Seeing through new eyes

Well, this week I had an eye-opening experience so to speak...It started off as a pretty normal day...My friend Megan decided that we should go for a swim in the morning at a nearby pool and told me that her brother-in-law would be coming along with us. When he arrived, I noticed he was holding onto Megan's arm..."That's odd, I thought." Then I looked at his face and saw him squinting his eyes...and then it dawned on me that he was blind. I was a bit surprised and wasn't really sure what to say or do. She hadn't mentioned anything about him being blind, but then again, they were both used to it.

I guess I've never really stopped long enough to actually process what life would be like without the gift of sight. Sure, I've played those games growing up where you have to lead each other around and appreciate that you have eyes to see...But, it's kind of different when you actually meet someone who is blind and spend time with them.

As we walked in, Megan went inside to the locker room while Cuibis held on to my arm as we walked down to the pool. He proceeded to ask me a series of questions about our surroundings, where he should leave his belongings, etc. I was a little bit caught off guard at first....for him, this was everyday life...people were constantly describing things to him that his eyes could not see so that he could create a picture in his mind of what was around him. I stopped for a second to think...I didn't want to awkwardly tell him too much or too little about the setting...this was all very new to me. I stumbled through some descriptions, walked him to the side of the pool, and proceeded to explain where he should go to swim his laps. Unfortunately, they were cleaning the pool that morning and had a big hose running across the pool, so it was a little bit challenging to swim laps, especially for a person who can't see.

Cuibis requested lane lines, but they told him it wouldn't be possible today due to the cleaning. But that wouldn't stop him. He shrugged and  proceeded to start swimming his laps. I know that when I swim without goggles and can't open my eyes under water, I rarely swim in a perfectly straight line. Well, I suppose that's a bit what it's like for a blind person to swim...except that when they come out of the water, they can't see where they've ended up. But, Cuibis was very determined and wouldn't let anything stop him. He even kept Megan and I on track, telling us how many laps we needed to swim of each stroke. It was a bit like swim team. I had a hundred different things going through my head...I was so intrigued by this man. I had never actually known a blind person before. What was life like for him and his family, not being able to drive or see his wife's face or his new little girl who was just born a few months ago.  "Ok, girls, three more laps of freestyle," Cuibis called out, interruptng my thoughts.

We finished up our laps and started heading home. Cuibis had lots of questions for me about the ship and what I'd be doing in Africa. The more I talked to him, the more I realized that even though he was physically limited, he didn't let his disability keep him from living a full and fulfilled life. He had a good job, a wonderful family, and an amazing faith in the God who created Him. As we dropped him off at his house and said goodbye, I was left with more than a sense of pity...I was inspired.

It seemed fitting that I would encounter a blind person right before embarking on my next adventure with the Africa Mercy. One of the most common surgeries we do is cataract removals. Many people are eagerly waiting for us in Sierra Leone....among them, I'm sure there are many who cannot see or have limited vision due to cataracts and other eye problems. I'm so excited to be a part of the miracle of sight that will take place in their lives...For someone like Cuibis, who has been blind from birth, there is no surgery to open his eyes. But, ironically, this blind man is the one that God used to open my eyes to the world of those who have no physical sight, yet the amazing things that He is able to do in and through them...one day, Cuibis will have new eyes in heaven and he'll be able to see a place that is more beautiful than anywhere he could've ever seen on earth...For now, my heart is with those in Sierra Leone who are blind both physically and spiritually...I know we will see many eyes opened his year!

From one home to another

Well, the time has really flown and I'm already leaving one home to head back to the next! Tomorrow I'll be getting on a plane and heading back to Africa! It has been such a blessing to be home during this time and to spend this time with family and friends, work at PCH, and even do a little bit of traveling.

About this time last year, I was heading to the ship for the very first time, full of excitement and anticipation for what God had in store. And I have to say, God blew me away by completely exceeded my expectations! I had an awesome experience and literally saw lives transformed, including my own. I was also blessed to get to know so many amazing people and to experience a great community of people who love Jesus and are living out His calling on their lives. Although I faced my fair share of challenges at times, I got through them with God's help and grew in the process.

So, although I'm sad to be leaving friends and family behind for another year, I'm excited to see all that God does in and through me in Sierra Leone! I have a feeling that this year is going to be just as amazing, if not better than the last! But, it's always hard leaving people that we love. I started feeling a bit sad this week, as I left my last Sunday night service of the year at my church and walked out of Phoenix Children's Hospital after my last shift of the year. It's also been sad giving friends and families the last hugs I will give them in 2011 (although I do have to say, they are always GREAT hugs because they have to last for an entire year!)...But, then a good friend reminded me that I am blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life who are worth missing! 

The goodbyes really have been so much better this time around. I think that people realize that a year sounds long, but really does go by fast. And since my friends and family made it eight months without me last year, it makes things much easier to leave again for just a few months longer. It has also been great sharing the pictures and stories with everyone while I've been home to really explain why I love Mercy Ships and want to go back to Africa to volunteer again. 

I would have to say that the hardest part of going back to the ship is leaving my sweet little nieces and nephews behind...they are so young and it's hard for them to understand why their Aunt Becca is leaving them for so long. While they enjoyed getting fun little gifts from Africa after my last trip, my oldest two nephews really struggle with the fact that I'm going to miss their birthdays...again. But, that's just a part of serving on the mission field...you can't be home for everything. And of course, I left fun little presents with my mom to give the kids for their birthdays so that  they don't feel forgotten :)

There are quite a few other things that I'm going to miss besides the many amazing people in my life in Arizona...mostly just the conveniences of American life....a car to drive wherever/whenever, a quiet room all to myself (I do love my roommates, but sometimes a little peace & quiet is very hard to come by on the ship!), Walmart (Sometimes buying two things can take nearly an hour in the market, which can be really frustrating!), hot showers that last longer than 2 minutes, and the fact that I don't stand out as a foreigner in the States, among a few other things...

But, leaving my American life and all its comforts is such a small sacrifice in comparison with the joy I find in seeing so many lives changed on the ship....in fact, I wouldn't even consider it a sacrifice. I truly feel  blessed to have the privilege to serve as God's hands and feet in Africa and I'm so thankful that He has called me to this ministry. 

Today, God reminded me of my ultimate purpose as I read this verse: "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8). In the end, it's all about gaining Christ! As I think of all the hurting, broken people who are desperately waiting to find hope and healing for their physical illnesses, along with the brokenness of their souls, I realize that it is in reaching out to each of them that I will find Christ. And that is where God wants to meet me...in the faces of the hurting and hopeless, the lost sheep who need to find their way to the Good Shepherd. So, as I leave for Africa, I don't feel as though I'm leaving home to step into the great unknown...I know that I am safe in the palm of God's hand and I look forward to going back to my home on the ship and my life in Africa...I'm sure He has heaps of new adventures in store for me!

Haiti

Well, this last week was an absolute whirlwind, but an amazing experience! I had the opportunity to spend a week in Haiti with Samaritan's Purse helping out with the cholera outbreak. Two nurses that I had served with on the ship (Beth and Becky) had told me about it about a month before and we were all able to arrange our trips the same week. In fact, all three of us even got to work together on night shift!

Beth, me, and Becky

The cholera clinic we served at was right beside a place called "City Solei," mainly filled with slums. So, the majority of patients arriving during the night had walked over from there since the "tap-taps" (taxi trucks) only ran during the day. The clinic itself was a compilation of large tents with separate mens, womens, and pediatrics areas. The patients would first come through the triage area and if they were sick enough, they would be admitted. Otherwise, they were given oral re-hydration liquid to drink and once they "passed" their oral challenge and could keep down the fluids, they were given education on cholera prevention and treatment and sent home. 

For those who did get admitted, the treatment was mainly IV fluids, along with a few oral medications. Once we were able to switch them over to oral re-hydration and they could keep it down, we discharged them and sent them over to the education tent to learn more about cholera treatment and prevention. They also received tablets to make safe water to drink and materials to create their own oral re-hydration fluid at home. 

During our time at the cholera clinic, there were multiple times that my friends and I said we felt like we were living in an episode of M.A.S.H. There was the element of working inside of a tent instead of an actual building, patients all lined up in a big row, homemade IV bag warmer, occasional bugs jumping around, and the MREs (the already made meals that they use in the army...they make dinner time an adventure with the special heat-activating mechanism).

 Our makeshift IV fluid warmer

Eating our MRE army-style meals

I have lots of memories and stories I could share, but I'm going to highlight two of the more meaningful experiences for me. The first happened the second night when I got moved from the Peds ward to the Womens ward. For the most part, most nurses freak out when they usually work with adults and have to work with kids....well, the same is true in the reverse. Most Peds nurses just don't enjoy working with adults as much. The ladies were very sweet, but let's be honest, I was pretty disappointed that I didn't get to work in Peds that night. 

But, a few hours into the shift, one of the women needed some help with her baby. He was crying and crying and she was too weak from all the vomiting to even sit up and try to breastfeed him. So, I took the crying baby and managed to get him calm while a friend went to look for formula. She managed to find some in our supply room, but unfortunately there were no bottles. So, I sat there with my precious little five month old and fed him his food with a 5cc syringe...it was precious. Another nurse mentioned to me "See, you get your Peds fix after all." It was true. God knew that I needed a precious little baby to cuddle and feed that night. And He knew that momma wouldn't have the strength or energy for the next few hours to feed her baby. So, I got to take over the responsibility. And I have to say, I was so thankful for the opportunity! 

The second experience that really impacted me and built my faith involved another little baby...a four-month old named Deuli (well, that was the nickname I gave him...his real name had another 5 letters tacked on the end and I had a hard time pronouncing it!). My encounter with Deuli came the very last night. He had been very sick when he was first admitted to the hospital. He was so dehydrated that they couldn't even get an IV in him. Instead, they had to place an intraosseous needle into his bone marrow. But, unfortunately, his fluid status had been over-corrected before I came on shift. When I got report on this little guy, I was really concerned about him. But, his little body had seemed to hold up just fine (kids can sometimes surprise us!) so I told our doctor what was going on and we agreed to keep an eye on him. 

So, the funny thing about kids is that their little bodies can compensate for a long time and then suddenly crash. That's exactly what happened with our little Deuli. In the middle of the night, he suddenly started to crash. His respiration rate had increased and he was working harder and harder to breathe. We realized he needed medication to get all the extra fluid off of his lungs, so I quickly ran to the pharmacy and got the medicine. But, even after he had two doses, he hadn't really seemed to improve. His breathing had started to slow down, but not in a good way. He hadn't slowed his breathing because his lungs were relaxing. He had slowed his breathing because he was losing his drive to breathe. He had been working so hard that he just didn't have the energy to keep going. He looked like he was about to give up. It was one of the scariest things I have ever had to watch. We weren't in a hospital setting with all the equipment to provide drastic interventions. Someone had found an ET tube and some other supplies in case we did need to intubate him to maintain his airway, but the supplies weren't optimal for his size and we didn't want to have to put a tube down in this setting. 

As I sat beside little Deuli watching him do all that he could to take the next breath, I felt a sense of fear and desperation. I kept begging him to keep going "Come on buddy, you can do it. Keep on breathing!" I kept repeating that over and over again. I felt like his little cheerleader, pushing him to keep going. As we discussed as a team what our options were, it dawned on us that we hadn't yet prayed. We laid hands on little Deuli and began to pray. Then our doctor called over the Haitian pastors who were there and they began to pray as well. We moved Deuli and his mom over to an open area with all our supplies in case we had to go to extreme measures. People were talking about what we could do if we had to intubate him, but I kept telling myself: "No! We don't even need to talk about that...we're not going to have to do anything else. He's gonna be ok!" I was grasping for all the faith I could find in those difficult moments. "Please, God, don't let him die!" I prayed under my breath. 

The Haitian pastors continued to pray and a couple began to sing. And then, I looked over and Deuli had relaxed a bit. He was still working hard, but you could tell his little body was heading the right direction. A few more minutes passed and he continued to improve. I pinched his little foot to precipitate a cry and he took in a few good, deep breaths as he cried (I know it seems mean, but breathing was the biggest priority and it was necessary to get him some more oxygen in that situation). It was the best sound I had heard all night. It reminded me of the first cry a baby has at birth. Everyone waits for that sound to make sure their little lungs are working. So, it was such a relief to hear Deuli crying and to see him breathing a little more normally. He had made a quick turnaround. And I knew that it was only prayer and the grace of God that had pulled him through.

Me & Deuli, my miracle baby

I will never forget that night and the way that God met us there in that place...in a place without monitors, without oxygen, without all the medical equipment we depend on in the hospital. Sometimes all you can do is pray. And that is enough. Miracles do still happen.

My entire experience in Haiti was truly amazing! I loved the staff (especially working with my friends from Mercy Ships!), the Haitian nurses and translators who worked with us, the sweet little patients and their families, and even the weather (it was nice and cool at night). I met some really amazing people and bonded with them in a special way that you don't experience over one week's time back home and was encouraged by the servant's heart I saw in those around me...And of course, my faith grew in a HUGE way! Even though I was only in Haiti for a week, I saw things I had never seen before and I can honestly say that I came home a different person. What a great way to kick off the new year! :)

Our Peds Team