Proposals and New Smells

I was going to start by saying I can't believe I've been here a week already. But that would be a lie. I can absolutely believe I've been here a week, it may have been the longest week of my life. It's had its ups and downs. Unfortunately I've come down with a cold. I guess it was inevitable, being in these close quarters. And I am thankful that it is only a cold.

The first day I was on the ward (Tuesday) I was proposed to. Now, I had been prepared for this. One of my roommates told me that whenever she goes out people constantly ask for her address and for her hand in marriage. So when one of the patients asked me if I would marry him and for my address I said "You don't even know me!" And he told me that he just felt a connection. When I refused he asked if I had sisters and if he could marry one of them. Quite different than how it's done in the U.S.

On Thursday one of the women went off to surgery and just left her 4 or 5 month old on her bed to wait for her. The baby started to cry so one of the other patients held her for a while until that patient had to leave. So there I was, needing to get stuff done but not quite as busy as the other nurses. I grabbed the baby and had the women help me get her on my back. She calmed down immediately! So I went about my day, baby in tow.

Most of the patients are joys to work with. I hardly every hear a complaint. I do occasionally make kids cry (twice daily dressing changes on your face are horrible!) but kids do what they are told. You tell them to take their medicine and they take it! No complaining! After hand-over from day shift to evening shift the day nurses have the opportunity to take the patients out on the deck to get some fresh air. They love this time! It's so fun to see the kids running around, and it's good for them because there are no windows in the wards. Nursing here is so different than what I am used to. We don't use IV pumps, we calculate drip rates! We transcribe all the medication orders and draw up the meds ourselves. No more pre-measured, patient labeled drugs from the pharmacy!

I have walked into town a couple times now. I take every opportunity I get to get off the ship. Although when I'm off I still feel the swaying.... Everything is new and different. The streets smell like fish and diesel. People sell everything from bras to pineapples to medications, carrying them on their heads. Some streets are just sand, some have cement brick sidewalks with huge missing bricks (which cars park on anyway, making you walk in the street). Many people stare and kids yell "Yovo! Yovo!" (white person). There is street food for sale because many people cannot afford to eat in the restaurants.

God is so good. He is providing so much for me - new friends, new experiences, quiet time to spend in prayer and reading, and an amazing way to help people with debilitating afflictions.

Thank you everyone for your prayers! Until next time...