Hello from Liberia :)
So you give me money and I quit writing. What's that all about? Sorry-o. [African for sorry:] I can't believe it's been a whole month. The longer I'm here the harder it is to keep the communication lines open with everyone at home. We're in...different worlds.
I set up a blog site with my old emails and the corresponding pictures so that you can have a better idea of what it's like over here. Check out the archives for some of the best pictures of Liberia. And Brussels, too.
Alright, here goes...
9.26.2007
About the birthday messages - woah. I thought I had signed into somebody else's gmail account when I saw all the unread mail! And amazing how everyone somehow knew it was my birthday! [Kidding...I know, a little birdie told you, right?] Not sure if you're interested in hearing every detail of the day, but, well, you know where to find the scroll button... I was fortunate to have the day off. It started with balloon animals hanging in my cabin, a scavenger hunt, a perfect day at the beach, and then there was a lovely dinner at a lebanese restaurant. Apparently the Lebanese entrepeneurs are taking over the Liberian economy. Well, that's a story for another day. But they make really good food. Ever try moutaball? Well, you should. It's like hummus except instead of chickpeas it's made with eggplant. And it's amazing. The night ended on the dock, eating cake and listening as my friends strummed their guitars beneath the starry sky. It seems that all of you AND everyone here made a massive effort to make my birthday away from home extra special. I felt really ridiculously loved. So, thanks. I'm twenty five and happy to be alive. :)
9.30.2007
The number of roommates who have shared this six birth cabin with since I arrived here four months ago: thirteen. The majority of volunteers just come for a few months. Sometimes the turnover is overwhelming. Sometimes I am sad to see friends go and it takes a little while to have the energy to invest in yet another new person. But for the most part, I am thankful for every person here. I have learned a thing or two that will stay with me for a long time from each one of my cabin mates – from the adorable asian girl who carried an umbrella even on sunny days to preserve her skin, to the retired southern belle who talked from the minute she walked in the door until she fell asleep [thank God for my iPod], to the dentist who brushes her teeth for at least seven minutes a pop [way to practice what you preach, sister!]. The quirks you learn about people when you live with them can be funny. We laugh a lot here. Four months. Thirteen girls. No drama. Kind of hard to believe. I guess you don't come to Africa if you're very high maintenance. This is an amazing place.
[The first bunch of roommates.]
10.7.2007
Marthlyn is a twelve year old girl who we've been caring for in the hospital. She came down with an awful disease called Noma when she was two. Noma is caused by malnutrition and a poor immune system, and can eat away the bones of a child's face within days. Marthlyn came to us with a hole in her face where her top lip and nose used to be. Two weeks ago, Marthlyn underwent major reconstructive surgery in which one of her ribs was used to recreate a nose. Her new upper lip is sutured closed to her lower lip, and until the next reconstructive surgery will be done in a few more weeks she relies on the tracheostomy tube inserted through her neck into her airway to breathe. Tracheostomies are awful, especially in the beginning phases. Taking care of a trach patient usually is a challenge, but this is the worst case I've seen. Marthlyn has gotten minimal sleep for the past two weeks. Saying that she is overtired and uncomfortable is a vast understatement. We have to put a suction tube down Marthlyn's throat every couple of hours to clear her airway. [If you're thinking this sounds barbaric, I agree. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking with this whole career in Western Medicine!] The past few shifts caring for Marthlyn have been brutal trying to provide the care she needs against her own wishes. She kicked one of the nurses. She begs us, with tears streaming down her face, to leave her alone. But a trach left alone is a pnemonia waiting to happen, or worse, the risk of an obstructed airway [ie- suffocation]. Unfortunately, this is not an easy concept for a twelve year old girl to grasp.
I was eagerly anticipating my days off at the end of six grueling shifts and the start of a sinus infection. But when Thursday night arrived, I found a note from my boss on my cabin door.
"We need you to come to work tonight. Sorry and thanks."
I thought about throwing the note into the ocean and pretending that I never saw it. But when you live on the same boat as your boss that's really not an option. :) So, I went to work.
I knew this would be a much better night when, at the beginning of my shift, I saw Marthlyn smile for the first time. Her smile doesn't look like yours or mine, but considering that weeks ago she didn't have a lip or a nose, the fact that she can smile is amazing. And her appearance will improve with more surgery. By midnight, Marthlyn was feeling better than she had in weeks. While the rest of the ward was sleeping, she got out of her bed and started dancing. Woah. This was quite a surprise to anyone who had seen Marthlyn the weeks before. We have been feeding her through a tube in her nose. Marthlyn was finally ready for something to drink. There is just enough room at the corners of her sutured lips to fit a straw. For the first time in her whole life, Marthlyn was able to drink juice through a straw. She smiled. I smiled. We hugged. Her Mom's face was glowing. We took pictures. And the dancing continued. Marthlyn taught me and another nurse some of her African moves, and we taught her the chicken dance. When the dancing came to an end and the juice was gone, Marthlyn crawled into bed and slept like a baby through the whole night. Finally.
Yes, there will still be rough times for Marthlyn, and there will still be tears I'm sure. But to share with her such a remarkable night, when she was able to see a ray of hope in her dark situation, it was just amazing. These are the moments that keep us all going. I never thought I'd be happy to work voluntary overtime...
10.12.2007
UPDATES
Finances...
I remain in awe of the financial support I received last month. Thank you, thank you, thank you again. The budget that I presented to all of you was about half of my actual budget when you include bills at home. I knew I was cutting it really close which meant the possibility of going into the red and also that I would probably need to start working again as soon as my feet hit American soil, which meant missing the holidays with my family. But, there was one donor who sent the entire $1500 (What???) even after I told him my goal was just about met, to be used for any needs - bills at home, donating here, whatever it may be. What a huuuuge blessing. I thank God for anticipating all of my needs yet again. Some down time to catch up with family and friends and attempt to reintegrate into American culture will be so good before moving onto the next thing. And when I have an idea what the next thing is, I'll be sure to let you know. Right now it changes about every ten minutes. There's so much to do out there...
At the Orphanage...
It's really ironic, public speaking is so not my thing, but I could not ask for a more graceful audience than the kids at the orphanage. They are just happy that someone is speaking to them. So as they get to learn new things I get to iron out my public speaking, and we all benefit in the long run. This month I have had opportunities to speak to the girls on two of our tuesday afternoons and to the whole group last Saturday morning.
We talked about Heaven: how to get there and what we think it will be like. Considering their bleak circumstances, I think it is really good for them to focus on hope beyond this life. They drew pictures of things they hope will be in Heaven. The colored pencils and paper we bring are a luxury to them. They get so excited. One of the older girls, Naomi, was afraid to draw. It's not something they are used to doing. We encouraged her and eventually she had a couple of flowers on her paper. They don't get much encouragement here. We dote all over them hoping to compensate.
More recently I went into depth about their bodies and about the birds and the bees. Add that to the list of things I never thought I'd do in life! Thier eyes grew huge as we showed them a diagram of the female anatomy. The most basic educational material that we grew tired of learning from in our school years is like gold to them.
Last saturday I talked to all the kids about the passage in the book of Matthew that tells us that if we are Christians we are the light of the world. I used a flashlight and a box and gave them examples of what it means to let our light shine (sharing, comforting each other) and what it means to hide our light (fighting, stealing, lying). I can remember some visual demonstrations like this from Bible school when I was young that have stayed with me all these years. If just one of our lessons makes a difference in the heart of one of these children, it will all be worthwhile.
In the Hospital...
[Hooray for good news this time:]
I received good news about Baby's situation. Turns out the woman who kicked her out last time was just a friend she was staying with in Liberia between visits to the Ship. Her actual home is hours away. She felt pretty sure that she'd be welcome there and was happy to go home. She was discharged a couple of weeks ago and has not been back, so that's a good sign that things are probably going alright!
Gorpue took a major turn for the best. Days after I sent out my last email, I was stunned to turn around and see her out of bed, walking down the hall! The wound that many of us feared she would not recover from is actually healing up with no further intervention. She is getting healthier every day. I don't doubt that the prayers have been a major factor in all of this.
Last Tuesday one of our cleft lip repair babies stopped breathing. I never saw a code on a baby before. It was awful. The good news is that six month old Joanna was resuscitated, came off of the ventolator in only a couple of days, and is doing much better. It looks like she might have a defect in her heart from birth. This may cause her more trouble later in life, and it is not something that we have the resources to diagnose or treat. But right now she is very well.
To all of you who are praying, I thank you. I don't doubt that God hears your prayers. You can continue to pray for all of our patients: for successful surgeries, healthy recoveries, acceptance back into their communities, and an understanding of God's love for them through their time here. Also, please pray for growth in Liberia in general, and that the work we are doing in local hospitals, churches, orphanages, businesses and the community would not create a dependence on relief, but empower Liberia long after the ship sets sail in November.
"Go to the people,
Live among them,
Learn from them.
Start with what they know.
Build on what they have:
But of the best of leaders;
When their task is accomplished,
Their work is done,
The people all remark,
'We have done it ourselves.' "
[Old Chinese Poem]
May you be blessed wherever you are today.
Much Love,
Lindsay
