Today - we have a permanent clinic hosted by an incredible Honduran physician, Dr. Roger, and an amazing nurse - Angy. We have treated more than 4,000 patients a year, and host 2-3 medical brigades a year.
So I went out to the clinic a few days ago, and after having collected medication, equipment, supplies, etc. for over 10 years, I only left with three things - my stethoscope, my otoscope, and my childbirth education material - all in 1 small box. Humble beginnings...humble leavings.
And this is how I start my new ministry in Africa - with my little box of medical personal effects. I pray that God uses my growing education - as I obtain my Masters of Public Health, give classes on AIDS (the number #1 cause of death in Equitorial Guinea), and give classes in and help evaluate pregnant mommies as the death rate of children under 1 is one of the highest in the world.
I came humbly, and I leave humbly, to start anew.
My sweet friend Mindy put it this way:
"This picture seems just right. At the end of it all you will journey to new places with naught more than you started once before and begin again. Daunting? Yes. But with God-all things are possible. While it's a little box of supplies, it was your start to countless lives changed, thousands of vitamins given, hours of assessments, medication administration, glasses fitted, teeth cleaned, pulled and filled, diabetes and htn (hypertension) education, abx (antibiotic) dosing, maternal/newborn checks, counseling, inventory, the building of an actual, functioning, life giving CLINIC! IN THE JUNGLE!! You walked miles to check in on people weekly, sweat buckets under a tin roof during mobile clinic times, provided safety, hugged freely, loved deeply, and above all else introduced each one to the Great Physician who heals our deepest wounds and gives us eternal life. And all you had to start with was that little box of supplies. Seems like a pretty special box to me."
My sweet friend Mindy put it this way:
"This picture seems just right. At the end of it all you will journey to new places with naught more than you started once before and begin again. Daunting? Yes. But with God-all things are possible. While it's a little box of supplies, it was your start to countless lives changed, thousands of vitamins given, hours of assessments, medication administration, glasses fitted, teeth cleaned, pulled and filled, diabetes and htn (hypertension) education, abx (antibiotic) dosing, maternal/newborn checks, counseling, inventory, the building of an actual, functioning, life giving CLINIC! IN THE JUNGLE!! You walked miles to check in on people weekly, sweat buckets under a tin roof during mobile clinic times, provided safety, hugged freely, loved deeply, and above all else introduced each one to the Great Physician who heals our deepest wounds and gives us eternal life. And all you had to start with was that little box of supplies. Seems like a pretty special box to me."
1 comment:
I love every word of this!
Marty D.
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