Back "Home"

I arrived back to my apartment on Tuesday night. Friday night we were up all night with a young first time mom who had some difficulty. Here is an email and update I sent out to some people in my last days...

Well the storybook missionary update might have been different, but I trust God will still be glorified in this birth. We transported her late this morning to the nearest hospital with capabilities to perform a cesarean. This hospital is about 2 1/2 hours away through windy
roads. The "ambulance" is a pickup the metal shell over the top. Shelly (my midwife friend) was vomiting almost the whole way there due to motion sickeness. I thought it was horrible and I was not the one in end stages of labor.

As I lay on the other stretcher next to the mom exhausted and nauseas I was just reminded of the realities of midwifery in the 3rd world. In this culture this girl (not even 18) would have been out in the forest by herself for days with this hard constant labor. All through the night her mom and sister got to minister to her. This Christian family was breaking through huge cultural taboos of touch and speaking kind
words.

She was loved and valued throughout the night and I pray that continues to minister to her. Sure we'd have liked a nice calm midwife birth...but this is reality and women need midwives who can get them to more skilled medical care when necessary.

You can still pray for her now. We were not allowed back in the labor area and we have no cell reception here so we'll just wait and see. I'm going on 36 hours awake and glad for a long ride to the border tomorrow.

My trip was definitely different than I expected. The first birth occurred about 24 hours after I left. I had three great weeks of God working on my heart and letting it break again for the women around the world in these little villages who have no skilled care in labor. I was reminded again how hard it is to pioneer a new work and this is going to be a long process with this people group to gain trust.

It was very hard to leave (even thought my view of missions has changed and is not so glorious as I once imagined). I wanted to stay and help, but know the last thing God lead me to do was go to nursing school. So, I'm there and leave the rest in his hands.

Ways to Get Kicked Out of the Mission...

We have officially welcomed rainy season. Today the hail had to be about 1cm in diameter and the rains poured down hard. The flash flood created a raging river and we entertained ourselves by watching cars try to cross. While its nice and cool this does make the ground harder to navigate (especially in flip flops and ankle length skirts)

Tonight I was helping Shelly care for the directors 90-something year old mother. Part of this included pushing her wheelchair from their house to the hospital. Thanks to the mud and rocks this became an unusually violent ride. At one point we hit this hole and I feared grandma was going to fly out.

Great...way to go Melissa! I'm sure the best way to keep your welcome is to propel the directors elderly mother into the mud! Thankfully all was well and I assured grandma we'd make it in one piece. (which we did)

Visit to the Hanger

The ministry here has a hanger a few miles away. We went out there to pick up some cement and get a little tour.
The amazing scenic view from the outhouse.

Trip to the "Big City"

The birthroom floor is under renovation so I went with Edwin and Betsy to the "big city" about 90 minutes away. (the swaybacks were enough to push me to the verge of loosing my stomach contents). Once there our mission was to buy food for a construction team coming next week. While waiting for Edwin we pulled out my camera. At the end we had fabulous bbq chicken. ymmmmmm

Mayonnaise...what missions trip is complete without it?
The collection of "snow cap lard" available

Adventures in Oatmeal

This morning as I was getting ready Evelyn (6) asked me if I could make oatmeal for breakfast...mentioning her mom said for her to ask me. I like to think of myself as a good cook, but tend to avoid oatmeal like the plague. The reality is I don't know how to make it on the stove.

Evelyn assured me she could tell me how. She told me to put milk in the pan, put in the oatmeal and cook it. (Sure...how hard can it be?) I found a bag of Mexican oatmeal in the cabinet that didn't have clear instructions, but did have the ratio of milk to oatmeal. Unfortunately it gave 2 different ratios one for "cereal" and one for some word in Spanish I don't know. Hopefully we didn't want whatever that was.

So, I put in the ingredients and lit the stove. At one point I turned away and the lid to the pot was just about to blow off and oatmeal slime was running all over the stove. One girl yelled, "ITS EXPLODING!!!" The verdict from Evelyn was it was yummy. I think it tasted like hot elmers glue with sugar.Yeah, its a slow day...gotta keep up with the little adventures.

Teaching in the Next Villiage

Yesterday afternoon we headed to another village. Dr. B got us there in record time though we were a bit green around the gills if you know what I mean. Apparently this was a "mild" ride, but my tail bone got hit a few times in the back of the jeep.

The terrain was beautiful. Apparently we're at about 7500 feet and this village was in the 5000'sShelly's midwife class was held in a school house...thus the various objects left on the small desks.

Everday Adventures

Today Shelly and I have been working on re-doing her health and pregnancy teaching posters. Its good practice for me as I type up the info on the computer. Still waiting for a labor. We're going out to another village tomorrow to give a class for the midwives-in-training out there.

Yesterday I did some research and bore the glad tidings to the neighbors that their visitors from the canyon had body lice (not to be confused with head or pubic lice). Luckily the prescribed treatment was the same as scabies just in case I was wrong (though pretty sure it wasn't scabies). Thus they began the process of looking for culturally appropriate clothes so they could wash their outfits (they only have one) and treat it.

Yesterday I also attended home church in the morning. In the afternoon we played baseball then I sat down to a tea party with the two youngest girls. Nice day to rest and relax. (not that I'm working that hard)

Keep Praying

Please continue to pray for the family I have mentioned. They are on their way to a larger city with a maternity hospital. Please pray that she will receive good care and have a safe delivery. Her husband has consented to go with her (apparently yesterday he went out to buy a pair of pants in preparation - the men only wear loin cloths out here)I found a picture from yesterday of a women in native dress.

More Pictures

I got some pictures off of someone else's camera and thought I'd post. Today I have felt really good. I was a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived. Don't get me wrong I've done my share of time in the developing parts of the world and can bathe in a cold shower with the best of them. But I think I was so traumatized my last months in the Phils that I walled off some areas that contained some of my deepest passions for maternal care and the 3rd world. Suddenly I realized that I'm a bit calloused and selfish and not ready to open up. I prayed (along with some friends) that God would break my heart again for the things that break his heart. I'm still a bit shy, but really working on that. I pray God continues the work in my own heart.

A view from the local village just down the road.
Some of our guests at the grand opeining:A big part of Shelly's job is to train midwives to go into the villiages. Here I'm helping her in her class on conception.
A humorous skit about signs of pregnancy including vomiting...as demonstrated by Shelly in the back.

Opening

I'd love to post a picture of the tribal dress, but its complicated to take the villagers pictures, so I'll ask around to see if someone has one. Here Shelly and the girls are wearing the dress of those living in the highlands (apparently solids are worn in the lower canyons)

Just an update on the mom I mentioned in a previous post. She will need at least 2 blood transfusions. There is no blood here or OB, so they are talking about moving her to another hospital with more facilities. Please pray that her husband will be willing to let her go.

Today was grand opening. Not many villiage women came, but local pastors and doctors made visits. This cute little guy enjoyed climbing up and down the stairs. Abby and I were playing with my camera this morning. We both agree "we look funny". She's such a trip...never a dull moment when she's around.

Opening Doors

We are preparing for the grand opening tomorrow...here are some shots of the new birth center.One of two birth beds. Notice the grab bar above the bed. Traditionally the village women go outside in the forest alone to deliver. They grab onto a tree branch and squat/hang. The bar can be lowered to the height of the woman...fabulous!
Above the windows they have portraits of families and moms with babies











Shelly and an apprentice practice a skit in the sala of the birth center. It has a full kitchen, waiting area, stove, and bathroom.

Harsh Realities

We’ve done 2 prenatals so far. Today’s patient was by far the most involved. They started walking early this morning and she came with her husband complaining of pain and that she’s never been “sick” like this with any of her other babies. While one prenatal may seem like a quick appointment in the day out in this part of the mountains it’s a bit more involved. We checked her and got her down to the hospital for more lab tests and an ultrasound.

That’s a walk to pick her up and take her to the birth center…

Prenatal with a translator from Spanish to the tribal language…

Walking to the hospital to consult with the doctora about a plan

Walking back to pick her up

Walking up to the hospital

Waiting in the waiting area with her until an available doc can do an ultrasound

Walking back to trailer where they are resting

Walking to the hospital trying to pick up lab results

Early indications are she is SEVERLY anemic (we’re talking transfusion level). It appears she may also have an infection. Her baby is in a position that will likely cause a long and painful labor. While we wait for the rest of the labs we discuss the case. This lady cannot afford to loose blood while delivering. She’s term so there is not a lot of time. She will likely refuse to stay near a hospital for care and go to a village to deliver alone. Unless there is a miracle she may become one of the numbers of women who die in this region during delivery.

So yeah, its easy to quote statistics and discuss the case, but then you look over and here is this young women in bright tribal clothing holding her little girl. This is why the World Health Organization says we need more midwives out in the field (reminding myself too). =0))

Please pray for God to intervene and blessings on the staff here who are trying to make a difference in the numbers.

O Yes, I Remember...I'm A Midwife

Night has arrived and I find myself completing some familiar practices I've missed. Just before coming to bed I wash my feet browned with dirt and make sure I have birth clothes and a hair tie in the vicinity. We almost had our first birth tonight. A nurse was brining in a mom from a village about 25 miles out. But alas, she delivered in a closer place. When the doctor told us she was on her way I thought, "that's right, I'm a midwife! (and that means ready at any moment)"

We arrived early this morning sometime after 1am. While I did sleep some on the bumpy ride here, upon waking I felt so sleepy and disoriented. The day has been slow and allowed me to take two naps. Indeed, Georgia would be pround. I toured the small hospital on the grounds here and saw Shelly’s beautiful new birth center (just awaiting the christening birth). The girls took me down to the dry creek to hike and explore.

The morning weather was mild and I found we are surrounded with mountains full of pine trees. My friends house has the huge log cabin walls...not what I expected! Apparently it is a challenge to win the trust of the people and they speak a tribal dialect (the men know some Spanish). Shelly has plans for classes, village outreaches, and births in the coming weeks so it will be interesting to see what God does.

The view outside the front door...the hospital is straight ahead and the birth center is not in view but off to the right. We don't have a surgeon that does cessarean here right now, but they have four other docs including an orthopedic surgeon.

Day 1 Rest and Digest

My plan today was to drive to the border where I'll meet my friend and ride down to the birth center. I found myself driving through a host of memories of 3 years ago when I lived in this area and would cross the border here every other week.

Most of my time in the city this evening has involved food. We had Chinese then two rounds of bowling before some frozen (what used to be called) Scoopys. I just watched Sip eat leftovers here at midnight. =0)) The bowling was quite pathetic on my end (I believe it was 34 to 114 the second game) No amount of guidance could improve my score. But you can't beat the frozen custard after and looking over to see the Taco Cabana where my family ate on Christmas Eve '96 when we were moving to Michigan.

This was a nice detour...the Serranos has provided a comfy bed so I'll be rested for the long drive tomorrow!

I Passed!

Semester 1 is officially over and I passed! Wow...I feel like sleeping in my hammock for a while. Perhaps my friends are teaching me more about balance and that perfection and a 4.0 aren't everything (while I resist ;0)) Last night I sat on a couch praying with Amber...green grass with kids from a tougher neighborhood...and then the chairs at the grocery store with friends talking about how God moves. (on a school night before a final!!!)

I leave for the birth center in just a few days...the car is in the shop so I'm here at home mentally listing things to get done. What a wild adventure God has me on...who knows where its going.