Walk to Beautiful

marriage at a young age.

followed by pregnancy.

prolonged labor,

3 days, maybe more...

no money to pay doctors,

maybe no hospital to go to.

or just too long of a wait for care.

finally a surgery to take the baby out.

the pain of labor for many days,

and now a painful incision,

are no match for the pain to follow.

a stillborn baby.

maybe the only child she will ever have.

awake in the hospital,

alone.

confused.

in pain.

with no child.

and now a new problem.

why am I leaking urine?

this has never happened before.

but it will not stop.

A constant leak

a stench that cannot be hidden.

no husband will lay next to a woman who leaks

and smells.

so alone.

No community will accept this condition

The only acknowledgement

is a hurtful word

or maybe abuse.

So very alone.

  

What to do but hide?

But to feel ashamed,

and hopeless.

Years go by with no answers

no help

no hope.

How do you cope?

What keeps you moving,

believing,

living?

I want to introduce you to a group of women in the hospital.  They are women with obstetric fistulas, usually VVF’s (vesico-vaginal fistulas). There is a fistula, or hole, between the bladder and vagina, causing constant leaking of urine.  There are also women with recto-vaginal fistulas, in which both stool and urine leak uncontrollably.  These fistulas occur almost always as a result of prolonged, untreated, obstructed labor during childbirth.  The prolonged labor can last anywhere from 2-10 days. The infant's head pressing against tissue, causes the tissue to die from lack of blood supply, creating these openings.  Marriage and conception at a young age (13-15 years) before the pelvis is fully developed is a big reason for this.  In about 95% of these cases, the baby dies during labor and the woman is left unable to produce children again.  Many times, the husband and/or other children will disown her as she smells of urine constantly, and she is ostracized and cast out of her community. Alone, ashamed, and devastated.

These women come to the ward with faces that reveal years of shame and solitude.  They are uncertain, scared, and rarely smile. After surgery, some healing, prayer, worship, and lots of hugs, they start smiling and their personalities emerge.  These ladies are among the most beautiful, patient, loving, incredible women I have ever met. 

When they are "dry" (no longer leaking), we have a dress ceremony for them.  I went to my first one last week. Each woman gets a new dress (and jewelry to match of course) and they parade down the hall singing worship songs and beaming from ear to ear.  The joy is palpable.  They tell their testimonies, are gifted with symbolic items, and we celebrate their lives and the bright future ahead. There is no way to experience this and not be moved to tears. They are so deserving of happiness, good health, love, and of course, new dresses.

Jesus is here!

Imagine a dock in Africa full of missionaries from around the world, day volunteers from all over Togo and West Africa, and hospital patients all singing and dancing together in the name of Jesus. We had a dock party last week and it was almost too much God for me to handle.  It was meant to be a time of praise and worship and dinner for the Africa Mercy crew and day volunteers and as we’re dancing and singing I look up to see our patients walking down the gangway to join the party! My heart was overflowing with joy and thanksgiving as they entered into our dancing train smiling from ear to ear. It was a sight like none other.  There is such freedom in dance in this culture. Nobody is judging what you look like or how much rhythm you have. When worship begins the dancing begins and people dance with all of their hearts.  You can almost see the delight in their souls as they dance and sing praises to God. We celebrated God and what He is doing here in West Africa all evening and the fellowship was so sweet.

I have a second story to tell today. A story about my friend Chantal, the patient I posted about last week, and what Thursday looked like for her.  Chantal, in her frail little body just wanted to go outside that day. That was all she kept asking for but she was too weak and sick to take a wheelchair to deck 7.  So we went up the chain of command and the captain opened the pilot’s door next to the ICU.  The nurses wheeled her in her hospital bed out the pilot’s entrance into the fresh air. As she sat with wind in her face and palm trees in the background she said over and over “Jesus is here. Jesus is here”.  Even when she went back inside she said, “Jesus is here, sitting with me.”  And oh, was Jesus ever there! As we were on the dock praising God in song and dance little did we know we were singing that sweet angel home to be with her creator, God. Chantal was taken to heaven Thursday night and what a sweet way to go. Surrounded by people who love her and Jesus by her side.

The devotional that I read from Jesus Calling the day she passed away said this:

“Heaven is both present and future. As you walk along your life-path holding My hand, you are already in touch with the essence of heaven: nearness to Me. You can also find many hints of heaven along your pathway, because the earth is radiantly alive with My Presence. Shimmering sunshine awakens your heart, gently reminding you of My brilliant Light. Birds and flowers, trees and skies evoke praises to My holy name. Keep your eyes and ears fully open as you journey with Me.At the end of your life-path is an entrance to heaven. Only I know when you will reach that destination, but I am preparing you for it each step of the way. The absolute certainty of your heavenly home gives you Peace and Joy, to help you along your journey. You know that you will reach your home in My perfect timing: not one moment too soon or too late. Let the hope of heaven encourage you, as you walk along the path of Life with Me.”

God is good and faithful and His timing couldn’t be more perfect.

Life without Jesus is not life at all

Hey guys! The following is a blog posted by my good friend Stephanie Fiduk about one of our precious plastics patients. Chantal has been a patient here since the beginning of our outreach in Togo in early February. This young woman has captured all of our hearts and although I've wanted to share her story with you I haven't been able to put my thoughts into words. Stephanie has done a beautiful job and given me permission to share her side of the story.

Chantal

"I've been sitting here staring at a blank page, watching the cursor blink rhythmically for a while. I can't seem to find the right words to express what's going on in my head and in my heart. I've been wrestling with Him for a while, trying to understand what His plan and purpose is for Chantal. She's been here since the beginning of the outreach; a burn contracture patient from the last time we were in Togo. She's come back because her graft became infected and her whole shoulder is a big, open gaping wound. It's been a long 2 and half months for her; a journey of ups and downs. She's pulled through so many times, but this time it looks like she's not going to make it. We found out a couple days into her stay that she is HIV positive. We don't have supply of HIV meds on the ship, but in order to do another surgery to cover the wound we would have to treat her HIV. So we prayed, and God provided free HIV medication within days. One night after a dressing change under anesthesia she stopped breathing on me. God immediately told me to move her chin forward, and she took a huge gasp of air! I was so thankful that was not the end for her. The plastic surgeon arrived and was able to graft her arm with new beautiful skin. We moved her out of isolation, which is totally foreign in West Africa where community is everything, and into the ward with all the other patients. We saw her spirits lift to a level we had never seen before. She was getting depressed being in the isolation room all day, having minimal interaction with people, especially people of her own culture. Even despite me dancing to "Chop my money" like a fool, all we could get out of her was a smile! (If you haven't heard that song, you should look it up!) One day we started noticing a difference in Chantal; she was so joyful, and there was a life in her eyes that was not present previously. She would just break out into worship songs that would start the whole ward worshipping. She was smiling all the time, and interacting with all the patients. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Come to find out, the night before she prayed with one of the day workers to accept Jesus into her life! What a cause for celebration! As is often the case with Chantal her highs are followed by lows; her body is fighting a raging infection that waxes and wanes. Her heart rates shoots up, her respiratory rates sky rockets, and she begs to give up because of the pain. She gets tired of daily 2 hour long dressing changes, and physiotherapy. This is a cycle that we battle all the time with her. We start her on new antibiotics, and she starts feeling better, but because of the HIV and antibiotic resistance we lose the battle. This last time we moved her to ICU we had to make a decision about what we were doing for her and if she coded would we resuscitate. That was so hard for me; we have been fighting for so long to heal her, and then here we were giving up on her. When I met her the first time in February, I envisioned fixing her wound, bringing her back to full function with her arm and sending her back to Ghana fully healed and able to interact with society. But God reminded me that He is Good and has a plan for her that far surpasses what we could ever imagine. I was confronted with my faith and trust in God. I had to answer the question, what is more important: full physical healing, but spiritually dead OR eternal life with Jesus and not being physically healed? Life without Jesus is not life at all. I can boldly say that, knowing in my own life the difference Jesus has made, and seeing in Chantal's life the difference knowing Jesus has made. Although we have not healed her physically, I know without a doubt that we did more for her than any physical healing could ever do. I leave you with a thankful heart to God that He gave His son for me, and you, and Chantal, that we don't have live apart from Him, and that no matter the circumstances we can have joy in difficulty with the hope we have in Christ. Love you all." --Posted by Stephanie Fiduk

Plastic Surgeries

We finished our 5 weeks of plastic surgery last weekend and said goodbye to Dr Tertius Venter, the plastic surgeon, who gives of his time and talents to Mercy Ships twice a year for 5 weeks at a time.  These surgeries were a great success and we've already sent so many of our patients out healed and ready for a new life. We still have a full ward of patients recovering and receiving daily or every other day dressing changes, but we are slowly sending them home or to the Hope Center.  Countless people in third world countries are burned in fires every year. Lack of electricity means more fires for cooking and light and poor water supply leads to boiling water....  At least half of our burn patients here on the Africa Mercy are children who fell into a fire or were burned with scalding water years ago. These people are often unable to seek medical attention and as their bodies healed, their skin contracted and left them unable to use an extremity or other body part.

I'd like to introduce you to Afi, one of my sweet B ward patients. She's an epileptic and years ago had a seizure, fell into a bonfire and was badly burned. She came to us with a severe neck contracture and burns all over her face and chest. Her cheek was touching her shoulder when she came to us, she was quiet, withdrawn, and never smiled. We did skin grafts on her neck, eye lids, lip and chin 3 weeks ago, and although she still has a long way to go, her grafts are healing well and she smiles all the time! This beautiful woman is so courageous. She has been through so much in her life and now stands a little taller and hopeful for the future.

He gives beauty for ashes

Strength for fear

Gladness for mourning

Peace for despair

"Beauty for Ashes" by Crystal Lewis

A few photos from the hospital wards

 

Elmina Castle

I got to spend a little more time in Ghana recently. In contrast to most surrounding countries, Ghana is considered stable, advanced ad prosperous. It is one of the largest cocoa producers in the world and is also home to Lake Volta, the largest artificial lake in the world by surface area. The coastline is amazing with lush green palm trees swaying in the wind and the blue ocean crashing against the white beaches. Sadly, some of the biggest tourist attractions in Ghana are the remnants of slavery along the coastline in the form of slave castles.

We spent one night on the beach in Elmina, a small fishing village with a population of around 20,000 and visited St George's Castle while we were there. Fishing boats were being made on the beaches as we watched, carved out by hand and then painted. Inside the Castle, I found myself standing at "the door of no return." The gate where hundreds of thousands of slaves fates were sealed. I stood on the stones where the slaves were brought the 30 meters from the dungeon in the castle to the ship that carried them to the plantations in America. As the tour continued I found myself locked up in a small ventilated cell, inside the rooms where slaves were held in inhumane conditions, in court where the governor pointed out his concubines, and I also enjoyed an incredible view from the top of the castle. The contrasts were great! That such a fantastic place could have such a terrible story...

The slaves were kept at the castle in order to determine who would bear the voyage across the Atlantic. The castle has been used by the Portuguese, Dutch and Brits for various things over the last 500 years, but slave trade was the most prevalent. Toward the end of the guided tour was a Nigerian word. He gave a monologue and there was silence. Reverently we all listened to this man who drew up the historic lines and spoke of forgiveness. That Africans today would free themselves from the past if they could forgive. It was an emotional moment, and all Africans said "amen" in the end.

Togo Facts

"One of the greatest stumbling blocks to understanding other peoples within or without a particular culture is the tendency to judge others’ behaviors by our own standards."

– James Downs

Below is some information I found interesting from the Human Development Report 2011. This report “argues that the urgent global challenges of sustainability and equity must be addressed together…”

Togo's Human Development Indicator is 0.435, which gives the country a rank of 162 out of 187 countries with comparable data, leaving it in the bottom 30 of member nations.  And can anyone guess which country is ranked #1?? I’ll give you a hint…it’s not the US.   Actually, Norway is ranked 1 out of 187. (For those of you dying to know where the US ranks, go to http://hdr.undp.org/en and check it out. So, I’m going to compare Togo and Norway a bit.

• Life expectancy at birth in Norway: 81 years; Togo: 57 years (WHO)
• The average daily wage in Norway is $170 per person per day; in Togo it is $2.31 per person per day (and 38.7% live on less than $1.25 per person per day.
• In Norway: there are 4,445 dentists for 5 million people (1 dentist for every 1,125); in Togo: there are 18 dentists for 6 million people (1 dentist for every 333,333)
• In Norway: 20,000 doctors for 5 million people (1doc per 250 people); in Togo: 318 doctors for 6 million people (1 doc per 18,868 people).

The West African worldview is intensely religious; people’s thoughts and actions are inspired or influenced by a religious point of view. Religion can not be isolated or separated from the worldview or life of the African.

Togo religion consists of:

African Traditional Religions: 51%

Christianity: 29%

Islam: 20%  

(US Dept of State)

African Traditional Religion (ATR): is an umbrella term that encompasses many different expressions of indigenous religious beliefs and practices. It is comparable to the variety of different expressions/denominations/doctrines that co-exist under the umbrella of Christianity. A few of these include animism, voodoo/voudon, idol worship, witchcraft, magic/ju-ju. It is the belief in a Supreme/Creator God; divinities (lesser gods who act as intermediaries); spirits; ancestors (intermediaries); the practice of magic and medicine. The ATR central point is that the Supreme God is distant and controls the universe through lesser gods and the ancestors. The goal is to minimize suffering/harm and maximize prosperity/success.