The Chimala Hospital

The Chimala Hospital is a 120 bed facility.  It houses an L&D ward, female ward, male ward and pediatrics ward.  There is an outpatient department with 3 medical officers, a laboratory, surgery room, Community Health Center (which does ante-natal, post natal and well-child exams), central supply, pharmacy, x-ray and laundry.  Once a week HIV patients are seen for follow-up care and counseling.  Over-all a very busy place.

Having listed all the departments makes this hospital sound like any number of facilities in America; however, it is a far cry from the modern and technically advanced facillities you will find in the US.  As I watch the staff and doctors working in this 3rd world hospital, I am reminded of scenes from TV shows like "Little House on the Prairie" and "Gunsmoke".  Here we are diagnosing and treating with very limited testing and/or modern equipment.  Doctors and nurses rely on their past experiences and basic assesment skills.  The wards will have anywhere from 3-4 patients to 20 or more at any one time.  There is no privacy with the beds only inches apart.

I have spent several hours in the L&D ward because in my 21 years of nursing I had never seen a baby born except on TV or video.  I wasn't even able to see my own child born as I forgot my glasses and being blind as a bat could see nothing!  Let me tell you some of the major differences I observed in this area.  First, the expectant mothers walk themselves into the Labor room where they unpack the "linens" they have brought from home.  Each patient must bring their own cloth to use for bedding and to clean up with as well as for the baby.  The expectant mother must then make her own bed before she can lay down.  Most people do not have "sheets" as we do for bedding.  They bring a bag full of pieces of clothe.  Each one is usually about 6' x 18' in length.  They strip down naked and lay on the guerney awaiting the delivery of their baby. 

No IV's are started for the "what ifs".  You only get one of these for an emergency. Unless there is a problem with the mother and/or baby, the delivery is performed by a mid-wife.  Doctors are rarely present for a routine birth.  We do have the ability to perform C-sections if necessary and have actually performed several in the past couple of weeks.  Once the baby has been delivered (which I might add is quite amazing!) and the mother cleaned up, mom is asked to get off the "labor" guerney and walk to her bed.  The bed is again covered with cloth which the mother has brought with her.  Chimala has been delivering an average of 300 babies per month and this is with an average nursing staff of four.  However, the number of deliveries is really increaseing this month as the government has started a new program where there is no charge for deliveries in the hospital.  This program hopes to improve the mortality rate for newborns.

The pediatric ward averages 475 patients/month; the male ward averages 400+/month; and the female ward averages 500+/month.  If you will remember, when I listed the departments I did not mention a kitchen/cafeteria.  The hospital does NOT provide meals for the patients.  Outside the hospital compound is an area with space for about 20 fires.  Family must come with the patients to the hospital and cook food for them.  These family members stay as long as they have some one in the hospital.  They sleep on the ground or on benches.  They are not provided any "comforts" such as pillows, blankets, sofas to sleep on, etc.

Every weekday morning at 7:30am, patients, families and staff come together at a designated place and begin their morning with praise, prayer and scripture from the Bible.  This devotional is not mandatory and yet the area is full every day.  It is a great way to start the day with the sun just coming up above the buildings and everyone thanking our God for all our blessings and humbly asking for healing for those who are sick as well as for strength, peace, grace and mercy. 

How many Americans would stay at the hospital to cook for their family member who was sick?  How many of us would sleep on the ground with only our arm for a pillow without complaining?  How many of us would work long hours without airconditioning?  I think about the life I have been privileged to live and I think about the times I have complained about really silly things.  If you live in the United States, no matter what your financial status is......you are rich.  Please take time to look at all you have and Thank the Lord your God for blessing you.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18  "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Building Bridges....

In my last post, I mentioned that the OC students were leaving.  Two of the young men who were with the group had worked really hard to build a new, sturdy bridge for the mission.  This bridge was 27 feet in length.  Their goal was to have the bridge up before they left.  Well, they were successful in getting the main structure up!  I so wish I could get my pictures to up-load to this blog so I could show you the pictures.  The bridge is great and the guys were so proud.

Everyone, from the Tanzanians to the American missionaries to the OC students, were working on building a different kind of bridge.  The bridge between cultures, races, languages and strangers.  It is so amazing to watch as people, strangers, come together to work and play.  To watch the bonds as they begin so fragilely and slowly grow in strength. People from two different worlds and languages learning from each other.  I saw such growth during the time the OC students were here. 

One of the students, Stu, was in the village by himself getting some supplies we needed.  During his trip, he took the time to interact with people in the village.  Through this interaction, he made a friend.  He met a young man who asked Stu to teach him about the Bible.  Stu met with this young man on several occasions during the two weeks he was here.  He even brought this young man over to our house and introduced him to everyone and he attended one or two of our devotionals.  It was so exiting to see this bond as it grew.

Over the two weeks, many bridges and relationships were built and grew strong.  So strong that when it was time for the trip to end, many tears were shed and many heart-felt words spoken.  In spite of all the differences, there was one connecting thread which the bridges were built on......Jesus Christ, the son the of living God.   My prayer is that everyone will always remember this time, each other and the strength of the relationships.  I pray that this one thread will always bind us together.

OCU students going home.......

Today is the last day the Oklahoma Christain University students will be here at the mission.  Tomorrow morning, we will leave early for Dar Es Salaam.  The whole day will be traveling.  Then on Wednesday, we are planning a short excursion to the beach before going to the airport for there late flight out of Dar.  I have so enjoyed being a part of their group.  It is amazing how close a group grows when they spend a couple of weeks living together and working for the Lord.

Several of the girls in the group have painted pictures on the walls of the primary school and the Chimala Bible Institute.  They have really done a great job.  The boys tore down a walking bridge which was about to fall down and have been working really hard and long hours to build a new steel bridge.  They are not sure they will have it completed today, but it will be mostly done.  They are so proud. 

However, the event which affected us all the most and drew us together was the fire at the secondary girls' school.  It is very hard to explain to you the intensity of that night and the days/nights following.  When we arrived at the fire, it was huge.  It appeared to be a lost cause.  My thought was we would just have to let it burn itself out.  However, as soon as we were sure no one was still in the building, many people began to work on putting the fire out.  People from the village could hear the fire alarm going off and they came to help.  We worked side by side for hours putting the fire out one bucket of water at a time.  It was amazing.  We actually kept a large part of the building safe!  Everyone's safety was the number one goal and putting out the fire was the second one.  God used man/woman, young/old, christain/non-christain, Tanzanian/American working side by side for the good of the community.  Something which at first glance seemed impossible, became not only possible but a reality.

I am praying that God will direct me in the way he wants me to go in the mission field.  Chimala sure seems like a good place to be.  There are 500 students to reach out to as well as many villages and village churches.  The work here is stable and in need of some additional hands, minds and hearts.  I know that the language would be one of my first challenges here.  I would need to learn Swahili in order to be more effective.  However, there is a good Swahili Language School nearby.

Today is a beautiful day outside with very light breeze and the temps in the mid-80's.  This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us be glad and rejoice in it.

Chimala Hospital and Mission

On May 3rd I flew out of Oklahoma City for Tanzania, Africa.  I left Oklahoma at 12 noon, arrived in Amsterdam at 8am on May 4th, then in Kilamanjaro, Tanzania at 6pm and finally at Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania at 8pm.  Dar is the capital of Tanzania.  It was around 10:30pm before we made our way through immigration and to our hotel for the night.  Up at 4:30 am, on the road at 5:30 by bus to the Chimala Mission arriving at 6pm.  Wow!  I am really sleepy, but I am also very amazed by the terrain and the amount of open land here.  Not to mention the baboons in the middle of the road!  Totally unexpected.

The Mission is really big....I looked it up on google earth before I came, but it is really big!  There are monkeys playing in the trees!!!  The mission consists of the Chimala Church of Christ, the Chimala Hospital, the Chimala Bible Institute and the Chimala Primary and Secondary schools.  There are approximately 500 children who live on campus and others who live within walking distance attending school here.  What a wonderful work.

Last week, I spent most of my time at the Chimala Bible Institute.  It was the last week of classes before they went on break.  They had a seminar covering the Beatitudes with Tony Parker from Montgomery, Alabama.  The attendance was about 100 all 3 days and the singing was amazing.  Along with my time at the Chimala Bible Institute, I got familiar with all the areas of the mission and met many of the workers and leaders.

This past weekend, we went on a safari.  This was an absolutely amazing experience.  We saw so many animals!  I was surprised....elephants, a male lion, a leopard, hylux, mongoose, giraffes, zebras, baboons, ostriches, lots of different birds, hippos, crocs and I am sure many more.  Gods creation is fantastic.  I wanted to show you pictures, but I am having no luck in getting them to load to this blog.  Maybe soon.

All of this sounds like I am just playing and having fun.  Well, while I won't deny I am enjoying myself, I am learning as much as I can about this mission.  I continue in my desire to work as a medical missionary in Africa.  The administrators of this mission as seeking a full-time nurse to work here and I want to know what role I can fill here.  "I want to be a worker for the Lord."

As one door closes, another one opens......

Tomorrow morning, I will begin a new adventure.  I will be traveling to Chimala, Tanzania.  I am sad to say that I will not be returning to Takoradi, Ghana at this time to continue the work there.  We were very successful in our clinic and education programs which were started, but I now find myself embarking in a new direction.  I am praying daily for God to lead me where he wants me to be and to use me for his Glory.  Chimala is possibly that place.

Before I tell you more about Chimala, I want to post a few of my last pictures from Ghana. 

 Catherine took us through the village of Whindo.  Whindo is one of the villages close to the school where many of the students live.

 This is one families bath houses.  No running water.  You just carry your bucket inside and you have a little privacy for your bath.

 This is where Catherine and three other girls live.  There are no fans, chairs, dressers or tables.  Just a small square room where they sleep on thin mats on the floor.

                                      Here are several of the students.  They are so beautiful!

 This is a picture of a fishing boat.  This was taken at Cape Coast where you are looking out at the Atlantic ocean.

 Here is a picture of the ocean from one of the hotels where I love to sit and relax.  To me the ocean is so soothing....

                                    (Oops...a duplicate and I can't figure out how to delete it!)

 Meet Mr. Lizard...Lizards are running around everywhere.  They will visit you no matter where you are...the bedroom, bathroom, dining at a local restaurant, etc.

 Amidst all the poverty, you will still find hotels which are treasures.  This hotel is close to the Village of Hope.  Many people visit here to enjoy the beach area.

                                                    This is a beautiful Mango tree. 

           Here I am with my Dad and Mike & Jolynn Herndon.  They visited me in Ghana.

If the Lord permits, I will be returning to Ghana for a short visit at the end of June after I have completed my visit to Tanzania. 

I will be spending 7 weeks in Chimala.  Chimala Mission and Hospital has been in existence since the late 1950's.  There is a hospital, primary school, secondary school, Bible college and church.  I want to spend time at each of the facilities as well as go out to the surrounding villages.  I will try to blog from Chimala if I am able to obtain internet access.  I will be returning to the US July 4th.

I pray that during this trip, I will be able to work for the Lord and show his love to those I come in contact with.  I want to be a "worker" for the Lord.  To be molded and used for His Glory.

Luke 10: 2, 8-9   "He told them, "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.  ....  When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.  Heal the sick who are there and tell them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.`"