Tired but satisfied we did what we could today. I am sitting in our Toyota at dusk on a dusty and noisy street in Koidu waiting for Phebian to get our supper. Marveling at the sights and sounds overwhelming our senses just now. Screeching horns of numerous motorcycles, the blaring of an outdoor DJ belting some mixture of gospel songs that I sort of recognize, seeing a cyclist go down the street with a mattress on top of their head and another one transporting 5 people! Definitely an experience.
Hungry. Have not eaten since breakfast (except for a ripe mango) and that was a long time ago.
Another amazing day doing a medical clinic here in Sierra Leone. This time in Kangama, a remote village 1 1/2 hrs from Koidu. Beautiful drive on bumpy single lane road passing through unspoiled tropical rain forest in a mountainous area. I did not visit this village last year. The village had come to Phebian begging her to include their village and she accepted in part , I suspect, because this was the village her mother was working in as a midwife in 1981 when she had a stroke and died several weeks later.
Our team today included Stephanie (our pharmacist), Phebian (our leader, translator and guide), Karlin Bacher (an RN who works in Freetown and a Mennonite friend from South Carolina), and our driver. Pastor Joshua stayed at construction site to manage the building project. A great team to work with!
11 yr old with severe malaria
Draining ear infection
Young man with pus in foot that needed draining
Hernias
Big lipomas (making a list for Dr Saravanan)
Onchocerciasis
Hypertension
3 yr old girl with seizures, micocephaly and developmental delay whose is cared for 24/7 by her grandmother who is doing a great job but has no meds to control the seizures. She told me with tears in her eyes that the child sleeps with her and when she seizes all she can do is hold her close.
We made a difference today but there is so much to do and so much systemic injustice to overcome. We visited one of our pts this evening in the hospital and the wards were dark, no electricity and so little to offer the sick people who need their help. Both doctors who I met last year have transferred to Freetown. The village health centers we visit have constant turnover of personnel due to poor pay and lack of basic supplies. Yes there are some faithful people here like Phebian, Wellbody Clinic and others we have met in the hospital and village clinics but they are fighting against so much.
Well. We just got our dinner. A whole fish and French fries. I took a picture for Tommy. Steph is not blinking an eye and has eaten the fish whole.
Phebian as usual is taking great care of us. What an amazing woman! Her courage in this challenging place is inspiring to watch.
God Bless all of you who are praying for us, supporting this work and covering for me at Jericho Road in Buffalo while I am gone.
Tomorrow another village.
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