(written Wednesday night)
Well, second day of clinic. My face is still swelling(allergic reaction to sheets), so the day has started out like I thought it would. Yesterday, we ran out of batteries for our glaucoma pressure tester. When we tried to change the battery, we had ordered the wrong battery. So, for the next three days, we have no glaucoma testing. Dentistry is doing good. They saw 15 people yesterday. As an eye/dental building, we served 181 people. What a day!
Hope we can follow it up today. Miss all your guys back at home. Hope to see you guys soon.
Alex
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From James, Thursday, 11:00 AM
Power did return shortly after posting the blog last night, but the rain did not arrive.
First thing this morning, it was reported by Security that people had been arriving since about 3 AM. By the breakfast, they had stopped registering people at 500. The vendors have been doing a brisk business. The clothing seems to be more colorful today. Even though we have stopped accepting patients for the day, more continue to arrive by taxi or bus. Our new supply of malaria medicine is getting dispensed as fast as it can be counted out. More meds are being obtained.
Relationships are important in Africa and we are understanding more how this works. Our continuing to return on a regular basis has proved to be important in their perception of us, and more people seem to be placing trust in our team, which grows every year. This leads to the question, how do we address the growing popularity of our clinic? We are at the limit in terms of the size of the traveling team?
It was fun to watch Randy coax a smile out of an 8 year old girl after asking the interpreter to tell her that the "white doctor will not bite." (It is really okay to say things like that here). With a few more gestures and kind words, the smile appeared and the girl relaxed allowing Randy to do the doctor poking and listening. Things like this goes on all day long, making friends while we do our best to help.
We are indeed privileged to serve our fellow man in this way. May our God be glorified.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday Night
James, Wed Evening, 11PM, Village of Hope
It's getting quite after day two of the clinic. The team was meet this morning with about 300 people waiting and registering to seeing the doctors. While they were waiting, Lawrence spoke to the crowd from the porch of the clinic, with translation by the local preacher, Isaac.
The team of Americans and Ghanaians is working together quiet well. Experienced team members know the process, and the new members are catching on. It is working so well that we have seen nearly 1000 people in two days, which is the number we saw all four days last year. We have already ordered more malaria medicines, and will order more antibiotics for the children, as we are likely to run out before lunch. These are good problems, dealing with the increased numbers of those seeking care.
Meanwhile, the eye clinic saw over 300 people today.
The dental clinic has proved to be a learning experience for us in terms of the equipment and supplies needed, as one dentist requires more than all the other medical team combined, but much of it is surgery. As this is the first year we've attempted dental care, we are working through issues with powering the equipment and then keeping the equipment running. The list of "we'll do this next time" is growing. One of my many roles has been "auto clave technician" as I have learned to coax it into operation with successful steam sterilization of several sets of implements. One of the VOH high school grads is becoming a first rate dental assistant, a resume builder for her future nursing school.
The power has been out for almost an hour now and the laptop screen has been the brighest light source. It is getting quieter, except one bird call, a deep throated frog, and the thunder in the distance. The statement was made that we just might need to sleep under a sheet. Someone responded, "don't get hysterical."
Is that rain I hear? I'll report on that later, time for some sleep now.
It's getting quite after day two of the clinic. The team was meet this morning with about 300 people waiting and registering to seeing the doctors. While they were waiting, Lawrence spoke to the crowd from the porch of the clinic, with translation by the local preacher, Isaac.
The team of Americans and Ghanaians is working together quiet well. Experienced team members know the process, and the new members are catching on. It is working so well that we have seen nearly 1000 people in two days, which is the number we saw all four days last year. We have already ordered more malaria medicines, and will order more antibiotics for the children, as we are likely to run out before lunch. These are good problems, dealing with the increased numbers of those seeking care.
Meanwhile, the eye clinic saw over 300 people today.
The dental clinic has proved to be a learning experience for us in terms of the equipment and supplies needed, as one dentist requires more than all the other medical team combined, but much of it is surgery. As this is the first year we've attempted dental care, we are working through issues with powering the equipment and then keeping the equipment running. The list of "we'll do this next time" is growing. One of my many roles has been "auto clave technician" as I have learned to coax it into operation with successful steam sterilization of several sets of implements. One of the VOH high school grads is becoming a first rate dental assistant, a resume builder for her future nursing school.
The power has been out for almost an hour now and the laptop screen has been the brighest light source. It is getting quieter, except one bird call, a deep throated frog, and the thunder in the distance. The statement was made that we just might need to sleep under a sheet. Someone responded, "don't get hysterical."
Is that rain I hear? I'll report on that later, time for some sleep now.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Noon Monday, from James at VOH
I have spent the last few weeks organizing Farragut's Medical Clinic at the Village of Hope, Fetteh, Ghana. Doing my best to get talented people, their equipment and their supplies, in a place to help those in need. Today is the first day of the clinic and I am privileged to witness its happenings.
Start up is always a bit anxious as we assemble the equipment, medications and supplies. "Where is ______?" or "Have you seen ______." And then there is the electricity challenges, mainly configuring the American equipment to run off voltage twice as high as we have at home. Transformers, power strips, plug adaptors and electrical tape have been key to seeing the equipment startup. When you short out the 220 volts here, it is a spectacle, ask Randy. I wonder if there is a Ghanaian version of OSHA?
Organized chaos is how we started. By midmorning, the patients are flowing through, seeing the medical team, eye doctor and dentist. There are easily 300 people waiting by opening time.
One of my tasks is to ensure I have pictures of our team doing their work. During my visit to the dentistry clinic, Don was seeing one of the orphans of the VOH. She was someone the medical team noticed on Sunday, and asked that she be brought to the clinic first thing. She has a very swollen right jaw, skin graft, and an abscessed tooth. I took photos to help document her condition. If she is the only patient seen by Don, it would be rewarding, however, there is a long line.
You just don't have days like this often.
James
I have spent the last few weeks organizing Farragut's Medical Clinic at the Village of Hope, Fetteh, Ghana. Doing my best to get talented people, their equipment and their supplies, in a place to help those in need. Today is the first day of the clinic and I am privileged to witness its happenings.
Start up is always a bit anxious as we assemble the equipment, medications and supplies. "Where is ______?" or "Have you seen ______." And then there is the electricity challenges, mainly configuring the American equipment to run off voltage twice as high as we have at home. Transformers, power strips, plug adaptors and electrical tape have been key to seeing the equipment startup. When you short out the 220 volts here, it is a spectacle, ask Randy. I wonder if there is a Ghanaian version of OSHA?
Organized chaos is how we started. By midmorning, the patients are flowing through, seeing the medical team, eye doctor and dentist. There are easily 300 people waiting by opening time.
One of my tasks is to ensure I have pictures of our team doing their work. During my visit to the dentistry clinic, Don was seeing one of the orphans of the VOH. She was someone the medical team noticed on Sunday, and asked that she be brought to the clinic first thing. She has a very swollen right jaw, skin graft, and an abscessed tooth. I took photos to help document her condition. If she is the only patient seen by Don, it would be rewarding, however, there is a long line.
You just don't have days like this often.
James
Monday, March 14, 2011
Monday
Hello Farragut Church Ghana Mission Blog Readers,
We just got back from our leave of absence to the Rainforest and the El Nina Slave Castle/El Nina City Tour. Quite an experience. It was awesome!!! I myself went on the city tour, which was fantastic. We had a great tour guide. And, most importantly, we didn't have to leave the bus the whole time!!! Oh, it was a relief when the guide said we would be staying on the bus and DRIVING around El Nina. That was great.
We are going to be opening the clinic tomorrow morning. Since we have a dentist on board, we had to rearrange the eye clinic. Consequently, I'm stuck in the only room in the clinic without a fan. This is going to be interesting. We have four of our clinic days and then we leave to go to the market, Frankie's, and the airport on Saturday. Can't wait.
Alex
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PS to Alex's blog, above; the spelling of the town is Elmina if you are trying to check it out on a Ghana map or the internet.
It has been a great trip so far with some cooler weather, some passing by thunderstorms and rain; and some great fellowship in our group and with the Fetteh Church and the kids here on campus. We are hearing that the dental clinic equipment is tenuous and so please pray for that aspect particularly, but for us over all. Please.
Read Psalms 103 when you get a chance...we are so little and God is so...., you know. Garganuan! I pray that He will work in us because He loves his people.
Jon
====================================================================================
We just got back from our leave of absence to the Rainforest and the El Nina Slave Castle/El Nina City Tour. Quite an experience. It was awesome!!! I myself went on the city tour, which was fantastic. We had a great tour guide. And, most importantly, we didn't have to leave the bus the whole time!!! Oh, it was a relief when the guide said we would be staying on the bus and DRIVING around El Nina. That was great.
We are going to be opening the clinic tomorrow morning. Since we have a dentist on board, we had to rearrange the eye clinic. Consequently, I'm stuck in the only room in the clinic without a fan. This is going to be interesting. We have four of our clinic days and then we leave to go to the market, Frankie's, and the airport on Saturday. Can't wait.
Alex
====================================================================================
PS to Alex's blog, above; the spelling of the town is Elmina if you are trying to check it out on a Ghana map or the internet.
It has been a great trip so far with some cooler weather, some passing by thunderstorms and rain; and some great fellowship in our group and with the Fetteh Church and the kids here on campus. We are hearing that the dental clinic equipment is tenuous and so please pray for that aspect particularly, but for us over all. Please.
Read Psalms 103 when you get a chance...we are so little and God is so...., you know. Garganuan! I pray that He will work in us because He loves his people.
Jon
====================================================================================
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Ghana 2011
The Ghana Travel Team arrived safely at the Village of Hope. Our flights were shorter than in the past as we flew direct from the USA to Ghana (instead of having to go through Europe as we have done in the past). However, the road construction through Accra removed some of the time savings, as we lumbered through the middle of the rebuilding of a road. All bags and trunks arrived with us.
We hit the ground running tomorrow with church, unpacking, and visiting. We look forward to a week of hard work and fellowship.
Keep us in your prayers.
More later...
Saturday, April 03, 2010
The Mission Continues
This morning is a another scorcher. We are all packed and awaiting our departure toward home. We have to stop for lunch and by the market and Lord willing we will make the airport by 10 o'clock tonight ;)---looks like we will spend a good part of the day and night in the airports. So is the life of the airports. The kids are all trying to say their goodbyes and collect our address etc. They are so sweet and inquisitive. It was a record week at the clinic. Fred is here saying his goodbyes and we are brainstorming about our future plans and dreams for the VOH. Please prayer for this community and all the children in this region. Look forward to seeing everyone next week. God Bless,
Love,
Paul
Love,
Paul
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