Happy New Year to the rest of the world! We celebrated the new year here in September, and it was 2003. So, no grand celebrations will occur here Jan.1. But, I will be thinking of all the craziness that is occurring throughout the rest of the world during this time.
Things here in Addis remain interesting. Just when I think that I've grown accustomed to life here, something strange happens and I'm reminded that I will always be a foreigner. The weather has changed dramatically in the past week. It's been quite cool, and today it rained all day. Last night there was a HUGE rain storm. It was difficult to sleep as the rain was hitting the metal roof of my building, it was so loud!
My clinical skills continue to be challenged at work. The doctor has stopped coming regularly, and when he does come, it's for a very short amount of time. It's very challenging to work without the support of a doctor. He is demanding more money from the sisters, and it's a problem. Personally, I wasn't a big fan of his work anyway, but not having ANY physician is very difficult. The sisters are in a difficult position. It's hard to recruit doctors to a poorly paid, part time position. They are reluctant to give the current doctor more money because of his performance, but at the same time, know that it will be difficult to replace him. We'll see what happens. In the meantime, I've been spending more time on the internet researching diseases and looking up things in this old formulary that was donated to the sisters, so that I know the dosages and appropriate medications for diseases I've only read about in textbooks. Who would have thought there could be so many parasites?!
I've grown attached to several of my patients, but two in particular that I make sure to visit every day. Aragow, who I spoke of in a previous post (he has cancer) is still with us. He continues to struggle with pain control, and we are doing the best we can. Management of his pain has improved, and along with prayer, he has become more peaceful. Every morning I go to the kitchen and try to snag some of his favorite food. Today, he even gave me a thumbs up sign. I wonder how long he will be with us, suffering as he is. It's difficult to watch, but I have to believe there is a greater purpose beyond my comprehension. My other very special patient is in the same room as Aragow. He is a little old man who greets me with a smile every morning and kisses my hand. He calls out 'my daughter' (in Amharic) when he sees me, and it's very cute. He has the most high pitched voice ever, and he is always asking for bread. It's the only thing he eats. Bread and tea. I don't know how long one can live on bread and tea, but he is happy and it's a joy to love and serve him every day.
What will 2011 bring?! I can only imagine. I have been thinking about how much my life has changed in the past year, and I feel so blessed! So much of what has happened has been unplanned, but has brought me to a place of joy and peace. I can't help but thank God for His wisdom and guidance. Last year at this time, I was planning my second visit to Kolkata, India. It was during my time there that I decided to pursue full time mission work. I felt like my life in Saskatoon was very empty and directionless. I had everything that I needed, and WAY more, but I was still restless. I was always searching for something more. Thinking that there had to be more to life.
This year, as I sit in an internet cafe in the middle of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I couldn't feel more fulfilled. I am working with the poor, doing some really cool nursing things. Mostly though, I am getting the opportunity to touch lives and serve in a very special way. I don't own many things, but I definitely have everything that I need, and much more than most. God has blessed me with so much. I feel like things in my life are finally coming together. I felt for so long that my life was on hold. Maybe God was waiting for me to finally give up control and let Him guide me. Looking back now, I know that during that time, He was preparing me for the work I am now able to do, and preparing my heart to receive all that He has planned for me.
So what is my plan for 2011? On a professional note, I plan to stay here. I have been offered a position working with a small NGO here. They work with unwed mothers. They offer shelter, skill training, education and child care for women who are pregnant. It is very shameful for women who are not married to become pregnant here. There are no day cares, and often family support is lacking due to social stigmas. Unfortunately these young women are left to believe that abortion or adoption are their only options. So many of them want to keep their babies, but they don't have the resources to do so. By offering them a way to support their families and live independently, this organization helps them to become self-sufficient. I'm really excited about the work that they do. Currently, they don't have a nurse on staff, which means I get to design my own program. It's a big job, but the potential to do great things is there, and that's what is exciting to me. I'm working on changing my visa right now. If all goes well, that would allow me to stay in the country for 2 years which would be nice.
On a personal note, I'm excited to share that I have met someone very special. His name is Hailu (pronounced Hi Loo), and he works with the Missionaries of Charity as a social worker. We've been getting to know each other for a little while now, and I'm excited to see what the new year brings for us. It wasn't exactly in my plan to meet someone so quickly on my journey, but as I'm learning, some of the best things in life happen when you don't plan.
That's all for now. My last post of 2010 is sent with WARM ('cause I know that even if it's cool here, it's COLD back home!!) wishes for a very Happy New Year and MANY blessings in 2011!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
{I wrote this post a couple of days ago thinking that I would have my computer working and internet access in time to post it on the day, but of course I didn't. I should be used to the speed of things here in Africa, but still my expectations are too great. Enjoy anyways, even if it is a few days late}
Well, it’s Christmas for you. I still have to wait a few more weeks to celebrate in Ethiopia, but in my heart Christmas will always be Dec. 25th, no matter where I’m living.
I was reflecting on the nativity the other day. I feel like I have a whole new appreciation for the poverty that Jesus was born into. Stables and mangers and shepherds are common place here. It gives me a better picture of the place they must have stayed in. It seems so much more real to me this year. Walking down the street, I often pass donkeys carrying wood or other heavy loads. This time of year, I can’t help but picture Mary on their backs and wonder what that must have been like for her. It’s really neat to be amid all of this. I mentioned in my last post that there weren’t any Christmas decorations around. To get myself in the Christmas spirit, I started walking to and from work with my ipod on Christmas music. With the donkeys, sheep and other things in the street as I walk, it’s easy enough to imagine my own Christmas decorations!
My friend Sarah was here for a short visit on her way to south Africa. She will come through again in a few weeks and stay longer. It was nice to have her here, even for such a short time. It was my first taste of my worlds colliding. I feel like so much in my life has changed over the past 4 months. Having someone here who knows me well and introducing her a little bit to my new life, was fun. She was a good sport about my modest accommodations, hot plate meals and the quirkiness of electricity and water supply.
Work has been busy as usual. I met a young girl the other day with an outrageous tumour. I have never seen anything like it. This tumour was growing out of her forehead and was the size of a cantaloupe. One of the American doctors here, did some tests and they found that even if they removed the tumour, it would grow back in a very short amount of time as the cancer has spread extensively through her whole body. So, the decision was made to leave it. The problem is that the skin around the tumour is so stretched, it often cracks and bleeds. So, we have been keeping a bandage on it. The other day, when they were changing the bandage, it started to bleed uncontrollably and we couldn’t get it to stop. It was very scary. Blood transfusions are very expensive here, and blood is very hard to get. Transferring her to hospital is a complicated process, but we did our best to make the arrangements. Just as we were about to transfer her, her father decided that he didn’t want her to go. He wanted to take her home. I couldn’t blame him, as I’m sure that she would have sat in Emergency for a long time, if she ever got to see a doctor at all. The complication of THAT scenario is that her home is a 11 hour car ride away. So, we were left to try to stabilize her and keep her comfortable. Its challenging when your resources are limited, and you feel like you could have done so much more. The power was out, so we couldn’t give her any oxygen even though she was struggling to breathe. The sisters don’t keep narcotics, so our pain management choices are very small. Sometimes all you can do is use what you have, and pray. Trusting that God’s ways are much different than our own.
On a much happier note, one of my favourite little people was discharged the other day. Her name was Lemlem and she is 5 years old. She and her dad were here when I got here. She was very small and frail and had a big belly, almost looked like she was pregnant. She was under the care of an American doctor here that works with an organization to fund various operations for patients. It turns out that she had a huge tumour on her kidney and that was why her abdomen was so big. She was receiving chemotherapy. I was always amazed with how good she was when she received her treatment. She sat so patiently and so lady like holding her hand for the nurse to start her IV. She and I became friends as I would take time to acknowledge her every day. Even with her big belly and her hair missing from the chemo, I thought she was such a pretty little girl. She has amazing eyes. After a while, she started to seek me out to greet me. I think part of it had to do with the candies and stickers I always carry for the kids, but that’s besides the point! Ha ha She would often follow me around and see patients with me. I liked having my little shadow. She had surgery to remove the tumour a little while ago. Turns out, it wasn’t cancerous at all, and so her chemo treatments stopped. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen her get strong and gain weight and even her hair has started to grow back. She looks even more beautiful. It’s so nice to see her regain her strength and be able to go back to her family! She’s a very special little girl, and I hope that one day I get to see her again.
I feel like I’ve had the privilege of getting to know MANY special people here. I love that I’ve been here long enough now to build relationships with people and with the patients. I know that I will remember certain moments forever, some good and some not so good. I’m so blessed to have these opportunities to be changed and formed into a better, more loving person. I couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present than that!
Merry Christmas everyone! May your eyes be opened in a new way to all the beautiful gifts that God has put into your lives!
Well, it’s Christmas for you. I still have to wait a few more weeks to celebrate in Ethiopia, but in my heart Christmas will always be Dec. 25th, no matter where I’m living.
I was reflecting on the nativity the other day. I feel like I have a whole new appreciation for the poverty that Jesus was born into. Stables and mangers and shepherds are common place here. It gives me a better picture of the place they must have stayed in. It seems so much more real to me this year. Walking down the street, I often pass donkeys carrying wood or other heavy loads. This time of year, I can’t help but picture Mary on their backs and wonder what that must have been like for her. It’s really neat to be amid all of this. I mentioned in my last post that there weren’t any Christmas decorations around. To get myself in the Christmas spirit, I started walking to and from work with my ipod on Christmas music. With the donkeys, sheep and other things in the street as I walk, it’s easy enough to imagine my own Christmas decorations!
My friend Sarah was here for a short visit on her way to south Africa. She will come through again in a few weeks and stay longer. It was nice to have her here, even for such a short time. It was my first taste of my worlds colliding. I feel like so much in my life has changed over the past 4 months. Having someone here who knows me well and introducing her a little bit to my new life, was fun. She was a good sport about my modest accommodations, hot plate meals and the quirkiness of electricity and water supply.
Work has been busy as usual. I met a young girl the other day with an outrageous tumour. I have never seen anything like it. This tumour was growing out of her forehead and was the size of a cantaloupe. One of the American doctors here, did some tests and they found that even if they removed the tumour, it would grow back in a very short amount of time as the cancer has spread extensively through her whole body. So, the decision was made to leave it. The problem is that the skin around the tumour is so stretched, it often cracks and bleeds. So, we have been keeping a bandage on it. The other day, when they were changing the bandage, it started to bleed uncontrollably and we couldn’t get it to stop. It was very scary. Blood transfusions are very expensive here, and blood is very hard to get. Transferring her to hospital is a complicated process, but we did our best to make the arrangements. Just as we were about to transfer her, her father decided that he didn’t want her to go. He wanted to take her home. I couldn’t blame him, as I’m sure that she would have sat in Emergency for a long time, if she ever got to see a doctor at all. The complication of THAT scenario is that her home is a 11 hour car ride away. So, we were left to try to stabilize her and keep her comfortable. Its challenging when your resources are limited, and you feel like you could have done so much more. The power was out, so we couldn’t give her any oxygen even though she was struggling to breathe. The sisters don’t keep narcotics, so our pain management choices are very small. Sometimes all you can do is use what you have, and pray. Trusting that God’s ways are much different than our own.
On a much happier note, one of my favourite little people was discharged the other day. Her name was Lemlem and she is 5 years old. She and her dad were here when I got here. She was very small and frail and had a big belly, almost looked like she was pregnant. She was under the care of an American doctor here that works with an organization to fund various operations for patients. It turns out that she had a huge tumour on her kidney and that was why her abdomen was so big. She was receiving chemotherapy. I was always amazed with how good she was when she received her treatment. She sat so patiently and so lady like holding her hand for the nurse to start her IV. She and I became friends as I would take time to acknowledge her every day. Even with her big belly and her hair missing from the chemo, I thought she was such a pretty little girl. She has amazing eyes. After a while, she started to seek me out to greet me. I think part of it had to do with the candies and stickers I always carry for the kids, but that’s besides the point! Ha ha She would often follow me around and see patients with me. I liked having my little shadow. She had surgery to remove the tumour a little while ago. Turns out, it wasn’t cancerous at all, and so her chemo treatments stopped. Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen her get strong and gain weight and even her hair has started to grow back. She looks even more beautiful. It’s so nice to see her regain her strength and be able to go back to her family! She’s a very special little girl, and I hope that one day I get to see her again.
I feel like I’ve had the privilege of getting to know MANY special people here. I love that I’ve been here long enough now to build relationships with people and with the patients. I know that I will remember certain moments forever, some good and some not so good. I’m so blessed to have these opportunities to be changed and formed into a better, more loving person. I couldn’t ask for a better Christmas present than that!
Merry Christmas everyone! May your eyes be opened in a new way to all the beautiful gifts that God has put into your lives!
Friday, December 17, 2010
I'm flattered!
I've been neglectful of my blog! It's nice to know that people actually read it, as I've gotten a few emails saying that people missed my blog. I'm happy that others are enjoying my ramblings.
The last little while has been SO busy! When I have come to the internet cafe, either the power has been out, or the connection too slow to make anything productive. Add to that a typhus outbreak amongst the sisters, and it's a bit of a challenging week!
A HUGE blessing for me is that I found a place to live. It's in a condominium building, and it's quiet, private and generally really great! Its about a 15 minute walk to the sisters, so it's nice. It took me nearly 3 hours to clean the bathroom, but I"m grateful for the western toilet and hot water. I feel very spoiled to have so much space to myself. By N.American standards, it's a very small studio apartment. But, I found out the other day that the previous tenant was a family of 4. I've slept there two nights now, and it's an adjustment to sleep without the noise that I've grown accustomed to. It's nice to have a place to go to after work. Its very emotionally draining sometimes to work with some of the situations that I encounter, and it's a relief to get away a bit and allow my brain to process some of what I'm experiencing. I feel like for the past 3 months, so much has been new and although I've been journalling and reflecting a bit, I haven't really been able to enter into the emotional aspect of things. It's becoming more and more real every day.
I was hopeful that things would begin to get more Christmassy once advent started. But, then I realized that poor people don't decorate! ha ha!! I HAVE seen a few Christmas trees in shops and when we passed the Sheraton (the ritzy hotel here), they had garland and bows and stuff. But, at the compound, outside of an advent wreath in the chapel, there are no signs of Christmas. In some ways, I'm kind of grateful. I think Christmas gets TOO crazy at home. It's a relief to me not to have to go do all that shopping and get all stressed out about gifts and such. I've been listening to Christmas music on my ipod and I have a nice manger picture in my new place, and that's enough. It helps me to focus more on the real meaning of Christmas and to work on preparing my heart instead of gifts.
The longer I'm here, the more I get involved in things. It's kind of fun to be given more responsibility, but at the same time, its sometimes challenging. I had the opportunity to take a patient to a hospital here. The patient's condition worsened significantly despite any treatment we offered, so we decided to transfer him to hospital. I was kind of dreading the experience as I have had terrible experiences with hospitals in Gambia and India. Thankfully though, it was a private hospital and I was pleased to see the high quality of care that is available here in Ethiopia. Unfortunately, they were not able to give any clarity as to why our patient is not improving. They refused to keep him after his tests were completed, so we took him back and we will continue to pray. I find it interesting to see how hospitals can refuse to admit or keep patients. This seems unethical to me. So often we admit patients who have gone to 2 or 3 hospitals and been refused care. It blows my mind. We are NOT a hospital and the services we can provide are very basic. Its frustrating to see these patients suffer for no reason. I honestly don't know how they can turn them away and still sleep at night. It makes me angry to see people treated so poorly. Some of the patients we get from hospital barely survive long enough for us to give them a bath. It's inhumane!
Every patient has a green admission card. On the card is written their name, their age, where they are from and what they are admitted with. We write any tests that have been done, and any medications that are ordered. Twice a day the cards are passed out, and all the patients line up to receive their medications. Somehow, on Sunday afternoon, the cards for room 2 went missing. All day Monday, they were missing, so no one in that room received any medication. We thought that one of the workers who was absent on Monday might have put them somewhere. But, on Tuesday when that worker returned and we still couldn't find the cards, it was beginning to be a bit of a problem. Wednesday we had the task of trying to fix this problem. Remember that I said that there was a typhus outbreak amongst the sisters? Yeah, well that means that the men's ward is up to me and my 4 nurses. So, all we had to go on was a list of men who gave their names saying that they didn't have their cards. We went through the register, found their date of admission and the diagnosis they came in with. After that, we had to meet and assess each patient and prescribe medications all over again. There were about 50 patients. It was okay with the malaria and typhus patients as we could generally figure out how many days of treatment they should have left. But, when it got to the hypertensives, strokes and ascites patients, it got more challenging. The whole time, I was praying that I wouldn't kill anyone! I only prescribed for 5 days of medications, so after Sunday, I'm not responsible for any of the deaths in room 2! I'm hopeful that he doctor comes in the next day or two and he can alter what needs to be altered.
I have to be going. Thank you for all your encouraging comments. I hope you are all enjoying the cool weather and snow! The weather here is warm and sunny. It gets cool at night, but you never need more than a sweatshirt to keep you warm. Not missing the cold at all!
Happy Advent!
The last little while has been SO busy! When I have come to the internet cafe, either the power has been out, or the connection too slow to make anything productive. Add to that a typhus outbreak amongst the sisters, and it's a bit of a challenging week!
A HUGE blessing for me is that I found a place to live. It's in a condominium building, and it's quiet, private and generally really great! Its about a 15 minute walk to the sisters, so it's nice. It took me nearly 3 hours to clean the bathroom, but I"m grateful for the western toilet and hot water. I feel very spoiled to have so much space to myself. By N.American standards, it's a very small studio apartment. But, I found out the other day that the previous tenant was a family of 4. I've slept there two nights now, and it's an adjustment to sleep without the noise that I've grown accustomed to. It's nice to have a place to go to after work. Its very emotionally draining sometimes to work with some of the situations that I encounter, and it's a relief to get away a bit and allow my brain to process some of what I'm experiencing. I feel like for the past 3 months, so much has been new and although I've been journalling and reflecting a bit, I haven't really been able to enter into the emotional aspect of things. It's becoming more and more real every day.
I was hopeful that things would begin to get more Christmassy once advent started. But, then I realized that poor people don't decorate! ha ha!! I HAVE seen a few Christmas trees in shops and when we passed the Sheraton (the ritzy hotel here), they had garland and bows and stuff. But, at the compound, outside of an advent wreath in the chapel, there are no signs of Christmas. In some ways, I'm kind of grateful. I think Christmas gets TOO crazy at home. It's a relief to me not to have to go do all that shopping and get all stressed out about gifts and such. I've been listening to Christmas music on my ipod and I have a nice manger picture in my new place, and that's enough. It helps me to focus more on the real meaning of Christmas and to work on preparing my heart instead of gifts.
The longer I'm here, the more I get involved in things. It's kind of fun to be given more responsibility, but at the same time, its sometimes challenging. I had the opportunity to take a patient to a hospital here. The patient's condition worsened significantly despite any treatment we offered, so we decided to transfer him to hospital. I was kind of dreading the experience as I have had terrible experiences with hospitals in Gambia and India. Thankfully though, it was a private hospital and I was pleased to see the high quality of care that is available here in Ethiopia. Unfortunately, they were not able to give any clarity as to why our patient is not improving. They refused to keep him after his tests were completed, so we took him back and we will continue to pray. I find it interesting to see how hospitals can refuse to admit or keep patients. This seems unethical to me. So often we admit patients who have gone to 2 or 3 hospitals and been refused care. It blows my mind. We are NOT a hospital and the services we can provide are very basic. Its frustrating to see these patients suffer for no reason. I honestly don't know how they can turn them away and still sleep at night. It makes me angry to see people treated so poorly. Some of the patients we get from hospital barely survive long enough for us to give them a bath. It's inhumane!
Every patient has a green admission card. On the card is written their name, their age, where they are from and what they are admitted with. We write any tests that have been done, and any medications that are ordered. Twice a day the cards are passed out, and all the patients line up to receive their medications. Somehow, on Sunday afternoon, the cards for room 2 went missing. All day Monday, they were missing, so no one in that room received any medication. We thought that one of the workers who was absent on Monday might have put them somewhere. But, on Tuesday when that worker returned and we still couldn't find the cards, it was beginning to be a bit of a problem. Wednesday we had the task of trying to fix this problem. Remember that I said that there was a typhus outbreak amongst the sisters? Yeah, well that means that the men's ward is up to me and my 4 nurses. So, all we had to go on was a list of men who gave their names saying that they didn't have their cards. We went through the register, found their date of admission and the diagnosis they came in with. After that, we had to meet and assess each patient and prescribe medications all over again. There were about 50 patients. It was okay with the malaria and typhus patients as we could generally figure out how many days of treatment they should have left. But, when it got to the hypertensives, strokes and ascites patients, it got more challenging. The whole time, I was praying that I wouldn't kill anyone! I only prescribed for 5 days of medications, so after Sunday, I'm not responsible for any of the deaths in room 2! I'm hopeful that he doctor comes in the next day or two and he can alter what needs to be altered.
I have to be going. Thank you for all your encouraging comments. I hope you are all enjoying the cool weather and snow! The weather here is warm and sunny. It gets cool at night, but you never need more than a sweatshirt to keep you warm. Not missing the cold at all!
Happy Advent!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Very special
I got to be a part of a really special moment this week. One of our patients has cancer in his hip. His name is Aragow. Unfortunately, it's inoperable, and there is nothing we can do. We work very hard to manage his pain, but its very difficult with the medication we have available. The sisters are not licensed to carry many narcotics. This man cries out often. Especially when the sisters or I are in the room because he knows that we are the only one who give him pain medicine. I know that some of it IS real pain, but some of it is attention seeking as well. It's really challenging to be charitable to him sometimes. I can only imagine that the other men in the room grow very tired of his noises and carrying on. The other day, I went into the room, and it was eerily quiet. It's never quiet in that room. When I went to his bed, he didn't look good. His face was swollen, and his voice was very weak. Even though he often drives me crazy, my heart went out to him. I sat with him a while, and one of the sisters came in. She noticed that he wasn't doing well either. She called one of the workers, and we decided that we were going to pray for him. The worker clapped his hands, and immediately the room went silent, and everyone joined in praying for Aragow. It was so beautiful to see all the men praying for this man. Even though he is often the cause of huge disruption in the room, and is a very difficult person, they all cared enough to pray for him. It was so special to be a part of it. If nothing else, we were able to show Aragow that he is loved and that he is worthy of our time and care. I was concerned that he would pass away quickly, so I watched him very closely over the next few days. He has been quieter and a lot more patient with us and the workers. He seeks our attention less, and I'm more willing to spend extra time and care with him when he doesn't demand it all the time. It's amazing how much more peaceful that room has been since our special prayer time!
I would like to say that I'm getting excited for Christmas, but I"m not. It's hard to get excited about Christmas, when there are NO signs of it around. It's really weird because it IS a mostly Christian country. I don't think the weather helps, but I've been kind of confused by all of this. I went to mass on Sunday, thinking we would celebrate the first week of advent, but we didn't. THAT really confused me. THEN, I realized that we have been 2 weeks behind in the liturgy since I got here. Not only in Ethiopia, do they have their own calendar, their own time, but they ALSO have their own Christmas. They celebrate Christmas on January 7th (in our calendar). By this point, I shouldn't be surprised! ha ha So, as a result, I have to wait 2 more weeks for Advent to start, and then maybe things will get a bit more festive around here. I'm thankful that I didn't start seeing Christmas things in Oct, like we do back home, but I'm hopeful that there will be SOME decorations or sign of Christmas soon.
I tried again to post photos, but the internet connection is so choppy, they can't download. I"m getting my computer at the end of Dec, so I"m hopeful to share some pics with you then.
This post is short, I know. Its been a very full week, and I have a TON of stuff to do. Please continue to pray for me. I"m exploring the possibility of working with a small NGO here after my volunteer time with the sisters is over. Still trying to work out the details. Please pray that God would open or close doors as He sees fit.
Have a blessed Advent season!
I would like to say that I'm getting excited for Christmas, but I"m not. It's hard to get excited about Christmas, when there are NO signs of it around. It's really weird because it IS a mostly Christian country. I don't think the weather helps, but I've been kind of confused by all of this. I went to mass on Sunday, thinking we would celebrate the first week of advent, but we didn't. THAT really confused me. THEN, I realized that we have been 2 weeks behind in the liturgy since I got here. Not only in Ethiopia, do they have their own calendar, their own time, but they ALSO have their own Christmas. They celebrate Christmas on January 7th (in our calendar). By this point, I shouldn't be surprised! ha ha So, as a result, I have to wait 2 more weeks for Advent to start, and then maybe things will get a bit more festive around here. I'm thankful that I didn't start seeing Christmas things in Oct, like we do back home, but I'm hopeful that there will be SOME decorations or sign of Christmas soon.
I tried again to post photos, but the internet connection is so choppy, they can't download. I"m getting my computer at the end of Dec, so I"m hopeful to share some pics with you then.
This post is short, I know. Its been a very full week, and I have a TON of stuff to do. Please continue to pray for me. I"m exploring the possibility of working with a small NGO here after my volunteer time with the sisters is over. Still trying to work out the details. Please pray that God would open or close doors as He sees fit.
Have a blessed Advent season!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Its good to be here
I went to a movie last weekend. It was a nice treat. -yes, it was in English! I enjoyed it a lot, but it was disturbing at the same time. Being SO immersed in this culture that is SO different from N. America, I didn't realize how my perception of 'normal' had changed. For 2 hours, I entered a world that I had lived in for 30 years - but it was as though I was seeing it with new eyes. It was a small taste of what it would be like to go home. When the lights turned on and I found myself still in Africa, I was relieved. It was a good feeling. Another reminder that I am where I need to be.
Things have been busy around the compound. We've had quite a few very sick patients that have been challenging to care for. One of my very special patients died this week as well. He was a simple man, but so kind. Every morning he would call out to me 'farenji' (white person) as I passed and laugh and blow me kisses. He had a great laugh! What a great way to start the day. Tuesday, however, I didn't see him in the courtyard when I went for mass. When I was walking out of mass, Sr. told me he had died that morning. Thankfully, we were able to spend some time praying for him before they removed his body. It's hard to see my special patients go. Sometimes it makes me wonder who is making more of an impact; them on me or me on them. I'm almost positive its the 1st.
Community life at the compound with the other volunteers has grown more challenging. I'm looking to get my own place and am hopeful to move this weekend. Last week one of the patients got into the room where we hang our laundry. She tore 2 of my shirts and one skirt. In the grand scheme of things, not a big deal. BUT, when you only have 6 shirts, and you have to wash them by hand, loosing 2 is a big deal! Couple that with the fact that shopping here presents a whole new set of challenges. Finding something that you like, that fits adn that you can barter down to a reasonable price takes WAY more effort than running to the mall and picking a shirt off the shelf.
Many of you who know me, can appreciate how I value sleep. After 3 months of 5am wake ups by patients or loud music, repeated late night disturbances and as many as 7 other volunteers sleeping in the same room - I am anxious for some quality sleep. A REAL shower with hot water, a REAL toilet and some personal space are also plusses to having my own place.
The nurses that I've been teaching are now preparing for a big licensing exam. They are all very anxious. They write the theory portion in 2 weeks. If they pass, they have a practical portion later on. I"m confident that 2 of the boys will pass, but I'm not sure about the other 2. The sisters said that they can only hire those who pass. I was asking one of the nurses some questions about basic physiology. He's the weakest one, and he didn't know the answers. He knows he's struggling and he can see that the other boys are catching on faster adn that I give them more responsibility. He started to cry - it broke my heart. He frustrates me the most out of all of them, but I couldn't help but have compassion for him. He was telling me how much pressure he is under. He's the oldest of 10 children. His father works as a guard at one of the other MC houses. The sisters paid for his nursing school. Its his responsibility to get a job and to help his family financially adn younger siblings get an education. He told me that one of his brothers struggles with mental illness and lately has been out in public naked. It has brought a lot of shame to their family. The small business that his mother runs has lost most of its customers. He was pleading with me to petition his cause to the sisters to give him a job. It was heart wrenching! I already know that the sisters won't hire him. If he doesn't pass this exam, it will be very difficult to find a job. I can't imagine having that much responsibility placed upon me at 20 yrs old. Another very real reminder of how incredibly blessed my life has been!
There is so much need here. A day doesn't pass that I don't meet a child that should be in school, or a patient that needs treatment the either no one can afford or no one can perform. Hunger and malnutrition are everywhere. I feel like what I"m doing is such a small drop in such a huge bucket. I am grateful for the opportunity to experience all that I have. I know that my heart has changed in ways I can't even recognize. It brings me so much joy to serve the poor here. It reminds me every day to cherish each moment, accept everything as a gift and to choose to love in all circumstances. I still have so much to learn! Good thing I didn't buy a return ticket!!! :)
Things have been busy around the compound. We've had quite a few very sick patients that have been challenging to care for. One of my very special patients died this week as well. He was a simple man, but so kind. Every morning he would call out to me 'farenji' (white person) as I passed and laugh and blow me kisses. He had a great laugh! What a great way to start the day. Tuesday, however, I didn't see him in the courtyard when I went for mass. When I was walking out of mass, Sr. told me he had died that morning. Thankfully, we were able to spend some time praying for him before they removed his body. It's hard to see my special patients go. Sometimes it makes me wonder who is making more of an impact; them on me or me on them. I'm almost positive its the 1st.
Community life at the compound with the other volunteers has grown more challenging. I'm looking to get my own place and am hopeful to move this weekend. Last week one of the patients got into the room where we hang our laundry. She tore 2 of my shirts and one skirt. In the grand scheme of things, not a big deal. BUT, when you only have 6 shirts, and you have to wash them by hand, loosing 2 is a big deal! Couple that with the fact that shopping here presents a whole new set of challenges. Finding something that you like, that fits adn that you can barter down to a reasonable price takes WAY more effort than running to the mall and picking a shirt off the shelf.
Many of you who know me, can appreciate how I value sleep. After 3 months of 5am wake ups by patients or loud music, repeated late night disturbances and as many as 7 other volunteers sleeping in the same room - I am anxious for some quality sleep. A REAL shower with hot water, a REAL toilet and some personal space are also plusses to having my own place.
The nurses that I've been teaching are now preparing for a big licensing exam. They are all very anxious. They write the theory portion in 2 weeks. If they pass, they have a practical portion later on. I"m confident that 2 of the boys will pass, but I'm not sure about the other 2. The sisters said that they can only hire those who pass. I was asking one of the nurses some questions about basic physiology. He's the weakest one, and he didn't know the answers. He knows he's struggling and he can see that the other boys are catching on faster adn that I give them more responsibility. He started to cry - it broke my heart. He frustrates me the most out of all of them, but I couldn't help but have compassion for him. He was telling me how much pressure he is under. He's the oldest of 10 children. His father works as a guard at one of the other MC houses. The sisters paid for his nursing school. Its his responsibility to get a job and to help his family financially adn younger siblings get an education. He told me that one of his brothers struggles with mental illness and lately has been out in public naked. It has brought a lot of shame to their family. The small business that his mother runs has lost most of its customers. He was pleading with me to petition his cause to the sisters to give him a job. It was heart wrenching! I already know that the sisters won't hire him. If he doesn't pass this exam, it will be very difficult to find a job. I can't imagine having that much responsibility placed upon me at 20 yrs old. Another very real reminder of how incredibly blessed my life has been!
There is so much need here. A day doesn't pass that I don't meet a child that should be in school, or a patient that needs treatment the either no one can afford or no one can perform. Hunger and malnutrition are everywhere. I feel like what I"m doing is such a small drop in such a huge bucket. I am grateful for the opportunity to experience all that I have. I know that my heart has changed in ways I can't even recognize. It brings me so much joy to serve the poor here. It reminds me every day to cherish each moment, accept everything as a gift and to choose to love in all circumstances. I still have so much to learn! Good thing I didn't buy a return ticket!!! :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Back in Addis
My friend Leah (from California) and I jsut got back from a 2 week trip through part of northern Ethiopia. It was incredible! The sights were amazing and the natural beauty defies explanation. I couldn't help but wonder, on several occasions, why I am so priviledged to see these sights. I am truly blessed!
As with travel in any developing country - part of the fun is getting there! We travelled by public bus mostly. We were fortunate to be pretty lucky as far as achieving our destinations.... eventually. The public busses are big busses that carry 50-65 people, they are a real cultural experience! You can't buy tickets in advance, so you have to get there when the bus depot opens at 5am, find the bus that is going the way you want (don't even think they're labelled), run to get a seat and then wait for the locals to negotiate a price with the driver. If the driver charges too much, everyone gets off the bus in protest. You have to make sure that there isn't another bus going in your direction that the others can get on in the meantime, because your bus won't leave the station until its full. So, after all of that, you wait for them to totally overfill the bus with people and then you actually leave the station around 8am.
Ethiopia is an extremely hilly an mountain filled country, the roads are not in the best condition, the vehicles are old, and around every turn you find a herd of oxen, sheep, goats or monkeys. As a result travel is SLOW!!! The funny part is that if a vehicle hits an animal on the road, the driver has to pay the farmer for the cost of the animal. Needless to say, if you achieve a speed over 60km/hr, you're really cruising.
Our first stop was a city called Bahir Dar. One day we went out to a small village just outside the city to see the Blue Nile Falls. We were trying to be thrifty and hopped on a public bus. Who would have expected a 34km journey to take 2.5 hrs?! It was an experience to say the least! I was sitting between two shephards - hook and all! The smell of the goat/sheep didn't bother me as much as the hole in the bottom of the bus that I was sitting over. Gravel road + old rickety slow bus + 2 shephards = cost efficient travel. I was sneezing dust for 2 days. The sight of the falls was totally worth it though. I guess their size has been dramatically reduced as a result of a hydroelectric dam, but I was still impressed!
Also in Bahir Dar, we rented a boat and visited some orthodox monasteries. They are on little islands of Lake Tana (have you pulled out your atlas yet?). Some of them we weren't able to visit as they don't allow women, but the ones we got to see were really neat.I was thankful for being taught all my bible stories and saint history as all the artwork in the monasteries was religious. They depicted the lives of the saints, the life of Christ, or other biblical stories. It was a lot of fun to pick stuff out and many of the monks took extra time to show me stuff when they understood that I recognized some of the stories.
The history was phenominal. Stuff dating back to the 14th and 16th centuries. The Ethiopian Orthodox church has a lot of traditions and it was nice to learn about it and see a lot of history which has formed and continues to guide the culture here.
The next place we visited was Gonder. Its a smaller city built near the base of the Simean Mountains. At one point, it was the capital city. The emperors built castles there. Of course, each emperor had to have his own castle, so there are several. It was neat to see the different things they built including lion cages and turkish baths. There were hawks everywhere - which gave the city a very mideval feel. I can't say that the hawks didn't make me a bit nervous as they swooped down on people quite regularly.
Next was Lalibella. This is the part where transportation got a bit more interesting. We couldn't get a bus from Gonder to Lalibella. So, we got dropped off at a junction. The first bus that came by, tried to charge us 3 times the appropriate amount. Refusing to be swindled, we let that one go by. Sitting on the side of the road in the heat of the day in the middle of Africa for 2 + hrs is really quite the experience. I made friends with a few of the kids as I had some bananas and candy in my bag. They turned out to be good allies when the next bus cam by and they petitionned for our cause. I wish I could describe the scene of Leah pleading for a ride for a reasonable rate. Its one of those moments I won't soon forget.
Lalibella turned out to be my favorite. A smaller town with an incredible history tucked away from everything and thus maintaining a lot of innocence. King Lalibella comissionned the construction of 11 rock hewn churches. How these churches could have possibly been constructed with the technology that existed over 1000 yrs ago is mind blowing. The details of the architecture and intricasies of the connecting cames and caverns are really neat. We hired a really good guide adn spent 2 days exploring. Another day we hired mules and climbed to the top of a steep hill/mtn to another monastery that was carved into the rock. I'be been kind of fascinated by the donkeys since arriving in Africa. Getting to ride a donkey up the hill was pretty cool! In the end, the monastery wasn't as impressive as the view, but the whole experience was worth it.
After a very boring 15 hr drive (only 700 km), I made it back to Addis. It's good to be back. White people are a bit more plentiful here, so we're not as big of a spectacle when we go outside of the compound. I'm not anxious to get on another bus anytime soon, so I think I'll be staying put for a while. I also missed my patients. It's good to be back at work and in some sort of routine. The patients and the workers were very welcoming upon my return, and it was nice. It made me realize how much this has become my home.
As with anywhere, the longer you are there, the busier you seem to be. I've been back at work now for 3 days, and I'm already behind! It's great to be serving in this way though, and I am blessed that every day I get to touch Jesus in a very special way.
My internet time is running out. Thanks for all your emails, prayers and encouragements. I keep you all in my prayers, but please let me know of any special intentions you may have.
God bless!
As with travel in any developing country - part of the fun is getting there! We travelled by public bus mostly. We were fortunate to be pretty lucky as far as achieving our destinations.... eventually. The public busses are big busses that carry 50-65 people, they are a real cultural experience! You can't buy tickets in advance, so you have to get there when the bus depot opens at 5am, find the bus that is going the way you want (don't even think they're labelled), run to get a seat and then wait for the locals to negotiate a price with the driver. If the driver charges too much, everyone gets off the bus in protest. You have to make sure that there isn't another bus going in your direction that the others can get on in the meantime, because your bus won't leave the station until its full. So, after all of that, you wait for them to totally overfill the bus with people and then you actually leave the station around 8am.
Ethiopia is an extremely hilly an mountain filled country, the roads are not in the best condition, the vehicles are old, and around every turn you find a herd of oxen, sheep, goats or monkeys. As a result travel is SLOW!!! The funny part is that if a vehicle hits an animal on the road, the driver has to pay the farmer for the cost of the animal. Needless to say, if you achieve a speed over 60km/hr, you're really cruising.
Our first stop was a city called Bahir Dar. One day we went out to a small village just outside the city to see the Blue Nile Falls. We were trying to be thrifty and hopped on a public bus. Who would have expected a 34km journey to take 2.5 hrs?! It was an experience to say the least! I was sitting between two shephards - hook and all! The smell of the goat/sheep didn't bother me as much as the hole in the bottom of the bus that I was sitting over. Gravel road + old rickety slow bus + 2 shephards = cost efficient travel. I was sneezing dust for 2 days. The sight of the falls was totally worth it though. I guess their size has been dramatically reduced as a result of a hydroelectric dam, but I was still impressed!
Also in Bahir Dar, we rented a boat and visited some orthodox monasteries. They are on little islands of Lake Tana (have you pulled out your atlas yet?). Some of them we weren't able to visit as they don't allow women, but the ones we got to see were really neat.I was thankful for being taught all my bible stories and saint history as all the artwork in the monasteries was religious. They depicted the lives of the saints, the life of Christ, or other biblical stories. It was a lot of fun to pick stuff out and many of the monks took extra time to show me stuff when they understood that I recognized some of the stories.
The history was phenominal. Stuff dating back to the 14th and 16th centuries. The Ethiopian Orthodox church has a lot of traditions and it was nice to learn about it and see a lot of history which has formed and continues to guide the culture here.
The next place we visited was Gonder. Its a smaller city built near the base of the Simean Mountains. At one point, it was the capital city. The emperors built castles there. Of course, each emperor had to have his own castle, so there are several. It was neat to see the different things they built including lion cages and turkish baths. There were hawks everywhere - which gave the city a very mideval feel. I can't say that the hawks didn't make me a bit nervous as they swooped down on people quite regularly.
Next was Lalibella. This is the part where transportation got a bit more interesting. We couldn't get a bus from Gonder to Lalibella. So, we got dropped off at a junction. The first bus that came by, tried to charge us 3 times the appropriate amount. Refusing to be swindled, we let that one go by. Sitting on the side of the road in the heat of the day in the middle of Africa for 2 + hrs is really quite the experience. I made friends with a few of the kids as I had some bananas and candy in my bag. They turned out to be good allies when the next bus cam by and they petitionned for our cause. I wish I could describe the scene of Leah pleading for a ride for a reasonable rate. Its one of those moments I won't soon forget.
Lalibella turned out to be my favorite. A smaller town with an incredible history tucked away from everything and thus maintaining a lot of innocence. King Lalibella comissionned the construction of 11 rock hewn churches. How these churches could have possibly been constructed with the technology that existed over 1000 yrs ago is mind blowing. The details of the architecture and intricasies of the connecting cames and caverns are really neat. We hired a really good guide adn spent 2 days exploring. Another day we hired mules and climbed to the top of a steep hill/mtn to another monastery that was carved into the rock. I'be been kind of fascinated by the donkeys since arriving in Africa. Getting to ride a donkey up the hill was pretty cool! In the end, the monastery wasn't as impressive as the view, but the whole experience was worth it.
After a very boring 15 hr drive (only 700 km), I made it back to Addis. It's good to be back. White people are a bit more plentiful here, so we're not as big of a spectacle when we go outside of the compound. I'm not anxious to get on another bus anytime soon, so I think I'll be staying put for a while. I also missed my patients. It's good to be back at work and in some sort of routine. The patients and the workers were very welcoming upon my return, and it was nice. It made me realize how much this has become my home.
As with anywhere, the longer you are there, the busier you seem to be. I've been back at work now for 3 days, and I'm already behind! It's great to be serving in this way though, and I am blessed that every day I get to touch Jesus in a very special way.
My internet time is running out. Thanks for all your emails, prayers and encouragements. I keep you all in my prayers, but please let me know of any special intentions you may have.
God bless!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Expect the unexpected
Well, you know how I always have said that I'm expecting the unexpected? Just when I think I can't be shocked anymore, I am presented with a new challenge.....
I started to feel ill on Saturday - high fever and body aches. Sunday wasn't much better. I started to feel better on Monday, but was still very weak and by then had been alone with my thoughts for FAR too long. I started to dream up what tropical diseases I could possibly be suffering from. It wasn't until I was feeling better on Tuesday that I finally found a mirror to brush my hair and go out for the first time that it all came to me. My face was covered in small red spots. (not sure why no one cared to inform me of this earlier) Upon further examination, so was my chest, arms and back. MEASLES!!! Of all the things! I was very relieved however - because of course I had predicted far worse. We had 4 patients with measles last week and I had cared for them. Thankfully, my immunization gave me a MUCH milder form, but it didn't protect me 100%. So, I've been in isolation for a few days. I actually just snuck out to get to the internet, but Sr. Martha Joan caught me. She laughed when I said I was bored and she sprayed me with holy water and told me to enjoy technology. ha ha! I've had plenty of time to get my laundry done, clean up my corner of the room, read a book and rest up. Not ALL bad, but I'm happy to be feeling better, and sister said I can go to work tomorrow. I'm a much better nurse than patient!
This week has been challenging in other ways as well. We lost power and water for 3 days. Not incredibly welcomed when these are among the few 'conveniences' we enjoy. Still, we don't have warm water, but at least we can boil it to shower. I'm hopeful it too will return, but I'm not incredibly expectant. We got a new influx of non english speaking volunteers. Living in community always has its challenges. But, combine that with a language barrier and different habits /sanitation/ personal space issues and the challenge becomes even greater! I've been praying for patience a lot!
Leah and I have definitely decided we need a break! We leave Monday for some travel in the North. We will visit Gondar and Lalibella as well as some other smaller places. We're looking forward to having our own schedule and getting to speak English at a normal speed!
I can't say that things this week have been ALL bad though! I'm feeling well now, and I'm very rested. The patients missed me, and I feel like every day I learn a bit more and I am able to help them better. My Amharic is improving - slowly but it IS improving. I'm finding my comprehension is better than my spoken. Its nice to be able to understand a little when the patients talk to me - instead of just holding their hands and smiling. A big victory - I found soya sauce at the market!!! We found a restaurant that serves GREAT Amercian food. It was nice to watch a soccer game on TV and have a non rice meal. It was hard knowing that 3 of us had a meal that cost half an Ethiopian's monthly salary. I showed me that when your eyes are openned to the realities of poverty, you can't shut them so easily. What a gift!
The longer I am here, the more I develop relationships, the more I hear people's stories, the more grateful I am for all I've been given. Sometimes its very overwhelming. I'm so grateful for an opportunity to give back - even just a small amount of what I've been given. People here live such a challenging life. Its so hard to get ahead. Even just providing basics for a family is a challenge let alone an education or any kind of savings. Its not a wonder that so many look for opportunities to go abroad. This month is the American Diversity Lottery. Its all the buzz. Everyone who can afford 14 birr (less than $1) applies. I'm not sure how many they draw a year (I think around 3000), and provided you have a clean bill of health and enough money for a plane ticket (I've been told you borrow from everyone you know and pay them back after you've struck it 'rich') you get to go live in America. I'm not sure if you get a green card, or citizenship, but you get to live in America and that's what everyone dreams of. It's amazing to think of how much I've taken for granted!!
I hope my blogs aren't too depressing. I know my last one was a bit of a downer. The truth is, I'm very happy here, and there IS a lot of joy here. The people here have a great sense of humor and are a lot of fun. There is a lot of reality here though too. Sometimes the reality of it just seems to impact me more and that's why I share.
I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to blog again, but I'm excited to tell you more about the beauty of Ethiopia following my travels. Hopefully by then, I'll have solved the picture downloading issue and I can include visual as well.
I started to feel ill on Saturday - high fever and body aches. Sunday wasn't much better. I started to feel better on Monday, but was still very weak and by then had been alone with my thoughts for FAR too long. I started to dream up what tropical diseases I could possibly be suffering from. It wasn't until I was feeling better on Tuesday that I finally found a mirror to brush my hair and go out for the first time that it all came to me. My face was covered in small red spots. (not sure why no one cared to inform me of this earlier) Upon further examination, so was my chest, arms and back. MEASLES!!! Of all the things! I was very relieved however - because of course I had predicted far worse. We had 4 patients with measles last week and I had cared for them. Thankfully, my immunization gave me a MUCH milder form, but it didn't protect me 100%. So, I've been in isolation for a few days. I actually just snuck out to get to the internet, but Sr. Martha Joan caught me. She laughed when I said I was bored and she sprayed me with holy water and told me to enjoy technology. ha ha! I've had plenty of time to get my laundry done, clean up my corner of the room, read a book and rest up. Not ALL bad, but I'm happy to be feeling better, and sister said I can go to work tomorrow. I'm a much better nurse than patient!
This week has been challenging in other ways as well. We lost power and water for 3 days. Not incredibly welcomed when these are among the few 'conveniences' we enjoy. Still, we don't have warm water, but at least we can boil it to shower. I'm hopeful it too will return, but I'm not incredibly expectant. We got a new influx of non english speaking volunteers. Living in community always has its challenges. But, combine that with a language barrier and different habits /sanitation/ personal space issues and the challenge becomes even greater! I've been praying for patience a lot!
Leah and I have definitely decided we need a break! We leave Monday for some travel in the North. We will visit Gondar and Lalibella as well as some other smaller places. We're looking forward to having our own schedule and getting to speak English at a normal speed!
I can't say that things this week have been ALL bad though! I'm feeling well now, and I'm very rested. The patients missed me, and I feel like every day I learn a bit more and I am able to help them better. My Amharic is improving - slowly but it IS improving. I'm finding my comprehension is better than my spoken. Its nice to be able to understand a little when the patients talk to me - instead of just holding their hands and smiling. A big victory - I found soya sauce at the market!!! We found a restaurant that serves GREAT Amercian food. It was nice to watch a soccer game on TV and have a non rice meal. It was hard knowing that 3 of us had a meal that cost half an Ethiopian's monthly salary. I showed me that when your eyes are openned to the realities of poverty, you can't shut them so easily. What a gift!
The longer I am here, the more I develop relationships, the more I hear people's stories, the more grateful I am for all I've been given. Sometimes its very overwhelming. I'm so grateful for an opportunity to give back - even just a small amount of what I've been given. People here live such a challenging life. Its so hard to get ahead. Even just providing basics for a family is a challenge let alone an education or any kind of savings. Its not a wonder that so many look for opportunities to go abroad. This month is the American Diversity Lottery. Its all the buzz. Everyone who can afford 14 birr (less than $1) applies. I'm not sure how many they draw a year (I think around 3000), and provided you have a clean bill of health and enough money for a plane ticket (I've been told you borrow from everyone you know and pay them back after you've struck it 'rich') you get to go live in America. I'm not sure if you get a green card, or citizenship, but you get to live in America and that's what everyone dreams of. It's amazing to think of how much I've taken for granted!!
I hope my blogs aren't too depressing. I know my last one was a bit of a downer. The truth is, I'm very happy here, and there IS a lot of joy here. The people here have a great sense of humor and are a lot of fun. There is a lot of reality here though too. Sometimes the reality of it just seems to impact me more and that's why I share.
I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to blog again, but I'm excited to tell you more about the beauty of Ethiopia following my travels. Hopefully by then, I'll have solved the picture downloading issue and I can include visual as well.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Once in a lifetime
This quote was on the door of the room we moved into for a few days while they painted the volunteer room. It's very fitting and I liked it a lot, so I thought I would share.'I shall pass through this world but once.Any good thing that I can do,or any kindness that I can show to any human being,let me do it now and not differ it,for I will not pass this way again.'
The weather in Addis has been really nice. Cool in the mornings and evenings but sunny and hot during the day. We haven't had any rain in over a week.
This week, the frailty of life was even more evident to me. We lost two babies, and it was really hard for me. They were both little girls. The first one was only admitted in the morning and died in the afternoon. I was surprised to find out that not even the sisters here are trained in CPR. I've never had to do CPR on an infant by myself before, and thankfully my clinical brain kicked in faster than my emotional brain. I was able to think clearly enough to offer what help I could, but God chose to take her home. I spent a good part of the afternoon with the mom. Its amazing how much you can communicate in a situation like that, even if you don't share a language.
The second little girl was a twin. Her and her brother arrived only one day old with their mother. She was 1.5kg, her brother 1.8kg. They were both so small and weak, I was shocked that the hospital discharged them. They weren't nursing well, and even with syringe feeding were not getting enough nourishment. I put feeding tubes down, and they were tollerating the feeds well. I was going every 2 hours to feed them because I was so worried about them. Unfortunately the little girl was too weak, and she passed away yesterday. The little boy is stronger and I'm hopeful for him.
I just keep thinking 'This would never happen in Canada'. It's hard to understand why God allows little children to come into the world for only such a brief time. I grieve for the mothers who lost those babies this week, and I think of how many women here have experienced that same pain. Life is so incredibly fragile. You really never know when God might call you home, and it reminds me that every day, every instant is an opportunity to love.
On a happier note, we're back in our new and improved volunteer room. ha ha! The truth is, they painted over the mold and we cleaned. The toilet is still broken, but it doesn't smell any more. I'm learning to rejoice in small victories! ha ha Leah (the girl from USA) and I did a major clean, and it looks really nice and we're happy to have our own space again.
I can't believe another week is behind me. Time flies! Leah and I have been planning to do some more traveling, maybe leaving Addis for a few weeks at the beginning of November. There is tons of history, and beauty to explore here. I'm looking forward to it! A break from teaching the nurses would be welcomed as well. You know, sometimes it takes so much energy to teach someone to do something when you could do it yourself 5 times faster! I've been helping them study for their big exam. Out of 6 nurses, 3 might have a chance of passing.
Not much else to write. Hope all is well at home.
Blessings!
Kerry
Monday, October 11, 2010
The beauty of the earth
Last Sunday I escaped the city for a few hours. I took a mini bus (well, actually 3 minibusses) to Entoto Mountain. It was a very steep ride. Picture a VW van, with 22 people in it going through the mountains. Yeah, it wasn't a speedy climb, but it was much better than walking!
At the top of the mountain, there is an orthodox church and a spring that people claim has healing water. The view was unreal! It was really nice to see. I could pick out areas of the city that I knew. It had kind of a village feel even though it's pretty close to the city. Mud huts and fields of wheat and other crops I wasn't familiar with. Donkeys carying wood down the mountain to sell in the city and a lot of open space. It was a really nice get away. The weather was beautiful and I ended up getting a bit sun burned, but it was totally worth it. Did a lot of walking and reluctantly came back to the city late in the day. It was so nice to have the quiet and to get a good walk in. Seems like during work days, there's not much time for exercise or even leaving the compound that much.
Yesterday, I took off to a small town about an hour away called Debre Zeit. It was gorgeous! There were three lakes that we saw. The air was clean, the water was beautiful. I was tempted to go swimming, but didn't have my suit. Leah and I definitely plan to return and spend some more time there. The landscape here is gorgeous, and the people are so friendly, it's really easy to move around and go places without having to worry too much about safety or even getting lost. When I planned to come to Ethiopia, I didn't anticipate the beautiful lanscape. The guide book doesn't really drum it up much either, and I can't figure out why. There is SO much beauty here! One of the great things about it too is that a lot of it us so untouched. There are these beautiful rolling hills and mountains, filled with trees and shrubs. In Canada, someone would have built a big house on these hills or something, but here, it's uninhabited and the natural beauty is able to be enjoyed. Even with such a big population, there is still so much open space.
Sunday is my day off, so I've decided I"m going to try to get out of the city as much as I can on Sundays. There's so much to see, and I really feel like it rejuvinates me for the week. I get to be away from the patients and the compound and experience some of the beautiful culture and landscape of Ethiopia.
My work continues to challenge me. Specifically, one of the nurses that I"ve been working with. He just doesn't seem to be catching on very quickly. My patience has been tried many days and I"m convinced that I'm earning time off purgatory! The other day, when I told him to go check on a patient, he came back and told me he was sleeping, so he didn't want to disturb him. I knew full well that the guy wasn't sleeping, he was unconscious! There's a big difference!!! I've spoken with Sister Martha Joan, and she understands. They have to write their board exams next month, and the sisters won't hire anyone who doesn't succeed in the exam. In the meantime, they are welcoming 3 MORE new nurses for their practical experience. They start tomorrow, and guess who's their teacher?! Now, I'll have 5 to run after and supervise. Should be interesting. I"m definitely going to have to keep praying for extra graces to teach them well and to be patient as they learn. One of the boys that I've been working with is really excelling and I think he'll be great. I hope the boys that are coming are as keen!
My favorite patient died this week. It was a hard day for me. His name was Abraham, and he was a wonderful man. He was one of the few patients that I could sit and talk with. He was very well educated and spoke English well. He had a family and a good job, but when he got in the later stages of HIV and got sick, he was abandonned by everyone. He had been living with the sisters since March. I knew that his health had been declining and he had been suffering a lot more. Last week he broke out in a herpes infection which took over half his face and he could only see out of one eye. We were treating it, but it really wasn't responding, and I knew his immunity was virtually non existent. The thing is, he never complained. I would have to ask very specific questions to get the real information about his pain and stuff. He was a real testament of strength. Thursday, I went to say 'hi' in the morning and he was unresponsive. So, me and one of the sisters took some extra time with him and washed him up and put him in a clean bead. We prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with him and I was able to sit with him for a while. I went to check on him again before lunch, and I knew he was very close to death. One of the other workers and I were able to be with him when he died and it was very peaceful. It was so nice to see him in peace and to share that special moment with him. Another victim of AIDS, a disease that is so prevalent here!
There are only 2 female volunteers left now. Sister has moved us to another room for a little while as they deal with the plumbing and mold issue in our room. It's nice to be in a different place. We're right beside the chapel. I"m hopeful that we won't hear the patients as much at night, but we'll see. It was funny to see the reaction of the patients when we were moving our bags. They thought we were leaving and they were very sad. It was nice that they felt that way, but it took some work to try to explain what we were doing. My Amharic skills are improving slowly.... a lot slower than I would like, but they are patient with me and I'm trying to learn a new word a day. It's very complex and if you intone in the wrong way, it could have a very different meaning. This week I'm tackling numbers. We'll see how that goes.
Even though I'm not able to be at home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family and eat turkey. I am definitely thankful for where God has placed me. It's wonderful to be here, and I don't doubt for an instant that this is exactly where I need to be right now. I"m thankful for my family and friends, and I"m thankful that God has given me this wonderful opportunity to love Him in the poor. I'll eat my rice and lentils and think of all of you with LOTS of love and prayers!
As usual, never a dull moment. It's always nice to hear from home though, so throw me an email every once in a while!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
At the top of the mountain, there is an orthodox church and a spring that people claim has healing water. The view was unreal! It was really nice to see. I could pick out areas of the city that I knew. It had kind of a village feel even though it's pretty close to the city. Mud huts and fields of wheat and other crops I wasn't familiar with. Donkeys carying wood down the mountain to sell in the city and a lot of open space. It was a really nice get away. The weather was beautiful and I ended up getting a bit sun burned, but it was totally worth it. Did a lot of walking and reluctantly came back to the city late in the day. It was so nice to have the quiet and to get a good walk in. Seems like during work days, there's not much time for exercise or even leaving the compound that much.
Yesterday, I took off to a small town about an hour away called Debre Zeit. It was gorgeous! There were three lakes that we saw. The air was clean, the water was beautiful. I was tempted to go swimming, but didn't have my suit. Leah and I definitely plan to return and spend some more time there. The landscape here is gorgeous, and the people are so friendly, it's really easy to move around and go places without having to worry too much about safety or even getting lost. When I planned to come to Ethiopia, I didn't anticipate the beautiful lanscape. The guide book doesn't really drum it up much either, and I can't figure out why. There is SO much beauty here! One of the great things about it too is that a lot of it us so untouched. There are these beautiful rolling hills and mountains, filled with trees and shrubs. In Canada, someone would have built a big house on these hills or something, but here, it's uninhabited and the natural beauty is able to be enjoyed. Even with such a big population, there is still so much open space.
Sunday is my day off, so I've decided I"m going to try to get out of the city as much as I can on Sundays. There's so much to see, and I really feel like it rejuvinates me for the week. I get to be away from the patients and the compound and experience some of the beautiful culture and landscape of Ethiopia.
My work continues to challenge me. Specifically, one of the nurses that I"ve been working with. He just doesn't seem to be catching on very quickly. My patience has been tried many days and I"m convinced that I'm earning time off purgatory! The other day, when I told him to go check on a patient, he came back and told me he was sleeping, so he didn't want to disturb him. I knew full well that the guy wasn't sleeping, he was unconscious! There's a big difference!!! I've spoken with Sister Martha Joan, and she understands. They have to write their board exams next month, and the sisters won't hire anyone who doesn't succeed in the exam. In the meantime, they are welcoming 3 MORE new nurses for their practical experience. They start tomorrow, and guess who's their teacher?! Now, I'll have 5 to run after and supervise. Should be interesting. I"m definitely going to have to keep praying for extra graces to teach them well and to be patient as they learn. One of the boys that I've been working with is really excelling and I think he'll be great. I hope the boys that are coming are as keen!
My favorite patient died this week. It was a hard day for me. His name was Abraham, and he was a wonderful man. He was one of the few patients that I could sit and talk with. He was very well educated and spoke English well. He had a family and a good job, but when he got in the later stages of HIV and got sick, he was abandonned by everyone. He had been living with the sisters since March. I knew that his health had been declining and he had been suffering a lot more. Last week he broke out in a herpes infection which took over half his face and he could only see out of one eye. We were treating it, but it really wasn't responding, and I knew his immunity was virtually non existent. The thing is, he never complained. I would have to ask very specific questions to get the real information about his pain and stuff. He was a real testament of strength. Thursday, I went to say 'hi' in the morning and he was unresponsive. So, me and one of the sisters took some extra time with him and washed him up and put him in a clean bead. We prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with him and I was able to sit with him for a while. I went to check on him again before lunch, and I knew he was very close to death. One of the other workers and I were able to be with him when he died and it was very peaceful. It was so nice to see him in peace and to share that special moment with him. Another victim of AIDS, a disease that is so prevalent here!
There are only 2 female volunteers left now. Sister has moved us to another room for a little while as they deal with the plumbing and mold issue in our room. It's nice to be in a different place. We're right beside the chapel. I"m hopeful that we won't hear the patients as much at night, but we'll see. It was funny to see the reaction of the patients when we were moving our bags. They thought we were leaving and they were very sad. It was nice that they felt that way, but it took some work to try to explain what we were doing. My Amharic skills are improving slowly.... a lot slower than I would like, but they are patient with me and I'm trying to learn a new word a day. It's very complex and if you intone in the wrong way, it could have a very different meaning. This week I'm tackling numbers. We'll see how that goes.
Even though I'm not able to be at home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family and eat turkey. I am definitely thankful for where God has placed me. It's wonderful to be here, and I don't doubt for an instant that this is exactly where I need to be right now. I"m thankful for my family and friends, and I"m thankful that God has given me this wonderful opportunity to love Him in the poor. I'll eat my rice and lentils and think of all of you with LOTS of love and prayers!
As usual, never a dull moment. It's always nice to hear from home though, so throw me an email every once in a while!!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Meskal and all that
Last Sunday we celebrated Meskal. It's a HUGE festival here and it was a lot of fun. There's a big square down town where they erected a large wood structure and covered it with grass and flowers. There were marching bands and all the priests, bishops and the pope of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church were gathered. There was a lot of singing and some speaches in Amharic and even some evangelists in the crowd, who were VERY animated. When the sun went down, they rode horses around the wood thing and then set it on fire and set off a bunch of fireworks and stuff. There were TONS of people and everyone was happy and it was a lot of fun. They had shut down all the main roadways so everyone walked back to their parts of the city. While we were walking there were groups of people dancing and singing. People along the road had lit their own little fires, and as you walked the road was lit by the fires. Definitely a rich cultural experience. Even despite the crowds I never felt unsafe. People are very respectful here and it was a great time.
I've had the pleasure of sampling one of Ethiopia's largest exported resource...coffee. I tell you, it's something else! I don't know how I'll ever go back! For all you coffee lovers out there, I hope you're jealous because honestly, you should be! ha ha The taste is so full and rich. There's a special ceremony they have of serving it to you too which is really neat. We went to a fancy coffee shop one day to try it out, but have since discovered that this little shack closer to the compound makes it way better and with a lot more ceremony. And really, at less than 25 cents a cup, Starbuck's can't hold a candle to this!
My work with the nurses is going well. They are slowly learning. Sometimes is hard to teach proper technique for a procedure when you're lacking important equipment like sterile gloves or saline. Sister Martha Joan keeps challenging me clinically. Yesterday she had me make up an insulin sliding scale for a diabetic patient who came in with a blood glucose reading that was so high our machine couldn't measure it. Would have been nice to start and infusion, but that's NOT realistic here. I'm learning a lot about Malaria treatments and the treatments of Typhus and Typhoid (didn't even know there was a difference before).
A lot of the people here suffer from HIV/AIDS. The testing here is almost as common as a CBC. It blows my mind! Unfortunately, they often come when the disease is so advanced that there isn't much we can do but make them comfortable. The people here are very superstitious and often come in with ash on their faces, fresh wounds or strange markings on their bodies from having visited traditional healers. The sisters say that they sometimes come in when they are first diagnosed, but then leave and seek out traditional healing, waiting till the disease is so advanced before coming back. The mortality rate is high. In a week, we have 8-12 people die. It's nice to see how the sisters care for them in their last moments and how they are loved and prayed for. But, it's frustrating at the same time, to know that earlier education and intervention could have prevented such a painful end, especially in some of the young people who come in.
There's a wonderful surgeon here, Dr. Solomon who comes every Saturday and donates his services. He is a GREAT guy and he speaks english well. He sees patients all day on Saturday, not even taking a break for lunch or anything. He let me lance a boil yesterday. It was SO cool! He taught me a few things and is a great teacher.
I've taken on a serious battle this week. One of the other volunteers went traveling and has since returned. Her bed is next to mine, and along with her wonderful travel stories, she also has gifted my bed with fleas. The first couple of nights, I noticed a few bites, but nothing bad. Then they really started to make themselves comfortable and my bites became too numerous to count. I decided that I needed to take action. I went to a nearby store that sells chemicals. I have NO idea what I bought, but I looked for pictures of dead bugs and symbols of toxic substance. I hung my sheets and blankets out on the line and sprayed them quite generously with the stuff I bought. It rained that day, so I was without sheets for one night. But I tell ya, it was worth it. So far I think I'm flea free. I have too many bites to really say what's new and what's old, but I'm confident that it has improved if not resolved. Sometimes I still feel like there's things crawling on me, but I think it's psycological. I have since implemented a no go zone and have separated my bed from the others. Thankfully there are only 4 women volunteers right now, so there's a bit more room. It's amazing how much joy small victories like this can bring!
I've taken a few opportunities to have some great conversations with some of the workers and young kids that hang around the compound. It's amazing to hear their stories. Life here is very hard. It's amazing to hear how they struggle for the simple things yet demonstrate such generosity. Even the young nurses that I'm working with. We were talking about money the other day and it was quite eye opening to me. They said that a nurse here would make 1100 birr a month. That is someone who is educated, with three years of college. BUT things are so expensive! Rent for a simple appartment with no running water is 600 birr. You pay 10 birr for a shower. Meat is 60 birr/kg. So, even if you make 1100 birr a month, it doesn't go very far! I can only imagine what people without an education make! The inequality of wealth distribution in our world is very evident here and it makes me sad. It makes me ashamed to think of all the things I waste at home, and the ease of life that I enjoy in North America. I am so grateful for an education and a good job. But even things like regular meat at meals and running water are luxuries here. These are things we deem 'necessities' back home. My how my perspective is being broadenned!
Until next time!
I've had the pleasure of sampling one of Ethiopia's largest exported resource...coffee. I tell you, it's something else! I don't know how I'll ever go back! For all you coffee lovers out there, I hope you're jealous because honestly, you should be! ha ha The taste is so full and rich. There's a special ceremony they have of serving it to you too which is really neat. We went to a fancy coffee shop one day to try it out, but have since discovered that this little shack closer to the compound makes it way better and with a lot more ceremony. And really, at less than 25 cents a cup, Starbuck's can't hold a candle to this!
My work with the nurses is going well. They are slowly learning. Sometimes is hard to teach proper technique for a procedure when you're lacking important equipment like sterile gloves or saline. Sister Martha Joan keeps challenging me clinically. Yesterday she had me make up an insulin sliding scale for a diabetic patient who came in with a blood glucose reading that was so high our machine couldn't measure it. Would have been nice to start and infusion, but that's NOT realistic here. I'm learning a lot about Malaria treatments and the treatments of Typhus and Typhoid (didn't even know there was a difference before).
A lot of the people here suffer from HIV/AIDS. The testing here is almost as common as a CBC. It blows my mind! Unfortunately, they often come when the disease is so advanced that there isn't much we can do but make them comfortable. The people here are very superstitious and often come in with ash on their faces, fresh wounds or strange markings on their bodies from having visited traditional healers. The sisters say that they sometimes come in when they are first diagnosed, but then leave and seek out traditional healing, waiting till the disease is so advanced before coming back. The mortality rate is high. In a week, we have 8-12 people die. It's nice to see how the sisters care for them in their last moments and how they are loved and prayed for. But, it's frustrating at the same time, to know that earlier education and intervention could have prevented such a painful end, especially in some of the young people who come in.
There's a wonderful surgeon here, Dr. Solomon who comes every Saturday and donates his services. He is a GREAT guy and he speaks english well. He sees patients all day on Saturday, not even taking a break for lunch or anything. He let me lance a boil yesterday. It was SO cool! He taught me a few things and is a great teacher.
I've taken on a serious battle this week. One of the other volunteers went traveling and has since returned. Her bed is next to mine, and along with her wonderful travel stories, she also has gifted my bed with fleas. The first couple of nights, I noticed a few bites, but nothing bad. Then they really started to make themselves comfortable and my bites became too numerous to count. I decided that I needed to take action. I went to a nearby store that sells chemicals. I have NO idea what I bought, but I looked for pictures of dead bugs and symbols of toxic substance. I hung my sheets and blankets out on the line and sprayed them quite generously with the stuff I bought. It rained that day, so I was without sheets for one night. But I tell ya, it was worth it. So far I think I'm flea free. I have too many bites to really say what's new and what's old, but I'm confident that it has improved if not resolved. Sometimes I still feel like there's things crawling on me, but I think it's psycological. I have since implemented a no go zone and have separated my bed from the others. Thankfully there are only 4 women volunteers right now, so there's a bit more room. It's amazing how much joy small victories like this can bring!
I've taken a few opportunities to have some great conversations with some of the workers and young kids that hang around the compound. It's amazing to hear their stories. Life here is very hard. It's amazing to hear how they struggle for the simple things yet demonstrate such generosity. Even the young nurses that I'm working with. We were talking about money the other day and it was quite eye opening to me. They said that a nurse here would make 1100 birr a month. That is someone who is educated, with three years of college. BUT things are so expensive! Rent for a simple appartment with no running water is 600 birr. You pay 10 birr for a shower. Meat is 60 birr/kg. So, even if you make 1100 birr a month, it doesn't go very far! I can only imagine what people without an education make! The inequality of wealth distribution in our world is very evident here and it makes me sad. It makes me ashamed to think of all the things I waste at home, and the ease of life that I enjoy in North America. I am so grateful for an education and a good job. But even things like regular meat at meals and running water are luxuries here. These are things we deem 'necessities' back home. My how my perspective is being broadenned!
Until next time!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A project
Hello all!
It's hard to believe that I've only been here just over 2 weeks. I feel like I've experienced so much that A LOT more time should have passed! Its been good. The days are very full and I have yet to be sitting around with nothing to do.
Sister Martha Joan is back from her retreat. She is in charge of the volunteers and it's great to have her at the helm. We were all a little directionless, but she quickly solved that problem. She's from Poland originally, and she's a nurse. She's a real organizer and she's trying to get things more streamlined in the clinic and with the patients. I've been helping a bit. I went through the clinic supplies the other day and separated all the outdated medications and got to see a lot of what kinds of supplies exist. They have some really good wound dressings and stuff, but no one knows how to use them, so they sit unused. They also have a whole bunch of medication from other countries that no one knows what they are. The creams were especially bad. I took down the names and spent some time with Google. I'm not sure why they are so well stocked in hemerhoid cream, or sun tan lotion, but I made sure to label them well and instruct the workers NOT to use them for wound care!
Sister Martha Joan has also charged me with orienting two new nurses that they hired. They are two orphaned boys who grew up with the sisters. The sisters paid their way through nursing school and in exchange, they are to work for them for 6 months. The sisters are hopeful to hire them after that. It's been interesting to say the least. They are very eager, and willing to learn. But their education is VERY lacking! They told me that they didn't have any textbooks in school because they were too expensive. Their instruction was all in the classroom as well, no hands on experience at all. So, orientation is more like teaching. I'm grateful for the job, and I'm excited to help them become great nurses. Since I'll be here for a while yet, I think it will be good to mentor them and be able to support them through this learning time and leave them here to continue to do great work after I leave. The job is huge though. I can't imagine being a new grad, with no practical experience, stepping onto a ward of 250 + patients, no senior staff as resource and a physician that comes twice a week for a couple of hours.
Tomorrow is a big festival here. It's Maskal. It's comemorating St. Helena finding the true cross. I guess there's a big fire downtown and everyone goes and there are speakers and bands and stuff. One of the workers (his name is Hilou) is going to take us to check it out. Should be fun!
The good news is that we had two days without rain. I can't say that it's warm here, its still only ever between 15 and 20 degrees. The sun did make a brief appearance which was nice, but short lived. At least my laundry is dry though!
I've been trying to upload pictures, but it hasn't been letting me. I'll keep trying. Keep in touch!
It's hard to believe that I've only been here just over 2 weeks. I feel like I've experienced so much that A LOT more time should have passed! Its been good. The days are very full and I have yet to be sitting around with nothing to do.
Sister Martha Joan is back from her retreat. She is in charge of the volunteers and it's great to have her at the helm. We were all a little directionless, but she quickly solved that problem. She's from Poland originally, and she's a nurse. She's a real organizer and she's trying to get things more streamlined in the clinic and with the patients. I've been helping a bit. I went through the clinic supplies the other day and separated all the outdated medications and got to see a lot of what kinds of supplies exist. They have some really good wound dressings and stuff, but no one knows how to use them, so they sit unused. They also have a whole bunch of medication from other countries that no one knows what they are. The creams were especially bad. I took down the names and spent some time with Google. I'm not sure why they are so well stocked in hemerhoid cream, or sun tan lotion, but I made sure to label them well and instruct the workers NOT to use them for wound care!
Sister Martha Joan has also charged me with orienting two new nurses that they hired. They are two orphaned boys who grew up with the sisters. The sisters paid their way through nursing school and in exchange, they are to work for them for 6 months. The sisters are hopeful to hire them after that. It's been interesting to say the least. They are very eager, and willing to learn. But their education is VERY lacking! They told me that they didn't have any textbooks in school because they were too expensive. Their instruction was all in the classroom as well, no hands on experience at all. So, orientation is more like teaching. I'm grateful for the job, and I'm excited to help them become great nurses. Since I'll be here for a while yet, I think it will be good to mentor them and be able to support them through this learning time and leave them here to continue to do great work after I leave. The job is huge though. I can't imagine being a new grad, with no practical experience, stepping onto a ward of 250 + patients, no senior staff as resource and a physician that comes twice a week for a couple of hours.
Tomorrow is a big festival here. It's Maskal. It's comemorating St. Helena finding the true cross. I guess there's a big fire downtown and everyone goes and there are speakers and bands and stuff. One of the workers (his name is Hilou) is going to take us to check it out. Should be fun!
The good news is that we had two days without rain. I can't say that it's warm here, its still only ever between 15 and 20 degrees. The sun did make a brief appearance which was nice, but short lived. At least my laundry is dry though!
I've been trying to upload pictures, but it hasn't been letting me. I'll keep trying. Keep in touch!
Monday, September 20, 2010
The smell greets you from a distance
This week has been a busy one! I've been trying to get to post something sooner, but every time I got to the internet place they smile and say 'no connection', or they are closed. When you ask when the connection will come back, they just smile at you. They are always very pleasant though! Things here are quite random. Even the electricity is hit and miss. The power goes out at least once a day. I have been very grateful for my head lamp! Some of the rooms where we do dressings are very poorly lit as well, so it's been handy working with the head lamp to remove foreign objects and sutures from wounds. The sun goes down pretty early as well, so generally, it's one of my favorite gadgets.
I've been spending most of my days in the clinic or dressing wounds on the men's ward. I am constantly amazed by the stories I hear and the things that I witness on a daily basis. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday we do outpatient clinics. So, people come from the outside to come and have their wounds dressed. It's always very busy. One man came into the clinic the other day and I was shocked by the smell of his wound. It literally made my eyes water. One of the Tanzenian guys that I was working with said "OOOOh! The smell greets you from a distance!" I couldn't have said it better! Anyway, this poor man had been wearing socks, and no shoes. Seeing as how he is homeless, and it rains 2-3 times a day here, he was constantly wet. The socks were almost grown into his shins. It took some effort to get them off. When I did, I was witness to a fungal infection of unreal proportions! I SO wish I could take pictures of some of this stuff because it really defies description!
So, needless to say, I told him NOT to put any socks on anymore and scrubbed him as best as we could. I sent him on his way with an anti fungal cream. He was so pleased! He has come back every day since and personally requests me. Everyone else is happy to oblige! Lucky me!
Some of the wounds that we dress on the wards are pretty complex. Sometimes I wonder if we're doing much to help them at all. The other day, I asked Sister if any physicians ever come to address some of these wounds. She took quite a bit of time with me and told me some of the stories of the men. It really was sad to hear! Most of the men have been either abandonned by their families because of mental illness, dimensia, epilepsy, physical deformity or extreme illness. Some of them have sought out treatment at several health care facilities, but because they were unable to pay for the treatments, were kicked out of the hospitals and banned from returning. Now, the wounds and infections have grown so severe, their bodies so weak from malnutrition and disease, they are awaiting death. The sisters do their best to offer pain control and comfort, but there's no a lot you can do to help them anymore. From a western mindset, it's very hard to reconcile that! At home, I'm taught to treat, cure and actively manage illness. Here, I'm forced to pray, love, comfort and await death. It's very emotionally draining!
Having said that though, the work is very rewarding. I have an opportunity to show love to people in a very tangible way. Although there is a language barrier, and I can't always communicate with them, I AM able to touch them and hold their hands and wash them. It's a very different way to communicate, but it's very effective. Looking into their eyes, I know that they are understanding what I am trying to do for them.
It sounds like I'll be sticking around Addis for a while. I asked Sister the other day if she still wanted us to go to Dire Dawa, but she said no. Our volunteer numbers have decreased and we are only 3 women and 4 men. So, I guess I'll stay here until they tell me otherwise. I've taken a bit of time to do some exploring of the city and I feel like I'm getting a bit more oriented to where things are. The city is actually not that big, and there is a great mini bus system that helps you get around for relatively cheap. We went to mass at a local parish yesterday, and it was nice! They had a great choir. We walked around that area of town afterwards, and had some GREAT coffee, but most everything was closed as it was Sunday.
So that's my report. Things are going well. My health is good, my spirits are high and I'm enjoying the work. I'm still praying that the rains will end soon (everyone keeps saying soon). I had to do laundry and we're going on 3 days for my t-shirts to dry.
Send me your comments and questions. Sometimes I forget to include things, but if you're interested in hearing about anything in particular, please let me know.
I've been spending most of my days in the clinic or dressing wounds on the men's ward. I am constantly amazed by the stories I hear and the things that I witness on a daily basis. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday we do outpatient clinics. So, people come from the outside to come and have their wounds dressed. It's always very busy. One man came into the clinic the other day and I was shocked by the smell of his wound. It literally made my eyes water. One of the Tanzenian guys that I was working with said "OOOOh! The smell greets you from a distance!" I couldn't have said it better! Anyway, this poor man had been wearing socks, and no shoes. Seeing as how he is homeless, and it rains 2-3 times a day here, he was constantly wet. The socks were almost grown into his shins. It took some effort to get them off. When I did, I was witness to a fungal infection of unreal proportions! I SO wish I could take pictures of some of this stuff because it really defies description!
So, needless to say, I told him NOT to put any socks on anymore and scrubbed him as best as we could. I sent him on his way with an anti fungal cream. He was so pleased! He has come back every day since and personally requests me. Everyone else is happy to oblige! Lucky me!
Some of the wounds that we dress on the wards are pretty complex. Sometimes I wonder if we're doing much to help them at all. The other day, I asked Sister if any physicians ever come to address some of these wounds. She took quite a bit of time with me and told me some of the stories of the men. It really was sad to hear! Most of the men have been either abandonned by their families because of mental illness, dimensia, epilepsy, physical deformity or extreme illness. Some of them have sought out treatment at several health care facilities, but because they were unable to pay for the treatments, were kicked out of the hospitals and banned from returning. Now, the wounds and infections have grown so severe, their bodies so weak from malnutrition and disease, they are awaiting death. The sisters do their best to offer pain control and comfort, but there's no a lot you can do to help them anymore. From a western mindset, it's very hard to reconcile that! At home, I'm taught to treat, cure and actively manage illness. Here, I'm forced to pray, love, comfort and await death. It's very emotionally draining!
Having said that though, the work is very rewarding. I have an opportunity to show love to people in a very tangible way. Although there is a language barrier, and I can't always communicate with them, I AM able to touch them and hold their hands and wash them. It's a very different way to communicate, but it's very effective. Looking into their eyes, I know that they are understanding what I am trying to do for them.
It sounds like I'll be sticking around Addis for a while. I asked Sister the other day if she still wanted us to go to Dire Dawa, but she said no. Our volunteer numbers have decreased and we are only 3 women and 4 men. So, I guess I'll stay here until they tell me otherwise. I've taken a bit of time to do some exploring of the city and I feel like I'm getting a bit more oriented to where things are. The city is actually not that big, and there is a great mini bus system that helps you get around for relatively cheap. We went to mass at a local parish yesterday, and it was nice! They had a great choir. We walked around that area of town afterwards, and had some GREAT coffee, but most everything was closed as it was Sunday.
So that's my report. Things are going well. My health is good, my spirits are high and I'm enjoying the work. I'm still praying that the rains will end soon (everyone keeps saying soon). I had to do laundry and we're going on 3 days for my t-shirts to dry.
Send me your comments and questions. Sometimes I forget to include things, but if you're interested in hearing about anything in particular, please let me know.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Culture Shock Extrordinaire
So, I realized that in my last blog, I wasn't very descriptive of the place or the culture. It's a lot to take in when you first get here, and it has taken me a while to get a bit of a grip on being here. I've traveled enough, but I'm still shocked by the stark contrast between life in developing countries and life in North America.
The city of Addis Ababa has a population of about 4 million. It's up in the mountains and it's quite lush and treed. There is green grass and flowers outside of the pavement and concrete high traffic areas. The air is quite a lot cleaner than Calcutta. Since I've been here, we've had rain at least twice a day. They are reaching the end of the rainy season, so it should end soon. The rain comes suddenly and very hard. One minute, it could be clear skies, the next, torrential rain. The other volunteers have been complaining that their clothes don't dry after they wash them. The thing is, there's no way to save them from the rain because you never know when it's going to hit! Thankfully, thus far, I haven't had to do laundry. It's going to be a real pain when I do because I'll have a lot to do, but I'm stubborn and I'm hoping the rains will end soon.
The sisters have a few communities here in the city. The one that I'm staying at is in an area of the city called Sidist Kilo. It is a very large compound, but very full. There is a building that has handicapped children (no babies). A building that has women, and then another building with men. There is a large kitchen area, two large laundry areas and an area for dispensary and outpatient treatments. Then there is the chapel and the house where the sisters life as well. It's all very tight. There is a courtyard where the men sit out during the day, and a road that leads through the middle of it all. There is a perpetual game of soccer going on the road from sun up to sun down. Whenever you walk by, to get to our room, you risk getting hit by the ball. Yesterday, the ball came right for me, so I played with it a bit and then took a shot on goal. They thought it was hillarious! Girls here don't play sports and this morning when I walked by they were still laughing and pointing. There are about 500 patients in the compound, plus staff.
Across the street there is another compound where they have an orphanage. There are infants, handicapped babies and children, and moms and babies (some that have come here to give birth, some that have come because their babies are malnourished). I'm not sure how many kids are there, but it seems like a lot. I'm still discovering new areas whenever I go there.
This weekend was a bit of an exception because Saturday was Ethiopian New Year. They are celebrating the year 2003. Good news is, I"m only 24 years old!! ha ha They have a different calendar, AND a different clock. I'm still not sure I have it right, but I'm pretty shure that it works this way: sun comes up @ about 6am, in Ethiopian time, that is 12 o'clock. Once the sun has been up for one hour, it us one o'clock. Until 6pm when the sun goes down and then it is 12 o'clock and an hour after the sun is down, it's one o'clock again. Very confusing! So, we've had to be clear when talking to others about which clock to use. So, Saturday me and a couple other volunteers went over to the orphanage, and because it was a holiday, no one was working. So, we basically played with the kids all day. It was fun, but the kids are really poorly behaved and not used to following directions (and of course you have a language barrier on top of that). So, it was challenging at times, but we kept them relatively busy.
Sunday was a holiday here as well, so we knew there wasn't going to be much work to do. I met up with a group from Malta and we went to another part of the city called Asco. The sisters have a compound there which is HUGE! It's an orphanage for kids with HIV-AIDS. Its mostly been funded by donations from Israel. It's absolutely gorgeous. They have so much more room, and the kids are really happy there. They have 320 children there aged new born to 18. They have a hospital - clinic area where they assess everyone, and keep the ones that are really sick. They even have a really nice lab, with what looks to me like newer equipment. Then they have two big dorms, one for the girls and one for the boys, and then a smaller dorm for the older boys. They have a school and a LARGE area for the kids to play. The sisters said they receive medication from the government for treatment for the children aged 0 to 13 years. It's SUPPOSED (by WHO standards) to be until 18 years, but the Ethiopian government has seen such a high mortality, that they're trying to cut costs. The sisters have been trying to fight it, but it's a lot of work. They have had really good success treating the kids. A lot of the children there have good enough CD4 counts that they don't require medication. Their mortality rate has been very low. They have only lost one child in the past two years. They are actually just working on a new program for the children who reach 18 years old, but aren't done their schooling (because they didn't come to the sisters when they were young). So, they have a place for them to stay until they are done school and can find work to support themselves. It was a fun day with the kids and getting to see a little bit more of Addis.
I think I said in my last blog, that I'll be going to Dire Dawa. I'm not sure when that's actually going to materialize. Until I have a ticket in my hand, it's really hard to know. Everything is really casual here. Time has very little meaning. Until then, I'll be working with the patients here. Today I spent all morning doing dressings in the men's home. Everything from EXTREME bed sores, ostomies, botched skin graftings, foot and leg ulcers to minor cuts and bumps. It's very interesting, and unreal how people live with these wounds! The extreme mal nutrition makes healing very difficult.
I can't read my last post, the computers here are unreal slow. I hope I haven't repeated myself too much. My time is up. Not sure when I'll get to blog again. I'll keep you posted on my journey.
The city of Addis Ababa has a population of about 4 million. It's up in the mountains and it's quite lush and treed. There is green grass and flowers outside of the pavement and concrete high traffic areas. The air is quite a lot cleaner than Calcutta. Since I've been here, we've had rain at least twice a day. They are reaching the end of the rainy season, so it should end soon. The rain comes suddenly and very hard. One minute, it could be clear skies, the next, torrential rain. The other volunteers have been complaining that their clothes don't dry after they wash them. The thing is, there's no way to save them from the rain because you never know when it's going to hit! Thankfully, thus far, I haven't had to do laundry. It's going to be a real pain when I do because I'll have a lot to do, but I'm stubborn and I'm hoping the rains will end soon.
The sisters have a few communities here in the city. The one that I'm staying at is in an area of the city called Sidist Kilo. It is a very large compound, but very full. There is a building that has handicapped children (no babies). A building that has women, and then another building with men. There is a large kitchen area, two large laundry areas and an area for dispensary and outpatient treatments. Then there is the chapel and the house where the sisters life as well. It's all very tight. There is a courtyard where the men sit out during the day, and a road that leads through the middle of it all. There is a perpetual game of soccer going on the road from sun up to sun down. Whenever you walk by, to get to our room, you risk getting hit by the ball. Yesterday, the ball came right for me, so I played with it a bit and then took a shot on goal. They thought it was hillarious! Girls here don't play sports and this morning when I walked by they were still laughing and pointing. There are about 500 patients in the compound, plus staff.
Across the street there is another compound where they have an orphanage. There are infants, handicapped babies and children, and moms and babies (some that have come here to give birth, some that have come because their babies are malnourished). I'm not sure how many kids are there, but it seems like a lot. I'm still discovering new areas whenever I go there.
This weekend was a bit of an exception because Saturday was Ethiopian New Year. They are celebrating the year 2003. Good news is, I"m only 24 years old!! ha ha They have a different calendar, AND a different clock. I'm still not sure I have it right, but I'm pretty shure that it works this way: sun comes up @ about 6am, in Ethiopian time, that is 12 o'clock. Once the sun has been up for one hour, it us one o'clock. Until 6pm when the sun goes down and then it is 12 o'clock and an hour after the sun is down, it's one o'clock again. Very confusing! So, we've had to be clear when talking to others about which clock to use. So, Saturday me and a couple other volunteers went over to the orphanage, and because it was a holiday, no one was working. So, we basically played with the kids all day. It was fun, but the kids are really poorly behaved and not used to following directions (and of course you have a language barrier on top of that). So, it was challenging at times, but we kept them relatively busy.
Sunday was a holiday here as well, so we knew there wasn't going to be much work to do. I met up with a group from Malta and we went to another part of the city called Asco. The sisters have a compound there which is HUGE! It's an orphanage for kids with HIV-AIDS. Its mostly been funded by donations from Israel. It's absolutely gorgeous. They have so much more room, and the kids are really happy there. They have 320 children there aged new born to 18. They have a hospital - clinic area where they assess everyone, and keep the ones that are really sick. They even have a really nice lab, with what looks to me like newer equipment. Then they have two big dorms, one for the girls and one for the boys, and then a smaller dorm for the older boys. They have a school and a LARGE area for the kids to play. The sisters said they receive medication from the government for treatment for the children aged 0 to 13 years. It's SUPPOSED (by WHO standards) to be until 18 years, but the Ethiopian government has seen such a high mortality, that they're trying to cut costs. The sisters have been trying to fight it, but it's a lot of work. They have had really good success treating the kids. A lot of the children there have good enough CD4 counts that they don't require medication. Their mortality rate has been very low. They have only lost one child in the past two years. They are actually just working on a new program for the children who reach 18 years old, but aren't done their schooling (because they didn't come to the sisters when they were young). So, they have a place for them to stay until they are done school and can find work to support themselves. It was a fun day with the kids and getting to see a little bit more of Addis.
I think I said in my last blog, that I'll be going to Dire Dawa. I'm not sure when that's actually going to materialize. Until I have a ticket in my hand, it's really hard to know. Everything is really casual here. Time has very little meaning. Until then, I'll be working with the patients here. Today I spent all morning doing dressings in the men's home. Everything from EXTREME bed sores, ostomies, botched skin graftings, foot and leg ulcers to minor cuts and bumps. It's very interesting, and unreal how people live with these wounds! The extreme mal nutrition makes healing very difficult.
I can't read my last post, the computers here are unreal slow. I hope I haven't repeated myself too much. My time is up. Not sure when I'll get to blog again. I'll keep you posted on my journey.
Friday, September 10, 2010
I've landed!
Following a VERY long journey, I have landed in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Things have gone well so far and I was able to spend a day resting at a guest house here. It was great to get some sleep and begin to settle into this journey that I've embarked on.
I have to say that thus far, it has been harder than I expected. It's challenging traveling alone as you have to be on guard 100% of the time, and there's no one to bounce ideas off of. Thus far however, I've been navigating things relatively well..... I think.
I found the Missionaries of Charity compound this morning. I was shown the volunteer quarters and was set to work right away. I was able to help with a few dressings. It was nice to get into it right away. The compound is quite small for all that goes on there. There are several volunteers here as well, which I wasn't expecting. Sr. Seraphim introduced me to a girl named Leah from California. She told us that we will be traveling to Dire Dawa on Monday as they need more help there.
When I began this, I said I was going to expect the unexpected. Dire Dawa was definitely not in my expectations, but hey, what the heck?! I'm grateful to have an english speaking travel companion at least! I'm not sure how we're getting there, I still have to get more details from Sister. You kinda just have to have a 'go with the flow' attitude, so I"m doing my best. I'm excited to see what Dire Dawa is like, and the home the sisters have there. I'm sure the experience will be equally as valuable. Currently there are 8 of us sharing a VERY small room. It's kind of dark and with the rains, very musty. We share a bathroom, but the toilet doesn't flush, so you have to pour water down it. The shower is in another area and I guess, the hot water is sketch. Not sure if it will be any different in Dire Dawa, but I guess, we'll find out on Monday. I've heard its warmer, which wouldn't be bad as I've been freezing here. It rains every afternoon and it's been really hazy and cool. The bus ride is 11 hours according to the Lonely Planet, so here's to hoping my stomach holds out!
The city us a buz with preparations. Ethiopian New Year is tomorrow and there are people buying goats and roosters to cook for the feast. There are many reminders of India, but it has a flavor all of its own as well.
The traffic is more orderly. WAY less honking. The use of signal lights and lanes are routine. They drive on the same side of the road as us, which I was surprised by. The people are very friendly and I have been surprised by how well most people speak English. There are NO street vendors. There are lots of little shops, but no sidewalk garage sales or food stands. You can actually walk on the sidewalks!
So, the long and short of it. My first impressions of Ethiopia:
Not exactly what I was expecting, but not totally outside of my imagination. Looking forward to taking more time to adjust and maybe settle in Dire Dawa. Grateful for a North American travel companion. Keep praying please, and I"ll keep you posted as I can.
Salam!
I have to say that thus far, it has been harder than I expected. It's challenging traveling alone as you have to be on guard 100% of the time, and there's no one to bounce ideas off of. Thus far however, I've been navigating things relatively well..... I think.
I found the Missionaries of Charity compound this morning. I was shown the volunteer quarters and was set to work right away. I was able to help with a few dressings. It was nice to get into it right away. The compound is quite small for all that goes on there. There are several volunteers here as well, which I wasn't expecting. Sr. Seraphim introduced me to a girl named Leah from California. She told us that we will be traveling to Dire Dawa on Monday as they need more help there.
When I began this, I said I was going to expect the unexpected. Dire Dawa was definitely not in my expectations, but hey, what the heck?! I'm grateful to have an english speaking travel companion at least! I'm not sure how we're getting there, I still have to get more details from Sister. You kinda just have to have a 'go with the flow' attitude, so I"m doing my best. I'm excited to see what Dire Dawa is like, and the home the sisters have there. I'm sure the experience will be equally as valuable. Currently there are 8 of us sharing a VERY small room. It's kind of dark and with the rains, very musty. We share a bathroom, but the toilet doesn't flush, so you have to pour water down it. The shower is in another area and I guess, the hot water is sketch. Not sure if it will be any different in Dire Dawa, but I guess, we'll find out on Monday. I've heard its warmer, which wouldn't be bad as I've been freezing here. It rains every afternoon and it's been really hazy and cool. The bus ride is 11 hours according to the Lonely Planet, so here's to hoping my stomach holds out!
The city us a buz with preparations. Ethiopian New Year is tomorrow and there are people buying goats and roosters to cook for the feast. There are many reminders of India, but it has a flavor all of its own as well.
The traffic is more orderly. WAY less honking. The use of signal lights and lanes are routine. They drive on the same side of the road as us, which I was surprised by. The people are very friendly and I have been surprised by how well most people speak English. There are NO street vendors. There are lots of little shops, but no sidewalk garage sales or food stands. You can actually walk on the sidewalks!
So, the long and short of it. My first impressions of Ethiopia:
Not exactly what I was expecting, but not totally outside of my imagination. Looking forward to taking more time to adjust and maybe settle in Dire Dawa. Grateful for a North American travel companion. Keep praying please, and I"ll keep you posted as I can.
Salam!
Monday, September 6, 2010
On my way!
Its hard to believe that the much anticipated date is upon me. The last few months have been a fury of activity. I moved out of my place and spent the summer living with and enjoying the company of friends and family. Two highlights were going on the annual fishing trip to northern Saskatchewan and being camp nurse for IGNITE 2010, a camp for older teens that is sponsored by Face to Face Ministries.
My parents hosted a beautiful barbeque on August 27th and I was able to say 'see you later' to a lot of people there. I am so grateful for everyone who came out to wish me well!
The last two weeks I've been in Houston, TX at my sister's place. I've been enjoying a great visit with her family including spending time with my incredible nieces Anna and Clare and their little foster baby Alex. One of the highlights was Clare's 5th birthday. She chose to have a Little House on the Prairie themed party. My sister, never being one to do things half heartedly, had us all participate. We stopped by the Goodwill store and got some costumes (pictured below). Believe it or not, we actually went to the local park dressed like this and had a good ol' fashioned cook out, fished in the pond and the girls beat us in a three legged race!
Now it's time for me to bid farewell to North America. I'm excited, but a bit anxious as well. I'm not sure what to expect next, but I'm looking forward to everything that lies ahead. I leave Houston Tuesday the 7th in the evening and arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Sept 9th early am. I'll post my first impressions of the sights, sounds and smells of my new environment as soon as I get oriented enough and find internet access.
My parents hosted a beautiful barbeque on August 27th and I was able to say 'see you later' to a lot of people there. I am so grateful for everyone who came out to wish me well!
The last two weeks I've been in Houston, TX at my sister's place. I've been enjoying a great visit with her family including spending time with my incredible nieces Anna and Clare and their little foster baby Alex. One of the highlights was Clare's 5th birthday. She chose to have a Little House on the Prairie themed party. My sister, never being one to do things half heartedly, had us all participate. We stopped by the Goodwill store and got some costumes (pictured below). Believe it or not, we actually went to the local park dressed like this and had a good ol' fashioned cook out, fished in the pond and the girls beat us in a three legged race!
 |
| Ma, Pa, Miss Beetle, Mary and Laura |
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Just the beginning
For those of you who haven't heard.... I'M MOVING TO AFRICA!!!!
I have sold my house, taken a leave from work and gotten rid of nearly everything I own. It's a great feeling! I will be going to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to live and work with the Missionaries of Charity. Many people have heard of the great work those sisters do, and I am priviledged to share in their work and live as a volunteer in their homes. I'm not really sure what to expect, except to expect the unexpected. I am assured of a great adventure, a new storehouse of stories and no doubt an experience of a lifetime.
According to the countdown clock on my Facebook page, I have 70 days to go before leaving Saskatoon. I feel like I have a million things to do, but I'm sure that I can get them all done. The beauty of selling everything you own is that you have far less things to take care of!!
I have sold my house, taken a leave from work and gotten rid of nearly everything I own. It's a great feeling! I will be going to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to live and work with the Missionaries of Charity. Many people have heard of the great work those sisters do, and I am priviledged to share in their work and live as a volunteer in their homes. I'm not really sure what to expect, except to expect the unexpected. I am assured of a great adventure, a new storehouse of stories and no doubt an experience of a lifetime.
According to the countdown clock on my Facebook page, I have 70 days to go before leaving Saskatoon. I feel like I have a million things to do, but I'm sure that I can get them all done. The beauty of selling everything you own is that you have far less things to take care of!!
I will be out of my house by the end of the month and that will be HUGE!!! As I purge my life of THINGS, the reality of what I'm setting out to do is drawing near. I have every confidence that I'm doing the right thing, but I can't deny that there are some moments of fear and anxiety!
Looking forward to a great summer with family and friends. Not sure how much I'll blog before I go, but thought the page looked empty without anything on it. Besides, I'm trying to learn the ins and outs of blogging before I hit slow speed internet and get too frustrated.
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