Hello friends!
As the title says, it has been raining here frequently. Meaning two days. But that is a lot, and when it rains, it really rains. The streets flood, everyone goes inside, there are no cars, motorbikes, or pedestrians, and therefore, there aren't very many people coming to the hospital. It is very refreshing to have a coolness settle over the area; the power was very in and out today so the mix between the cool and the dim lighting was relaxing!
Friday another baby was born, which I really love to be a part of. This one came about 7:30 in the morning, interrupting the Bible study the hospital has together before they take patients. I have been learning what mothers' stomachs look like at different stages before birth. A mom with a child 5 months old has a bump about to her belly button! (i'm sure you all non-nursing people love to know!) Hearing ultrasounds is of course exciting, and I am always amazed by how fast those little babies hearts are beating! One thing that is interesting here is all the women (and many other patients) always get a spot check for hemoglobin because it is especially low. Felix always pulls down a patient's bottom eyelid to check the color- if it is pale, it is probably low. The nutrition is not very good here, which is usually the problem, and paired with pregnancy the women need extra teaching to stay healthy.
The weekends are very restful in Burkina. I took several hours of walks over the weekend, which I love more and more. Most of the time I go with the 3 girls and we always seem to discover something fun. We started going to this water retention area a street away that is very long. It is full of everyones trash, mud, and rocks. This doesn't keep many Burkinabe from washing, working, and playing in and around it. Along the way we always see people coming out of the area with huge baskets of mud, or sand, or sometimes things they have sifted through to find. When we are away from people the girls love to throw rocks in the water. It is very fun for me to spend time with them, as I get to act as a friend and older sibling. They call me "auntie" which is a term used for anyone older. I am their savior from the wild dogs that roam the streets (who really are not that scary.)
We went to an International Church on Sunday, which was actually having its last meeting for the summer since many of the people who attend go away (they only work in Burkina Faso). We sang "In Christ Alone," which is a song I really love, so it was fun to have a rememberance of home. In the evening a friend of Felix and Nema's came over to their house for a visit. He could speak some English, so it was fun looking up words in the dictionary trying to figure out what each other was saying. We caught the tail end of the World Cup on TV, a real joy to watch with Nema because she loves soccer, but a real sorrow that America lost.
Today at the hospital a man came from the Netherlands- not something that would ordinarily happen! He could speak English, another chance to get to talk with someone more than "hello, how are you, my name is Julia" and I got to feel a little smart as he explained his condition, I asked if he was taking anti-malaria medicine, and no, he wasn't. This mean...probably malaria. He'll get tested of course, but sometimes as a nursing student, its nice to pretend I know things.
For all you Michael Jackson fans, Burkina Faso is mourning as well. (simone and lindsey?)
Thanks for your prayers, I will keep you updated!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Motor Bikes and Babies Born
Hi Friends!
I arrived in Africa on Tuesday about 5pm Burkina time and am doing well. The plane travel went very well. I thought my four hour layover in Paris would be enough time for me to maybe look around the airport a little to experience a new city, but it was just enough time for me to figure out where I needed to go, and wait in lots of lines! Since this was my first stop in a place where they spoke French, I had a hard time finding out I had to get on a bus, travel several stops and go to a different terminal. All went well after asking three people, and I ended up sleeping through my entire last plane ride of 7.5 hours to Ouagadougou, which helped with the jet lag. Too bad I missed the cherry cobbler for dinner, the guy's sitting next to me looked good :)
Upon arriving at the airport in Ouaga I felt like I was in Africa. Everywhere it is red dirt, and we exited on the runway, not in the airport. The lady stamping my passport to let me in the country gave me a suspicious eye but no one even looked inside my bags, and I only had to fend off a dozen or so men asking if I needed a hotel or taxi in French. Felix and Nema (the Dr. and Nurse I am working and living with) picked me up and we drove in their car the 20 minute drive to their beautiful home. The roads are all red dirt and are filled with bumps, dips, trash, and lots and lots of motorbikes and people walking. (Nema has a motorbike that I rode on with her today; it was very fun!) I love seeing the women carrying their babies on their backs with large bowls on their heads. Many vendors line the streets, and stray dogs are superfluous.
Felix and Nema were so gracious to give me a room of my own while I stay with them, and the bed is so comfortable! I eat very well (this is for you mom)- tonight for dessert was mango and papaya- so delicious! Showers are so refreshing here as it is not hard to get up from sitting and have a pool of sweat- but fans are widely used and we take a break midday for rest/napping. I have grown close to Felix and Nema's three girls, who have welcomed me and helped me with my French tremendously. Today we took a walk around the block together and had lots of fun looking at snails, dodging dogs, and taking pictures of donkeys. They are also good dancers.
The hospital here is such a learning experience. It is difficult for me to know what to do because I cannot speak French, but that does not keep me from being involved. I saw a baby being born today, which was absolutely beautiful! I got to put its first set of clothes on! I also dressed some wounds, removed sutures and observed some other procedures. Things are certainly done differently here as sanitation is not like our hospitals and computers are not used. I was thinking today (for all you nursing students- no care planning? no nursing diagnosis? what a relief!) I especially love learning from Nema her ways of truly loving her patients and praying for them.
Just in case you were wondering, I learned that West Africa does not have many animals left because they were all hunted or run to the East- so Grandpa, no elephant, sorry!
And since I am in the city, the stars are not very numerous or bright, but still wonderful to see.
If you could pray that I continue to learn French, that would be so helpful. Also, that I would know how to best encourage Felix and Nema. They work very hard and could use your prayers as well. God is truly using their clinic to bring people to himself, and its amazing to get to witness.
I will write more whenever I can, the power here goes out often, which means no lights, fans, or computers!
Thank you all and God bless!
I arrived in Africa on Tuesday about 5pm Burkina time and am doing well. The plane travel went very well. I thought my four hour layover in Paris would be enough time for me to maybe look around the airport a little to experience a new city, but it was just enough time for me to figure out where I needed to go, and wait in lots of lines! Since this was my first stop in a place where they spoke French, I had a hard time finding out I had to get on a bus, travel several stops and go to a different terminal. All went well after asking three people, and I ended up sleeping through my entire last plane ride of 7.5 hours to Ouagadougou, which helped with the jet lag. Too bad I missed the cherry cobbler for dinner, the guy's sitting next to me looked good :)
Upon arriving at the airport in Ouaga I felt like I was in Africa. Everywhere it is red dirt, and we exited on the runway, not in the airport. The lady stamping my passport to let me in the country gave me a suspicious eye but no one even looked inside my bags, and I only had to fend off a dozen or so men asking if I needed a hotel or taxi in French. Felix and Nema (the Dr. and Nurse I am working and living with) picked me up and we drove in their car the 20 minute drive to their beautiful home. The roads are all red dirt and are filled with bumps, dips, trash, and lots and lots of motorbikes and people walking. (Nema has a motorbike that I rode on with her today; it was very fun!) I love seeing the women carrying their babies on their backs with large bowls on their heads. Many vendors line the streets, and stray dogs are superfluous.
Felix and Nema were so gracious to give me a room of my own while I stay with them, and the bed is so comfortable! I eat very well (this is for you mom)- tonight for dessert was mango and papaya- so delicious! Showers are so refreshing here as it is not hard to get up from sitting and have a pool of sweat- but fans are widely used and we take a break midday for rest/napping. I have grown close to Felix and Nema's three girls, who have welcomed me and helped me with my French tremendously. Today we took a walk around the block together and had lots of fun looking at snails, dodging dogs, and taking pictures of donkeys. They are also good dancers.
The hospital here is such a learning experience. It is difficult for me to know what to do because I cannot speak French, but that does not keep me from being involved. I saw a baby being born today, which was absolutely beautiful! I got to put its first set of clothes on! I also dressed some wounds, removed sutures and observed some other procedures. Things are certainly done differently here as sanitation is not like our hospitals and computers are not used. I was thinking today (for all you nursing students- no care planning? no nursing diagnosis? what a relief!) I especially love learning from Nema her ways of truly loving her patients and praying for them.
Just in case you were wondering, I learned that West Africa does not have many animals left because they were all hunted or run to the East- so Grandpa, no elephant, sorry!
And since I am in the city, the stars are not very numerous or bright, but still wonderful to see.
If you could pray that I continue to learn French, that would be so helpful. Also, that I would know how to best encourage Felix and Nema. They work very hard and could use your prayers as well. God is truly using their clinic to bring people to himself, and its amazing to get to witness.
I will write more whenever I can, the power here goes out often, which means no lights, fans, or computers!
Thank you all and God bless!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Departing tomorrow
My bags are packed and I'm ready to go. I'm leaving- on a couple planes, with my flight time summed up to 16 hours. I'm excited, nervous, and more than ready. I had fun getting on and off the scales with my suitcases, making sure I didn't pack too much (its a couple hundred for an overweight back to Africa)! Thank you for all your support, prayers, and encouragement!
If you think of me as I fly, please pray that God will prepare my path before me. That my bags would get to Burkina with everything still in them, and that nothing would get lost or stolen, and that I would arrive safely. Who knows who I will be sitting by on the plane, but pray for them too- Ive been hearing horror stories of plane trips recently.
Next time I write God willing I will be in a time zone that is 4 hours later than the time now, where I don't know the language!
If you think of me as I fly, please pray that God will prepare my path before me. That my bags would get to Burkina with everything still in them, and that nothing would get lost or stolen, and that I would arrive safely. Who knows who I will be sitting by on the plane, but pray for them too- Ive been hearing horror stories of plane trips recently.
Next time I write God willing I will be in a time zone that is 4 hours later than the time now, where I don't know the language!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Welcome to my blog!
Thanks so much for checking out my blog! I wanted to make an easy way for you to hear about my mecical missions trip to Burkina Faso in Africa. I will post as often as possible with updates and prayer requests. My date for departure is June 22; be on the lookout for more posts starting around then!
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