I've upgraded my cheese whiz on toast to grill cheese sandwiches, but this is one night that I would love to be able to order pizza for delivery and then break into a tub of ice cream while I'm waiting. (Although chocolate sauce on yogurt is almost just as good).
I fried my router about a month back plugging a 110 into a 240 - whoops :S ! Just last week, I received a replacement router and have internet once again. Thankfully its a 240 plug this time and not a 110 lol!
It has been busy here these past two months since Christmas. Not busy like I was at home running (sometimes literally) from one activity to the next and then crashing. But steady, slow and steady and not really a chance to crash- although, my Saturdays off have become like gold! I'm learning as much as there is to do and as much as I want to be involved in different things I also must take time for myself to rest and refocus.
Earlier in the year we had several visiting doctors- a urologist, an ophthalmologist, an anesthesiologist, and an optometrist. Great fun and lots of opportunities to learn! Right now we have two medical students with us who are absolutely fabulous! They have been so much help not only in the practical things that need to get done but also learning from them on ward rounds which has been really great! So many times I feel completely out of my depth but its great to be able to refer to Jonathan or Rachel and be able to discuss patients with them.
Emma has taken the month off to focus on language studies. And this past week she has gone into a village to live for the week and work alongside the people there, which I think is a totally fabulous idea! But I am very much looking forward to her return to hospital next month!
Our patients in hospital right now are all mostly chronic (oddly enough) so its actually not too bad on ward rounds to know what is going on with pretty much all of the patients. A family from kids' ward has caught my especial attention. The older two kids were in for malaria, but the three of them are pretty malnourished and just sorta run down. So we've kept them here for a bit to help with their nutrition. Mom asked for a BTL last week, and we found out there are actually 5 kids all pretty much one year after another. The three that are here are about 1 year, about 2-3 years and about 4 years- mom's not really sure when the kids were born. I appreciate the freedom here to help out in patients' lives and I love that when I come into the ward when the two older kids see me they will come to me to be picked up and cuddled. I pray that bridges will be built and that mom and kiddies will come to know not just that there is help here but also the love of our great Saviour Jesus Christ.
Working in hospital, death is pretty common, but we had one of the ladies from the church die a few weeks back. No one is really sure how old Chizungu was, just that she was about the size of a 10 year old when some of the first missionaries came through in 1914. So its been estimated she was born about 1905 making her 109 when she died. Everyone that is currently on the station will say "Chizungu was old when we came" and that goes back about 30 years for some of the missionaries. But that aside; this was a woman who lived out her faith. She travelled so far on foot just to spread the truth about God, about His love and His forgiveness available to all who will come to Him and repent of their sin. She had stopped before I came, but she would frequently go up to the wards and tell this message to the patients there. She came to us about a week before she dies with a rooting foot and eventually died partly form old age and partly from complications of the foot. But oh it's so awesome to think that the bent back and the dull ears and the rotting foot are all healed now and the eyes that were losing their sight are now filled with the glory and beauty of her Saviour. Its sad to see her light go out here, but just imagine what she is seeing now!
The truck has just come in late last night with the container from Canada- unfortunately it was raining pretty hard on and off today so it wasn't opened. But I am excited to see what has been sent from friends and family back home!
I think that is about all. oh! I almost forgot- I have been given a name. I'm probably more excited about it than it warrants but its just cool to have a Lunda name now, Kason'u (which doesn't have a meaning per se, its 'a good Lunda name').
But that is all I can think of. I have loved reading your emails and hearing news from home, I'm sorry for those I've missed responding to, I will get to you! I think my grill cheese sandwich is ready and then I think its time for bed!
love to you all!
