Stories

As I was looking through my past blog posts from the start of this blog in 2012, I realized I didn't have many patient stories, actually, any patient stories! Which made me sad that I haven't shared with you all the beautiful people I get to love-on day in and day out. Sooo I decided to start sharing some stories of the ladies that I learn from on a daily basis. I'm keeping their names for them, but you'll still get to know them and their sweet spirits. 





This is 'B.'  You wouldn't know by looking at her, but she is a riot! 

To help pass the time on the ward we often paint nails, braid bracelets, or braid hair...ya know, girly things. What else is there to do with a room full of 20 female patients, 3 female Translators, and 5 female nurses?? (Oh, I forgot to mention that among all this estrogen there are 2-3 male translators who often partake in the girly activities). Well, one day the ladies were all sitting in bed doing an assortment of the aforementioned girly activities when 'B' and her neighbor started bursting out laughing. One of said male translators was talking to 'B,' and she told him, and I quote,"The men in our village are Casanovas, and better looking than you. Now when we go back to our village we'll know how to do our hair, paint our nails, and look nice. We'll all get husbands."  

Women are the same on both sides of the sea...

Transformation...inside and out

I often get wrapped up in VVF Land and forget to look around me. Not only are lives changed on my ward with the ladies, but all around me lives are changing. Limbs that were crooked are now straight; noses that weren't there, are now there; devastation from burns, healed. There are too many amazing surgeries are happening on the wards surrounding me to not mention them here. Take a look for yourself, transformation is so clear, not just on the outside...

Mamisy

Fernand

Vanya

Lixia

Dyllan

These are just a few examples of the life changing work being done here. One word comes to mind when I think of these patients, 'Trust.'  They trust God enough to sell all their belongings to make it to the big white ship for healing; they trust enough to not listen to the words of naysayers who speak lies and fear; they trust enough to walk up the gangway and down into the belly of the ship; they trust us with their lives when they roll into that operating room, and into a world of unknown.

I need to learn from them...

Where do I need to trust God when fear is taking over?  I can think of a few...