Great fellowship tonight

Tonight 14 of us had dinner together at my house. Everyone, including the missionaries, got together for a share time. Earlier in the day during our break time in the morning, Dr. Dunn and I were recapping the trip and about how appreciative we are for it. I finally let the tears out. I've been holding them in for a while. They are tears of "Wow, God, you amaze me by how you blessed us beyond what we imagined on this trip" or "I'm so thankful for this experience" or "How can I leave." Anyway, all of us go home at the end of this month or the beginning of the next month, so we all had the opportunity to put it into words somehow for each other tonight. The missionaries lit up. I hope it inspires them seeing how much we are inspired by what God is doing here and through them. Like I said about that new grass here after the rain, that's me, a renewed person after this trip. Psalm 23 talks about leading us to the still water, lying in green pastures, and how He restores my soul. Every one of us said it was life changing. I've been on many mission trips, and this one was one of those life-changing ones. I'm still processing the details. :) Dr. Dunn and Dr. Renfro put it nicely to me regarding the emotions, "We sweat from our eyes out here." In other words, "If your eyes leak well, your head won't swell." I think everyone's eyes have been leaking.


After that sweet time together, we went back and were used by God again and helped the sick. I saw something I have never seen before, along with countless other things that I have only seen here (too many to number), a child with meningeal signs of neck stiffness and meningitis, but what got me was when I did his spinal tap. Usually, you have to wait patiently for a drop or two of cerebrospinal fluid to come out of the needle you place in their spine. This boy's fluid caught me off guard. It sprayed across the room and hit the wall and was cloudy. This is another reason God brings us here to work. The boy was in need of some serious help. He had increased cerebral edema with meningitis--in other words, an emergency. Similar story last night with something only in Africa. As we were all in a prayer meeting, they came and got me for a sick baby. The baby was grimacing in the face and, as I glanced, the umbilical area didn't look clean. It was neonatal tetanus. I guess for a pediatric neurologist in training to learn about.

To top if off tonight, Doris, my second mom, found me during her off hours to tell me how wonderful God is to her in her life. Her husband died four years ago and she has four kids. She doesn't worry about money, because God provides. She said it is good to know God, so it is good to know you. Praise the Lord for these relationships. I can't explain it. Maybe one of the practical examples of the people here is how no matter where you go in any village or roadside, if a child is near the road, they light up, smile, and wave at you, practically chasing the car.



Remember the previous blog--that t-shirt, "I hope you are doing what makes you happy." I think I am. :)