid and I am in it 24/7. I have not spent a ton of time with the kiddos, but the time that I have spent with them has been precious. On Friday night we went to Fatu's Orphanage for football/games and a movie. It was the first time meeting the kids. The welcome was pretty incredible. They ran towards the truck as we were pulling up. I think the excitement was a mix of seeing popcorn in the back seat, knowing that we were going to watch a movie, and them thinking I was someone else. It was rather amusing, but they eventually accepted the fact that I was new. At first it was pretty difficult to understand what they were saying, but after awhile it became a little bit easier. The kids were playing kickball and enjoying themselves then it started to rain. So we all headed inside where a screen was set up to watch a movie. The movie was about basketball and all the kids followed along with every shot. Even the little two year old sitting in my lap cheered with everyone throughout the movie. It was really fun. This weekend I have been able to get some rest. I went to church this morning, and it was pretty incredible how just a couple hundred people can be so much louder than a couple thousand back at home. I really enjoyed worshipping alongside all the Liberians. The sermon was on discipleship and was from Matthew 4 and the fishers of men. On the way to church the Liberian President drove by and on the way home she went by again. Apparently it was just a normal thing, and besides pulling off the road nothing really special happened. I was just thinking about how different things are here. It has been interesting living without running water or electricity. We have a generator that runs for a few hours every night so we can charge things and have internet for a bit. We carry buckets in to flush the toilet, and we shower outside under a barrel that is filled with water when the generator comes on. The thing is here that is a lot to have. Many people don't have even these things. As far as prayer is concerned please pray that God will reveal His plans that He has for me while I am here, and also pray that I will remain healthy. The main concern is malaria. It is rainy season here and it seems like it is really rainy all the time and if it is not rainy then it is still really humid and this attracts the mosquitos. The bites are not nearly as bad as the ones back home, but the fear of malaria is great. But all of that is in God's hands. I am posting pictures to facebook. It is really hard to upload them here because it takes so much time. Thanks you so much for your prayers and support!