Good Friday reflections

I am on call today.  The morning began with pediatric rounds where every other kid screamed when I examined him or her.  I do love to try and make them smile.  Evelyn was the last one in my row.  She is 10 years old.  She was assaulted yesterday while her mom worked picking tea at the local plantation.  She was brought into the ER and admitted overnight for observation.  I gave her a check up, we talked for a few minutes about the meaning of today and then prayed together.

Following rounds I was called to the ER for an emergency.  Two emergencies, actually.  Two women had been beaten a relative.  One had a deep cut from a bush knife across the back of her forearm, something we call "chop chop."  The second had been hit in the back of the head with a rock and was semi-conscious.  While I was admitting these patients, another young woman came in to the ER.  She had been hit by her husband and had a broken arm.  The rates of domestic violence for Western Highlands in PNG are some of the highest in the world.

Today is Good Friday.  On the very day that Jesus died, I am confronted by the darkness of the world.  I can imagine Jesus walking the road to Calvary.  Perhaps he looked ahead over the centuries and saw the suffering, the pain, the death.  He could have taken the easy way out, but He chose to take sin upon himself.  He bore the suffering, the pain, and the death in our place... that we might have eternal life!  Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of your life.

"Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

that punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed."

~ Isaiah 53

Good news from a distant land

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. ~ Proverbs 25:25 

One of my favorite things about being a missionary is receiving good news from a distant land. Frequently this comes in the form of emails, posts on Facebook or my blog. Thanks to all of you who who have written to me! Keep them coming. 

In this day and age of modern technology where emails are both free and instantaneous, sending a letter that will take 2-6 weeks to go around the world (if it ever arrives at all) seems rather ridiculous. The effort behind sending snail mail makes it all the more precious. A special thank you for the cards and letters! They are such a blessing to me.

I have also enjoyed several care packages from both my family and Bay City Church of the Nazarene in Texas. Boxes have been filled with items that are either unavailable or very expensive in PNG such as skirt hangers, drawer or shelf liner, guitar picks, and Post-it notes. There are also plenty of goodies like choco bake (to make Mom's hot fudge :), corn nuts, Jelly Bellies, and hot chocolate. Mom and Aim... you ROCK!

So the writer of Proverbs definitely got this one right. Good news from a distant land is really good. He was one pretty smart guy, after all.

Repeat c-section on a repeat patient

There were a couple of patients scheduled for c-sections this past Thursday, and the other docs appointed me to be the surgeon of the morning.  The first c-section was for twins.  The next case was a scheduled repeat c-section.  I walked up to the patient to introduce myself.  "Moning!  Nem bilong me Dr. Stephanie.  Mi dokta bilong katim na rausim pikinini." or "Good morning!  My name is Dr. Stephanie.  I am the doctor who will be doing your c-section."  The patient responded (in Pidgin), "There was a doctor Stephanie who did my last c-section."  Really?  What are the chances...  When was your last c-section?  In 2005.  February 2005?  Yes, indeed I had taken care of this very patient when I was here in PNG for one month as a resident.

And the more I thought back to that month, I actually remember Temar.  She was admitted to B-ward with preterm labor and I took care of her there for a week or two.  The labor eventually progressed and her bag of water broke, necessitating delivery of the baby.  The baby was lying sideways (transverse) and could not be delivered vaginally.  I did her c-section with one of the other volunteer docs and welcomed her little girl into the world.

So four years later, I meet Temar again and deliver her second baby (which was much easier than the first if I remember correctly).  #2 was a boy :).