Our pet monkey

Yes, we really do have a pet monkey! The Failes had a monkey, Mambora, for 14 years, and when they left a few weeks ago they couldn't find anyone to take her so she moved to House 6 and became the volunteer monkey. I was so excited about having a monkey to feed and play with but all my dreams came crashing down on the first day when she jumped at me and would have attacked me if she hadn't been to the end of her rope. I thought that she was just having a bad day because her family had left her. Andy & James said they fed her and even pet her so I thought I would try again. A couple days later I went out to try to feed Monkey a banana and she went crazy, jumping at me and making all these noises. I was told that since she is a female that she doesn't really like girls, but she seems to hate me even more. Everyone else thinks it's hilarious and took a video of Monkey and me; As for me, I've decided that it's ok that she doesn't like me and it's her loss, not mine. :)

I'm really in Africa!!!

You know those moments that it just hits you all of the sudden and you think “Am I really here or am I just dreaming?” I had one of those moments yesterday afternoon. My roommate, Angela & I rode into town on our bikes. (BTW, I have a bike now... thanks to one of my friends who bought me one... it's not pink or fancy or new, but it works and it has a basket!) So, there I was, riding a bike (in a skirt of course) on the dirt roads of Nalerigu, maneuvering between goats, motorbikes & puddles, passing mud huts and children yelling, “Saliminga, Hello!” and it hits me, “Nothing about this screams normal, but it seems just normal now. I'm in Africa!” What an experience this has been!

Answered Prayer

I don't think it's just a coincidence that the morning after I asked you guys to pray for balance, Dr. Hewitt shows up at my house at 7 am to say that he heard that I hadn't been feeling great and since we had so many volunteers here, that I should take the day off. What a blessing to have an extra day to sleep and relax! Yesterday he had a meeting with all of the volunteers (currently there are 8 of us) and said that we can start taking a days off or trading off rounds on the weekend so we don't all have to work 7 days a week. That was definitely an answer to prayer for me to hear that it's ok to take time to rest and that I should take advantage of the fact that more volunteers are here now because there probably won't be as many in November and December. Thanks for all the prayers and continue to pray for health, strength and wisdom for all of us.    

Carrying things on your head

Even after being here for 6 weeks, I am still amazed at what these women are able to carry on their heads! It's not just light stuff either but some seriously heavy things! I have seem women with baskets on their head filled with coal, with firewood, and one that was filled with canned food! The funniest though was a few weeks ago when I was walking around town and saw a woman carrying a rolling suitcase on her head! What's the point in having a rolling suitcase if you're not gonna roll it? :) I am convinced that some of the neck pain and back pain (which people here call waist pain) has to be from years of carrying such heavy things on their heads, but none of my patients will agree with me. I guess it could possibly be since they start at such a young age that they get used to it. I am determined to learn how to carry something on my head, but we'll see if I actually succeed. Until then I will go on being fascinated with the women and the babies on their back and baskets filled to the top on their heads.

Thoughts after a restful weekend

After a really busy week, it's been nice to have a pretty relaxing weekend. Friday night we had a Girl's Night at our place with the other female missionaries and volunteers. We had strawberry cupcakes and watched a girly movie and did pedicures! Yesterday Angela and I mostly just chilled and watched movies but this afternoon we were very productive. We made strawberry jam! My first time – I'm learning lots of things here in Africa! You have to be really creative here because there's so much you can't get. Tonite we made an Italian dish and it was really good! We were talking about how good garlic bread would be, but the Ghanian bread is sweet so it won't really work. How I miss my padaria (bakery in Brasil) and all the tasty bread we used to get!

I've been thinking and praying a lot this week about finding a balance of work and play here. The work is never-ending at the hospital and the lines of sick patients seem to grow longer week after week. How do you find time to rest and relax when there's always people that are in desperate need of your care? Where is the balance between taking care of them and taking care of yourself so you're able to continue doing the work? How do you get away and relax when you're in the middle of Africa and to go anywhere means traveling at least 2 tiring hours on a dirt road? In Rio, I had the beach, massages, friends and Sharon, who always gave me a day off when she thought I needed it even before I would ask. But here, everyone works 7 days a week and the permanent doctors work even longer and harder hours than I do. How do they do it? I was talking with another volunteer about how there's no way you can continue on in a place like this were it not for God and the sense of His calling to do His work. I can't imagine where I would be if God were not real and always present in my life. I praise Him for all that He has done in me and through me since I've been here. Please continue to lift me up in prayer and specifically for His wisdom to find that balance and for His strength to continue on day after day.    

Busier day after day

This week was probably the busiest yet. I worked with Dr. Miller all week in pediatrics. The two of us saw around 750 kids in the outpatient clinic and when you add the inpatients we saw on morning and afternoon rounds, the total is over 100 children! We broke our daily record 3 different times this week – 157 on Monday, 163 on Wednesday and 178 on Friday! The thing is that most of these kids are really sick and really need medicine. There were 21 patients admitted to the pediatric ward yesterday and there were patients on the floor because they didn't have any more empty beds. Every week the number of patients increases and we are exhausted. Thankfully, 4 new volunteers arrived this week – two 4^th year medical students and two family practice residents. Please continue to pray for us and for the strength and endurance to keep going day after day.

Goat Kabobs

When I first got here I was surprised at how many goats there were. I guess it's just not the first animal you think about being in Africa, but they are everywhere in Nalerigu. The guys got this idea that we should have goat for James' going away party. Well, our cook went to market and bought one – alive – and the goat was tied up at the schoolhouse for 2 days. The problem was that the goat was really cute and there was a debate at dinner one night as to whether we should really eat him instead of just keeping him as a pet. We all took pictures of him and everything. In the end, though, we were forced to go ahead with the original plan and on Tuesday night we had goat kabobs. The meat was interesting, a little tough and a weird after-taste... apparently if you don't take the goat by surprise it makes the meat really tough. Poor little goat...