Flip Flops, Logistical Nightmares, My heart

-

Despite having 6 to 8 boys running through the house this week,  I did steal away on Monday for 1/2 a day to volunteer at the clinic and feed my soul with some medical grown up time.  It was another great morning of learning.  Saw everything from funky rashes to Dengue to Giardia to dizziness to laceration to fevers and more rashes to menopause to well baby check to …….  I was humored as Dr. Di’s teenage daughter came in to assist and ran around the clinic all morning barefooted.  Then at one point I found Dr. Di not in her shoes either.  Later I brought her flip flops to her and commented that she was the first Dr. I have worked with in 20 years that has been barefooted!  At another point in the morning her daughter and I were having a terrible time getting the CBC (complete blood count) machine to work and after 3 pokes to myself and reading the instructions we finally had success.  We laughed and told Dr. Di that her help was only as good as she paid for (we are volunteers).  Fortunately she has a great humor, is very patient and loves to teach.  I know I will thrive under her mentorship.

The logistics of one of the new missionary families here is mind boggling to me.  They have 5 children and baby #6 is on the way.  They want to have a home birth; however, Dr. Di emphasized that delivering a baby in Papua is not a valid option.  If complications were to arise for the mother (no mind the baby), the mother’s life would be jeopardized.  The airline cut off date is 32 weeks for a pregnant woman.  So this family has to “move” somewhere else in Indonesia for over 8 weeks.  Talk about a logistical nightmare.  And I was stressed about finding someone to spend one night when baby #4 was on the way……  

Our Visa’s have humbly reminded us that once again we have to give control to others and TRUST.  This week we have been nervous about the outcome of our visa’s as papers were still be gathered from Jakarta.  We thought this would be finger printing week, almost resolved week……. The tough part is Darron left  today and will be gone 10.  Putting him back here 3 business days before the boys and I fly.  So as soon as he gets back we will be driving to JayaPura for fingerprinting and praying and believing that we will then have the right visa’s and time enough to obtain our exit/reentry visa’s.  It may mean that the boys and I leave on an exit only visa and have to apply in the states for reentry.  I did tell Darron, “I want to come back here!”  So if nothing else this visa situation has revealed my heart.

The boys are doing great.  Enjoying each other’s company.  The river behind our locked gate has been a great outlet for building dams and today they found artillery from the Japanese.  A true find.  I feel for Matthew and Kinley as they are having to put up with cold showers, squat potties, different food and their parents far away.  Now that Darron is gone, I am ready to have only 4 boys in my care, but doctors and airlines are not asking me when the parents should return. 

IMG_1418

We opened Aubrey’s cast yesterday and cleaned.  Today I was more aggressive and removed all the bloody tape and gauze.  His finger looks great with no signs of infection, little swelling and good color.  In 4 more days we can begin range of motion.  Jacob does not complain of his tailbone anymore.  Andrew is not playing soccer for a  few days because he keeps reinjuring his toe (they play barefoot).  You can tell that I have a house full of boys! 

IMG_1529

 

 

Thanks for your prayers.  Please continue to pray: specifically for strength to watch 6 boys, visa issues to be resolved, safety and success to Darron’s  trip, land issues to be resolved peaceably and healing to continue with the boys.  Many, many thanks.  I will see many of you in just under 2 weeks!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Last Flight

-
Image
Bob and his daughter, Stephanie, flying on a different day in Papua . Jan and Bob It was another ordinary Wednesday in Papua.  The rain had come down all night.  Leaving the runway soggy.  6 a.m. I had finished reading my Bible and I hear Bob take off on first flight.  I think, “Wow, he is early this morning!”  Then the typical morning craziness starts in my house.  The cooking of a hot breakfast.  Packing school lunches.  Signing forms.  Arranging pick ups.  Off to school.  Exercise.  Home. Unfortunately, the freezer has frozen over so much that the door is on longer sealing.  It’s a forced, defrost the freezer day.  Out comes all the food.  Towels are laid everywhere.  Drip. Drip.  Jacob is on his 3rd day of not feeling well.  It has been a week of no routine.  No home school.  POP a video into the DVD player for Jacob and lucky little brother to watch.  I go into the office. I hear the plane take off again, 2nd flight. BOOM .  A sickening feeling enters my stomach.  That wasn
Read more

Change Never Happens Fast, Except Today it Did

-
Image
Today (Wednesday, Nov. 1),  Darron and Gary were leaving on an afternoon flight to the Philippines.  The nicer of our two cars had just been picked up from the repair shop ( it was an alternator this time).  They are at that stage.  Always, something falling apart.  With the mission mobile, we can’t complain.  It is 21 years old!!!!  Darron just popped down to the hanger to fill up the tires with air and I heard him pip the horn at the gate, to indicate he was read to go to the airport.  Yet, he had a different message.  The tire needed repaired…..or more probably replaced. Groan.  There is ONE thing, I disdain as a woman and that is handling car problems.  It’s hard enough to do it in your home country and a language you are fluent in.  Try doing it in a foreign country.  Also to me, it is a MANS world.  If you want to plop me in my discomfort zone, tell me I have to get the car fixed. So off we drive.  Air hissing out of the tire.  The good news, my husband is by my side.  The bad ne
Read more

Anguished Hearts

-
Image after image flashes through my mind.  I see little but “growing bigger and stronger” two and half year old Azarya coming towards me on the gravel runway.  Wanting to give me a high five and nothing warms my heart more.  Knowing that this is the little boy who drank his way back to life with goats milk.  More images of all over campus this little boy waving at me and smiling shyly, running and playing like normal children should.  Every time I saw him, I rejoiced in the second chance that Jesus had given him.  More images of being with his Mommy and Daddy and their JOY and gratefulness in Ayarya’s strength and change as he transformed before their eyes from being severely malnourished to vibrant.  Ida, his Mommy, is my closest Papua friend, and I see so many images of her and I chatting and laughing together and enjoying her new fat little baby boy, now two months old.  Despite that Ida was still morning the unexpected loss of her father and still mourning the loss of her first ch
Read more