December 21, 2005
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Malawi and joy and peace as we anticipate the
Christmas celebration! We are getting lots and lots of rain, fields
have been planted, and people are once again giving thanks for
the start of another growing season. While the severe famine from
last year will continue at least another three months, we have
received gifts from many corners to help, and for the time being
we have some food aid available. In particular, the orphan project
and poor people from all of our congregations are receiving emergency
food from the 2-Cents-a-Meal program, and the hospital has funds
for feeding the many malnourished children on the children’s
ward. We are extremely grateful for this support, and are seeing
daily its impact on the hungry around us. This is one instance
where we like to see kids shrink instead of grow—they are
admitted with severe edema from malnutrition, and as they get
adequate food we see the “real children” emerge like
butterflies from cocoons, able to sit up, smile, and play again.
Still, over 50 percent of the children’s ward admissions
suffer from acute or chronic malnutrition, and I will not feel
satisfied until we have attacked this problem more at its root
causes, a very long-term task.
The children’s ward remains overflowing with three or even
four kids in every bed. Adult wards are so full that patients
are on mattresses on the floor between beds. Still, it is gratifying
to see staff working together so well and diligently. The time
from admission to blood transfusion for critically ill children
has improved dramatically since last year, and the thoroughness
of admission assessment and accuracy in administering medications
have also improved, despite a staff that is severely stretched.
The nursing staff and students have learned a mnemonic, “CRASH,”
to quickly assess a child without technology and start lifesaving
therapy: Consciousness, Respirations, Anemia, Seizures, Hypothermia/Hydration.
It is thrilling to see them grow in comfort in assessing severely
ill patients, reacting quickly and in many instances enabling
dramatic turnarounds of children near death. Gifts of oxygen concentrators,
an oxygen saturation meter, a glucose testing machine, and many
other things are used daily and helping tremendously in the patients’
welfare. People are finally getting more comfortable with things
that will help them: we have not had anyone refuse oxygen in months,
and it’s a little easier finding blood for transfusion.
A recent grant from a Norwegian church will help the nursing school
improve its staff and facilities, which is a vital part of addressing
the shortage of healthcare workers in our area. In spite of the
immense difficulties we face daily, one has the sense that things
are moving forward, and that we are making a difference in the
lives of the people here.
Several weeks ago we had the joy of celebrating the wedding of
a co-worker, Daniel Chimutu. He is a medical assistant who has
become a close friend after we shared many patients. His persistent
pursuit of learning combined with obvious devotion to the welfare
of the patients has encouraged me often, and he hopes someday
to become a clinical officer or even a physician. Daniel married
his childhood sweetheart in a church wedding replete with days
of celebration. I, Miss “Everyone-in-a-Seatbelt,”
cheerfully drove all over the station with at least ten people
hanging onto the outside of the car in the middle of a crowd of
people dancing in the streets, as we accompanied Daniel to his
bride, her family, and the church. The bridegroom dances up the
aisle to greet his bride, and the entire congregation follows
suit. It is wonderful to behold!
With the celebrations of these last days warming our hearts,
may we wish you a blessed and Christ-filled Christmas!
Barbara, Melia and Anna
The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
337 |
