Monday was packing and travel day to Bongolo. Literally the whole day was traveling. Our flight was a few hours late which is normal for it not to be the time that it says on the ticket. We then had a two hour drive to our destination which the roads if you can call them roads was not smooth. The Chinese though are working on putting paved roads at least from the airport to the village near Bongolo maybe more thats just what I saw only. By the time we got to the house, it was dark. The house is amazing. Never would I expect such a house in the middle of the jungle. It is something I would see in HGTV as a summer vacation home in some exotic island. Words can not describe how great this house. The brick and tile floors, the modern bathrooms, the fireplace, and the word work is amazing. I got pictures and a video of the house just to show you that I may have went to Africa but it sure does not feel like it. After putting all the luggage in the house, we then went over to Karen's house for dinner. She is a nurse here who has been at Bongolo hospital or the Congo for like over thirty years. It was great to talk to her about it all. She gave us a little history of hopsital and of herself. It just is great to listen to people and hear their stories.
Bongolo is where the first missionaries of the CMA came in the 1930's (not the first missionaries of the CMA but at least to Gabon). Which honestly I think that is amazing that they came all the way from the states and came to the middle of the jungle. Since then it has grown and there are so many churches. God is working in Gabon. It's great to see how two people came and made a huge difference. The hospital is amazing. Because the hospitals in Libreville charge outrageous prices for things most people travel here (which by car from Libreville is 10 hours average). This hospital has a lot: OR, ER, HIV/AIDS clinic, denistry, radiology, lab to do blook work and other things, peds, maternity, prenatal care, eye clinic, optomology, ICU, and a few others that I am probably missing. Along with all that they also have a nursing school and a PAAC program for residency for surgeons. Medical missionaries are not only helping the people here but also training people here so that they can be either stay here and work or they can go back to their villages or the city to practice medicine. And a really cool thing about the hospital is they get their own electricity from the river therefore they don't have to pay for it. I am sure that saves them a lot of money.
Tuesday was a great day for we got the tour by another nurse here. She has also been here for over thirty years. Kelli and I then were allowed to scub into the OR. We saw a lap chole and a goiter surgery. Let me say the differences between here and the states as in the OR. One it is a lot warmer in the rooms where they operate because in the states I always wore leggings and shirts underneath my scrubs. They do have AC its just not that strong. They also have emergency lights in the OR because often they lose power about once a day or every other day. The surgery tools and a few things must be reused where in the states they don't reuse. But it is hard to get supplies and even if they could it would be too expensive. No worries though they do sterilize it so it is good as new, but just part of doing medicince in a third world. I did get pictures of the surgeries which I would not be allowed to do in the states. Here they welcomed it and one of the surgeons even gave me his camera to take pictures. Half way through the goiter surgery though we stepped out to get lunch. The surgery is a long one since it is the neck and screwing up was not an option therefore they probably had a few more hours to go. We ate a late lunch and then took a few pictures of the area. That night we went over the Hoffman's house for dinner. They are here with Samaritan's Purse. She is an optomologist and he does all the book keeping for the hospital and all the missionaries. He makes everyone's life easier. Once again we were showed great hospitality. The people here are just so nice and really do make us feel welcomed. It was great to talk to Wende Hoffman. She actually grew up near Seattle and attended University of Washington for medical school. But she knew that she wanted to be a medical missionary since she was young. Actually a lot of the people say that here.
Wednesday, Kelli and I were invited to do rounds with Dr. Thompson and the residents. This is the day when I learned a lot and never before felt so emotionally drained. Before the rounds began all the doctors, Kelli and I stood outside and prayed. They do this every day which is a great way to show all the people who come to the hospital that God is much bigger than us but so cares and loves us. At the moment when walking with them all and seeing the patients it did not bother me until later that day when I journaled about it. There were people with AIDS, ulcers, cancer of all kinds, ectopic pregnancies which means the baby grew in the fallopian tubes due to not traveling down to the uterus most likely because of STDs, a women had severe burns because her husband burned her (domestic violence is more common here), a girl also had severe burns but this was because of a gas fire in her house which killed her mother and it did not look that promising that she would make it (Grace is her name if you would like to pray for her), a baby with many problems and looking at several surgeries to help her. Those are the ones I remember. It made me sick to think about how much pain they are in and probably have been in. But once again Dr. Thompson stopped even though he had a busy day ahead to pray for some patients in particular Grace. I am still processing a lot of what I saw that day. It was a lot to see, yet there are people here that see it every day. It makes me wonder if I could someday. It is so different than what I saw when watching Dr. Irwin this summer. The conditions that they do it in to are not that great. There is no AC in the other rooms (just the OR has it) and its hot and humid here. Also people are not bathing like we do in the states so the smells just are so overpowering. Some of the rooms just don't feel that clean where the patients stay over night.
After rounds and lunch, Kristi, Kelli, Heather and I all went down to the storage where there are medical supplies to help organize it with Melodee. That has been one of her many jobs here. She and her husband Paul retired and came to Africa to do so. They are just another amazing couple. Paul actaully works harder than he did back at home. He is ahead of all the maintance so he works all day and then is on call if a pipe were to break or really anything he goes. The storage room is packed with supplies although some supplies that people give them honestly I don't think they will ever use. But its Africa so they keep it all. We sorted for a few hours and made some good progress. For dinner that night Melodee and Paul had us over for dinner. I feel like I dine every night with great food and dessert. I feel like every night we get dessert. It really makes the whole Africa trip an ideal trip. Carbs and dessert what more could I ask for.
Thursday day which brings me up to date, we all went back to the storage room to do more organizing and sorting. The day slipped by so fast. Soon we were at this restaurant in the town near by with Paul and Melodee. The dinner we had might be my favorite this whole time during our trip. The chicken was amazing and also the homemade fries. I really am getting used to life in Africa. Work and eat well. Tomorrow we leave to go back to Libreville. It will probably be a whole day adventure. Saturday, we are meeting up with the people who work at the clinic because Kristi made a database for them to help them keep track of their patients. Kristi will then get to explain to them how to work it. After that we will get to go to Hope House which will be great to see the children again. Then Sunday we will go to church and then that night we leave to go back home. Hopefully, no one has a heart attack on this plane ride.
Anyways the is most of my trip. I spared some of the details. So far I am and will continue to learn a lot as I process through things. I do have videos thanks to the Hamiltons! I also have pictures that I will post them somewhere. But I want to say there are a few things that I want to live by Joshua 1:9 which might be my favorite verse and also this story/quote "there are two men talking. One man says that he when he meets God he wants to ask him why all the pain, diseases, poverty and injustice in this world. The other man says I fear God will ask me the same question."
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