My 2nd Post

I had this weekend off after working the last 12 days straight and it was great time to relax and spend more time with Tia and Bethany. On Saturday Tia and I went out to a nearby orphanage and got to see how the kids are living and then play with them for a few hours. The kids were so full of life and so eager to play with us but what really stood out to Tia and I was that when the director was introducing them he did not know all of their names. In no way does this imply that he is not doing a good job with these kids but with trying to ensure that their basic needs are met he probably doesn’t have the time to truly invest in each one of them. It breaks our heart that these children and so many others don’t have parents that not only know there names but also fill their lives with the love and attention that every child needs and deserves.
On Saturday night we went and had pizza night over at the Bemm’s house (Chuck Bemm-pediatrician and his wife Amy and there four children Abby, David, Lydia and Hannah who they just finalized her adoption from an orphanage here in Kenya). It is so amazing to spend time with so many unique families who are letting their lives truly be used by God. On Sunday we went to church and then spent most of the day just relaxing and hanging out because it rained a lot here today. We did go for a walk during part of the day where I was laughed at some more for carrying Bethany on my back since men in this culture never carry the baby but it is all just part of God teaching me humility.
A big part of this trip for Tia and I was to continue searching for what God is calling us to do with the talents and blessings he has given us. Because of my inexperience as a doctor and especially as a doctor in the mission field I have spent most of time trying to keep up with the patient load and make the best decisions that I know how for the patients. Because of the lack of experienced doctors on the medicine and pediatric services I have been acting as the “consultant” which means that I am the one who makes the final decisions on the care the patients are receiving when I am on call. At times this has been overwhelming and I have spent a lot of time looking things up on the computer or in the medical library. I have also relied on the interns here a good deal. At any rate I have not really had a lot of time to process what God is teaching me from this experience and probably will not until we get back to Greenwood.
One thing I have definitely come to appreciate is the fleeting nature of this life. Being surrounded by people in the 20’s and 30’s dying from rheumatic heart disease, esophageal cancer, meningitis, AIDS, and many other diseases that are so common here has made me realize just how short life is. Even by becoming the very best doctor I can become I will never be able to eliminate the suffering and death in this world. It has added even more emphasis to the true reason for this trip or any other mission trip, to introduce people to “the only name under heaven by which men will be saved (Acts 4:12)” Jesus does what no medicine, surgery, or money can do by giving hope, purpose and comfort to those who truly need him. Tenwek is an amazing place where doctors and nurses are providing the very best care for patients with the resources available at a minimal cost, but the real ministry here is that no patient or family comes here without hearing about the One who created them, died for them and longs to call them his children. On a daily basis I see notes in patients’ chart where they have prayed to accept Christ because the work God is doing through the chaplains here. I pray that our family continues to realize the importance of spending this life on the things that truly matter and that through us more people will come to know our Redeemer.