Not an accident

Hundreds of people pass through Mango on short-term missions trips for a lot of different reasons (a majority are hospital workers). It is incredible to meet and serve alongside people from all over the world. I feel like I could legitimately travel to almost every state in America (and several countries as well) and have a Togo reunion. As I talk to new volunteers, there are a few Frequently Asked Questions that come up in almost every conversation: Where are you from? What do you do here? How long have you been in Mango? Then it moves to questions like, How did you become a missionary? My recent answer- mostly just to get a good reaction- has been a tongue-in-cheek "by accident". 

Obviously, it was no accident that the Lord brought me to Mango. These past 5 (!) years have shown me that God did this whole thing very much on purpose. Nevertheless, when this all started, I had really no idea of what I was getting myself into, or that I would fall in love with the ministry and people of Mango, or how God would move my heart to keep coming back for the next 5 years. (I do explain all of this to short-termers!)

This past spring brought several challenges. There were some rough moments. I wish I could say that I handled it all by always trusting and surrendering it all to God; but in reality, it led to quite a bit of grumbling and doubting on my part. Despite the challenges and despite my response, God was still moving and working. Now that we're a couple of months out, it's easier to get some perspective and see that none of it was an accident. 

There are actually a lot of accidents at our hospital...moto accidents. We offer the best ortho care in the region, and we have patients traveling hours and hours following a vehicle/moto accident to get quality care. When they're discharged and have frequent follow-up care/wound dressing changes/IV medications, these patients often stay on hospital property in our 'cuisine'. Sometimes the patients stay for months, and some of the most incredible testimonies come from our chaplains and missionaries who go to the cuisine to visit, encourage, and share the Good News. 

A few weeks ago, there was a baptism and a new church building dedication in a village near Mango. Just 10 years ago, there were no believers, but a man heard about Jesus at the Hospital of Hope and accepted Jesus. Through him and his connections with the hospital ministries, there is now a growing church. 

A colleague told me a story this week about a woman who shared how before our hospital opened, one of her children had gotten sick. She took him to the local hospital, but when her child had a seizure, she couldn't find anyone to care for him. She knocked on every door of the hospital, but no one answered, and her child died. She compared that experience to what she observed at the Hospital of Hope and shared her gratefulness for our hospital. She thanked us for prioritizing taking care of the sick and the poor. 

Back in April, 8 missionary kids were baptized. I gotta tell you, the kids on my team are simply the best. Investing in their lives is a privilege and one of my favorite things. Their testimonies brought me to tears as they sincerely shared of how God moved their hearts to love Him. 

The nursing students have entered their third and final year of the nursing school program. They have come so far and have learned so much. Having them working in the hospital has become truly helpful as they can take a load off of the staff nurses.  Recently, we got to experiment with our Sim (simulation) man for the first time. I will be teaching the critical care course later this fall. 

Even if it was by 'accident', I love being part of medical missions. Seeing people come to Christ and grow in their faith as a result of the work at the hospital is what keeps me going in hard times. Because of the hospital, we can reach people who may otherwise be closed off to the Gospel. This is what medical missions is all about. It takes a significant amount of people, resources, time, and prayer to keep things running, but through it all, there is a Healer who works despite our failings. With Him, there are no accidents. 

Signing off,

-C-

100,000 Reasons

For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

                                                   So bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul
                                                                Worship His holy name
                                                          Sing like never before, O my soul
                                                            I'll worship Your holy name 

The Hospital of Hope has been open for 8 years and will probably see its' 100,000th patient this month. 100,000 Reasons to bless the Lord. 100,000 is a big number. I can't possibly begin to share all of their stories, but maybe I can share a few. 

A man was in an accident and had an open fracture. He went to surgery and was staying at our cuisine (where patients can stay on hospital grounds) to get dressing changes and antibiotics. A few weeks into his treatment, he started to experience some complications, so he returned to the hospital. At that point, he was already in critical condition with acute heart and kidney failure. The next day, he was my patient. He was fighting for every breath on maximum oxygen. He was so swollen, but his kidneys weren't working at all. The worst part of it was that he was still so awake. He was totally alert while suffering. All day long, I was next to this guy. The doctor came in at one point and talked about the gravity of the situation with the family. He explained that we were doing everything possible, but the patient was still in critical condition. Afterward, the family asked me if they could take him home. This happens regularly at our hospital with dying patients who aren't showing improvement- it gives the patient the dignity of dying at home, and it saves the family money and the difficulty of transporting a body. Normally, I would support the family's decision, but this man was still so awake. He was still fighting. I couldn't feel right about it, so I prayed for wisdom and for God's healing. I talked with the family and convinced them to stay. I also asked our chaplains to come in and pray with the family. When I left that night, there were still no signs of improvement. However, I went into the ward one more time to say goodbye, and this man, while fighting for each breath, he looked me in the eye and gave me the thumbs-up sign. I fought back tears as I sent the thumbs-up back and left for the night. I knew the odds were against him, but I just felt like he was going to make it. The next day, he was still there and was still fighting. It still seemed like his body could give out at any moment, but yet, he was still fighting. The next day, they were able to start weaning down his oxygen, and his kidneys started to work again. Over the next few days, he kept improving and was eventually discharged. I saw him and his family several times afterward, and every time, we praised God for answering prayer and for the miracle He had done. One more reason to bless the Lord. 

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5: 14-15

A baby was brought in after a traumatic birth at an outside hospital during which she didn't get enough oxygen. We see these cases fairly often, and sometimes the babies have irreversible brain damage due to the lack of oxygen. This baby came in with no suck reflex, so we had to give all her feeds through a tube. The mom was so attentive and sweet, but she was obviously discouraged. One of my friends prayed with this mom that God would help her sweet baby. The next day, I was in that ward. I was doing my assessments, and put my gloved hand into the baby's mouth to see if there was a suck. After a couple of seconds, the baby started to suck! Quickly, I gave her a bottle to see if she would take any by mouth, and she did! I looked at mom who started to laugh, and we celebrated together. The baby was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is taking all of her food by mouth. One more reason to bless the Lord. 

Back in December, a 12-year-old malnourished boy came in with a large mass in his abdomen. As the point person for our cancer program, I sat with him and his mom and explained cancer, chemo, and what we could offer them. Several weeks later, he came in for his treatment and was already looking better. He had gained weight and the tumor was already smaller. One of our providers talked to the family, and both the boy and his mom decided to accept Christ as their savior! Two more reasons to bless the Lord. 

In the fall of 2018, the 40,200-something patient arrived at the Hospital of Hope for the first time. Like many patients, she had no idea what to expect. She had no idea how she would witness and experience the power of prayer, the changing of hearts, the overwhelming grief consoled only by the Sovereign Father, the bonds of teammates forged through shared struggles, the incredible joys, and the unimagined experiences that would define the next 4.5 years. For all of His goodness, I will keep on singing. Cause I have 100,000 and more reasons to bless the Lord.