TIA. This Is Africa.

Hi Everyone!
So I have decided that there is this special
mystery of family dynamics that is uniquely
gifted to each family across the world. Living
with this African family has been the most heart
and eye opening experience. I have laughed more
genuinely with these people than I thought I
would ever be able to. I have wanted to hug the
mom (it's not culturally right though) so many
times and have absolutely given a bit of my heart
to little Pabris who walks with me to the
hospital every time I leave the house. He
insists that he open the door for even though he
is so little his arm doesn't reach the
latch. Izeedoor (13 yrs) always beats me to the
well to draw water up for my shower and Sabine(16
yrs) keeps this seriously look as if she is
really mature but cracks when I call her
Sabino. J Part of me wants to live with each of
YOUR families for a few weeks..understand how you
guys do your laundry, if you are grumpy in the
morning, do you eat pounds and pounds of a
certain food each week, who gets picked on, sit
in the places where you sit and see what you
think is funny. I thought to myself.why
couldn't we just bring people into our homes more
often. I guess it is a bit of an inconvenience
but if we made them part of our family.not like
some guest or visitor.the inconvenience would
become more of a contribution to the family
life.hopefully a good one. I get really excited
because I see a lot of neat lessons that we could
learn from each other. Maybe we could adopt a
grandma to come live with us just for two weeks
or something. Or maybe a kid who is having
problems in their own home.Or maybe a college
student who is searching for housing but need a
place to stay until then.or maybe just someone who is really bored!
Yesterday we played volleyball
because one of the visiting volunteers brought a
net! So fun. Today I went running again and as
I started out I looked behind me and there was
this woman running after me. I stopped and
greeted her and she said she wanted to run with
me. J I am used to the kids loving to run with
me but not so used to older, classier ladies in
dresses wanting to jog. But she was
fast!! J We ran to her house and she showed me
around. I just love how open people are
here. Then I continued with the kids. Some of
the kids got tired and we'd have to stop under
the mango trees. One little girl had her baby
sister tied around her waist and she was heading
up the gang!!! Crazy. They are really a strong breed of people.
I watched my first C-section
yesterday. The mother came in at the end of my
night shift and we realized that she was bleeding
already and her placenta was going to deliver
before the baby.quite a complication. So we took
the mother back in the operating room. Dr. Appel
went to the family and told them that they needed
to go pay quick because we needed to do the
surgery right away. They all just stood
there. They were all dressed so nice. They had
money. But no one moved a foot.
Many of you donated money to Chad in
order to pay for surgeries. I have had the
hardest time knowing how to put this money to use
in a really effective way because the people here
ALL say they don't have money.even when they
do. In their mind, why would they pay for
something if some rich white person will pay for
it? So I am brainstorming and praying about how
to find a way to put this money to use. Dr. Appel
got upset and said, "ok, we'll just wheel her
back out and she'll die." Finally, after a lot
of persuading, the family pulled out the
"non-existent money" from their pocket and the
C-section went on. I was pretty amazed and the
peeling back of layers of skin, muscle and
fascia. Then there was the baby! I love rubbing
these little babies to life right after they come
out; stimulating them by slapping their little
bodies. Then their tone turns from blue and
white to pink and dark brown. Their natural arm
reflexes start going and they cry. So so
sweet. I carried the baby out to the family and
they were thrilled to have a new baby boy. Worth all the money they spent.
It is hard for me to write about
experiences here because we don't have a lot of
internet time. But if you want to here more
stories about what is going on, visit Dr. James'
blog. He has more access to internet than me
and he gets to post there. Hopefully communication will get better.
Please pray hard for a little boy
named Poly here. My last night shift he bled
all night from his mouth. He has polyps in his
colon and we don't know how far up into the
intestines. He needs surgery and we have been
stocking up on a supply of O positive blood. He
is in so much pain though and his hemoglobin was
1 yesterday. This is so low and I don't know if
he will make it. We are waiting for antoher
surgeon who is very familiar with this
complicated surgery to get here. But please pray for Poly.
A quick update of some other happenings:
-buying a bike today from the hospital.
-climbing lots of guava trees to eat the guava.
-malaria has avoided me thus far!
-reading Inside Afganistan.incredible book.
-running to the river today!
-paid for peanut butter to be made.
-awesome SM's here. Most leaving in Nov. and Dec.
-a bat came into my hut last night.woke me
up.kept flying around.luckily I was safe in my mosquito net.
-I almost step on these huge frogs at night! They are everywhere.
-my family has no toilet..not even a hole to use.where do they go?
-3 of the SM's have malaria.
-1 has giardia.
-2 have colds.
-1 has ring worm.
-one has unnamed bacteria in his stomach.
-it's so hot here.
-working for now as a nurse: giving IV meds, shots, taking vitals.
-fed a baby for a long time yesterday. The baby
is so dehydrated that it has skin like an
elephant. The skin just stays however you form
it.doesn't bounce back like yours and mine.
-learning more and more French.
-watching stars every night!!! AWESOME.

- Love and miss you all. Thank-you so much for
helping me get here to Africa. It is in many
many ways exactly what I needed at this point in
life. I am so appreciative. Love you all. ~Emily