A New Day's Work

Bright and early this morning--at 7:00 am, we met for a morning devotion with all of the hospital staff members. What a great way to start the day. We still reflected on Palm Sunday. Next, we rounded at the hospital working our way through the Pediatrics, Women's, Men's, and post-Surgery wards. One of the highlights of my morning was returning here two years later and seeing my second mom named Doris. This is the nurse I met the last time who claimed me as her daughter, given that my real mom's name is also Doris. On that trip, she gave me a chicken as an expression of her esteem or really as an honor. It was so generous of her then, knowing how precious that meat is to them. Doris was glowing and so was I. We hugged and she couldn't stop talking about the chicken from two years ago. I'm so thankful to be back. These are true friendships and siblings in Christ here.

My first patient in clinic blew me away. They have paper cards that serve as their "hospital charts" here, so I glanced at her name, Cecilia, and at the only prior written note, which happened to be dated April 2007. That was her last visit here. I was then blown away to see my name as the physician who took care of her. She has only been to this hospital that one time in April 2007 and her second trip was today in April 2009. If that's not divine, I don't know what is. Thank you, Lord, for Cecilia. She came in with abdominal pain. We talked about how meaningful the timing was.

I saw a multitude of patients today, while sharing an exam room with Jodi as she saw hers. Astrid, the Belgium nursing student staying with us, was in the exam room with us for a while. Our translator was Agnes, who has worked here 22 years, and I remember her from my prior trip as well. We saw people with hypertension, tinea capitis, congenital adrenal hypoplasia, a child with bilateral basal ganglia hyposxic injuries who was stiff (like the child from the first day), many people with abdominal pain, malaria, migraines, seizures, pneumonias, newly diagnosed breast cancer, typhoid fever, tropical splenomegaly, urinary tract infections, pregnancies, developmental delay, and somatiform disorders. All in a day's work and it's still not done. We were able to pray with several of the patients today, especially the stiff baby and another boy I diagnosed with hydrocephalus based on clinical findings. He needs neurosurgery and will have to go to Accra, but at least we were able to facilitate that diagnosis and encourage them to go there. It really is a ticking time bomb with that.

Thank you, Lord, for the people and their needs. Thank you for the missionaries who beyond pour every drop of themselves into this place. If a person empties himself that much, he or she just must have no where to go but to be so completely filled with the Holy Spirit.