Hello my long lost friends,
How are you all? Less than 90 hours and I will touch down in the UK. I am very excited and am looking forward to seeing my family, housemates and friends. Have had a great week travelling, in the last two weeks I haven´t slept in the same bed more than once!
This week we spent time at Lake Titcaca, both on the Bolivian and Peruvian sides. Have tasted some scrumptious fish. I rarely eat fish in England as it is so expensive, so it tastes all the better. It was fascinating to learn more about Andean culture and religion. Alot of the project we are doing for Med School is on culture and religion and travelling has really enhanced this. An example is one island we went to, your relationship status is dictated by the type of hat you wear! I think this beats facebook any day.
We are now in Cusco in Peru and are going up Macchu Picchu tomorrow. This is a dream come true for me and to do it tomorrow of all days is so exciting. I am enjoying learning about the Incas and all they did and all the Spanish did too!
On Saturday we fly to Lima and spend the day with missionary friends who live 3 hours south of Lima. It will be great to catch up with them and chill out. Then on Sunday it is flying home time. Touch down at 15.25 (I think) on Monday.
I want to say a big thank you for everyones support during this trip, it has been much appreciated. There have certainly been some grueling moments but some fun ones to, including when I tried to be maccho and more of my leg slipt into a lake of sulphur. I smelt worse than my brothers farts. (You can compete between yourselves, as to whose are worse!). I believe I have grown through this whole experience and can´t wait to share more of it with you.
This will be my last big trip in a while. I don´t know when the next one will come. I remember fondly 5th September 2004 when I tearfully said goodbye to my stepdad at London Heathrow not knowing who or what was at the other end. I got on that plane to Brazil and I was there for 3 months, some of you who have journeyed with me since then will remember it. I have to add that when I flew back on the 6th December my Mum was meant to pick me up. Unfortunately her back was too bad and so my stepdad came. As I came through the gates I saw him and to my surprise he was running away from me. I later found out my Mum had said he wasn´t allowed to give me a hug until he had taken a photo of me! I doubt it will be the same on Monday.
I have had an extra-ordinary opportunity to travel in my student years, the majority of which has been paid for by governmental grants! One thing I am grateful from the Labour government. My time in Brazil, New York, Mozambique and Malawi, Thailand and Bolivia and Peru have undoubtedly shaped the person I am today and I believe they will shape my future too. I want to thank my parents for releasing me to do all these things.
Can´t wait to see you soon. I have really had the trip of a life time. Dressing in Andean clothes and learning to dance Andean style was certainly an experience.
Love Zara
God Spot:
I want to write a huge lists of thank yous to God:
Thank you for safety
Thank you for health
Thank you for not being travel sick - This really is a miracle!!
Thank you for the Bakers (Jon and Linda who we stayed with in Cochabamba)
Thank you for the girls the Bakers look after
Thank you for 3 bursaries (A third one we found out about last week) that means this trip financially viable. Potentially even profit making!
Thank you for friends and family
Thank you for the community team at the hospital that gavem me purpose in the 5 weeks
Thank you for the smiles that people give that warmed my heart
Thank you for the internet and mobile phones, I find a lack of communication difficult.
Thank you for the opportunity to travel
Thank you for my dream of going to Macchu Picchu becoming true
Thank you for the Cochabamba International Church where I could worship with others from all over the globe. I can´t wait to get back to church, cell and too see my DZ kids.
Thank you for Kat, without her this trip wouldn´t have been half of what it has been. Kat you are a god send and your blonde moments make me laugh.
Thank you Jesus, for loving me, for picking me up when I was down, for teaching me, for being my friend and my guide.
Please pray for safe travel. I have been reading in Deuteronomy about God going before everything we do. I know God is going ahead of me as I go home, this makes me excited and I wait to see what comes next. Please also pray that Kat and I can really show the love of God and encouragement to our friends in Peru, they have been having a tough time of late.
Thank you.
By the way those of you who have got this far down I got bored of my centre parting and now have a side parting!
Thursday 4 June 2009
Wednesday 27 May 2009
Uyuni and the Salt Flats
Hello Everyone,
Have had a great few days travelling and am now in La Paz. Last time I wrote I was in a city called Potossi which is the highest city in the world. It was a world famous silver mining place during the Spanish reign in South America. In first year I wrote an essay on the columbian exchange and all the good and bad things that occured because of it in the world. I am really enjoying seeing the history I have researched in practice and seeing how it still affects people today.
We went down to Uyuni and the Salt Flats and saw some amazing stunning things. Saw volcanos, giant cactuses, mountain of seven colours, beautiful coloured lakes, swam in a natural pool of 34 degrees water so so much more. Those of you who are into photography I would love to take you there. Unfortunately Kats battery ran out so most of the photos are on my camera and I have no cable, so you will have to wait until I get back!
Travelled in a group of six, which was such fun. Travelling is a really friendly activity. You see someone who looks like they speak English and you get chatting and laughing. That would never happen back home. I suppose there is a slight problem that 99% of people speak English but it would make a friendlier (Is that how you spell it?) place.
We had a tour guide and a cook who were fantastic. Something that made me mad is that they earn in a month (If they work everyday of the month) less that the six of us paid for one tour! Some of you may well be thinking that is the way the world works, but it doesn´t mean it is right. The cook got up at 2 am to make the food for the day and worked through til gone 9pm. They work everyday because they have 3 kids that they want to send to University.
We´re spending the day in La Paz before heading down to Lake Titicaca. The plan is to spend two days on the Bolivian side and then two days on the Peruvian side before heading up to Cuzco.
An advance warning, I will be flying home on the 8th June and will be in Shropshire til the 12th. I would love to see as many of you as possible, as well as seeing my family and applying for a job! Please email me if you would like to meet up. For those in Brum I will see you after, sorry. I´m looking forward to coming home and getting back into a routine. Oh I am such a creature of habit....
God Spot:
The city of Potossi was a central place for evangelism in the Spanish reign of Latin America. So many people came through that strategically it made alot of sense. It has got a lot of beautiful churches that were made up local craftsman which means that there are pictures of Jesus and Mary next to the sun and moon and other pagan worship symbols. This makes it a bit bizzare, but it something else that has really got me thinking. The working conditions that the Spanish inflicted on the miners was (Still is) horrific. To me the whole message of the gospel was therefore missed. They preached the good news and then treated them like dirt. How is this possible, such hypocrisy. But then it got me thinking about hypocrisy and how it is so easy for me to see the hyprocrisy elsewhere and not necessarily the injustice right infront of me. Almost a plank and spec think but also an exciting challenge to rise too. As many of you know, I really don´t like challenges so this made me sad (JOKE JOKE !!!!). Anyway a point to ponder.
Secondly and on a lighter note. I have seen some magnificent creation over the last few days. I think that God must love seeing people enjoying what he was made and having fun taking photos and all sorts. Some of the places I have been have been so cold and so high that it was very easy to get burnt, altitude sickness and not feel your toes. It makes me wonder what the new heaven and earth are going to be like. Are we going to be able to play in snow and not get cold? Are we going to be able to climb mountains and not get burnt? What is it going to be like? It makes me very excited and my imagination has gone wild. Let me know if you have any thoughts.
Lots of Love Zara
Saturday 23 May 2009
Final Week - Placement is over
Hello All,
Well I have now finished placement and the Harry Williams Hospital! Woop. I am really grateful for the experience but exceedingly glad that it is all over. How are you? How are things in England? Thank you to those of you that have been encouraging me through the process.
Well the week started on Sunday with a night shift. We had a C section and key whole surgery going on at the same time with one anaesthetist running between the two rooms. The key whole surgery was a removal of a gall bladder and he wasn´t under general anaesthetic and his heart rate was really low. Was a bit scary. Looking at the hospitals general anaesthetic machines, I would rather not have a general anaesthetic either. The machines look about a hundred years old! We also had a very traumatic labour, but I won´t go into details as you women will probably cross your legs and you men may well scream!
Tuesday got to go out to the community again. We went to a different place and had alot of fun playing with the kids. Not many people came to see the Dr and so we learnt alot about the culture and witchcraft. Many people consult traditional healers and spiritual healers before going to the hospital and then they present late to the hospital in a bad state!! The kids were just playing in the dust and the dirt and we brought some balls with us and had fun playing catch. They also love having their photos taken and taking photos themselves.
As my Spanish has improved I have been learning things in the presentations done by the interns this is always exciting. Some of the things they come out with can be quite amusing. Had one on diarrhoea infections inbetween my tummy playing up which I found interesting!!
On Thursday we went to take part in a health check of children in a near by district. This was fantastic, I was with a really lovely Dr. She got me to take the history and do all the examinations and then report my findings to her and say what drugs I would like to prescribe. At first my Spanish was a bit hesitant but it got better. Was really sad seeing kids with bad pneumonia and having no medicine. One of the really bizaare things was in the afternoon we saw kids with obesity, followed by kids with severe malnutrition and back to obesity again. The cycle just continued and I found the injustice rose within me.
On Thursday night we had our goodbye back with the girls. There was alot of laughter and giggling. Such good medicine. Kat and I ended up being houseparents on Wednesday night and we taught soem of the girls the song Great Big God is Spanish. It went down a treat. They literally were obsessed. We sang it so many times!! They also love Shout to the North the delirious song, funnily enough they only know the verse about women.
Anyway Friday involved a meeting with the Captain and starting our travelling. I am now in a place called Potossi on my way down South. I´m hoping for a relaxing holiday before 5th year starts.
Looking forward to seeing you soon, I am back in England in two weeks.
Love Zara
God Stuff
I´m running out of time so will have to be brief sorry.
God has very much been on my case about money. I have been listening to sermons on generosity and one of the books I am reading has been talking about it to. Something that has come up twice is about now living in Poverty Theology or Prosperity Theology but in Generosity Theology. I am trying to remember that God is the God of abundance and he will give us our daily bread. I want to try and live everyday living in His generosity and giving out his generosity, not just with money. It is only a year til I start earning and I am very aware at how money can corrupt. I am well aware in my reading of Acts that the early Christians were very concerned with their care of the poor and their teaching of the word. Sorry to be brief.
Secondly last year when I left the girls I knew I would be coming back. Yesterday morning I was grumpy because God hasn´t told me I am coming back. I am reading in Galatians about the fruits of the spriit and was reminded about being patient and faithful. In Jeremiah God talks about when we seek him with all our heart we will find him. I know He has my best at heart and now I have peace that if I will come back I will.
Got to go....xx
Well I have now finished placement and the Harry Williams Hospital! Woop. I am really grateful for the experience but exceedingly glad that it is all over. How are you? How are things in England? Thank you to those of you that have been encouraging me through the process.
Well the week started on Sunday with a night shift. We had a C section and key whole surgery going on at the same time with one anaesthetist running between the two rooms. The key whole surgery was a removal of a gall bladder and he wasn´t under general anaesthetic and his heart rate was really low. Was a bit scary. Looking at the hospitals general anaesthetic machines, I would rather not have a general anaesthetic either. The machines look about a hundred years old! We also had a very traumatic labour, but I won´t go into details as you women will probably cross your legs and you men may well scream!
Tuesday got to go out to the community again. We went to a different place and had alot of fun playing with the kids. Not many people came to see the Dr and so we learnt alot about the culture and witchcraft. Many people consult traditional healers and spiritual healers before going to the hospital and then they present late to the hospital in a bad state!! The kids were just playing in the dust and the dirt and we brought some balls with us and had fun playing catch. They also love having their photos taken and taking photos themselves.
As my Spanish has improved I have been learning things in the presentations done by the interns this is always exciting. Some of the things they come out with can be quite amusing. Had one on diarrhoea infections inbetween my tummy playing up which I found interesting!!
On Thursday we went to take part in a health check of children in a near by district. This was fantastic, I was with a really lovely Dr. She got me to take the history and do all the examinations and then report my findings to her and say what drugs I would like to prescribe. At first my Spanish was a bit hesitant but it got better. Was really sad seeing kids with bad pneumonia and having no medicine. One of the really bizaare things was in the afternoon we saw kids with obesity, followed by kids with severe malnutrition and back to obesity again. The cycle just continued and I found the injustice rose within me.
On Thursday night we had our goodbye back with the girls. There was alot of laughter and giggling. Such good medicine. Kat and I ended up being houseparents on Wednesday night and we taught soem of the girls the song Great Big God is Spanish. It went down a treat. They literally were obsessed. We sang it so many times!! They also love Shout to the North the delirious song, funnily enough they only know the verse about women.
Anyway Friday involved a meeting with the Captain and starting our travelling. I am now in a place called Potossi on my way down South. I´m hoping for a relaxing holiday before 5th year starts.
Looking forward to seeing you soon, I am back in England in two weeks.
Love Zara
God Stuff
I´m running out of time so will have to be brief sorry.
God has very much been on my case about money. I have been listening to sermons on generosity and one of the books I am reading has been talking about it to. Something that has come up twice is about now living in Poverty Theology or Prosperity Theology but in Generosity Theology. I am trying to remember that God is the God of abundance and he will give us our daily bread. I want to try and live everyday living in His generosity and giving out his generosity, not just with money. It is only a year til I start earning and I am very aware at how money can corrupt. I am well aware in my reading of Acts that the early Christians were very concerned with their care of the poor and their teaching of the word. Sorry to be brief.
Secondly last year when I left the girls I knew I would be coming back. Yesterday morning I was grumpy because God hasn´t told me I am coming back. I am reading in Galatians about the fruits of the spriit and was reminded about being patient and faithful. In Jeremiah God talks about when we seek him with all our heart we will find him. I know He has my best at heart and now I have peace that if I will come back I will.
Got to go....xx
Saturday 16 May 2009
Photos
Hello All,
I forgot my usb camera cable so haven´t been able to show you any photos, but I managed to borrow one so here are a few:
1) Teaching the women in the community to make furniture out of cardboard
2) Me in my hospital scrubs preparing for a C section. Check up the rolled up trousers and the rather fetching boots.
3) Kat and I and some of the beautiful girls we live with.
4) Learning how to make donuts in the community.
5) Two of the girls wearing our hospital clothes and finding it amusing.
6) The community van with the Dr inside. Inside here is a nurses station, doctors examining room and a dentists room!
7) Playing wheelbarrow races this morning with some of the girls.
Hope you enjoy these.
Love Zara
I forgot my usb camera cable so haven´t been able to show you any photos, but I managed to borrow one so here are a few:
1) Teaching the women in the community to make furniture out of cardboard
2) Me in my hospital scrubs preparing for a C section. Check up the rolled up trousers and the rather fetching boots.
3) Kat and I and some of the beautiful girls we live with.
4) Learning how to make donuts in the community.
5) Two of the girls wearing our hospital clothes and finding it amusing.
6) The community van with the Dr inside. Inside here is a nurses station, doctors examining room and a dentists room!
7) Playing wheelbarrow races this morning with some of the girls.
Hope you enjoy these.
Love Zara
Friday 15 May 2009
Best week yet
Hello Everyone,
How are you all? I wonder what you are up to at the minute.
Wow, what a week. It is always slightly difficult to know what to right, but as usual I will give it a go. Firstly health wise I have managed a full week in hospital yahoo!!
This week I have tried to be much more productive with my time. I have been doing Obstetrics and Gynaecology which I am really enjoying. Every morning I have been going into clinic and I have been learning and practicing skills, this should be really useful for when I get back to England. I love watching babies being born and listening to their hearts beating inside their Mums tummies. Unfortunately children here are often just commodities and products of sex and are often not loved.
On Monday afternoon Kat and I spent the afternoon playing Cards with the girl with Chaggas Disease. The nurses didn´t quite know what to make of it, it was obviously quite counter cultural. I learnt some new games and it was good fun. I had to keep reminding myself what I was doing was important even though it wasn´t medicine.
Spent alot of time in the community this week and I love it. I would be there all day every day if I could. I love loving the kids and checking their health is ok. It is really sad to see such ill kids especially when they scream when they see you. A frequent punishment for kids is being threatened to being taken to the doctor and having a shot.
Yesterday, we went to the community to teach the villagers how to make donuts. It was so much fun watching everyone making them and joining them. I wasn´t doing medicine as you know it but it was medicine of a different kind. It was about building community and showing that white people muck in and are not superior. It was funny because Kat noticed an Operation Christmas Child box on the floor. Everytime I go out I try to look for a skill that I can learn from the people. The women are amazing seamstresses (excuse the spelling), their fingers move so fast that you can´t see them.
After teaching the women how to makes donuts we had a community team social. We understood that we were going to play either squash or tennis but we were a bit confused about the location. The word for market is the same place for court except we didn´t know this! We thought we were going to attempt to play squash in the food market but it was alright as we went to the suash courts! I managed to be part of the winning team in two games but that was probably due to the other player. I was great fun and good bonding especially as I developed a habit of running into the walls.
On Tuesday when we did do medicine and the women were being taught how to make furniture out of paste and cardboard. One of the women had a pet monkey and the monkey decided to eat the glue which caused much amusement. Unfortunately it is quite possible that alot of illness is due to pets. The mobile unit had no running water and so we introduced the Dr to the concept of alcohol gel spray. We gave him the bottle and he just didn´t know what to do. It was very amusing. The outreach Dr is much more like UK doctors and we have great chats about medicine and evidence and trials etc. He did a trial in 2005/2006 of 9000 women to see how many of them suffered from genitourinary infections, only 9/9000 were infection free!!
Did a night shift last night and have another one on Sunday. Saw two beautiful girls being born last night and saw some stab wounds. It was quite a quiet night but Sunday night here is getting drunk night so I wonder what that will hold.
Last week in hospital this week and then travelling. What an opportunity I have had, I am very grateful for it.
God Stuff:
Praise God for good health and a better week. Learning to be faithful is a continuing challenge, but I have seen seeds of it entering my way of thinking this week. It is great to have something to work to, but then I have to be careful not to make it a success story in its own right.
At the girls home there is a 10 year old who is mentally disabled. Her speech is very tricky to understand and her level of comprehension and therefore her behaviour is poor. Sometimes she can be sweet but most of the time she is really tricky to deal with. I have been praying and asking God to help me and I was reminded of this verse
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Mathew 25
It has given me strength and a challenge to continue. IT is amazing when she prays, her prayers are beautiful, not that anyone understands them. When people are praying she can tell and she lays her hand on them. When she worships it makes me want to cry and it makes me want to worship. It is amazing how God can relate to everyone and anyone and show them love. It reminds me that God uses the foolish things to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27).
I am really enjoying reading the Bible and spending time with God, I could write for hours about what he is talking to me about but will leave it there. You are in my prayers.
Lots of love
Zara xxx
How are you all? I wonder what you are up to at the minute.
Wow, what a week. It is always slightly difficult to know what to right, but as usual I will give it a go. Firstly health wise I have managed a full week in hospital yahoo!!
This week I have tried to be much more productive with my time. I have been doing Obstetrics and Gynaecology which I am really enjoying. Every morning I have been going into clinic and I have been learning and practicing skills, this should be really useful for when I get back to England. I love watching babies being born and listening to their hearts beating inside their Mums tummies. Unfortunately children here are often just commodities and products of sex and are often not loved.
On Monday afternoon Kat and I spent the afternoon playing Cards with the girl with Chaggas Disease. The nurses didn´t quite know what to make of it, it was obviously quite counter cultural. I learnt some new games and it was good fun. I had to keep reminding myself what I was doing was important even though it wasn´t medicine.
Spent alot of time in the community this week and I love it. I would be there all day every day if I could. I love loving the kids and checking their health is ok. It is really sad to see such ill kids especially when they scream when they see you. A frequent punishment for kids is being threatened to being taken to the doctor and having a shot.
Yesterday, we went to the community to teach the villagers how to make donuts. It was so much fun watching everyone making them and joining them. I wasn´t doing medicine as you know it but it was medicine of a different kind. It was about building community and showing that white people muck in and are not superior. It was funny because Kat noticed an Operation Christmas Child box on the floor. Everytime I go out I try to look for a skill that I can learn from the people. The women are amazing seamstresses (excuse the spelling), their fingers move so fast that you can´t see them.
After teaching the women how to makes donuts we had a community team social. We understood that we were going to play either squash or tennis but we were a bit confused about the location. The word for market is the same place for court except we didn´t know this! We thought we were going to attempt to play squash in the food market but it was alright as we went to the suash courts! I managed to be part of the winning team in two games but that was probably due to the other player. I was great fun and good bonding especially as I developed a habit of running into the walls.
On Tuesday when we did do medicine and the women were being taught how to make furniture out of paste and cardboard. One of the women had a pet monkey and the monkey decided to eat the glue which caused much amusement. Unfortunately it is quite possible that alot of illness is due to pets. The mobile unit had no running water and so we introduced the Dr to the concept of alcohol gel spray. We gave him the bottle and he just didn´t know what to do. It was very amusing. The outreach Dr is much more like UK doctors and we have great chats about medicine and evidence and trials etc. He did a trial in 2005/2006 of 9000 women to see how many of them suffered from genitourinary infections, only 9/9000 were infection free!!
Did a night shift last night and have another one on Sunday. Saw two beautiful girls being born last night and saw some stab wounds. It was quite a quiet night but Sunday night here is getting drunk night so I wonder what that will hold.
Last week in hospital this week and then travelling. What an opportunity I have had, I am very grateful for it.
God Stuff:
Praise God for good health and a better week. Learning to be faithful is a continuing challenge, but I have seen seeds of it entering my way of thinking this week. It is great to have something to work to, but then I have to be careful not to make it a success story in its own right.
At the girls home there is a 10 year old who is mentally disabled. Her speech is very tricky to understand and her level of comprehension and therefore her behaviour is poor. Sometimes she can be sweet but most of the time she is really tricky to deal with. I have been praying and asking God to help me and I was reminded of this verse
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Mathew 25
It has given me strength and a challenge to continue. IT is amazing when she prays, her prayers are beautiful, not that anyone understands them. When people are praying she can tell and she lays her hand on them. When she worships it makes me want to cry and it makes me want to worship. It is amazing how God can relate to everyone and anyone and show them love. It reminds me that God uses the foolish things to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27).
I am really enjoying reading the Bible and spending time with God, I could write for hours about what he is talking to me about but will leave it there. You are in my prayers.
Lots of love
Zara xxx
Saturday 9 May 2009
An interesting week
Hello all,
Reflecting on this week it has been a really good one and then I remembered I have only managed 3 half days in hospital! Maybe that is why it has been happier. Not a great attendance record. I have been ill, with a high fever and a dodgy stomach. Luckily the fever has gone now. Today I managed to eat breakfast which shows an improvement as I haven´t really eaten since Wednesday. I have some vague recollection but Kat likes to remind me when my fever was bad I told her about 25 times that I didn´t want to eat any more rice!!
Exams results were celebrated with Guarana ( A fantastic sugary fizzy drink I discovered in Brazil) and a twix bar. It felt good. I still can´t quite believe. It is great to come to the internet cafe today to find out my other two medic housemates passed as well.
Some of you have asked how Kat is; apart from spending alot of the last 24 hours vomitting she is fine. She has an impressive bruise on her face but otherwise has nothing wrong. I really do thank God for that. The people here are fascinated by the bruise due to her white skin and the story has helped to form conversations at hospital with both patients and staff!
The girl with the tropical disease Chaggas is back. It is sad story and without a miracle I wouldn´t be suprised if she dies before we leave. Have started to develop a relationship with her and during the ward rounds when the scary doctors aren´t looking we make silly faces at eachother. She has the most beautiful and warm smile and doesn´t have a clue what is round the corner.
Another little boy came in this week. He is 15 months old but could be 7 months. It is sad seeing so may malnourished kids here. His parents moved to Spain to earn money and left him here. He is under the care of his uncle, who doesn´t seem to know how to look after him. The boy has little muscle tone, fungal infections all over his skin, a chest infection, a gut infection and not even enough energy to cry. It is heartbreaking. I spent a while hugging him the other day just trying to show him the desperate love that he needs. I want to try to hold him everyday he is there. I don´t know if he knows what love is.
Spanish is improving. I participated in a medstudent teaching session on blood results and knew alot of the answers which certainly gave me a confidence boost. Bolivian definitions of conditions are a bit different than English for example to have anaemia your haematocrit has to be below 33%.
The best part of this week was getting to go out on the mobile unit. This really excited me and I knew it was important to go. The unit goes out every afternoon to different poor areas surrounding the city. Each place gets visited once a week. We went to an international rubbish dump, which reminded me alot of Malawi. The people are starting to get quite ill but the land is so cheap that people keep moving there. When they go out they concentrate of four things (This may not be 100% accurate as is relying on my Spanish translation!)
1) Medical Care
Every child gets a free health check and dental check. The state of their teeth is awful. I´m so glad I´m not training to be a dentist. It was great as the Dr got Kat and I to do all the examinations. He hardly checked any children. It was the most medicine I have done since I got here. Asking the children if they are ticklish before palpating their tummies always breaks the ice. We were asked to examine all the boys to check they had two testicles. This was my job; I understand that this is important but if they had two testicles last week then I´m not quite sure how they could loose one!
The mothers get health promotion lessons. This week it was on different ways bacteria and parasites etc get into food. They were teaching the women to wash their hands and wash, cook and store the food properly. They were told if they didn´t they or their kids could get quite ill. IT could be as simple as get someone to build you a long drop. This still hasn´t been successfully implemented in the two years they have been going to this area. It seems when people need to go they just go!
2) Spiritual Care
In the hospital vision statement the hospital says it aims to give hollistic healthcare. This isn´t really seen in the hospital but it is fantastic to see it is done in the community. The villagers get taught about Jesus and how he can help them in their daily life. They sing songs and share the peace. I don´t think I have ever kissed so many toothless people in my life!
3) Physical Care - Working
The women get taugh crafts and other skills, including cooking, so that they can help make a life for themselves. This week they were being taught how to make baskets out of news paper it was impressive.
4) Social Care
The families are encouraged in community. They go on excursions and do things together, both the people that live in that community and the people that come from the hospital.
This for me was a fantastic afternoon, this gets me so excited. They are trying to do make a hollistic difference, I see it that they are taking Jesus to the people.
I switch to OBs and Gynae this week, so it should be fun!
God Stuff
Having been ill alot this week, I have spent alot of time with God. It has been great, I have been reading about Mother Teresa and it has been really excitingly challenging. I would like to share two quotes with you that have really got me thinking:
"We are not called to be succesful only faithful."
" We can do no great things, just small things with great love. IT is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it."
Jess and I have a tradition of giving eachother cards when we go away but not being allowed to open them until we are on the aeroplane. This year Jess´ card was all about love. She wrote the passage in 1 Corinthians about how not having love is like a crashing cymbal.
Medicine is so based around success, it is so based around knowledge. I am learning that knowledge can stop love, that success can stop love. My elective is about being faithful to God, showing his love and not whether I get to do as much as some of my friends are doing. I want to be Jesus to people, to show them complete dignity, to treat them as if I am their servant and they are my master. I pray that they look into my eyes and see Jesus and I pray I look into their eyes and see Jesus too. That is what love is. Thank you Jess for reminding me.
Praise and Prayer points:
Please praise God for vaccinations, otherwise the likelihood of having Hep A is so high!
Please pray for health, my stomach really isn´t happy. It makes me feel weak and not want to eat.
Praise God that I may officially be here on elective but that he is more concerned with my heart than anything else.
Pray that I will be like Jesus and show his love and aim to primarily faithful.
Thanks for all your love, care and encouragement.
Lots of love Zara
Reflecting on this week it has been a really good one and then I remembered I have only managed 3 half days in hospital! Maybe that is why it has been happier. Not a great attendance record. I have been ill, with a high fever and a dodgy stomach. Luckily the fever has gone now. Today I managed to eat breakfast which shows an improvement as I haven´t really eaten since Wednesday. I have some vague recollection but Kat likes to remind me when my fever was bad I told her about 25 times that I didn´t want to eat any more rice!!
Exams results were celebrated with Guarana ( A fantastic sugary fizzy drink I discovered in Brazil) and a twix bar. It felt good. I still can´t quite believe. It is great to come to the internet cafe today to find out my other two medic housemates passed as well.
Some of you have asked how Kat is; apart from spending alot of the last 24 hours vomitting she is fine. She has an impressive bruise on her face but otherwise has nothing wrong. I really do thank God for that. The people here are fascinated by the bruise due to her white skin and the story has helped to form conversations at hospital with both patients and staff!
The girl with the tropical disease Chaggas is back. It is sad story and without a miracle I wouldn´t be suprised if she dies before we leave. Have started to develop a relationship with her and during the ward rounds when the scary doctors aren´t looking we make silly faces at eachother. She has the most beautiful and warm smile and doesn´t have a clue what is round the corner.
Another little boy came in this week. He is 15 months old but could be 7 months. It is sad seeing so may malnourished kids here. His parents moved to Spain to earn money and left him here. He is under the care of his uncle, who doesn´t seem to know how to look after him. The boy has little muscle tone, fungal infections all over his skin, a chest infection, a gut infection and not even enough energy to cry. It is heartbreaking. I spent a while hugging him the other day just trying to show him the desperate love that he needs. I want to try to hold him everyday he is there. I don´t know if he knows what love is.
Spanish is improving. I participated in a medstudent teaching session on blood results and knew alot of the answers which certainly gave me a confidence boost. Bolivian definitions of conditions are a bit different than English for example to have anaemia your haematocrit has to be below 33%.
The best part of this week was getting to go out on the mobile unit. This really excited me and I knew it was important to go. The unit goes out every afternoon to different poor areas surrounding the city. Each place gets visited once a week. We went to an international rubbish dump, which reminded me alot of Malawi. The people are starting to get quite ill but the land is so cheap that people keep moving there. When they go out they concentrate of four things (This may not be 100% accurate as is relying on my Spanish translation!)
1) Medical Care
Every child gets a free health check and dental check. The state of their teeth is awful. I´m so glad I´m not training to be a dentist. It was great as the Dr got Kat and I to do all the examinations. He hardly checked any children. It was the most medicine I have done since I got here. Asking the children if they are ticklish before palpating their tummies always breaks the ice. We were asked to examine all the boys to check they had two testicles. This was my job; I understand that this is important but if they had two testicles last week then I´m not quite sure how they could loose one!
The mothers get health promotion lessons. This week it was on different ways bacteria and parasites etc get into food. They were teaching the women to wash their hands and wash, cook and store the food properly. They were told if they didn´t they or their kids could get quite ill. IT could be as simple as get someone to build you a long drop. This still hasn´t been successfully implemented in the two years they have been going to this area. It seems when people need to go they just go!
2) Spiritual Care
In the hospital vision statement the hospital says it aims to give hollistic healthcare. This isn´t really seen in the hospital but it is fantastic to see it is done in the community. The villagers get taught about Jesus and how he can help them in their daily life. They sing songs and share the peace. I don´t think I have ever kissed so many toothless people in my life!
3) Physical Care - Working
The women get taugh crafts and other skills, including cooking, so that they can help make a life for themselves. This week they were being taught how to make baskets out of news paper it was impressive.
4) Social Care
The families are encouraged in community. They go on excursions and do things together, both the people that live in that community and the people that come from the hospital.
This for me was a fantastic afternoon, this gets me so excited. They are trying to do make a hollistic difference, I see it that they are taking Jesus to the people.
I switch to OBs and Gynae this week, so it should be fun!
God Stuff
Having been ill alot this week, I have spent alot of time with God. It has been great, I have been reading about Mother Teresa and it has been really excitingly challenging. I would like to share two quotes with you that have really got me thinking:
"We are not called to be succesful only faithful."
" We can do no great things, just small things with great love. IT is not how much you do, but how much love you put into doing it."
Jess and I have a tradition of giving eachother cards when we go away but not being allowed to open them until we are on the aeroplane. This year Jess´ card was all about love. She wrote the passage in 1 Corinthians about how not having love is like a crashing cymbal.
Medicine is so based around success, it is so based around knowledge. I am learning that knowledge can stop love, that success can stop love. My elective is about being faithful to God, showing his love and not whether I get to do as much as some of my friends are doing. I want to be Jesus to people, to show them complete dignity, to treat them as if I am their servant and they are my master. I pray that they look into my eyes and see Jesus and I pray I look into their eyes and see Jesus too. That is what love is. Thank you Jess for reminding me.
Praise and Prayer points:
Please praise God for vaccinations, otherwise the likelihood of having Hep A is so high!
Please pray for health, my stomach really isn´t happy. It makes me feel weak and not want to eat.
Praise God that I may officially be here on elective but that he is more concerned with my heart than anything else.
Pray that I will be like Jesus and show his love and aim to primarily faithful.
Thanks for all your love, care and encouragement.
Lots of love Zara
Tuesday 5 May 2009
Exams
Hello all,
Just a quick note to say I passed my exams! Woop woo. I am happy with my results as well. Thank you for all of you who got me through it.
Haven´t been back to the hospital yes as Kat, who I am with had an accident. She fell nearly ten foot onto concrete. It is really a miracle she hasn´t broken anything. Thank you God. Yesterday we had to go to a different hospital to get her an xray. It was great to go to a different hospital and be appreciated. We are off to hospital now to continue are elective.
Will write again soon.
Love Zara
Just a quick note to say I passed my exams! Woop woo. I am happy with my results as well. Thank you for all of you who got me through it.
Haven´t been back to the hospital yes as Kat, who I am with had an accident. She fell nearly ten foot onto concrete. It is really a miracle she hasn´t broken anything. Thank you God. Yesterday we had to go to a different hospital to get her an xray. It was great to go to a different hospital and be appreciated. We are off to hospital now to continue are elective.
Will write again soon.
Love Zara
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