Sunday in Koutiala

A bicyclist almost upends in front of me, a donkey backs up barely missing the truck guard, children bounding down the road next to the window as the dirt and dust blow in the wind.
Chickens squawk, sheep bleat, a dog scuttles away and a horn beeps.
The air-conditioner is trying to keep up with the heat and humidity but I roll down my window in order to take in the sights, sounds, and feelings. "Will I ever come to find this irritating instead of a quiet, settling, feeling?". To see life going on around me, flowing with the traffic of vehicles, animals, and people?
I am constantly reminded of "life" here. Especially while driving.

As I backed out this morning, the little boy who is barely over a year toddles out of the adjacent courtyard and directly into my path. Once again I'm grateful for Carol's warning to watch out for the "little one who likes the white people".
I climb out to close the gate behind me and he has already latched onto my leg :-) I take his hand and together we walk back to his compound where is older brother is coming to greet me. A common moment, but only because it is full of life. The dirt stained with early morning washings and the sound of goats scrambling by in the dust. Then I climbed into the Land Cruiser to head for church.

Craig and Marilyn invited the Whistlers and me to join them in going to an outlying village for church today. It felt good to be back in a village again. Not quite the same as Niger, but very similar. Mud houses, mud walls surround mud courtyards. Open wells dropping maybe 15 feet to brackish water. And the millet growing all around. Chickens scratching. Children coming and going. Beautiful.

After church they brought us a meal because we were the honored guests. Macaroni and Goat - by hand. I don't get that every day in the US :) These people are so kind.

The Whistlers are a family who are here to help with the construction and maintenance at the hospital. They are their three children are learning the language(s) and life here in Mali for several months before officially starting their work. I say "officially" since Matt has already unofficially been helping out on projects. He is a builder by trade - but gave up living and working in the US to bring their family to the desert in order to give people the opportunity to come to know Jesus. He and Amy told me it wasn't their first choice, but God made it clear it was the best. And they are living it fully!

Tomorrow I return to the hospital to take-down and ostomy (re-connect bowel), and open another lady to see why she is leaking stool through an old incision which is most likely from TB. The sort of cases that are kept for a general surgeon if one is coming here. Turns out the one that is leaking came at an opportune time. Thanks to the gifts of others, I found equipment in the storage depot on Friday that should come in handy for reconnecting the bowel on both ladies. We'll put it in the sterilizer in the morning in preparation for the afternoon cases.

The little gal pictured below is a good example of the wound care here:
She was struck by a vehicle a few weeks ago and lost the thumb on her right hand. She was just recovering well when she burned her other hand. Now she comes daily for dressing changes. No anesthesia on most days, just Jake's gentle talking to her and assurance as the skin is debrided and new dressings applied.

Mary and Jake, nurses here, are running the wound care center and doing a marvelous job. I'm impressed with the care the patients receive, and how meticulous the Malian nurses and assistants are to taking care of these women and children. It is a level of care I've seen rarely, even in the US.
I would like to show you the skin grafts they have done on another 3 y/o child - legs, buttocks, belly...but it is too disturbing to post. The little guy gets all his dressings done while listening to songs on a phone clutched tightly in his hand. He just zones in on the music and turns the rest of the world off for a bit as the dressings are removed. The methods for handling hardship, pain, distress...they are learned early in this land.

Yet, whatever technique a person finds to dull life's pain, divert attention, or avoid the reality of suffering, there is never enough to fill the void in the heart. And that is where knowing Jesus - the real Jesus - comes into the story. I am quite sick of the God I hear touted in most parts of the world, the "Jesus" that is sung about so glibly and without thought. I'm not pointing fingers - been there myself. But there truly is an Awesome God who can, will, does, talk and walk with us. I'm not a theologian, but I do know reality. Come walk with me through a few births, c-sections, perforated bowels, broken bones, and burned children. I'll show you reality. And there really is a God who knows how - and does - heal, restore, and fill the hearts of those who turn to Him. Not a religious God. Not a God of "belief". But a true, living, being who can enter deeper into the deepest parts of your soul and restore the broken and messed up parts. And He makes beauty even more beautiful, songs more colorful, and feeling more full than you thought imaginable.
He is the Creator God. The only One who offers full life without asking you to work for it, prove it, or believe it strong enough to make it real. He just gives it freely to those willing to receive it. Simple.
No technique, religion, or skill necessary.
It simply means relinquishing your hold on all aspects of your life - acknowledging the rebellion that you held onto in order to hang on to your life, and accepting His forgiveness. And with that forgiveness, His life.

That's why I'm here. To give each one the opportunity to come to know the Author of LIFE. The TRUE God - not a religion, experience, or belief. Reality.
And tomorrow I plan to cut open two abdomens in order to address the physical suffering - and pray they will open their hearts to accept the Christ who can heal ALL suffering. That is a privilege that makes me wonder at a God who would allow me to be here with these people. To serve with men and women who have given everything to serve Him. To be here but for a moment while they are here as witnesses of this God every day. These are the ones I think of when I think of people who serve our awesome God.

The day after the long day

She looked good this morning!
The picture above was taken post-op, but this morning she was looking even better :-)

Dr. John Gililland is one of the kindest, most compassionate physicians I've met. He asked her this morning if she had any pain - "No".
Drink any water yet? - a shrug from her mother.
So, he helped sit her up, asked for a cup of water, and then allowed her to hold it in her good hand and drink. She drank it down as fast as her little throat could take it! And then sighed.
He helped her stand up and steadied her for a second as she adjusted her balance.  Her expression barely changed at all as she felt her shoulder much lighter on the one side.
No dizziness? "No".
Was she feeling better? "Yes".
Then he helped her lay down again.
Her face had shown relief after the drink of water.

A new day, the first day, of a new life has started for her. We prayed that she would come to know The One who can heal completely and restore life. The One who can one day give her a whole body, complete and fully restored. I'm looking forward to that day :-)

Very thankful for the examples of kindness John has shown me this week. I came to "help out", but already I feel like I have been the one blessed the most by being here. Watching the staff relate with patients, participating in discussions around the patients with other doctors (in French - so I listen mostly), and preparing for the next operation... has been good for me.

I still don't know where God would have me land some day - maybe Lafayette, IN is the place - but in the mean time I'm grateful for these moments of living life where there are no other medical options.

Driving to the hospital this morning while dodging a couple of carts, and a free ranging bull, I thought again how much  I enjoy driving Land Cruisers in Africa on dodgy roads while avoiding rain puddles. Maybe it isn't often noticeable, but it really is the small things in life which make it fun!

My sister in China commented that it feels surreal to see people making momentous decisions in a seemingly innocuous manner. Her good friend is considering an abortion, and they talked about it last night. Today she was wondering what decision had been reached. And how absurd it seemed - yet felt completely normal - to be going about a routine day and know that her friend may be killing her own baby that moment. Yet the day felt so "normal". Somehow that didn't seem right. And it troubled her.
I recalled the many times driving home after someone died in an accident, or from an illness, or was horribly mangled, burned, etc... and yet I still stopped to pick up groceries, put fuel in my truck, pay bills, eat dinner... life seemed unchanged, yet I knew other lives had changed completely. It felt odd because if felt so normal. And that bothered me too.

I wonder what Jesus must have felt as he walked this earth and related with people? What was going through his mind? How was his life affected, and what was his perspective? I know he saw a lot of hurting people, people who's lives were being changed in dramatic ways - and yet he knew how to walk in that reality. Knowing Jesus drives me back to reading the Gospels again in order to understand what He said in light of the reality we all know.
And I'm looking forward to the day when we can see reality from His perspective.

Tomorrow I'll stop by and see how the little ones are doing. And thank God that He holds them in His hands. And I'll pray that I am one step closer to walking in His world with Him.  Pray to see the children with His eyes and live to show kindness like John when he gave the little girl a drink of water.
Hebrews 12:1-3

Long day

Just a quick note.

I hate evil.

Amputating an 11 months old baby boy's leg is horrific. Especially when it is dead from infection.

Following that with another amputation is even worse. Like removing the arm  of a 9 y/o girl because her broken arm was "fixed" by a Shaman (Witch Doctor). He "repaired" it by stopping the blood flow completely. She was brought in today because her arm became a stench in the house - from the necrotic muscle and rotten bone.
I can not imagine the horror she has lived through for the past several weeks.

Two children. Both "add on cases" for the OR. This evening.
I hate evil.

I'd post pictures. But, quite frankly, they are too horrific. I took them to remind myself to pray for them. But I won't forget. I know that I won't forget now that I'm back where I am staying. The smell, frightened look, suffering. It will be with me for a long while. That, and the feel of a small, soft, necrotic arm that almost falls off in your hand when you lift it.

I hate evil.

And some people wonder why I come to places like this?

How could I not come??

Jesus said to let the little children come to Him. I'm looking forward to the day when He comes to destroy evil. Why do people even hesitate when I ask if they would like Jesus to return at this very moment? I would. And I would especially if I was living with a rotting arm, dead leg, or other disease.
It seems to me it is only people who are sitting in luxury, ease, without pain, who ponder whether or not they would like Jesus to return this moment. If we had even the tiniest idea of what it would be like to be free from evil - I really doubt we would hesitate to see Jesus return.

That is, of course, you don't recognize evil, or Christ.
And that would be a pity - because there is a reality and both exist.
And not in fairy tales. I know.

I know because the smell of that little girls arm is still in my nose tonight. The little baby;s cries are still in my ears. God, my Father, my Savior - His love for me is why I'm here. I have no other reason to live except for that reality. And I'd really like to see evil destroyed. Forever.

Matthew 19:13-15