Our team had a busy and tiring clinic today in the village of Tombodo.
We saw 70 people. Finished in the dark using flashlights again. The
highlight for us was one elder of the village saying that "before you
came with only words but today you come with medicines and I am so
happy. I know you will come back now"
When we started this week I was not sure how long our medication
supply would last but we prayed at the beginning that it would be like
the story in the Bible of the poor widow who had only one jar of oil
but God blessed her and she kept pouring oil out of that jar until she
and her family survived the famine. We have experienced something like
this. Our medication supply is still robust and plentiful despite 5
village clinics. We are thankful.
Tomorrow at 10 am we are having a groundbreaking ceremony for the
medical clinic on our land here in Koidu( though we will not proceed
with actual construction until we have raised enough money to assure
completion of project) Then at 11 am we will do an all day clinic
right here in Koidu, Phebian’s home town, and I am sure we will be busy
and a long day.
One of the most disconcerting things we have seen this week has been
men with very large inguinal hernias who somehow keep living and
working with the hernia because they cannot afford to pay for the
surgery. These are mine workers and bush farmers who have done heavy
lifting their entire lives. The hernias are painful us to witness let
alone the person who has to suffer for years with it. We have kept
meticulous records of each pt we have seen this week, including all
the hernia pts. Phebian has a list of 15 men with large hernias and
today we discussed the situation with the two doctors at the district
hospital and they have agreed to work with Phebian to get each of
these hernias repaired. Each hernia operation costs about $50. Phebian
will bring the men in to hospital for consultation and then work with
each one to see what they can afford and then help as needed and make
sure the hospital keeps its word. This will be a great way to build
real relationship between Phebian and the hospital and to show the
villages that we care.
Our team is doing well. Paul and Phebian are excellent to work with.
It is a real blessing to see this vision finally begin to be realized.
Please continue to pray for us.
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