Healing Rain

Hi family and friends,

Laura treating a kid who has marasmus

             Greetings from Congo! As I write this update, I am sitting inside enjoying the first “rainy” day that I have had since I got here. I just got back from church and I’m enjoying relaxing on the couch with the sound of rain on the roof. There is something about rain that is so soothing. Since I have last posted, the weather has cooled down as it is raining more often. We even had a day this week where it dropped to 70 degrees at night. I woke up in the middle of the night freezing cold. I had to put on a long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, yoga pants and socks before I could go back to bed. I was still cold… so I think it if safe to say that transitioning back to the US weather may be a little difficult. A few times over the last few weeks when it rains, I have been reminded of the song “Healing Rain.” It talks about being washed in Jesus’ name and is a beautiful representation of what is being done here in Impfondo. As I have worked in the hospital, I have come to see that medical healing is important, but healing of the soul is the most important. There are incredible stories of people who have come to HELP (Pioneer Christian Hospital) for injury or sickness and have come to know Jesus along the way. Just on Friday, a woman came into the hospital because she was hit on the head with a piece of wood when her boy friend’s other wife got mad at her (polygamy is very common here). The boy friend was at the hospital with her and Dr. Harvey got out his bible and shared the gospel with this man. In my head I was thinking that sharing the bible to this guy wouldn’t do anything. But as I looked over at the man, he had begun to tear up and he was listening intently. I believe that the holy spirit planted a seed in his heart that day. Also, yesterday there was a “youth conference” at the hospital and there were over 150 Congolese youth praising the Lord. These examples and many others have reminded me of the bigger work that is going. Yes I am enjoying the medicine and culture, but sharing the love of Christ is the most important work that is being done here!

Alberti, the albino baby 

            Over the last three weeks, things at the hospital have totally changed. Dr. Harvey (the founder of the hospital) arrived back from the US with his family and 6 pre-med/pre-pa students from Cedarville University. Two medical students have Ohio have also come, in addition to Dr. Harvey’s neice and nephew. So there are a lot of new people here, which has been exciting but also very tiring. The new group of people has brought with it a new routine at the hospital. The visitors were all divided into three groups. Each group spends one week rotating in 5 different areas of the hospital: eye center, medicine wards/ pediatrics, the bloc (surgery), maternity and emergency medicine. I was placed in a group with 2 pre-pa students from Cedarville. For our first rotation week, we were in surgery. I really enjoyed my time there. I saw at least 10 different procedures/surgeries, my favorite being a total hysterectomy for a woman who probably had uterine cancer. My time in the bloc also included a lot of hands on experience. I scrubbed in and assisted with my first surgery after learning all the instrument names, I put in IV’s, catheters and shots, I circulated the OR during surgery, helped cast multiple injuries and changed some wound dressings. It was lot of fun and a great learning experience to see and do things that I would never be able to do in the US. Times in the OR also break my heart. There is a particular 1-year old girl who has a big wound on her head from an IV infiltration. She has lost about 40% of her scalp and is losing vision in one eye because of facial nerve damage. Every time her wound dressing is changed my heart feels for her and the horrible pain she must feel. I am now half way through my second rotation, which is in the emergency department. I spent the 1^st day in the hospital lab learning to read different tests and the last few days in the two emergency salles (rooms) taking patient vitals, monitoring their progress and rounding with the Doctor. There were a lot of sick people this week and the ER got so crowded that people had to share beds. This week also brought about my first personal experience with death. There was a precious albino baby named Alberti that passed away this week. He had been in the hospital for over a month and Kate and I had grown attached to him. He had a lot of medical issues, but ultimately it is believed that his mom was not feeding him and giving him his medicine because she did not want to deal with him anymore. A woman named Maggie also passed away from epilepsy on Thursday. Her son Serge had been in pediatrics for malnutrition over the past month and it makes me sad to know that he now has lost his Mom and has no Dad in his life. These are the times when I have to remember that Jesus’ healing rain will wash away all of this pain and renew life!

Serge, the son of Maggie, who was in the hospital for malnutrition 

the hospital soccer game (Im in the navy blue) 

            The last few weeks have also included a lot of fun activities. We celebrated Cherisa and Karis Samoutou’s birthday with a Tom and Jerry party. We had an American picnic at the Harvey’s house on the 4^th of July. We played a big game of softball, used the ladder ball set and enjoyed some good ole’ fiddle music from Ben and Kate. Mrs. Harvey made sandwiches, corn on the cob and red, white and blue cake to top off our celebration! It wasn’t like being in the US, but it was fun to celebrate even in Africa. I also have seen quite a bit of soccer recently. Two weeks ago there was a big futbol match between the Impfondo team and a team from Brazzaville that was flown up. The hospital has the nicest field in the town so over 3000+ people showed up to watch the match. Laura, James, Kate and I were the only white people. We were quite the spectacle. The highlight of the game though was when I got to hold my first monkey. He was pretty adorable. Last Saturday, there was also a match between the hospital staff and administration. 5 of us girls wanted to play so we came in our tennis shoes, while the Congolese showed up in their team uniforms and cleats. They were kind enough to let us play and I even had a few plays that helped my team! It was pretty intimidating at first though. We also made homemade ice cream, which satisfied my sweet tooth for a while. The last exciting thing of the week is that we killed Laura’s chicken yesterday to eat him for dinner. It wasn’t as bloody as I thought it would be, but I am glad that in US we can have all of that done.  

The monkey I held at the soccer game

            As I look on my time left, it is crazy to think that I only have 4.5 weeks left at the hospital and 5 weeks until home. Time has really been flying by. With all the new people and the new routine, I have been left feeling tired and emotionally drained many days. Communicating in lingala and not being understand half of the time can be tiring. I also am at a point though where I am beginning to know the hospital staff, build relationships with them and build deeper relationships with the other missionaries there. I would appreciate prayer for emotional energy to continue to love people and share joy with them. Next week will be a time of transition as Dr. Laura heads back to the US and Dr. Harvey takes full control of the hospital, so prayer is needed for both of them. You also can be praying for the hospital‘s medical supply container to be released from customs. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayer!

Circulating in the OR 

            I leave you with Matthew 11:28-30. This verse has been an encouragement to me when I am tired or “done” for the day: “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in Heart and you will find rest for you souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Blessings to you all,

Lauren

One of the patients in pediatrics 

This girl loved posing for me 

Another sick kid in the pediatrics ward 

The two professional futbol teams in Congo 

Some of the 3000+ people in the crowd 

the nursing supervisor at the hospital

James, Dr. Laura and Bonifast in surgery 

One of the nurses in the OR showing off some 'tude'

James suturing up the wound 

Raphaella posing for a picture 

another picture from the hospital soccer game 

Our 4th of July feast 

playing softball at the mission 

all our softball spectators 

"its getting a little boring out here"

Serge holding up the rooster before the sacrifice 

Erica cutting off the head with a machete 

The beheaded rooster 

Holding Raphaella during the soccer game

homemade Congolese ice cream 

playing duck, duck, goose at the birthday party 

Cherisa, Karis and Ezra blowing out the candles of their birthday cake