Americans want productivity—give us numbers. Thursday was a slow day for the clinic, which gave the team more time to talk with the Tanzanian staff at the hospital. God may have been pushing us in the direction of solidifying our relationships, which is so crucial here. But when we pulled up at 8 yesterday morning, there were patients lined up waiting for us and they continued to arrive throughout the day. The team was kept very busy and enjoyed meeting and talking with so many seeking our help.
Doug had an audience during each of his procedures. Neil, who is a pre-med student at OSU, observed the first; Elizabeth, who is a third year nursing student at U of A, watched the second; and Shelby and Jordan were present during the third. Cindy, who circulated through the OR to be ready when Doug needed anything, instructed them in sterilization safety procedures and was able to narrate through each surgery so they would all know what they were looking at and what Doug was doing. The rest of the team will have an opportunity to observe in coming days.
Cindy’s face was alight with joy every time she left the OR. Her interaction with the Tanzanian nurses assisting in prep and care of the patients held a degree of give and take that is beyond anything we have experienced in the past. St. Mary’s is a small private hospital and is only manned by surgical staff when a surgery is scheduled—they will arrive and perform the procedure and then return to their jobs at other hospitals. When we have worked there the past two years, the OR was dedicated to our use, so there wasn’t any surgical staff with whom we could compare notes. Mazimbu has a full staff and they are very well trained. The exchange of knowledge is stimulating and exciting and is a benefit we did not anticipate.
Christopher’s skills in wound care were put to use yesterday when a patient arrived with a wound that required debriding and cleaning. And both he and Elizabeth have helped with injections, which leaves Cindy free to remain in surgery with Doug. God has brought together a team whose skills mesh and we are constantly reminded of the beauty of His plan.
Lingering long after dinner last night, the team discussed the day and solved the problems of the world. After a while, Jordan mentally tuned out of the discussion as she began making plans for the evening. After a quick check with Adam, a sleepover was arranged for Elizabeth and Shelby at Jordan’s room. The team is housed in 4 double rooms (Cindy and Elizabeth, Pati and Shelby, Doug and Glennis and Adam and Jordan) and 2 single rooms (Neil and Christopher). Adam and Jordan have the only double room that is actually a 2 bedroom and each of them have a full size bed. The girls enjoyed movie night on Adam’s laptop and then, because we must all sleep under mosquito netting and there is only one net per bed, all 3 girls slept together in Jordan’s bed. A good time was had by all.
The temperature this morning was the coolest we have seen, and the faint notes of a songbird singing a morning song followed us to breakfast. Being Saturday, we knew we would have a lighter day today. The hospital runs a much smaller crew on the weekend and we did not have any additional patients arrive after noon. That meant we stayed just long enough to miss lunch at LJS, so we got to experience a local restaurant, the Oasis, and a local favorite, chips mayai, which is close to a french fry omelette. Yumm!
Tomorrow we travel to a Masai village for worship. Christopher has made arrangements to attend mass at a local Catholic church at 8 and will be joining us for the trip to the village. We are all looking forward to the day and will have lots to share with our families.
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