Sinzongwe longer update ;)
Here are a few glimpses of our trip.
We arrived on Saturday May 19th after about 6 1/2 hours of driving with a whole load of medical supplies and other stuff- you can check out some of the pictures on "Zambia with a View" "May."
Our director, Steve, and his family came down for a visit to see what it was like for two days as well.
Susie and I met Fanwell, an awesome Zambian guy who has been working with Missionary Ventures International over the last year with medical work. We had been waiting to meet him as Karin talks about him all the time and we will be teaching him more medical come August. The three of us and Shannon C spent two days sorting out the medical supplies we brought, the supplies and medications MVI had already, tossing expired stuff and packing bags for outreach clinics.
Tuesday the 22nd we had our first clinic at Fanwell(and Agnes, his wife)'s house. Susie and I saw a few patients that day, but the biggest thing we did was realize the fault in the forms we had prepared. We had spent a few days creating forms before we came to help us- and they did, but it was good to be on site trying them out.
The 23rd we went to a village nearby where Fanwell works. There wasn't really a congregational spot, so we asked permission, prayed, explained that we were Christians and set to work in the witchcraft house. There were a lot of people seen, a lot of prayer over those people, and thankful hearts to God- praise the Lord!
On the 24th we traveled an hour up the road to Mbole where MVI have some pastors who have been in their pastor training courses. We got to minister in their church that day, seeing many people and getting to know the church people there.
The 25th was my favorite day. We went back up to Mbole, picked up the crew we had worked with the day before, and drove another hour to where one of the Mbole pastors is starting a church plant.
Shannon and Karin and Agnes checked in patients and took vitals in one hut, patients waited in another, Susie and Fanwell and I saw patients in a third hut, and the church planting team shared the Gospel and prayed with people in the last hut. That night we all showed the Jesus Film and the community came around to watch. There were several responses from the crowd and as we drove back to Mbole late that night, the whole crew sang praises to the Lord at the top of our lungs (pretty much ;) the entire hour.
Susie and I spent most of the weekend studying. You can see from the picture that my new strategy was very large notes... since my very small notes obviously didn't get me a passing score last time.
On the 28th and 29th we visited a small church that meets under a thatched hut and did a clinic there, as well as followup from the previous week. We were also very honored to see the headman for the whole area and all his family and wives and treat them. Karin took us to see the Sinzongwe hospital. A doctor visits twice a week and they have a male, female, and children's ward. But, because of lack of personnel and resources they have referred patients to Theuns and Karin for help- even while we were visiting.
On the 30th we had a prenatal clinic at another church MVI works with! So much fun to see pregnant women and to make sure they are healthy and allow them to hear their baby's heartbeats. I love that. I love my job. We also saw some of the more desperate cases in the community- along with two children with 104 F fevers. One was seizing and we were able to take him to the hospital along with his family and provide some medicine to go along with them.
On Thursday, the 31st, we were invited by friends of MVI- and new friends of ours- to stay the night at their lodge on an island in Lake Kariba. We had a lovely time visiting Paul and Sonja and baby Dale before heading back for one more clinic day and then the drive back to Lusaka.
All in all, a great time to get our feet wet and see a bit more of what it will be like to live in Sinzongwe and function with MVI. We are so excited to get to work and are praying that if it is God's will we will pass our exams and be able to work without further hindrance. If not, I have a feeling there is another lesson here. Maybe some area of stubborness that needs refining or a piece of me that needs to be chipped off for God's glory to resound the louder.
Thank goodness He's patient- because I'm sure not! Thanks for your patience with our internet situation!
God bless!
We arrived on Saturday May 19th after about 6 1/2 hours of driving with a whole load of medical supplies and other stuff- you can check out some of the pictures on "Zambia with a View" "May."
Our director, Steve, and his family came down for a visit to see what it was like for two days as well.
Susie and I met Fanwell, an awesome Zambian guy who has been working with Missionary Ventures International over the last year with medical work. We had been waiting to meet him as Karin talks about him all the time and we will be teaching him more medical come August. The three of us and Shannon C spent two days sorting out the medical supplies we brought, the supplies and medications MVI had already, tossing expired stuff and packing bags for outreach clinics.
Tuesday the 22nd we had our first clinic at Fanwell(and Agnes, his wife)'s house. Susie and I saw a few patients that day, but the biggest thing we did was realize the fault in the forms we had prepared. We had spent a few days creating forms before we came to help us- and they did, but it was good to be on site trying them out.
The 23rd we went to a village nearby where Fanwell works. There wasn't really a congregational spot, so we asked permission, prayed, explained that we were Christians and set to work in the witchcraft house. There were a lot of people seen, a lot of prayer over those people, and thankful hearts to God- praise the Lord!
On the 24th we traveled an hour up the road to Mbole where MVI have some pastors who have been in their pastor training courses. We got to minister in their church that day, seeing many people and getting to know the church people there.
The 25th was my favorite day. We went back up to Mbole, picked up the crew we had worked with the day before, and drove another hour to where one of the Mbole pastors is starting a church plant.
Shannon and Karin and Agnes checked in patients and took vitals in one hut, patients waited in another, Susie and Fanwell and I saw patients in a third hut, and the church planting team shared the Gospel and prayed with people in the last hut. That night we all showed the Jesus Film and the community came around to watch. There were several responses from the crowd and as we drove back to Mbole late that night, the whole crew sang praises to the Lord at the top of our lungs (pretty much ;) the entire hour.
Susie and I spent most of the weekend studying. You can see from the picture that my new strategy was very large notes... since my very small notes obviously didn't get me a passing score last time.
On the 28th and 29th we visited a small church that meets under a thatched hut and did a clinic there, as well as followup from the previous week. We were also very honored to see the headman for the whole area and all his family and wives and treat them. Karin took us to see the Sinzongwe hospital. A doctor visits twice a week and they have a male, female, and children's ward. But, because of lack of personnel and resources they have referred patients to Theuns and Karin for help- even while we were visiting.
On the 30th we had a prenatal clinic at another church MVI works with! So much fun to see pregnant women and to make sure they are healthy and allow them to hear their baby's heartbeats. I love that. I love my job. We also saw some of the more desperate cases in the community- along with two children with 104 F fevers. One was seizing and we were able to take him to the hospital along with his family and provide some medicine to go along with them.
On Thursday, the 31st, we were invited by friends of MVI- and new friends of ours- to stay the night at their lodge on an island in Lake Kariba. We had a lovely time visiting Paul and Sonja and baby Dale before heading back for one more clinic day and then the drive back to Lusaka.
All in all, a great time to get our feet wet and see a bit more of what it will be like to live in Sinzongwe and function with MVI. We are so excited to get to work and are praying that if it is God's will we will pass our exams and be able to work without further hindrance. If not, I have a feeling there is another lesson here. Maybe some area of stubborness that needs refining or a piece of me that needs to be chipped off for God's glory to resound the louder.
Thank goodness He's patient- because I'm sure not! Thanks for your patience with our internet situation!
God bless!
This entry was posted
on Monday, June 18, 2007 at 6:36 AM.
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thank you for the update; I like the image with the mother smiling as she listens to her baby's heart beat. Good work! Remind yourself that you are seeking God and positioning yourself to participate in his plan.
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