Times of Tears and Joy

Greetings from the jungle of Impfondo!

            Over the past week while I have been here, I have realized I definitely am in a jungle. For the first time in my life I prayed for rain when the air was so moist that the washed clothes wouldn’t dry outside, even though the temperature was 110 degrees. God answered my prayers and last night it rained all night and I was able to comfortably rest in my bed for the first time all week.

Lauren, Lorna and Dr. Laura (all the L's can confuse)

            Wow, I have officially been at Pioneer Christian Hospital for one week. If I am honest with you, it has been one of the longest weeks of my life filled with lots of tears, but also lots of joy. The week started out really hard for me. I was missing home, having a hard time adjusting to the slow pace of life and was questioning why in the world I was in Congo. I felt as though I had nothing to offer to the people here, I was without a routine or schedule, I couldn’t understand French/Lingala and I just wanted to go home. For the first time in my life, I felt as if I had nothing. I was without family, friends and the familiar sights of home. I also am a person who thrives on being busy every day, all day- so when that business was gone, I did not know where to turn. I knew the right answer was to pray, turn to the Lord and find my value in him, but it is much easier said than done.

Mama Ema, the lovely lady I do vitals with

            On Wednesday, after a really rough night on Tuesday, God answered my prayers and showed me that He was with me. I started the day by taking vital signs with Mama Ema, a sweet Congolese woman. I enjoyed the sense of purpose that taking pulses, weight, BP and temperature gave me. However, about an hour in one of the nurses, who barely spoke English came in, looked at me and said “family, friend, home, you?” I was confused and said; no I am doing vitals this morning. He responded in broken English saying “No joy, no heart, you not here.” His comment really struck me. Was my face really showing that I was miserable? Well, maybe I was miserable? And he was right my heart was not here, it was in America. A little later in the morning a local English teacher named Destine came in to get vitals and he began to talk to me in English. As I was struggling to learn various lingala words, he looked at me and said, “You know, you don’t know when God is going to put this linagala to use or how God will use you. “ He referenced the story of Moses and how God called him in the desert back to Egypt. Moses asked God, why are you sending me I am not qualified. But God told Moses to go, reminding him of His everlasting presence with him. Destine had no idea that I was struggling that day with feeling unqualified and inadequate here. The Lord used him to bless me and remind that He is PRESENT here with me, even in the depths of Congo. 

Wilfred 

            After that morning, I have been doing much better. The little joys of the day are helping me to get through and I am finding more and more of my personality coming alive. I was able to go into the operating room three times this week, two times for c-sections (one was twins) and another time for an abdominal exploratory surgery. These were the first surgeries I have ever seen, so I relished every moment of it. The human body is amazing and I am amazed at the body’s ability to adapt and heal. Being in Congo though, I have also seen a very different side of medicine. At least two babies have died since I have been here and if they were in America, they most likely would have lived. The ultrasound machine has been broken and the x-ray machine was out of film, making diagnoses harder to pin point this week. Kids are coming in malnourished and patients are suffering from malaria and tuberculosis. Through the pain and hardship, the Lord’s hand is evident here. I value the prayers that Dr. Laura does over each patient room during rounds and appreciate the chapel message that is given each morning for patients.  I have enjoyed just trying to talk to the people here and hope to bring a smile to their face.

Elena and I taking pictures :) 

The baby from
Dr. Mano's C-section

            Besides medicine, the Lord has also blessed me with a number of simple joys that have helped me make it through the week. Bananas and avocados that grow on trees make me smile. I have enjoyed the daily English classes that an interpreter is giving to the nurses. I have made friends with the neighbor girl, Elena, and have bonded with her over American pop music and card games. I have enjoyed delicious coconut cookies, one of the only deserts that they have here. I am thankful for times at the Samoutou’s (a missionary family) to sit under their cool, electronic fans and enjoy delicious food. The letters that many of you wrote me before I left have daily encouraged me. The list could go on and on. Even in the moments when I wonder how in the world I will be here for 11 more weeks, I don’t want to leave. I know that I have so much more to learn and so many ways in which I can grow. Every morning I remind myself: Lord I am yours to be used in any capacity that you see fit for me this day.  I will continue to pray that as I journey through the days of trial and joy that will come ahead. Thank you all for your prayers and love, they mean so much to me.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend. I will miss the hot dogs, cookouts and watermelon. Blessings and love,

Lauren

Me with Raphael and Marianna (Elena's sisters) 

They loved posing for the camera. 

Look toward the Democratic Republic of Congo across the river

Tom chopping down bananas 

Siko's avocado tree 

Siko, Dr. Mano, Tom at the "Tropicana Restaurant" 

One of the amputee patients, who really
wanted to pose for a picture. 

Dr. Mano working on the c-section