a loooong update!

Saturday: Back in Sanyati. Left Gweru yesterday around 2 pm, instead of the 10 am I was expecting. On the way, they had trouble finding fuel to continue the journey. Mr. Mtisi the administrator had told me before I went to Gweru, that we would plan to go to two of the clinics on the way back to Sanyati. So we stopped in Gokwe for fuel…an interesting experience to say the least! And then proceeded to Sasame. It was getting dark, so it was hard to see, but the houses are in significant disrepair, but the clinic is a newer one that was built in 2002. There has been a clinic here for about 30 years, but the new one was opened in 2002. I talked with a lady there who has been working there for more than 30 years and she broke my heart: her daughter died in May, after going to South Africa for heart surgery, her husband is blind, she is getting older and working very hard at the clinic, and she’s tired and hungry. I feel a little cold-hearted saying this, but her story is not unusual, in fact many of them are much worse than that. Listening to her, I was overwhelmed though, but I tried to be reassuring, even though it’s hard for me to see hope in such desperate times.
Then we continued our journey toward Nenyunga Clinic. On the way we stopped or dinner in Chiketekere (?); we had sadza and beef. The water I washed my hands with before eating with them made me a bit nervous, because it looked dirty…so I decided to wait and drink the water in my bottle that I had left in the ambulance.
Mr. Mtisi told me as we continued our journey that we were very near a game park, so I kept hoping to see some animals…but every time I thought I saw something it turned out to be a cow or a person walking on the road. The road to the clinic was very bumpy and seemed to take forever after we turned off the main road. There were many rocks, ruts, ditches, and the like…if it was during the rainy season we could not have driven there.
It was dark when we arrived at Nenunga. The head nurse and her family were sitting outside finishing their dinner by the fire. We talked for a few minutes, then walked around and I took pictures of some problem areas, including the river bed that gets closer and closer to the clinic each year.
Sunday: Saturday waited around the Chikonzo’s home until the ambulance came to pick me up. We went to the Denda Clinic, which was about an hour and a half drive. They have an artesian well there, and it goes through a pipe to an area where people from the community gather water. The problem with this is animals also drink water from here. So, the animals urinate and defecate in the same muddy water the people have to walk through to access the fresh water from the artesian well coming out from the pipe. A project has been initiated to reroute the water from the spring to brick water tanks to protect the water from environmental contaminants. It also broke my heart to see bed frames with no mattresses…most of them only had blankets on top of wire springs! There are so many needs everywhere I turn!
Today went to church with the Chikonzo’s, probably for the last time. Mai B led Sunday School for the older kids, so I followed her outside. She used a children’s Bible and started from Creation and went through Cain and Abel. About half-way through two more teachers came and the younger kids went with them. Later I went to see what they were doing, and ended up leading them in Father Abraham, Deep and Wide, and Jesus Loves Me. Soon it was time to go back to big church, where I listen and follow along with scripture with little to no understanding.
Dr. Chikonzo had to go to church in Arda today for a business meeting, so the rest of us walked to church at the shops (I’ve heard it’s about 3 km, but it didn’t seem that far…). After church, one of the elder’s wives asked me what I had brought them from Gweru. Ahhh! Things like that make me want to be selfish with what I do have…but then I get frustrated with myself for not oozing grace, how can I respond though? My thoughts are quite jumbled…
When we left the church, I ended up walking with a 9 year old girl named Lyvette. She doesn’t know much English, and I cannot continue a Shona conversation much past the greetings. Finally, I started asking her to name things in Shona for me (tree/flower/grass/etc.). She stayed with us for lunch today and we read a little from the children’s Bible together. Then we played War with my deck of cards, after she grasped that, I tried Go Fish…that was a failure! We had fun though :)
I’ve been leading devotions at the hospital this week. I started with some encouraging words from Philippians 4:13 on Monday, then part of my testimony yesterday. I was planning to continue with my testimony today, but the nurses are now on strike.
Monday I continued working on the clinic proposals for the hospital administrator and worked in maternity for a bit. Tuesday I scrubbed in for a C-section with Dr. Byler. It is so much more interesting when you can help a little! I know I’m not doing much, but I am contributing and learning a lot at the same time! He had me hold the bladder blade and assist with the suturing.
I’m planning to start going to a Bible Study at Angie Byler is leading. It’s a Beth Moore study focusing on the patriarchs. There have been many occurrences around me lately that have seemed to be leading me to study Abraham, and this is another one of those. I haven’t spent much time with Angie, I think it will be good. I went to the Byler’s house one night for dinner; they had both national doctors and their families over. Angie also came and took my picture as I led devotions yesterday, which was very thoughtful of her.
The container arrived yesterday! I was helping Kudzai with Biology, so I was unaware until they were finished unloading. Today I will check out the new stocks, and take some pictures.
I went to the hospital a little late this morning, because there will not be devotions until the staff are back off strike…everyone who is coming to work needs to be working when they are there. I thought I would go look at the shipment that came in yesterday, but first Mr. Mtisi wanted me to help him with more work on the proposals. Although I thought I was finished, we went through everything together and it took all morning! Don’t get me wrong, I wanted him to check over what I was doing but then he explained everything to me and there were lots of interruptions. I became rather impatient…but then I started thinking what better do I have to do? I’m just so task-oriented, and I want to get things done…and this thing is never-ending it seems! I guess I should look at it from a different perspective, as I’ve completed the hospital proposal, and the Denda Proposal, and the Nenyunga one…I’m almost done with the Sasame one too! (Yeah, that feels a little better.)
I’m going to head back to the hospital now and see what I can find to do. I hope I can check out what came in with the shipment yesterday! I’m not sure what else I can do, because the power is gone now, and the battery on Mr. Mtisi’s computer doesn’t last very long at all.
I was able to take some good pictures of some of the donations that came in with the recent shipment (with much thanks to JouneyPartners!). There are several beds, lots of mattresses, IV drip stands, trolleys, a heat lamp for premature babies, a scale, and lots of other boxes that we haven’t even gone through yet! The matron said we would continue to sort and distribute on Monday, and Dr. Randall is coming soon. (I don’t remember if I mentioned him before, but he worked in Sanyati (and the clinics) for about 30 years! Everyone seems to be a big fan of both him and his wife, so I cannot wait to meet them! I think they will be here for about two weeks and Dr. Randall will be doing lots of surgeries, hopefully I can follow and see lots of cool stuff! I’m sure there is so much I can learn from Dr. Randall.)
I moved to the matron’s house on Thursday evening. He lives with his wife, Mrs. Winnie Mtisi, Stephen Joe (son, 25), Anna (niece, 20), Cynthia (niece, 15), Mousa (grandson, 5) and Munashe (granddaughter, 15 months). I have my own room and bathroom; it’s sort of like having an apartment! We have been without electricity (and water) for a few days now. Anna brought me a bucket of water last night so I would have some. This morning I washed a little laundry and gave the bathroom a good scrub, before making final use of the water by flushing the toilet! (If anyone thought I tried to conserve at home…it’s to the serious extreme here!) The Mtisi’s just moved to this house over the past couple weeks, so they aren’t completely settled and I don’t think my little suite area has had a good scrub…that’s why I started with the bathroom. The bathroom is small and I thought I could make do with my one bucket of water. It feels much cleaner now and I have a little bit of ownership in my space now. Whenever we have more water I will continue to clean, and if it takes too long I will just keep going bit by bit.
They do family devotions every night and then pray together. So far, Mr. Mtisi has led all of them. I want to hear someone else led them before I volunteer though. After devotions Anna and Cynthia went outside to clean the pots, so I went out to see if they wanted to play cards later. We sat down to play rummy at the kitchen table…but then Mr. Mtisi said something, and they whispered that maybe we should stop…so I suggested we go to my room. My little suite is at the opposite end of the house (it even has it’s own door!), so we were not being as disruptive there…but we were being quiet in the kitchen too!
I ate my first bulger on Friday…I’m not sure, but maybe it’s millet. I think they use it when sadza is scarce. The bulger wasn’t bad, but I had it with beans, so it wasn’t my favorite…of course I didn’t let on though. I was telling myself I have to get the protein from the beans if we will only have meat once a week, but I might have to start telling myself something different for that to work. Mrs. Mtisi told me they normally have meat about once a week, but we have had meat three times since I have been here. I am thankful for the meat, but I hate to be a burden! It’s quite hard to show appreciation and at the same time tell someone not to do something for you…they are so giving!
I think Kudzai is moving back to school this weekend, so I’m trying to prepare a week’s worth of lessons for him to study. It will be nice to have more free afternoons to get to know my new hosts. I wanted to live here before living with the administrator’s family because I already know them pretty well. I had never met any of the matron’s family until I arrived here with my bags. I thought it would be better to get to know more people sooner, so I can have stronger relationships with people.
Yesterday was Grandaddy’s birthday…I hope it was good! I don’t think he got my e-mail, because we haven’t had power the last few days. Maybe Dad will get his on time though…
Went to church for the first time with the Mtisis today. I was a bit confused, because everyone was up and getting ready for church but then I left with only Mr. Mtisi. He said he really likes the Bible Study in the morning, and the others are normally late. OK. I never even saw his wife or the girls there. Mr. Mtisi had suggested I go to Mr. Machapaza’s class for Sunday School, because he does it in English, but he wasn’t there today. So I went with Isabelle (a young lady I know from the hospital) to the class that she was teaching. Then I followed her back to the sanctuary. Mr. Mtisi had told me I should go with his son for the service since Isabelle helps with praise and worship, but then his son said I needed to sit with the other girls (I’ve been noticing the segregation of sexes during services, except when the whole family sits together.) So I felt like a kid that was unwanted…but Isabelle told me later they just argue like that, joking around…but I didn’t know that at the time. It was weird for me to be sitting with Isabelle because she was in the second to the front row and they kind-of led worship from there, at least at the end of the service…so when the rest of my row got up to leave, I wasn’t sure whether to stay or go, but Isabelle had told me we would go out together…so I waited, even though I felt out of place. Then we filed out of the church (just like at AFM) and shook everyone’s hand in a circle that grew as we added to it coming out from the sanctuary. Again, I felt out of place, because I had walked out with Isabelle (and the other praise and worship folks, and then they went to the middle of the circle!) All this left me at the very end of the line, behind Mr. Mtisi and then most of the young men were in front of him…so I felt like I should have been going around the circle with the women instead of after Mr. Mtisi…but I know I stick out like a sore thumb anyway, so I’m sure it doesn’t matter that much! On our walk home from church, I asked Mr. Mtisi if his wife and the girls went, he said they did, but they probably left because Munashe was fussy.
Munashe is giving me some trouble. When I first came, she would cry whenever she would see me. I told myself it was because she wasn’t used to white people. Now she still cries most of the time, but if I tease her a little (like hiding behind a wall and playing peek-a-boo), she will normally laugh. Sometimes, she sees me and smiles and then cries…so I think she’s just teasing me now! I think we will be friends soon enough though.
Today is Wednesday night, and it has been a very long day in Sanyati! The past few days I’ve been working in the warehouse helping to sort the big MedShare shipment, with lots of donations that JourneyPartners helped send! I’ve been working with Alex and Sister Shumba carrying lots of boxes to the warehouse and to help get some of them distributed to the departments. I met Dr. Randall today…you know how, it’s so exciting to meet a famous person but then when you meet them, they are well…just human? I kind of feel like that. Everyone has been talking about Dr. Randall and how they are so excited he’s coming, etc., etc. I haven’t really had a full conversation with him yet, but I am very excited about the opportunity. 30 years in Sanyati doing medical missions! It’s like seeing a part of who I hope I am becoming…
I went to Bible study with Mai Mtisi today. There were about 12 ladies at the Byler’s house to watch this Beth Moore video Bible Study. Afterwards I talked to Angie about some groceries for me. The Mtisi’s (the matron’s family) are struggling, and I feel the weight of my being here much more than at the Chikonzo home. Mai Mtisi keeps asking me what I want to eat, and I don’t know what to tell her; I’m not used to having much choice! So she told me to talk to the Byler’s about getting some food for me, but most of it will be for us. I hope we will be able to get mealie meal (for sadza), sugar, oil, flour, fruits (oranges, etc.), muriwo (green vegetables), tomatoes, chicken…the basics. I did get some mac n cheese from the Byler’s house today and some strawberry jam. In the morning, I will have peanut butter and jelly on flat bread, I hope someone else will eat some too. I told Mai Mtisi tonight that I want to save the mac n cheese for Sunday, I’m trying to think of what will go best with it. Maybe corned beef and muriwo/tomatoes. I also borrowed some books from the Bylers: The Applause of Heaven (Lucado); Mukiwa: A white boy in Africa (Peter Godwin); The Chairman (Harry Lee Kraus, Jr.). I think each of them will be very good choices, I’m excited about reading them!
Today little Munashe came and sat with me for a while! I’m so pleased we are shamwaris now! She’s still a bit finicky, but that’s just her personality. We sat in the den together for a bit today and when I got up to leave the room she followed me! She has started talking to me a little too…most of it isn’t real words, but she does call me Nana Anna...they said that means baby Anna  But at least she knows my name, and that its different from her cousin Anna…
Today is Saturday. Last night I had dinner with the Bylers (Dr. Mark, Angie, and Luke (11)) and Dr. Randall. It was refreshing to talk with Angie for a bit before dinner; we haven’t had much opportunity to talk before. We had salad, spaghetti, and pineapple cake with icing! It was a welcome treat! Then I stayed at their house for a while to watch a couple episodes of the Cosby show and to send a couple e-mails.
I told Mai Mtisi that I would cook something for breakfast today, but I told her I would need help. I didn’t know what she expected or what was possible… (My name is now Auntie Anna and Anna the cousin is known as Mai Anna.) Mai Anna had already prepared bulger this morning, so I just supplemented that with some groceries that Angie sent over for me earlier in the week. I cooked eggs with tomatoes and we also had bananas with peanut butter. Then I did the dishes and the girls (Mai Anna and C {Cynthia) helped me put things up. I haven’t been helping as much here, because I am still adjusting to life at this house. I’m going to continue to do more and more though.
Today I think I will visit the administrator’s house and see if he was able to figure out any transport for me to get to the airport next month. The matron told me he didn’t think the administrator was able to contact anyone while he was in Kadoma yesterday, presumably due to poor network.
I did laundry today…independently! It seems like this family does theirs outside, but it’s so hot and I would rather them not watch me…I still feel quite awkward washing everything by hand. I have two buckets in my bathroom and I used one for soaking/washing and the other for rinsing, it went pretty well actually.
Electricity has been quite scarce this week. It only came on a few nights during the week and only for a few hours each time. Finally on Friday it came on and stayed on for most of the day, it went off Friday evening around 6 and came back around 7:30, which was a big surprise! We still have it! I hope it stays on long enough to replenish our water supply. It is such a hassle to use buckets of water for everything.
Wednesday, September 24: This week electricity has been much better! (That also means we have running water…praise the Lord!) I have been following Dr. Randall, a surgeon who worked in Sanyati for about 30 years. I’ve been able to see and help with so many things…skin grafting, hernias, undescended testicles, a suprapubic catheter, irrigation and casting of a compound tib/fib fracture (complete break from being run over by a scotch cart). I think it’s going to get better once we get oxygen; then he is going to do some bigger things! (We are supposed to get oxygen tomorrow.)
Yesterday I went to Kadoma with the Bylers (an American missionary family; Dr. Byler, Angie, and Luke). Every week Luke meets with a home-school group there. Yesterday Dr. Byler was heading to Chinoyi to try to pick up some meds/supplies/maize for the hospital, so he dropped us off in Kadoma and then picked us up on his return trip. Once Luke started his lessons, Angie and I went to town to try to pick up some groceries for me and the family I am staying with. That was quite an interesting adventure, but we were rather successful! After lunch with the moms in the group, we had a Bible Study. They have some Beth Moore videos and workbooks they are using. It was refreshing to be with a completely different group of people, and very thought provoking.
Sunday, September 28: I walked with Mai Anna and Synthia to Chivanga Baptist Church today. I thought we were leaving at 8, but at 6:30 they told me it would start at 7! I hadn’t even showered or anything, and it’s a 30 minute walk! We left about 7:10 and arrived about 7:45 after serious power walking! They were still singing when we arrived and someone translated the message for me as the pastor preached. The service was very short, because it was part of the conclusion of a conference weekend. We left there about 9:40, it took almost an hour to walk back because we were no longer in a hurry.
I led the family devotion last night. We played the game two truths and a lie, which was quite easy for me, but harder for them since they are family! Then I talked about some of my recent thoughts about who I represent while I am here. I am a direct representative of JourneyPartners, since I came here through JP. In addition to that I have also been thinking about who else I represent: my country, my family, my school… Then I talked about who we are and who we represent as Christians. We looked at 2 Corinthians 5:17 (We’re a new creation in Christ…) and then 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 and 18 (We are a letter from Christ, like ambassadors and more and more of Him is being unveiled in us.)
On Friday I was able to scrub in to two surgeries and watch one. The first one was this precious 4 month old musikana (girl) with a hugely distended abdomen. It turned out to be a congenital defect that allowed for massive amounts of bile to be stored in this outpocketing…over a liter! The next was a colostomy closure, which I didn’t scrub for, and finally a prostatectomy.
Friday, October 3: I continued to follow Dr. Randall this past Monday and Tuesday. There were more surgeries, of course but they were smaller surgeries (hernias, undescended testicles, a breast mass). Actually, we didn’t go through with the mastectomy because the patient had some respiratory problems. On the ward her BP was high, so they hesitated to send her to surgery to start with. The nurse anesthetist said to send her over anyway, and she would make the decision. So they decided to proceed with the surgery. However, when the anesthetist went to intubate her she had some difficulty. The patient’s pulse went up to 160 and her O2 sats dropped down to the 30s! I was so very nervous, especially because I couldn’t really do anything. Each time they would wait for her sats to come up before trying to intubate again, but on the third try she started foaming at the mouth and they decided not to try any more. I had just talked to Angie Byler a couple nights before this about how they don’t even really do CPR here. She said they really just give the patient’s oxygen, so whenever a mother sees them coming with oxygen she is likely to panic because she knows that’s one of the last interventions they do here. (Oxygen is quite a commodity. Last week Sanyati had to trade another hospital Halothane {an anesthetic} for oxygen, so that we would have enough oxygen to continue doing surgeries.)
Wednesday I did rounds with Dr. Byler and then went to surgery with him. There was a young man who had a rather large mass in his elbow that needed to be removed. They said it might or might not be a keloid. There was quite a bit of blood, but it was a very interesting procedure. Dr. Byler cut all the way around it to excise the mass, then he undermined the skin so it would stretch further. Then he made some an extra cut on each side to have a flap of skin to reach across the gaping wound (this prevented the need for grafting). I was surprised at how such a large wound could be covered in this way.
Wednesday afternoon I went to Bible Study at the Bylers. Angie wasn’t there, so it was me with about 14 nationals. We always discuss after the video, and I enjoy going to the afternoon session so that I can listen to more people’s thoughts and opinions. (There are less people at night, and, thus, less discussion.) I wasn’t able to understand much this time though, because nearly everything they said was in Shona. That frustrated me a little, but I think that means they are really processing the topics being discussed. If they tried to discuss in English, I think it would be a great hindrance to their learning and growth, so I enjoyed listening to them continue their discussion without really knowing what they were talking about.
I am very excited about my upcoming trip to South Africa! I’m going to meet my mom for some sightseeing and get to catch up with her. This week I have been busy working out my plans to get to the airport and make arrangements for my return.