Out in the Bush

On the "path" to Gongoli Village

For the past 9 months, I've considered myself to be living in "the bush" of Africa--middle of nowhere, a good 45 minute walk from the nearest "town" aka bigger village, rural Africa.  But on Saturday, I was introduced to the real bush.  Sister Meriline and I went for mobile clinic in a place called Gongoli village.  It was a full, busy, exhausting nine hours, but one of the most rewarding days I've had since I've been in South Sudan. 

Washing and fetching water at the multipurpose water hole

The day started by walking just under 2 hours through the bush.  I spent the whole time trekking on a narrow path, pushing grass that is taller than me out of my face.  We had to carry the medicines and all our supplies because there was no way of taking a vehicle or motorbike on the path.  It was so beautiful though, peaceful and serene.  We finally reached the thatched roof church where we set up our clinic.  Before we began I walked to the water hole where the people get their water just to check it out.  And it was just that--a hole that collected rainwater.  The water was extremely dirty and kids were bathing right where the other people were collecting water for drinking.  No wonder so many people there are suffering from water-borne diseases!  I made my way back to the church area, and some kids started kicking around the football.  So naturally I had to jump in and play for a few minutes before we started the clinic.  It caused quite the scene.  A white girl who actually knows how to play football--unheard of!  

Some patients waiting in line

Then we started the clinic.  I played doctor for the day and recorded the patient's symptoms, assessed, diagnosed, and prescribed medications.  The supplies we had were very limited because we had to carry everything, but we made due.  We had just over 90 patients come, a pretty good turnout for 4 hours of seeing patients.  The most common illnesses that I saw were intestinal worms (no surprise there), malaria, fungal infections, anemia, and musculoskeletal pain from working in the fields all day.  Sister and I took a break about half way through and gave a health awareness talk about the water they are using (after I saw the hole where they were fetching from and the quality of water) and how to properly filter or boil it to prevent sicknesses.  Then we started to ask about the demographics of the area and what access they have to resources.  There are over 200 families in the village--making well over 1,000 people, the  majority of whom are children.  These people have no access to healthcare, no schools in the area, and no support from the county.  If the kids want to go to school, they have to walk 2 hours each way to our school which is the closest to their village.  So the vast majority of kids there were just running around all day not attending school.  It was interesting to see because most of the places I go here, usually a few people speak English, but here nobody spoke a word of English., obviously from a lack of exposure and formal education.  The same issue occurs for healthcare.  They would have to walk to our health center to get any medical attention at all.  And when you are sick, a walk 2 hours each way just isn't feasible.  I was speaking to the chief, through a local translator who came with us, and he was telling me that they are petitioning the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to get these services in Gongoli village; however, the county has yet to respond or provide any kind of support.  It was interesting to hear about their problems and struggles, but then to see how they are coming together as a community to try to fix them and improve their quality of living.  

Many people we saw were small kiddos

The clinic ran smoothly, but it wouldn't be an African day without heavy afternoon rains.  We had to take cover under the leaky, thatched roof Church.  We finished the last few patients and waited for the rain to stop.  This made for an interesting walk back to "civilization."  We moved back through the bush in the mud and with wet grass hitting us the whole time.  I was so dirty, but it was a fun adventure.  That is the mobile clinic that I want to do…those are the type of people I want to work with--those with absolutely no access to healthcare.  Although I was only with these villagers for a short day, I learned so much from them about living a simple and happy life.  They make due with what they have, and they have next to nothing.  Sister and I are already talking about making this a more regular mobile clinic site, maybe once a month or every other month.  Hopefully we can build a relationship with these people and at least make a small impact on their health.  It was a long, but incredibly fulfilling day.  The whole day I just felt in my element and so happy, and it is then that I knew this is what I am truly called to do.  One successful day in the bush complete and hopefully many more to come!

Getting lost in the bush!

A Year of Nursing

This past week was National Nurse's week, and it also happened to be one year since I graduated from nursing school.  It made me reflect and think back on my first year as a registered nurse, and I quickly saw all the joys, struggles, rewards, and challenges that came along with my first year of nursing.

Around April of last year, I couldn't even count how many times I heard, "Do you have a job?" "Where will you be working?" "What unit will you be working on?"  My answer for all these questions was a bit different from the typical graduate nurse's response-- "Actually I'm moving to South Sudan to work at a clinic for a year."  This decision was not an easy one.  I felt as if I wasn't qualified enough (or at all) to go abroad.  I thought maybe I should get experience for a year or two in the states and then go do global nursing.  I went back and forth so many times, made many pros and cons lists, and said countless prayers for guidance and wisdom.  Ultimately, I couldn't ignore God's call and knew that I had to do what I was passionate about in a place that I always dreamed of working- Africa.

Waiting to get their wounds cleaned.

This past year of nursing has taught me many things about myself and also has reassured me of the reasons I studied nursing in the first place.  The clinic here has very basic services as I've mentioned before.  It is not the busiest of clinics- usually 30-50 patients a day.  And the resources and supplies we have are very, very minimal.  I spend 5 hours a day in the clinic where I bandage wounds, give medications and injections, and occasionally sit in for the doctor when he is on leave.  I don't call physicians, give blood transfusions, spend hours charting in the computer, or many of the other tasks and skills that I learned in nursing school.  But I didn't enter nursing just so I could do those tasks.  I started nursing for the relationship that nurses have with their patients.  They are the ones who get to know the patients, who spend all day in and out of their rooms, who really get to see each patient progress day after day.

A "balloon" can brighten any day!

This nurse-patient relationship is so much different here.  First, because I work at a clinic instead of a hospital, patients come one day and I rarely see them again.  I don't get to follow them to see if they get better or if the medicine works.  Secondly, it's hard to form a relationship with somebody when you can't verbally communicate with them.  However, it's not impossible.  I've realized, more than ever, that this relationship is the very reason I love nursing.  Even at a clinic.  Even in South Sudan.  I make do with my broken Arabic, my patients' broken English, and plenty of motions.  Even though I only see each person for a couple of hours in a day before they leave, it's still plenty of time to let them know that they are loved and to try to provide them with the best care that I can give.  I get to snuggle with sick babies while they wait to see the doctor and blow up gloves to make balloons to give to the kiddos.  Every time I'm at the school and a child comes to find me to show me their wound or to tell me what part of their body is paining, I can't help but smile.  That's when I know that they trust me enough to share their concerns and know that I will help them.  It might not be the nurse-patient relationship I learned about in nursing school, but it's just as rewarding and fulfilling. 

Snatching babies to play with every possible chance I get!

Reflecting back on my first year as a nurse, I am so thankful to be in such a rewarding and loving profession.  I probably couldn't list off the pathophysiology and signs and symptoms of Cushing's Syndrome or Glomerulonephritis like I could in nursing school, but ask me about tropical diseases and I could talk for hours!  I don't think any amount of post graduate nursing experience could have prepared me for the types of diseases and conditions that I find here.  It definitely has been on-the-job training, but the same core aspects of nursing and the purpose of nursing are still present.  I am so grateful for all the things I have learned and for the opportunity to do what I love for the past year.  I can't wait to see what experiences this amazing profession has in store for me in the future!

A Thousand Words

         They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so if that is true, I have 14,000 words for you right now!  Here is a look at the Easter celebrations in Manguo, South Sudan.  It was a beautiful time to celebrate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus with the community and so many of my students.  Sometimes pictures tell a much better story than words, so enjoy a look into a South Sudanese Easter!

   

Before the Palm Sunday Procession began.  All the kids brought their own crosses to be blessed.

The blessing of the palms.  Then we all walked to the church for Mass. 

Holy Thursday washing of the feet.

After Mass we had Adoration.

Good Friday Stations of the Cross.  We walked for 5 hours on the main road, stopping at each station to pray. 

So many of our students came and carried their own cross along the way.

Lighting of the Easter Candle at the Easter Vigil Mass.

Each person brought their own candle to light during the Mass.

Hanging out with our friends after Easter Vigil. 

All ready for Easter Mass!

Easter Day--the Church was packed!

Baptisms on Easter.  They lined up and the Priest went down the line baptizing each baby.  It was the quickest I've ever seen 30 kids be baptized!

So many Easter blessings this year!

Enjoying the Easter celebrations with Ariel.

Officially Initiated

As of last week, I have officially been initiated to Africa.  This initiation came in the form of malaria.  One of the priests here says that you are not truly living in Africa until you get malaria which is the most common tropical parasite seen here.  I had been doing my absolute best to avoid it- taking my prophylaxis religiously, perfectly tucking in my mosquito net every night, and spraying on layers and layers of bug spray most evenings.  But somehow, despite all those things, the pesky little mosquito still found a way to deliver its sting.  And let me tell you, it was not a fun journey.  

My Sweet Silla

After laying in bed for almost 8 days, receiving IV medications because I couldn't keep pills down, and sweating out what seemed like half of my body weight, I am finally good as new!  It's amazing how many people truly care for you and pray for you when you are sick.  I am absolutely convinced that was the reason I got better so quickly.  Thankfully, I had the best nurse I could ask for, Ariel.  She constantly brought me cold water and towels, tried her absolute best to get me to eat, and even gave me my malaria injections.  I really think I'm going to make a nurse out of her yet! She was such a blessing and helped me to feel so much better even when I felt miserable.  The kids were also amazing.  I'm pretty sure most of them thought I was dead because I didn't leave my room, and they didn't see me for over a week.  But after a few days, I started getting knocks on my door and it was some of the kids coming to check on me.  One day, the kids were gathered around my bed and one of the girls, Silla, said, "Let us take this time to pray for our sister."  Then she led us in prayer.  It almost made me cry.  It was the sweetest and most thoughtful thing somebody could have done.  The next day I got a pile of letters and prayers from my P7 class with the cutest messages.  My favorite was when one boy said that he was sad I was sick, but he was even more sad that since I was sick he couldn't take the vocabulary quiz that I was supposed to give to him and the class.  Such good students!  Although most days I just didn't want to see anybody, when I heard the knock on my door I couldn't help but open it to see my kids standing there smiling.  And I am also so grateful for my family, friends, and strangers at home who prayed for me.  One day my mother informed me that the checkout lady at Staples was even praying for me.  Leave it to my mother to inform the checkout lady of my sickness! But really, thank you dear friends, family, Ariel, students, and Staples lady for your help and prayers.  God definitely heard them and placed his healing hands on me.  

So happy to be back in my "Office"

Now I definitely have a better appreciation for people who come to the clinic with malaria.  I knew malaria was serious, but I didn't know the extent of it.  I just handed patients their medicine and told them to get better soon.  But malaria is no joke.  And people here get malaria like it's a common cold-- over and over again.  I can't even imagine.  Maybe I'm just a huge baby, but one time with severe malaria is more than enough for me!  With the help of your prayers, some great meds, an even better site partner/nurse, and lots of sleep, I am back to the crazy, busy life of Maridi, South Sudan.  I still can tell that nasty parasite isn't completely out of my body.  I still need frequent naps and my appetite still isn't back to how it was before.  One student came up to me the other day and said, "Sister…you are just so….so…not fat anymore" to which I laughed and said that is what being sick does to you!  But just give me a couple of weeks, and I'll be back to my big, healthy self again.  

Slowly but surely I am recovering and starting back to work.  The clinic has been running as usual.  The number of patients has been increasing again which is keeping us busy.  There is nothing new to report in the school.  The first term will come to an end in about a month, so I am looking forward to a little break at that time!  Well it only took 7 months, but looks like I am officially initiated to Africa!  And I can easily say that I would have been perfectly fine if I was never initiated in the first place.  But, again, thanks to you all for your prayers and good thoughts, because now I am ready to get back in the swing of things and refocus on this mission and my personal mission.  

Blindly Running

As part of our Lenten sacrifice, Ariel and I have been getting up early to do physical and spiritual exercises each morning.  Our routine has actually turned us into 95 year old grandmothers--bed at 9:30pm and waking up at 5:00am.  Our days are so jammed packed with the clinic, school, and after school activities that we don't have any time to fit in exercise during "normal" waking hours.  So we have created a schedule that allows us to do various exercises-running, yoga, strengthening-and morning prayer during our only free time before mass begins at 6:45am.  Although I dread the sound of my alarm most (more like every) mornings, I couldn't think of a better way to begin the day.  It is a peaceful time, a quiet time, the only time in the day when I don't have a hundred kids screaming at me all at the same time.  It gives me a chance to really take in the peace and quiet, clear my mind, and get ready for the day.

40 minutes into my run--the first sign of daylight 

Easily my favorite activity that we have been doing is running.  I like running and have enjoyed getting back into it, but running in Maridi, South Sudan is such an interesting experience for a few different reasons.  #1-People just don't do it.  They work all day, every day in the field and don't need extra activities to get their exercise.  So when they see me do it, they find it strange.  #2-I already stick out enough as a foreigner, but a white person running really makes them laugh.  Even though it is pitch black when we run, somehow they still know I am white.  I hear people on the road conversing in Zande, but I pick out the words "white" and "Ah, MAMA!" which is an expression that so many people here use when they are surprised.  And #3- Potholes, goats, and mangoes.  Let me explain this last point that makes running a completely different experience.  There are so many obstacles, and when you are running in complete darkness, it makes for an interesting run.  If I run on the main "road," I risk falling into human-sized pot holes.  And If I run around the compound, I risk tripping over goats and getting hit by falling mangoes.  And yes, all of these things have happened to me.  Even though I carry a torch with me while I run and stare at the ground to try to perfectly place each step, I still fall into these huge potholes and eat dirt at least two times each morning I run.  And yes, I actually did trip over a black goat one morning that I obviously didn't see, and it didn't move out of the way in time.  And one windy morning I was running under a mango tree, and a mango fell and hit me straight on the head.  So needless to say, my morning runs are definitely filled with excitement, sometimes too much excitement.   

Our small victory of the day- finding the Ice Cream Man!

But this morning as I was running, I started thinking.  This is exactly what this journey is about.  I am running in the darkness, I am blind in a sense.  I am trying my best to see the big picture of this adventure and really figure out my purpose here, but only God knows.  He alone is in charge.  He obviously called me here and had a reason for that, and now it is my job to just blindly follow Him and trust in his plan.  On days where I struggle and think to myself "what the heck am I even doing here?", on days when I can't stand to look at or smell another wound, on days where my classes are extra loud and rambunctious, I just try to remember that kind of blind obedience.  God is leading me, and the only thing I can do is run to follow Him.  I might not know where He is leading me or with what purpose, but no matter what crazy or tough things happen, there are always so many small, funny, sweet moments in each day that keep me running and following His path. 

Sunrise as I finished my run this morning

Each morning as I stumble down the road trying to avoid the obstacles, I am so boldly reminded of God's constant presence throughout this mission.  When I get the courage to take my eyes off the road in front of me, I look up and see the most magnificent sunrises.  It is such an amazing experience to see the dawn break.  To see that first glimpse of daylight.  I know that the obstacles of yesterday-the potholes, the goats, the mangoes- are behind me, and it is a new day, a new chance to blindly run by faith.

Six Lessons Learned

As of two days ago, Ariel and I have been in South Sudan for 6 months now.  Officially over the half way point.  It is absolutely crazy to think we have already been in Africa for half of a year.  Some days it feels like I've been here for a week, and other days it seems like I have lived here my entire life.  These past six months have been a period of growth.  I have grown spiritually and emotionally.  And I have learned so much more about myself and so many life lessons.  I want to share with you six of the important lessons I've learned during my six months in South Sudan.

6.  Carrying water on your head is so much harder than you think.  From day one, I've watched villagers carry water, pots, buckets, logs, and pretty much everything else imaginable on their heads.  I made it a personal goal to learn to balance a jug of water on my head.  After dropping many jugs of water on myself and getting soaked, six months later I finally mastered the 5 liter jug full of water.  Turns out, it is all about a slight head tilt to balance out the weight of the water.  Next on the list--the 20 liter jug.

5.  Making faces is the best language to speak.  I am still struggling to learn Zande (the tribal language) and Arabic to use in the clinic.  Unfortunately, the extent of my speaking is still limited to basic greetings and a few medical terms to get by at the hospital.  So with the little ones, I have resorted to making faces as my means of communication.  The kids love to imitate the faces I make.  I love winking at them and seeing them try to do it back.  Another one of my favorites is the fish face.  They laugh so hard when they see me do it, and it makes me laugh even harder to see them try to attempt it.  It's truly amazing how much love and laughter can be exchanged by making goofy faces at each other.

4.  No matter how hard I try, I will never know how to properly hand wash my clothes.  Every Saturday I scrub my clothes and am so proud of my work.  But sometimes the kids see me and they get a kick out of watching me because they say I do it all wrong.  And I've just come to realize that I live in Africa--I have dirty kids climbing over me all day and I am constantly sweating.  It's a fact that I just need to accept.  I will never know how to wash my clothes like they do, and it doesn't really matter because two minutes after I put my "clean" clothes on, they are already covered in dirt and other various unknown substances.

3.  Love and a bandage can fix any wound.  Each day during short break at the school, I have a line of kids waiting to have their wounds cleaned and wrapped.  Day after day the same kids come, along with a few new ones each day.  It really is amazing to see the physical healing process, to see the wounds get smaller and smaller.  But I've come to realize that this time I've been blessed with to bandage wounds is a call to love these kids and bandage more than just their physical wounds.  Some days I feel like I can't stand to see another dirty leg with a huge wound, but when I think that I've given everything physically possible to help clean and heal the wounds, there is always more love to give.

2.  African time is definitely a thing.  If you are supposed to be in a meeting at noon, it actually won't start until at least 2pm.  If somebody tells you they are "just near," it actually means they will be there in an hour.  When the morning Church bells go off, I know I have 15 more minutes to sleep because Mass never starts on time.  It's the way of life here, and I've come to accept and embrace it.  People are more concerned about personal relationships with one another than a time table.  This one has been an adjustment for me and sometimes challenges my flexibility, but it has forced me to focus more on the people around me and my friendships with them than constantly looking at my watch.

1.  Be present.  Recently, I've been more and more aware of this point.  I've been researching graduate schools and thinking of what will happen come August.  Although these are important things to know, I feel like they have been making me focus too much on the future instead of living in the present.  The Gospel today reinforced this more than ever.  I felt like God was talking directly to me when the Gospel said, "Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself."  I'm trying to do my best to live each day fully, to love these kids in every present moment, and to leave the future and my anxieties and worries about it to God.

These are only a few of the many, many things I have learned about myself and about life here over the past six months.  The kids are constantly teaching me new things and making me view the world through different eyes.  Hopefully these lessons that I've learned and the new learning experiences to come will help make the next six months even more fruitful.     

Home Sweet Home

Happy to be going home!

 About five weeks after I originally left, I am finally back in South Sudan!  As soon as I got out of the car after another ten hour roller coaster ride from Juba, I felt a sense of peace knowing that I am back home.  I was pretty nervous to see the kids because we had been away for so long, and I was worried they would be angry with us.  But of course I worried for nothing.  As soon as I saw them, it was like I had never left.  I was once again surrounded by the same, only slightly taller, kiddos, and we picked right back up where we left off, joking and playing with one another.    

Ariel and I have been busier than ever, and are quickly realizing how packed our schedules are going to be over the next few months.  I started right away at the hospital.  Nothing much has changed since I was gone, but Sr. Meriline and I are starting to do more home health visits.  This past week, I went with her two afternoons to check up on babies that were born last week.  We went with the birth attendant that delivered the babies.  I got to snuggle with six healthy and precious newborns, and I only got peed on by two of those babies!  I am excited to do more of these home visits and provide follow-up care to those people living in the remote villages.  The maternal and child health program is still slated to start in the coming months.  We have a midwife that will be working at the clinic, but now we are waiting on some supplies to be delivered from Uganda before we can officially begin.  

My new friends in Nairobi

In school news, Don Bosco Primary School opens tomorrow.  This year, the primary school has just over 600 students enrolled.  I still don't know what I will be teaching this year, and when I asked the Sister in charge of the school, she told me that she would tell me tomorrow morning before school starts.  So looks like the first week will be pretty laid back since I won't have any time to lesson plan.  It will be so great to see all the kids bright and early tomorrow morning!

When in Kenya...

The past month has definitely been a testament to the flexibility and fluidity of mission life.  Although it was difficult to leave the kids for an unknown amount of time, I am so grateful for the experiences and the people I met in Kenya.  Ariel and I didn't want to commit to teaching or other work without knowing how long we would be there, so we just did random projects and helped in any way we could.  The place we stayed was a retreat and conference center, and they had a large group there while we were also there.  We helped prepare for the group by doing a lot of cooking and cleaning.  We also helped with the after-school program for the kids from the area.  It was quite different from working with the kids in South Sudan, but they were so welcoming and fun to be around.  The religious community we stayed with went above and beyond to make sure we felt at home.  The rector of the community, who introduced us to everybody as the two refugees from South Sudan, took us to visit the other Don Bosco sites around Nairobi.  It was great to see the amazing work the Salesians are doing in Kenya.  He also took us to do some fun things around the city--watching cultural dances, kissing giraffes, and discovering new places.  I had been watching and reading the news to keep up with the situation in South Sudan.  I kept hearing that things were getting progressively better, but I still was shocked (and SO happy) that we were able to come back as soon as we did.  Although it wasn't the "mission" I had in mind coming into this year, it was equally as fulfilling, and I saw God working in so many people and experiences while there.  I formed some great friendships in my short three weeks in Kenya, and it was hard to leave those people, but it feels so great to be back home where I left a piece of my heart.  

So here I am now--right back in the middle of a crazy, busy, kid-filled life.  I can't even begin to imagine what the next months of mission will bring, but for now I am just so happy to be back in my home sweet home!