Basic Life Support

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.  Job 33:4

Practicing techniques of CPR

Poor old 'Resusie Annie'

Today was a teaching day. The class was called Basic Life Support.  I am always amazed at the idea that someone who is having a heart attack, breathing problems or some such crisis can be helped by these simple techniques. It seems so presumptuous to say that we are bringing our patients back to life. I am so aware that all of life originates with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

I usually preface the classes with two stories recounting how some non-medical people were able to 'save a life' as they used the correct techniques. The first story is about my Mum who took a first aid course with some CPR training. She was able to do the right thing when my Pappa Jack Dawson had a major heart attack in 1989 when they were at their lake house. The second story is about Deborah Lander, a violinist who collapsed on a Lexington street and suffered sudden death. She was kept alive by a couple of people who were passing by.  They were not medical.  She is alive and well and playing her beautiful music again.

There are a few things that I enjoy about these classes. One is that the students are motivated to help. They are keen to help people who are having a health crisis.....that's why most of my students are nurses, doctors, or hospital staff of some sort. Secondly, I enjoy these classes as I can see the participants mastering the skills that they are taught. Thirdly, these classes make me aware that life is precious and fragile. We must handle it with care.....and prayer!

Life is a wonderful gift.......may mine be a reflection of my Heavenly Father who gave me physical and spiritual life! Thank you dear Lord Jesus for your sacrifice so that I might have eternal life with you.

God's Love in song and color

Beautiful beading by patients and caregivers at the Case de Passage (Hostel)

 Singing Deep and Wide with kids in the Art Therapy Room-It was very lively and helped me push through so sleepiness from jet-lag. Julie Korn is an amazing friend and art therapist. She surely knows how to make beauty from ashes. She encourages those with casts, burn scars and cleft repairs to make beautiful artwork. My passion is show the love of God through encouragement and action songs. What an enthusiastic group who participated with great joy!

Everyone is happy to have their picture taken and show their beads

 Look at these beautiful colors in the fabric, mats and beads!

 

 

This sweet girl was stringing Kentucky blue beads with white beads with letters on them. If she has time I should get her to make me a UK necklace!  

 

 

He has made everything beautiful it its time Also, He has put eternity into man's heart, yet do that he cannot find out what God has done from the the beginning to the end. 

Ecclesiastes 3:11

God's love for His People in Banga Bana and Christian Fellowship

May the God who gives encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.   Romans 15:5, 6

Negrini Family wrote Welcome Back on their entrance for me! It feels like coming to my second home for sure!

Banga Bana Evangelical Church is rebuilding the walls from the destructive fires in January! What some intended for evil...the Lord is bringing about blessing for this congregation. Thank you Lord for showering your love upon these dear people,

The beautiful byline....Jesus Christ est ressusitté (Jesus Christ is resurrected!) He is risen! Indeed! Note the lovely communion table cloths. We shared the Lord's supper together today....so simple, so precious....so uniting in the body of Christ, His church.

These young boys have beautiful rhythm on the drum and gourd with beads percussion instrument. Praise the LORD with all kinds of instruments!

Sunday afternoon and evening fellowship with the Negrinis, the Korns and Fanny was enjoyed by all. Thank you Julie and Josh for a wonderful afternoon of Christian joy and fellowship. God's love shone through this wonderful time!

April travels to Niger-The Heart Matters!

The calendar tells me that it is April....where has the time gone since our January adventures in Niger?  Rest assured I have not been idle but still absorbing and processing all that Paul and I experienced. Every trip that I make for CURE International requires preparation.....

Packing...shopping...preparing my home and family for my extended absences.....

 The most important preparations concern my heart! What are my motives for going to CURE Niger?
Are they God focused? Are they for self satisfaction/personal gain/comfort? Why go at all? Are there not more qualified nurses? Are there not folks who are more fluent in French than me? What is the driving force that encourages me to keep on keeping on?

Although not perfect, my motive for going is LOVE......love for God, love for the CURE patients and caregivers, love for the CURE staff, love for Nigerien people, love for Africa...

Deuteronomy 6:5 tells me to love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul and with all  my strength ....how will I do that? What does that mean? My understanding is that I am commanded to love God with all of my intentions or effort.

I am called to love God as I remember all that He has faithfully done for me.

I am called to love God by intentionally obeying Him.

I am called to love God by being consumed by Him and His ways.

I am called to love God by loving my enemies....by loving the unlovely....by loving those who cannot return my love or choose not to respond to my love for them.

This is a tall order! It is not possible to love this deeply or completely without God's help and strength.

This journey to CURE  I would like to meditate and contemplate the love of God:

Looking for God's love in unexpected places

Listening for God's love in conversations with hospital staff, patients and caregivers

Looking for God's love in everyday, extraordinary and even ordinary things

Perhaps by the journey's end, I will have a richer and deeper love for God and appreciation of all that He has done for me? Oh, I hope so!!

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we night live through Him. 

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. 

1 John 4:9-12 

Niger Adventures: An Amazing start to 2015

But since we belong to the day, let us be self controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,  just as in fact you are doing.  1 Thessalonians 5:8-11

 

                            

When we were called by the LORD to go to Niger, Paul and I imagined that we would be taking care of dear little ones like this girl. She was born with a cleft which has been beautifully repaired. Never, did we imagine that we would witness the violence to the churches, homes and orphanages. The shock waves that rippled throughout Niamey, particularly touched many staff at CURE Niger. We have many stories to tell for those who have time and interest to hear....but not on the blog. We have more medical pictures and stories too but wanted to share this special aspect of our time. We feel that we were given the privilege of being with our brothers and sisters during a time of persecution and testing. How complacent we have become in our comfortable churches and communities in the USA!
We long to return and come alongside in solidarity to encourage and support. We will never be the same again! And that is a good thing!

Staff morning devotions were blessed with Paul's leading in worship....he loved encouraging young Christian musicians on staff.

Brian Van Hall (our CURE Niger Executive Director) and Josh Korn (one of our Spiritual Directors) encouraged and blessed us with scriptures to encourage in the aftermath of violence in Niger against Christian churches.

In typical African fashion, speeches must be made by all....Paul spoke in French and English to the delight of the staff!

The staff eagerly await the 'cadeau' from the USA that Paul and I brought. They were beautiful briefcases with the CURE logo....donated by Richard and Brenda Divito (Paul's publisher and wife).

Everyone wanted their picture taken with Paul...here is Djimilla one of the OR nurses.

Paul and Amadou, a nurse anesthesia trainee...

Paul and Clarisse, one of the OR nurses

Paul and Djbil, our sterilization tech.....I call him my Professor of Folding (he loves to show he how to fold the drapes for the surgical packs)

Paul and Dr. Shabani, the anesthesiologist at CURE Niger...they worked well together!

Elodie, the nurse manager and myself...she is a precious sister in Christ! We work well together.

OK, there has to be a goofy pose.......Issafu in the middle is the real joker!

This dear sister is the house mother for our hostel for long stay patients....her story is amazing! I will save it for a presentation later in our home or church.

Fattie (that is her real name....I think it is a form of Fatima, a popular name in these parts) she is a trainee at the hospital. We look forward to working together on my next visit.

Elodie and Paul asking for requests at our praise and prayer time. We had no idea that this trip would be about solidarity and encouragement to the staff even more that for the patients. God always had a good plan and purpose to bring honor to His name!

Prayer Rounds and Gospel Choruses

This sweet grandma is making straw mats to support her family.  Her name is Tidgst or something almost unpronounceable. Thankfully her name is written in the Lamb's book of Life where spelling and pronunciation is perfect . Praying that she would be encouraged during her time at CURE.

Here is a sweet Fulani girl we call Princess Gomma! She is so pretty and works hard to strengthen her legs post treatment! I am so proud of her positive attitude! May the LORD strengthen her to grow and serve in her family and community. More importantly may she come to know the Helper and Healer of broken bones and hearts!

Oh how I love these dear patients who spend weeks and months in our hostel.

This little fellow is Abdul Karim. He was born with his fingers fused together so his hand looks like one big thumb. Our dear surgeon, has begun a series of surgeries to allow him to hold a spoon, pencil, and live reasonably independently. I met him a year ago and took pictures of him. This visit when I showed them to his mother and Abdul, they threw their arms around me. Wow, feel the love. 

Wide, wide as the ocean

High as the heavens above

Deep, deep as the deepest sea

Is my Savior's love

I'm oh, so unworthy

Still I'm a child of His care

For His Word teaches me that His love reaches me...

EVERYWHERE!

This is the song that I sang in English while Pastor H. translated for me in a local language. Those Sunday school songs with hand actions from Ebenezer Gospel Chapel have come in handy!!

The opportunity to share the gospel each day is such a privilege. I often use these songs to simply explain our need of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Last week I taught this chorus. It holds many Biblical truths about the atonement provided by the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Do you remember this one?

Deep and wide

Deep and wide

There's a fountain flowing deep and wide

Plunge right in...lose your sin

There's a fountain flowing deep and wide

Worlds apart-Paris and Niger

Here I am in Paris for a day on my way to Niger! I loved walking around the city and visiting the Musee D'Orsay.

This little fellow is called Abel. He has a beautifully painted cast with his name on it. He is such a jolly little guy. He is going to be able to run and play 'football' (soccer) one day!

This is our village clinic being set up last Saturday. We had quite a good set up with a pharmacy, family medicine doctor, small lab and three nursing stations.

This was my set up....no electronic charting! We managed to see about 64 patients. I saw whoever was sent to me. We treated everything from malaria, gout, impetigo, GERD....

 This is not for those with a squeamish stomach! This dear woman has a long history of diabetes and she has stasis ulcers that will not heal as she has very poor circulation. I could not feel any peripheral pulses. I dressed the wounds and referred her to the hospital in the city. She will most likely loose this leg. 

Once again, we are having CPR classes. These two young men have been waiting for a whole year for me to offer this class.

 

 Although, Paris and Niger are worlds apart, the gospel is the same. It is a privilege to be able to offer words of life and plant seeds of the gospel wherever the LORD sends me.


For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations. Isaiah 61:11