Goodbye!!

I got a phone call while I was packing this morning from the post-op clinic nurse Jane (from Ireland). Jane has me almost convinced that I should move to Ireland where they have "Career Breaks". You can apply for a leave of absence from your job to travel, do missions, etc. for 1-5 years. If they accept this, your job is held for you. If you run out of money you can go back and work a little, and then continue your leave. They also have really good tea in Ireland, so maybe I won't be coming home soon...

Anyways, she called to let me know that Borkai and his brother Ansu were there. It was so nice to see them on my last day here. Borkai seems much better than before, although he still seems to hide his bandaged hand.

Yesterday was my last shift on the ward. I did a 12 hour day shift. It went well with the exception of my five year old patient that came back from surgery screaming and flailing about. He had cataract surgery on his left eye and apparently he thought they took is eye out. He obviously couldn't see out of it because he had the typical eyepatch on. There was no consoling him or explaining to him the situation. By the grace of God, "Red" (Rebecca a charge nurse) walked in and took him into another room for me. She arrived back with him about half an hour later and he was sleeping. Thank you Red!

We have a baby named Greg on the ward that had a large neck tumor removed, and as a result of the tumor, he has problems with his trachea and is not doing well. The pediatric nurses here that take care of him are amazing, but we really need to pray for a miracle for this little boy. The other moms on the ward, along with the translators, and disciplers stood around his bed yesterday singing and praying for him. It was a humbling experience. These Liberian people sing and pray with so much passion. It is awesome to watch them praise God.

I am leaving tonight. Last night Jane asked me what I liked the most about being here--what I will miss the most. That is a difficult question as the whole experience was wonderful. I liked everything--working on the ward, meeting new people, making friends, walking every night on the dock, going to Missionaries of Charity, going to the beach, sitting around talking and laughing. Being here makes me want to continue to travel the world. I really feel a connection with the people I hang around with here and I wonder if it is because we are connected by our faith 1st and foremost. I think it is also because we know how to laugh often and have fun. It's so much better working in an environment where you don't have the pressures of everyday life interfering with your passion. I have learned to appreciate nursing a little bit more. It is more enjoyable when you are helping people who have such gratitude for what we do. I often feel that I am not doing much sometimes yet they seem to remember all of our names and thank us often.

I just want to thank everyone again for their support in getting me here. Also thank you to those who have been praying for me because I have not gotten sick at all. I have had an experience I will never forget and an experience that went way beyond my expectations. Thank you also for reading my blog and leaving me comments. I felt loved and thought of while I was here.

May God bless you all. Don't let fear stop you from doing anything. If you feel God calling you to do something, know that He will be there with you, and will equip you with the strength you need to get the job done.

Love,

Lynnel

Sorry no pictures

I tried to upload a few pictures but it is just not working tonight. It has been a good few days. Yesterday I worked 2-10pm. I basically started IV's on the new patients and then helped the other nurses do vital signs, etc. It was very busy on the wards because a lot of patients were coming back from surgery. We currently have 2 pretty sick kids on one of the units so please keep them in your prayers.

Today I went to Missionaries of Charity again. I really like it there. This time instead of meeting with the ladies, I went to the baby/toddler section. The kids were sooo darling. Some of them were so tiny and skinny, however. If I am understanding correctly, many of these kids are HIV positive. You wouldn't guess it by the smiles on their faces. We just played with them, or held them. We happened to still be there when they were served lunch. They put all the little baby's on a clean looking floor, take off there shirts leaving them with just their diapers on (I'm sure this saves on laundry) and give them the dishes of food. I was surprised at how much these tiny ones could eat! The one I fed ate a whole dish of rice covered with African food that looked really spicy.

There was a little boy about five years old that walked through the eating area. He was really skinny and tired looking and had some kind of purple ointment under his nose that I have seen used on patients here before. I had to stop myself from crying right there. There was something about the look on this little boys face that hit me hard. This poor little innocent boy has to deal with such an aweful illness. He walked through and when I turned around to look, I saw him just lay on his bed and curl up and close his eyes. The baby's seemed very happy for the most part--with the exception of a few that seemed sick. The little boy on the other hand, looked defeated. I feel so sad for him that he has to suffer like this. It's just wrong. I just pray God has mercy on him and gives him some happiness and joy in his life.