Zeytun

So whenever I have fruit or vegetables ready, my gardener very proudly brings them to my door.  Here’s my first zeytun (pronounced ZAY-toon, translated as guava) of this batch.  It’s about the size of a large walnut, and I’m very excited about eating it in a couple days!

A picture, some wounds, and lots of injections

I’m too exhausted to do anything right now, but know I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I don’t write now.  I think it’s a curse.  I keep telling myself that I will appreciate reading my stories again in a few months/years when the details have faded from my memory.  And, it’s so great to hear from you guys.  I continue to be amazed that people actually want to read what I write.  I’m grateful for you.  Thanks for reading.

Today started like every clinic day—early.  Sophie is still waking up 2-3 times every night, so 6am rolls around very early.  I always get everything ready on Wednesday nights (all the way to my mocha mix all ready in the cup next to the kettle) so that my fumbling around in a daze won’t make us all late for clinic.  I was especially grateful for that this morning when Sophie woke me up at 6:35 and I realized I only had 10 minutes to get both of us ready!  Fortunately we made it out the door on time.

On the way to clinic, Mary and I were talking about everything under the sun when the topic of her book came up.  It’s being published right now, and we’re planning on my friend will be bringing a few copies with him when he(hopefully!) comes to visit me for Christmas. (Right, Keith? )  Mary had asked for my permission to use a picture of me for the cover of the book, and I said that would be OK.  I haven’t seen the proof yet, but Mary told me which picture it was.  Apparently I’m listening to the lungs of our sweet patient Bootcha when he first came to clinic!  How cool is that?  So I guess I’ll be famous here in a few months….or somethin’

My clinic day was a bit uneventful as I only saw a few new patients.  I kept busy with multiple injections, a couple pelvic exams, the debridement (cleaning out) of a tropical ulcer, and seeing about 4 new patients.  (Now that I read that sentence, I realize that most people probably wouldn’t call that an uneventful day.  It is, though, when the alternative is seeing and diagnosing 30 new patients, like I did last week!)  We were very gratified to see profound improvement in the conditions of several patients from the past, including our poor brucellosis man.  He looks like a different person than he did 3 months ago! 

*Weak stomachs, beware. The next 2 paragraphs contain some icky graphic wound descriptions.  The rest of the post is safe, though*

The current “patient special” is skin problems.  We’ve concluded that when someone with a particular condition is successfully treated, everyone else with that same condition comes in because there’s hope that we can help them.  I think that probably accounts for the huge surge of skin/abscess patients we’ve had lately.  We have drained a couple abscesses, and suddenly we have multiple abscess patients appear.  The saddest one today was a baby (maybe 18 months old?) with a 3-inch by 3-inch protuberant abscess on the side of her head.   We’re going to try to drain it next week.  Another skin condition we’ve seen a lot of is the tropical ulcer.  It starts out as a tiny scratch or a bite, then gets infected.  It doesn’t get treated, so turns into a huge, purulent, bloody scab that needs to be debrided (taken off, basically) and cleaned.  Then the patients continue to come for several weeks to get the dressings changed and to make sure it’s healing.  They’re messy and gross, but it’s exciting to see them get better!

One little 8-year old boy came in today with a 5-year history of a sore on his neck and the side of his face.  What I saw was a hugely purulent, bloody scab from his temple down to his chin, then another 4-inch one on his back.  It looked exactly like a tropical ulcer, but I know that’s where scrofula (a type of TB) presents.  I brought Mary over, and she instantly confirmed my fear.  It was indeed TB—in an 8-year old boy!  Apparently it had been coming and going for 5 years, which is why it hadn’t been brought in before.  Mary decided to take this guy back with us for a couple weeks so she can watch his progress—sometimes scrofula gets worse in the first couple weeks of treatment.  When we were on our way home, the little one jumped into the car, and I could immediately smell him.  The smell of unwashed body is no big deal because that’s what everyone smells like.  This smell was infection and dead flesh.  After the door was closed, Alemayehu said that we had to stop because the flies that had come in on this little guy’s scabs were too many for them to handle.  I looked back, and the air was thick with them.  And this kiddo has been living with this for 5 years!  I can’t imagine what his house must be like.  What an amazing change will come about in his life with just a few little pills!  Absolutely amazing!

On to a lighter topic now…During pharmacy today, I giggled for about 3 minutes straight.  The malaria patients have to swallow a whole handful of meds right in front of us, and apparently they’re pretty horrid-tasting.  One woman had taken the meds, but still had her mouth full.  We told her to swallow, and she (of course) couldn’t tell us that it was only water.  Instead, she turned around and spit it out the door—right into the sleeve of the man waiting in line behind her!  I busted up laughing, but I was the only one laughing.  Nobody else seemed to care.  The man didn’t even seem to notice, and went right on with his business.  I still smile when I think about how that would have been received if it had happened at a clinic in America.

Oh, and we found out that Darcho went to be with Jesus on Saturday.  Hooray for him!

And horray for me because I can now to go bed.  (And don’t make fun of me for going to bed at 7:30!)  Goodnight!

Meet the crew….

So Becca and I were talking today about introducing all of you to the crew around here, via their blogs and webpages.  So, I’m going to bring you with me for my morning trip to the hospital.

I rolled in to the hospital grounds at around 8:30, and had a whole list of things to get done and people to see.  I stopped by the Bowers‘ house to drop off some books, where Harry and the kids were doing homeschool math (Harry helping, the kids doing the actual math), and Stephne was answering email.  She informed me that she had “only 68″ left to answer.  Oh my.  We had a little chat, then I headed to my next destination. 

At the Grays‘ house, Paul was secluded in the office doing administrative work (“there’s always something,” he says) while Becca wrangled the babies–ages 23 months and 3 months.  I said the verses I’d been memorizing (I’m working on 1 John), and I quizzed her on her Amharic letters/fidels.  During that time, Jackie stopped by for a few minutes.  After Becca and I played outside with Nathan for a bit, I headed over to the hospital to find a couple more people I needed to see. 

On the way, I greeted Ruth (not her blog, but some good info about her).  I also waved a quick hello to Asle.  Remember him and his wife from this day.

When I was at the hospital, I ran into Sam and Noah.  I guess I haven’t said much (if anything?) about them, but they’re newcomers to Soddo.  They’re 20-something-year-old guys who just moved here from their homes on the West coast–Seattle and somewhere in California, I believe.  Anyway, they’re managing one of the orphanages here in town, and fit in very well with our little forenge community we have here. 

There ya have it.  You now have all the links that I know of to the blogs, webpages, and information about the wonderful forenges around here.  I hope that it helps you to experience this adventure with me even more vividly!  Each one of these people adds a special ingredient to this group that makes it better than it would have been without them.  I am so blessed to be sharing life with them, and look forward to getting to know them even better!

 

 

Oven fries….

….are my new favorite American meal that can be created here. I’ve had them almost every day for the last few, and I’m loving them! I made ranch, which is good on them, but I’m really wishing for Red Robin’s seasoning salt that they have on the table to accompany their bottomless fries.  Ya know what I mean?  Yummm….

My next adventure will be shish kabobs (how do you spell that, anyway?) with meat that I’ve marinated–in coke, of all things!  I’ll keep ya posted on how they turn out!

I’m feeling kind of old today….

So I’ve heard conflicting numbers about the distance between my house and the hospital, including (but not limited to) 2 1/2 miles and 7 kilometers.  I don’t know which one is correct, but either way, it’s a decent little distance to walk.  And it’s  over a very rough and steep path.  And I’ve hiked it 4 1/2 times in the last 3 days.  And I’m kinda sore.  Hiking on a 20% grade’ll do that to a person who hasn’t exercised in 3 months.  Maybe that’s why I’m feeling kind of old.  That, coupled with lack of sleep last night, is inspiring me to pursue an early bedtime. As in, within the next half hour.  Yes, it’s 6:55pm.  Goodnight!

awww….

Y’all (can you tell I’ve been spending time with a Texan?) are too sweet!!  Thanks for the wonderful birthday wishes!  It was indeed a precious time with amazing people.  And I came home to 71 emails–I think that’s a record!  Thanks for helping to make my day special!

Romans 8

I’ve memorized the chapter of Romans 8 in the last few weeks, and am so blessed to have it running through my head all day.  I don’t want to forget it, so I say it in my head during down time—when I’m going to sleep and when I’m waiting.  It’s beautiful.  You should read it today

She giggles

It’s true.  Sophie started giggling last week.  It’s pretty much the cutest thing!

Fun with forenges

What a fun few days it’s been!  Friday I spent most of the day with Becca at her house.  The woman that helps at her house had made wonderful Ethiopian food for lunch, and they invited me over to share it with them.  After lunch while the kids napped, we worked on our various goals/projects.  I had finished memorizing Romans 8, so I said it to her.  Becca is working on memorizing the Amharic fidels/letters, and we studied those together.  It’s so nice to be with her!

On Saturday morning I was checking my email, and facebook informed me that I had been “tagged” in a video.  I dreaded trying to download it, but was curious, so went to check it out.  It downloaded in just a short eternity (instead of a long one, you know), and I had a huge smile on my face as I listened to my family singing happy birthday to me!  That’s pretty cool.

After the driving school adventure, Kebede left me off at the hospital.  I headed over to the house where the 3 nurses are staying, and we started the walk up to my house.  It’s about 2 ½ miles away, and includes quite a bit of uphill, no matter how you go.  The options of routes are these: a shortcut that is much like hiking up a small mountain; or the smooth, steady incline of the road.  We chose the hiking route, and I remembered how much I like walking.  I need to do that more often.  The kids weren’t as bothersome as they usually are, the scenery was beautiful, and the company was delightful.  We chatted the whole way up, and took a couple little breathing breaks for those whose red blood cells aren’t quite used to the 7000-foot elevation here.  When we made it to my house, I made some chicken fettuccine alfredo (they were pretty excited about protein!) for lunch.  It was quite yummy.  I heard one of the nurses mention that she has cut hair before, so jumped on the opportunity.  We went out into the front yard and Judy chopped away while Zenabu and Dawit rolled their eyes and laughed at the silly forenge women.  We chatted some more before heading down the mountain.  Partway down, Mary and Gary drove by and offered us a lift down to the hospital.  They were going down to check on the patients that we had brought from clinic on Thursday.  We finished the trip in the back of a car and, I daresay, appreciated the lack of exertion required!   On the way down, Judy mentioned her hair-cutting ability, and Mary was pretty excited about that.  She hadn’t had a haircut since the chemotherapy had stolen most of her hair, and was eager for a trim.  After we visited the patients, Mary got a haircut while I talked with Gary about life here.  He is such a fountain of knowledge and a precious, generous person.  I grow to love and appreciate him more every time we talk.

For a few weeks now, Karmyn and I have been making plans for a birthday party for all the November birthdays (there are 5), and Saturday was the day.  It started at 3:30, and it was definitely a forenge party.  Everyone brought something sweet, and we were spoiled rotten.  We had 2 different kinds of cake, 2 kinds of ice cream (with candy and brownies to put on top!), waffles with homemade jam, and popcorn.  The Bowers had bought birthday hats for all of us birthday people, and we got the obligatory picture with the hats on.  Mostly, though, we just sat around and enjoyed each other.  I was struck when I thought about what a precious community of people we have here.  We are from the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and from multiple states in the USA—serving together in Ethiopia.  And we all enjoy being together.  What a blessing that is.

After going home that evening, I had a chat with my roommate and went to bed early with Romans 8 going through my head.   This morning I woke up to the birds singing.  At 8, I headed over to Mary and Gary’s for a birthday breakfast.  We ate wonderful French toast with homemade mango jam , mango juice, and coffee.  We chatted about multiple different things.  Then, they presented me with birthday gifts!  Mary had made me a loaf of apricot bread, and Gary had made me a beautiful cutting board.   I walked home with a smile on my face, thanking God for these precious people to work with and live close to—and who take such good care of me!

This afternoon is church at the hospital compound, and I look forward to that almost as much as I looked forward to the birthday party.  A couple of us will get together before-hand to put together some music (yay for playing a guitar!), which should be fun.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the amazing blessing of being here, with these people.  I see every day how God takes sweet care of me with providing me friends like these.  I’ve spent considerable time reading the stories of missionaries around the world, and am convinced that I’m the most blessed of all of them!

Lest I forget I live in a developing country

Well, I finally heard from the driving school.  They called me on Tuesday and said to come on Saturday morning to “start.”  When I asked what time I should be there, they said, “OK, bye!”  Apparently English wasn’t the guy’s strong suit, and I was too slow with my question in Amharic.  Kebede called later that day, and we got it all figured out.  I was supposed to come at 8:30am and it wouldn’t take very long.

Saturday morning rolled around, and Kebede and I arrived at about 8:40 to find the guy fighting the door with the key in the lock.  I could see that the handle was bent from previous fighting sessions as well.  Here’s how the discussion went:

*struggling to unlock the door*

Other people in the class hadn’t turned in their paperwork (a simple medical form), so we would start another time. 

*yanking the handle, cranking on the key*

I would not be required to stay for the all-Amharic class, but could bring the materials home to study.

*more struggling with the key* 

Eyasu was supposed to call and tell me this morning, but apparently he didn’t. 

*bending the handle a bit more with his vigorous struggles* 

Come next week at the same time, and we’ll start then. 

By the time we left 15 minutes later, the door was still stuck shut.  I laughed.  This is SO Ethiopia!