What did you eat when you where there?...a post for my Dad.

The first day we went to market...

some of the un-named greens looked like Chinese veggies my parents would know. It's PNG han choy and Gagow.

There was fruit, like slimy sugar-fruit. my Dad would like this...

sugar fruit ie passion fruit

Most of the time I enjoyed amazing hospitality from the missionaries on station who were continuously inviting me over for lunch and dinner. I ate way better here than than I do in the Oklahoma due to their great skills.  Here are some of the wonderful missionary families that encouraged, loved, and taught me while I was here. Seeing their godly examples was one of the best parts of coming to PNG.

Dr Andy Bennett and his wife Judy. He is a Family Medicine doctor. He and his wife visit bush churches often, preach often, and were overall wonderful examples for me of joy filled, gospel loving, people loving, Christ-followers. They made me pancakes after church one day.

Dr Bill McCoy and his wife Marsha. Bill is a genious doctor who was the very first graduate from my residency program many years ago. He and Marsha love to laugh and he leads the Bible quizzing team for the mission station.

Dr Erin on the left is a wonderful teacher and friend. She recently memorized the entire book of Hebrews to help the kids train for their Bible quizzing. Dr Pringle is a kind OBGYN who comes 3 months every year and he taught me how to do D&Cs (not for abortions but for saving lives). His wife Teranza is a pilot and a fabulous chef. Dr Jim on the right and his wonderful wife Kathy have been missionaries here for 35 years and are humble and kind servants. Every Sunday they make prayer rounds with their patients together and last Sunday Kathy led a lady to the Lord during that time.

Remember those who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. Hebrews 11:7

I'm thankful for all the godly shepherds, teachers, and mentors in my life. Some of you are reading this. Someday we will worship the Lord together in Heaven and He will literally be our light and eternal joy. press on !


 



Coming Back...

Good-Bye Papua New Guinea. I pray that I will be able to come back someday. Before I left I asked God, “Lord, if I could have only One prayer for this trip, let it be that I come back loving You more.” I can truly say that God has deepened my love for Him and renewed a fresh sense of surrender to Him. I am so thankful for His grace and kindness to let me come and see Him at work here.

Well friends, I am back In Tulsa now. Praise God for bringing me back safely over 2 days of travel.

Still to come:

Recap and wondering thoughts…a Thank You update letter. 

one side of the adult ward

NICU

2/23/12

Today I was walking to the hospital and a nurse came running, “Dr Jennifer, come to ER, there is baby with cough!”  So I went to the ER and there a 5 month old baby that is laying on the table…NOT breathing. I called for a bag mask and notice that the baby eyes are twitching, then he begins to gasp for breath rhythmically while the arms twitch. This baby is seizing! We gave meds and the seizures calmed down. The fontanelle is boulging, the spinal fluid is cloudy…oh meningitis!

Enis is a lady I was taking care of on the adult ward with necrotic, foul smelling leg wounds. I literally have never seen so much pus in my life than the day we cut her thigh wound open and expressed massive amounts of it out.  She is unmarried and when she found out she was pregnant, her family in anger burned and tortured her which led to her present state in addition to a miscarriage. I would pray with her every morning, and she never said much.

Today on call, a 16 year old school girl came into the ER after fainting. With an ultrasound, I let her know that she is 18 weeks pregnant. The entire family is in uproar.  She is shocked, clearly upset. I keep thinking of Enis.  After a long talk with the girl, we walk back to the family. I have them lay their hands on her belly and we pray for this baby together, pray for mom and for protection over both of them. Is it wrong to make a family promise to protect and care for an unwed mother and her unborn child? There is a lot of domestic abuse here. I fear for her and I pray this family keeps their promises.

Messes and Miracles...

Yesterday a mother carried her 9 year old child into the ER, semi-unconscious. A tree branch had fallen on his head and there was blood running out of his ear, nose, and mouth. He had a basilar skull fracture and there was not too much we could do for him. The family and I took hands and prayed for him as he lay there, barely responsive but breathing. This morning, I didn’t recognize the little guy. Sitting up in bed, and asking if he can eat something. Here’s a picture of him. His name is Bende.

on another note, the missionaries here are amazing. We have a pediatrician who does cesarean sections and family doctors who do chemotherapy because there is no one else to do it. Meanwhile they teach their children to memorize and love the Word of God and are flying them back home to compete at Nationals for Bible quizzing.

Faces of the children...

I got to be with a church "in the bush" today with long-term missionaries, Dr Andy Bennet and his wife Judy. Occasionally he will preach here too and his family has been a great support and encouragment to this flock.


Here is a link that thier blog with pictures about that.

http://day-in-paradise.blogspot.com/2012/02/who-came-to-church-today.html