Life continues on here at Chitokoloki at its usual fast pace. Our doctor and his wife were away for the past week giving us a wee chance to catch our breath. Two days without surgery have kept our numbers down a bit. But there are so many cases of malaria especially among the children and so our kids ward is often overflowing so much so the floor beds come out the ward and down the main corridor. I counted one day 7 floor beds in the ward itself, 3 in the kids ward corridor, three in the maternity corridor, one in the corridor leading to the kitchen and 5 in the main corridor. And that doesn't include siblings who are sick and share beds.
With the start of the rains I've discovered a new element of life here in the bush. While an umbrella serves to protect for the most part from the rain itself, I am hard pressed sometimes to find ways to get up to hospital without walking through thick, sucking, red mud sometimes three inches deep. Finding a path to hospital which avoids most of the muddy areas provides almost daily amusement.
Hospital continues to be a challenge with so many new things to learn and a great deal to relearn. I've added a few new skills to my repertoire including suturing and incision and drainages but just the basics, there are still details to learn, but slowly by slowly. About a week back I was called up to hospital because a mom was delivering breech - bottom end first. To complicate matters this was a first baby for mom. She was very fortunate to have delivered a beautiful baby girl who was alive and healthy. And of course, I am always thankful for Julie Rachel's expertise and assistance who helped with the delivery and the resus of the baby!
Many out reach activities have been stopped for the holiday season or the school break. So I find I have a bit extra free time, to fill with other things of course. And yes, for those of you who worry- I am taking time to rest myself! I managed on the last day of Sunday School to give my Lunda lesson... not sure how it went. 100 kids are rowdy at the best of times... and these kids here are never quite controlled. But I made it through without too much stumbling and without having to ask very often for help with huge words like 'wavwalikili' or 'semuneni' :)
Its hard to believe at times that it is actually Christmas. It seems much easier to just forget. The blatant lack of snow is an obvious reason for this Canadian girl to struggle with believing it is actually Christmas - those of you who wish to mail snow please be advised a picture is a much better idea :). However, the decorations and the date convince me that it is indeed Christmas time. The highlight of the season thus far was helping Lorraine (the doctor's wife and a nurse herself) decorate her home for Christmas- which is at least half the fun of Christmas where I come from :) However, with Christmas plans upon us: Gordon and Ruth Hanna (fellow missionaries and sort of administrator like roles) hosted three dinner parties one for the trained Zambian staff, one for the CDE's (the sweepers and blue ladies who help keep the hospital clean but also perform personal care of the patients and deliver babies -imagine your hospital house keepers doing that?!) and the maintenance staff. Emma and I both took a day and went up to help Ruth serve for the staff. Emma went with the trained staff and I went with the CDE's. It was great fun! The chance to sit and chat over a good pot of nshima is always enjoyed!
Plans for our Christmas here are actually quite intense! There possibly may be surgery Christmas eve we have on our list (which is over 1000 btw) two major surgeries, three minor surgeries and an exam under anaesthesia. Then a small gathering Christmas eve night. Christmas day ward rounds in hospital along with delivering presents to the patients. A church service in the morning nshima following and then the missionaries here have a Christmas dinner - although I'm not sure if there will be turkey there. Then Tanis and I are off. Tanis is visiting friends in Sakeji and I also have a friend there that I haven't seen in years - Jill Avery- so I decided to accompany Tanis on her journey. We stop overnight in Loloma Christmas Day and Boxing day head up the rest of the way to Sakeji. So a very full time :) But good fun.
And that's this year done. Its hard to believe I've been here just about 6 months. I have nothing to say about that other than - the Lord Himself goes with you and His spirit gives you rest. These months have been to me a testament of what it means to trust God, to trust that He will see you through, to trust that even when things don't always make sense He has a plan and it is good; He is good. There have been so many ways that I have failed, so many experiences that I have failed to understand, but there is still the calm assurance that as the heavens are higher than the earth so are His ways higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts. This is the peace that passeth all understanding, the peace that I cling to as we make our way into a new year.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I will trust in You; ;
I will hold to what is true
That You see the weakest through
Every trial.
I will cling to You,
Each day I pledge it new
My imperfect gratitude
From now on
Another highlight just from today (23 Dec) was the opportunity to go with one of the ladies from Church out to deliver Christmas gifts to all the older members of the church. This is Lilian, Shawn n Rhonda's house worker and a good friend, delivering a gift to one of the older men. Such a totally awesome experience to trek thru tiny foot paths and visit some of these older brothers and sisters.; and so cool to just be in the village and spending time with the people around :)
