Week 2 - Zimba, Zambia - Psalm 103

This past week we were in Zimba, Zambia, a small town out in the middle of nowhere. If you have ever been to Africa or a third world country, it was like one of those little towns you drive through when you are driving along a main road. On Sunday we had to split up into smaller groups to go to church. I was with the group that went out into the bush to attend church. It was a 3 mile walk out into the bush. We arrived at Sianakanga Wesleyan Church around 10 am. The children’s service was still going on, so we sat in for the end of it. Then the main service started around 11 am. The service started with some singing, announcements, offering, and then worship. The worship was so beautiful, since there was no electricity it was just african drums and our voices. We worshipped in the local language which is Tonga, even though I couldn’t understand what we were singing it still touched me in a deep way. It was so nice to just close my eyes and feel God’s presence around me with the mixture of voices lifting up to our great God. There is something about the worship here that soothes the soul, it is pure, it is genuine, its refreshing. Next the pastor came up to preach, he talked about overcoming trials and tribulations, which was exactly what I needed to hear that morning. After service we filed out as we were dismissed. Here in Zambia the pastors file out first and then an usher dismisses each aisle. As you walk out you greet everyone that has previously filed out by shaking their hand, once you get to the end of the line you join it and continue to greet the rest of the congregation until everyone has emptied the church. It was such an amazing time of fellowship. On Monday the 10th we started our clinical experience in Africa. We were all nervous but excited to get into the hospital. We were working at Zimba Mission Hospital it is an amazing place of hope in Zimba. ZMH has many wards consisting of male/female, pediatrics, OB, TB, outpatient clinic, HIV counseling, physiotherapy, operating room, lab, and a pharmacy. I started my week in the registration, and it was so overwhelming. It wasn’t what I was expecting to start my clinical here in Africa but it was a humbling morning. I was assisting Jackson in registering new patients and filling out the log book. I signed them into the log book and was also in charge of filling out the rest of the patients files, including adding certain numbers to come up with the patients health card number. I soon learned that this was only half of Jackson’s job. He usually did it all by himself, to think I was only doing half and near tears humbled me. People pushing slips into your face, crowding the counter, speaking in a language that I couldn’t understand. Although it was not what I had hoped for to start my clinical that morning, it was what I needed to start clinical here in Africa. By the end of the morning I was laughing and enjoying myself. One of my favorite parts of that morning was when Jackson had me start calling names out, let me tell you the names here in Africa are not easy for a white girl to pronounce. Whenever I would yell a name the whole waiting room would start laughing, I in a sense became their entertainment as they waited to be called. That afternoon I went to the male/female ward, which was where I was going to be for clinical the next day. I assisted with vitals and worked with many different patients. As I was doing vitals I came upon patients with malaria, HIV, meningitis, and various other illnesses. One man whose vitals I took was so weak that he couldn’t even lift his arm for me to put the blood pressure cuff on, his arm was so small that I had to apply pressure to get the blood pressure cuff to get a reading. All I could do was hold onto his hand and just pray for him, its all I knew to do. After finishing vitals we went to pediatrics to see the little ones who were admitted. My heart broke as I saw a young baby who had meningitis, she was so small, her little head could fit in my palm. With her mother talking with other moms and the baby crying all I could do to maintain composure was pray.. I quickly learned that each day would be draining emotionally and physically. The next day I was in the male and female ward. Again I worked with patients with malaria, HIV, meningitis, and even a young man with TB. It was another humbling day, trusting God to protect the team from various illnesses that we are being exposed to. On Wednesday we had classes and then a game night with the team. Then on Thursday I went out with 4 others to assist with a measles vaccination clinic. It was 16 kilometers out in the bush and when we pulled up there were already hundreds of people waiting. A team performed a skit to educate the people on TB and how it is spread. Next we went into the health post and the children started filing in to the building. They got vitamin A to protect their eyes, a tablet for prevention of worms, and then the vaccination. I have never heard so many screams and seen so many little faces filled with fear and tears. I got kicked, bit, and hit many times throughout the day as we wrestled the children to give the vaccination. By the end of the day we had vaccinated 709 children! We were worn out but headed home with high spirits. Then today we ventured to our next destination and are now safely in Choma, Zambia. We will be here for two weeks going through clinical and classes!!! Thanks for all the prayers and please continue to lift us up! “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” - St. Augustine-