Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Praise the Lord we didn’t get bitten by whatever they told us was there. When we first got to the camp, Lily welcomed us with the phrase “Welcome to the house of termites!” I actually slept quite well flat on my back.

            Michelle and I got to the hospital at 8 and took pictures of the compound until the doctors showed up, the patients had eaten breakfast, and everything was ready to remove the eyepatches.

Results are immediate. They could see as soon as we removed the patches! Some, for the first time in a long time. Then we distributed the next dose of antibiotics, a round of eyedrops, and clothes to everyone, the doctor prayed, and most of them went home. 

 

The sign on the front wall of the hospital

 I don't think this room has been used in a while...

 

Want a bath?

 

Maternity Ward. Other than the OR, it was the only room we found stocked.

 

 

Checking pupil reaction to light

Distributing antibiotics

Our medical team. Missing Michelle(photographer)

           After everything was packed up, we stopped by the local market. It was a few children selling things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, etc. Back at camp, we waited for a ride back to Muchinshi. It was time for the members of ECYC to leave the island. I got to try fried and boiled sweet potatoes. Boiled are better, but both are really good! Patrisha (Zambian missionary) then invited everyone to attend the funeral we hear going on. Apparently, as foreigners, the villagers know we are in town, it would be rude Not to attend the funeral. This reminded Michelle and I about the procession we’d seen on our way to the hospital that morning. People carrying a body in a blanket, followed by the mourning family. We arrived when the men were burying the body and the women were singing. We followed everyone to a house where we sang and prayed with the mother of the girl who had died. Patrisha told us that funerals usually happen on the same day as the death, since they have no morgue, and most don’t use coffins, or at least not full or solid ones.

            When we got back to camp, we continued waiting for a ride. We’d sent our luggage in a van already and were told that the van would try to return, but we might either have to walk the ~22K or wait till Early in the morning to get a ride. Just after 5, Michelle and I finally convinced everyone to start walking, if the van didn’t come for us, we might be able to make it by nightfall. 45 minutes after we started, the van came to get us. It actually died upon reaching us but thankfully he’d already turned around and they got it running again!

 

We really didn't like just sitting around...

Beautiful!! What we would have missed had we not started walking!

 We got back to Muchinshi in time for the crusade so we dropped off our stuff and headed over. After the service, on stewardship, I found out that Michelle had been in the back praying. Two girls went to her group and asked for prayer. They were having problems with spirits. For one girl, the shoes she was wearing, she’d gotten from her friend who was a devil worshiper. So they had her take them off and Michelle gave her her shoes. I bet that’s an experience she’ll never forget.