Today is our last day in the schools and hospital. Tomorrow we pack up and head back to Addis Ababa. On Friday we have a retreat day, where we get to sort of decompress and process our time here before getting on a plane on Saturday. I can't believe it's over already (although my body sure can--wow am I exhausted!).
Today was a hard day, as my spirit was willing but my flesh was weak:-) Today we saw a mix of young kids (we talk a lot about washing hands/faces, germs, oral health, and the dirtiness of flies!) and older adolescents (breeze through the above topics, and mostly talk about HIV/AIDS). I love connecting with the older girls and reminding them how special they are, how precious their bodies are. In a culture that sees them as property, I pray my words bless and empower them. They are all so beautiful and full of promise.
Medically speaking, we have been very busy and challenged. Many sick babies were carried in at the end of day on the backs of their 7(ish)-year old sisters. To see these little girls acting as mothers as they tried to soothe the babies while discussing the babies' symptoms with the doctors is both impressive and heart-wrenching. I took one screaming baby outside just so her sister could pay attention as the pharmacist gave her instructions (and so I could get my baby fix!). But can you imagine?! One so young being so in charge? At the end of today, a woman vomited several times while waiting to see a doctor, then passed out outside the tent. Luckily the bus was already at the school to pick us up, but it didn't have enough fuel to make 2 trips. Since today was the last day we were packing up everything. We needed to get her to the hospital immediately, so we literally were throwing things willy nilly on the bus. Out here, you don't stay out after dark (both animal and human threats), so waiting at the school was out of the question. In any event, it turns out the woman has a huge ovarian mass of some sort, and will need surgery next week. People out here just suffer and die so needlessly. This week, Michael also saw a few cases of sub-cutaneous anthrax (boy I hope I'm saying that right). In any event, to me it looked like a giant, rotten sore. Many cases of mumps. Everyone has goiters. The surgeons did an 8-hour surgery the other day to remove a 1-1/2 lb goiter! And all the women have prolapsed uteruses from having so many babies. Bill and Isabella are staying on for another 2 months, and they are going to have their hands full! Oh so many more things that I'm too tired to remember now--I'm going to have to have Michael do a blog entry for all you medical folks out there:-)
We have had a team of nurse translators with us the whole time, and can I just say what an impressive group of women (plus 2 men) they are. Smart, compassionate, passionate, good English, eager to learn, great teachers, and all with the greatest desire to help their country. They used their vacation time to come here and help us. We have been blessed to know and work with them. Aster, Amenti, Senait, Ageritu, Hareg. Amazing new friends, I will remember and cherish them forever.
I am sad to leave our hosts. Their vision and passion are inspiring. They are a Christian outreach in an area that is 95% Muslim. Martha told me that for the 1st two years Project Mercy was in operation, people would throw stones at them when they left the compound. She says people still actively and fervently pray for her to die. I cried when I heard this. How can there be such hate and intolerance? How can these people not love the couple that feeds them, builds schools and hospitals, provides training so local women can earn money, and a dozen other things? My heart aches for them, yet they are not bothered in the least. Their complete faith is nothing short of amazing. Talk about an inspiration.
Well, I've managed to ramble on incoherently again:-) I am sad to leave, yet anxious to be home. This experience has been such a gift. I hope to take the next few days to figure out what God wants me to do from here. My heart has been broken, touched, changed. Now I just need to know what to with all that I have seen and learned. Good night for the last time from Yetebon:-)
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