Drive through town

Just going for a Sunday drive

Driving down the left side of the street. Notice the pedestrians and bikes on the right--it is surprisingly open on the left today

the mosque in Old Town

I've been wanting to take a video camera with me in the car when we drive to work at PIH. It is quite an experience as we pass through one of the most congested areas of town, affectionately known as Old Town or Indian Town, referring to the number of stores owned by those of Asian descent. It is also where the main market is and at least 2 mosques--from both of which we can hear the call to prayer at 4:30 in the morning at our house. The streets are always congested with people, bikes and cars so it took me a long time to have the courage to navigate the streets. Unfortunately, I'm sure the video wouldn't catch it all, and I know our computer is too slow to download a video, so you'll have to settle for still shots. You can add in the sounds, smells, and tons more people in your own imaginations. Sorry the pics aren't that great, I took them out the window while Mike was driving.

One of the many shopping plazas

The market where you can buy almost anything, if you're willing to look

Pediatrics rotation

Mike and I have continued on in our "orientation" at the Central Hospital. We just finished our pediatrics rotation which was very interesting, and at times very sad. When we did our pediatrics rotations in the states, it was VERY unusual if a child died, yet here, it is common. Every morning we would sit in report, where the clinical officer students would share how many admissions, discharges, transfers, and deaths had occurred in the past 24 hours. There were always 1 or 2 deaths, and one night there were 8!

Most of the deaths are due to severe pneumonia, malaria, meningitis (infection in the brain), and dehydration. Some of the children are HIV-reactive, so severe infection is likely as their immune system is depressed. But many of the children are not HIV-reactive--but they die anyways. Intubation and ventilation (helping someone breathe through a tube) for an extended period of time is not possible, so if there is severe respiratory problems all we can do is give oxygen and antibiotics. We don't see the severe pneumonia and meningitis too often in the US because we are able to immunize against the most common bacterial causes of these diseases--but those immunizations are not available here for most of the population. And deaths from dehydration often happen because children are brought in too late--either from lack of knowledge about the disease, or difficulty in transport, or other factors that prevent early treatment.
All of this was quite difficult to see--and I still haven't quite figured out how families cope with the deaths of their children. We are still learning about many of the ideas, values and traditions around death. But it breaks my heart.
I wish I had some pictures, but it felt very awkward to bring a camera into the wards and photograph the very sick kids. We'll save pictures for our next update. Please continue to pray for us as we continue our orientation--our next rotations will be surgery and obstetrics.

HCJB Global in Malawi

Sheila and Jessica at the top of Bunda Mountain

Last month we had a very encouraging visit from Sheila Leech, the International Health Care Director for HCJB Global (our sending mission agency). Sheila is a nurse by trade, originally from the UK so she fits quite well her in Malawi with all of the British influence from its past days as a colony (or protectorate, you know what I mean). She has been in Ecuador for 25+years, much of that with HCJB World Radio. She came to check in with us, encourage us, and fill us in on the happening of HCJB around the world. We had a very good time together.

We of course had to take Sheila hiking up Bunda Mountain with the family and our other HCJB'er in Malawi, Jessica McMillan. Jessica is also a nurse who arrived her in February of this year and after her first few months of language, and a month-long orientation at the Central Hospital she is now working at Partners in Hope, specifically helping coordinate the outreach clinics. Getting ARV's (antiretrovirals) out of the big cities and available to the people in rural Malawi is a big challenge and an even bigger need. So PIH is seeking sites outside of Lilongwe proper to help come alongside a local clinic and care for the HIV-positive patients in the area. It's a slow process, but one clinic has started and another is due to start in the month, which is very exciting! We look forward to getting back to PIH after we finish our orientation at the Central Hospital.

Chapel time

The kids walking to chapel. Sam's class had to have a "walk-off" competition with the other reception class to practice following in a line. Apparently students were getting left behind as they were so easily distracted by anything else around them.

The kids are enjoying school--although just this week Sam decided he wasn't going to PE. =) We never quite know with Sam. But up until then, they had been loving their classes. They both have wonderful teachers. Sydney has a veteran teacher from Zimbabwe and Sam has a rookie who just moved from the States--but they are both absolutely wonderful. Although having both of them in school has been a test of our organizational skills. Trying to remember which days they need to wear which uniform, bring back library books, bring suits and towels (of course all of these are different days for each of them), and never forgetting a snack and homework has been a challenge.

I thought you might enjoy a few pictures of the kids on a typical Friday. The Reception through 1st grade classes meet for chapel on Friday mornings. These pictures show Sam with his face painted from a fun carnival party in his class and Sydney is dressed as a sheep because her class did a little skit about Jesus' parable of the lost sheep. They also sing songs and awards are given out for accomplishments in swimming as well as character awards. The parents get to come and watch so I've been thankful to get my work done at the hospital early so that I can attend these times fairly regularly. We'll let you know how Sam does on the PE thing next week.