Friday, June 21, 2013

Had a lovely day yesterday with Mr. Mutale at the clinic at Fringilla Farm. Helped a woman with severe pneumonia and waiting to see how a little one with a heart murmur does over the next week. She needs to gain weight and I need wisdom to know when to refer her. 
This afternoon I am meeting with a group called Special Hope Network that works with intellectually challenged kids. Looking to see how I can help them medically.  Excited because when we had coffee together earlier this week, the help they needed described my medical expertise to a tee.  This missionary couple, Eric and Holly Nelson, have adopted several children with special needs (down syndrome).  They came to Zambia to partner with churches and others, giving help on how to provide services for the intellectually challenged.  What they found was no one was ready for that yet.  So they started a few steps back and work in 2 compounds in Lusaka with parents and children.  It's a combination of education, physical and occupational and speech therapy, medical help (many kids with seizures etc), nutrition supplementation and spiritual guidance.  These families struggle with being in church because their children can't participate the same way in the children's programs (which are minimal to begin with).  The nurse who was watching over the medical aspect and nutrition of the kids has returned to the States so I am seeing how I can help.  I'm looking forward to meeting a number of the kids today and seeing how the program operates.  

Of other note, below is Mr. Daka posing with the two gardens he has built at the ministry center.  He looks very serious.  He said it was because the sun was in his eyes:).  I am grateful for the help he has been making and taking care of my plants there.  

This is the street where I am for 2 more days.  The blue gate and cream walls are the outside of our yard.

These are my two "tower" gardens.  Onions in the top, cukes on one side and zucchini on the other side.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Ode to the ordinary.  Thought I'd show you pictures of where I've been living the past 2.5 months.  Gotta post them before I move.  Also included the pets at this house and the truck I drive.
 Kids in our neighborhood during a walk.
 Front of the house.
 Back of the house.
 Back yard.
 My bedroom with my quilt mom made for me.
 Cheeky the guard dog.
 Pepe the cat.
Simba the kitten.
"My daughter is a MA. She driiiives a pick up truck." (old song from my dad's records, Words of Life, aka the "bupbas")

Thursday, June 13, 2013

It's been a little bit since I've posted last.  What has happened this last week?  Hodge podge of things.  Cheryl Ann and Christine made it safely to Canada.  Before that we had the lovely reminder why getting one thing done on your list for the day is an accomplishment here.  We went to the post office to pick up Cheryl's mail and any packages.  Two slips in her box.  So here you need to show proof of ID and sign and pay a few cents to get packages...if you are the person the package is sent to.  If not, major security issues arise. Never mind the fact that for us to get Cheryl's mail, she gave her her key and we brought a copy of her ID etc.  After 45 minutes and a call to a previous postal worker who would know Christine and pleading our case of leaving the country in 1 day and her just having surgery (did they want her there in a wheelchair?), even pulling the missionary/reverend card (would we lie?) and close scrutiny of Christine's passport, we got one package.  The other one could not be found.  Moral of the story, picking up your mail is watched much more closely then even getting into the country.  Ironically, Cheryl gave most of the contents of the package to us since she was leaving (yummy nuts etc).  

But onto brighter things.  Garden is growing. 3 of 5 of my moringa trees lived after transplanting.  The 2 I replaced are growing well.  They had quite the shock b/c they had been in little bags for around 2 years! Several had rooted through the bags into the ground.  Mr. Daka has great pride in showing everyone the trees and garden.  Tomorrow I'm experimenting with "tower gardens" out of old plastic sacks that hold the mealie meal (ground corn).  It's fun seeing people's minds stretched about gardening.  Pastor Zulu (leader in community health evangelism) said he sometimes forgets I'm a doctor because I'm doing so many other things, as I walked by him with shovel and pail of dirt in hand:)

Today I enjoyed myself by getting out of the city and traveled to Fringilla Farms, the site of Bethel Clinic run by Mr. Mutale.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing patients again and being in the country.  It's fun to see patients while listening to cows moo (and smelling them always takes me back to Uncle Dan's farm) and peacocks and turkeys run around.  

Below are pictures of the other exciting news.  Our mobile clinic made it safely up from South Africa.  It is beautiful.  Inside is a patient bed (which we will have adjusted to do cervical cancer screenings), a sink, lots of cabinet space and counter space for a lab and a frig for vaccines etc.  I got very excited sitting in it, thinking of all the possibilities.  We can go into the bush, connect to a clinic and local church and reach people with healthcare and the Gospel.  







I just love the pictures already on it.  We will also do HIV testing and counseling.  Christine can drive it with her Zambian driver's license.  Now we need to get it registered as a clinic.  Praying it goes as smoothly as my licensing.  

Friday, June 7, 2013



Here is what I worked on this week. Planted tomato seedlings in the backyard, plus in a few bags. Doesn't look like much but this dirt was solid as a rock before I started. Chopped and pounded it until it was loose one foot deep. I'll post a pic of what it looked like prior.
Here's what it looked like before...technically the area right next to it but it's all the same. Learned in a very tangible way how hard soil preparation can be and know how important it is. Made the parable of the seed and sower come alive in a new way.
Or would you rather have your tomato in a bag?

I also hung out with a college team from Southwestern Assembly of God University while they were here the past three weeks.  I had the easy job of talking and eating with them.  Made dinner for the whole crew the night before they left.  John and Dawn Elliott took them all around ministering to youth at schools, the university and various other venues.  They were a great team and touched many students lives.