Pictures

A fellow missionary with one of the sick kids at the clinic

Chris and Elias's first taste of boiled goat meat

Kalulu and his healed hand

Standing among pulug, an edible root

At the start of our hike into the mountains

December 15, 2011

Hello to all our friends! We are in Brookes Point for 2 days to use internet and buy a few supplies. It's nice to see different scenery but the city is so noisy and hot. I think we prefer the sounds of the jungle lulling us to sleep instead of the blaring radio. We have been busy the past few months. We had our first experiences with inpatients and it was a challenge. It is a whole new level of responsibility when someone's life depends on the care that you give them. It is also challenging because we don't have many laboratory capabilities. We can check hemaglobin, blood sugar, and a basic urine dipstick. What a difference from Western medicine! One interesting medical story. Chris and I were eating breakfast when we heard a loud bang, kind of like a gunshot or firecracker. We didn't think much of it, but half an hour later we heard people shouting at the clinic. When we got there Kalulu, a witch doctor and powerful elder, was there with a towel around his hand. He had been making a bomb to kill a pig that was eating his farm when it exploded in his hand. He complained of problems seeing and also had a severly wounded hand. 4 of 5 fingers were damaged and the middle finger was barely attached at the top. The bone was exposed and Chris thought that he might have to amputate it. He decided that there might be enough blood flow on one side of the finger and sewed it back on. After 4 hours of suturing and over 100 stitches, we asked if he would allow us to pray for his hand. His family was also there which was unusuall because they don't like the missionaries and try to stay away. He agreed and allowed us to pray. We were doubtful that the middle finger would heal and told him that if it did get better, it was because God healed his finger. We saw him a few days ago and his finger looks healthy with no signs of infection. Praise God!
When we are not in the clinic we have been busy visiting and making friends. They like to have potluck and since missionaries have been here for so many years, they have been exposed to some american foods. They especially like peanut butter, nutella, and macaroni. The people are so generous that we can hardly give away more food than we receive. And relationships are of the utmost importance here. It is not unusual to go visit someone unanounced and talk for a few hours. We truly feel loved here.
While we are enjoying our time here, we have had a few struggles. Recently the church members went to the lowlands for 2 weeks to learn how to give bible studies and deal with spiritual warfare. While they were gone the devil was attacking those left in the mountains. Minor inconveniences added up. The water system broke leaving us without water. The generator broke (we use it for nebulizing treatments in the clinic), several very sick kids came in a row, staff members got sick, and one family experienced spiritual attacks at night. I was feeling discouraged after we ran out of propane during all of this and was praying to God. He brought to my mind Colossians 1:11 "We pray that you will be strenghtened with his glorious power that you may have all the patience and endurance that you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father." That has been my daily prayer and all the prior problems have been resolved. We are learning to depend on God for our daily needs. We thank you for your continued prayers and praise God for his many blessings.
Chris and Amy