Shanksteps Bere 2017 #2

admin Audrey, Greg No Comments

 

I must say that there is the rare mission trip that we take that goes as we planned. Audrey and I are headed to Bere, Chad to help out for about a month. Last night (at least I think it was last night) we drove to Portland and stayed the night. The following early morning we went to the airport and went from Portland to Newark. We had about a 7 hour layover in Newark before leaving for Lome, Togo. In Newark there seemed to be quite a bit of security, police and homeland security roaming around. The police had a dog sniffing stuff too. Hmmmm- what do dogs sniff for? There was no excitement that we heard. The time came for loading the plane and the same security people were asking questions and the dog was sniffing people and bags. The line was extremely slow because of this. Then after sitting on the plane an hour, the pilot announced that security had held up 5 people and that they had to take off all the luggage and find their bags. Then reload the plane with the rest of our luggage. All of this made us leave 2 hours late. We had a nice 10 hour flight to Lome. We initially had a one hour layover, so our flight had left already. We were shifted from line to line at immigration. Passengers’ tensions were rising. Immigration held on to our passports because apparently Ethiopian Airways needed to pay for the visas that we all needed. After about an hour of standing around we got our passports back and found our luggage. Then more standing around. No word on when our next flight would be. The one airways agent there was talking in circles basically deflecting questions.

Three hours after we arrived they arranged a small bus from the hotel to come and get us. There were about 30-40 with plenty of luggage. So it took many trips to make it to the hotel. So here I sit in some air-conditioning, my first time in Togo, sun is setting. Apparently the airline will call the hotel in the morning and let us know when we are to come back to the airport. For those who, this was their first time in Africa it was difficult. For us it was initially frustrating, then we prayed together and realized again that we are safe, God loves us, and we were able to get out a message to those who were going to pick us up. Then we had peace. Travel anywhere, is often not as we plan it, and this is no different. We remember that God is good and loves us. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Shanksteps Here 2017 #1

admin Greg No Comments

Hello All,
We are happy to be writing to you again, as this means we are headed overseas to do volunteer work again. The last time i wrote you was about 2 years ago. This time Audrey and I are headed to Bere, Chad. We will be working with the Nettebergs and Blands and others. If I have access to internet (which is doubtful) I will send out shanksteps while there. If not, then we will send them upon returning home.

As you think of us, please pray for us. That we will be able to share Jesus love in a tangable way to those we encounter. We may also be able to meet some people we knew previously in Cameroon. Thanks for your prayers. Greg

Liberia #27

admin Greg No Comments

Liberia #27

I leave in the evening with Robert who is driving me to the airport. Traffic that direction is bad in the evening, so we leave 3 hours ahead. We move through the stop and go traffic till we are on the outside of Monrovia about an hour later. For the remaining drive we are able to go 40-80mph. Honking scatters people and animals off the road, so is done very frequently. Arriving at the airport, we approach the large metal gate. A guard questions why we are there. After taking each of our temperatures by pointing the thermometer at our foreheads, we are permitted to enter the airport area. We drive up to the terminal and unload my bags on the ground. Next Robert parks the car and helps me carry my bags up to where there is another person in a gown, mask and gloves to take my temperature again. I am asked to fill out a questionnaire, wash my hands with chlorine, then enter with my bags. At the entry to the baggage counters, another person takes my temperature and I wash my hands in chlorine water again. They review and take my questionnaire. Next I take my bags to the check in counter and get my boarding passes. I’m about 1.5 hours ahead of time. I go through security and wait in the boarding area. Going through security, the security lady asks to look in my carryon. She pulls out my falafel sandwich. She says it’s not permitted to take food in, and asks what I want to do. I said “eat the sandwich”, so she puts it back in my carryon and I go on in with it. Later I eat my sandwich with much appreciation of the flavors. The time comes, and we board the plane. I am so thankful to be leaving Monrovia, being in good health.

In Belgium, our temperatures are checked as we exit the jet way. We turn in another questionnaire that we were given on the plane. We are then shunted outside security, and I have to go through it again to re-enter. I find my terminal and gate then wait about 6 hours till my flight. I watch a number of movies on the plane and eventually sleep a half hour or so.

Arriving in Newark, we walk to immigration. Someone is there reviewing passports and asks where I’m coming from. I know they want to know Liberia, so I say this, even though Belgium was really where I was coming from at the moment. They send me down a side hall to a small room. Behind the counter are immigration officials who ask that I stand beyond a ribbon about 8 feet away from them. She is wearing a face shield, mask and has gloves on as she types information into her computer. She asks a series of questions, which are similar to what I’ve filled out on previous forms. They ask about personal sickness and symptoms in detail, about contact with Ebola patients or dead people. After my answers they decide I need more questioning by CDC personnel. One of the officer’s gowns up in full bunny suit PPE to take me down the hall where I meet two CDC people in a small room with three chairs. I sit down and they ask more questions. They call their hierarchy and eventually decide I am safe to continue my travels. They show me to another desk where I receive a phone and a packet of information on Ebola and how to do the monitoring and am told to contact my health department in the morning. I am taken back to a different immigration area and they take my passport and do the usual things I recheck my baggage to continue on and find my next gate. My flight is cancelled. So at the desk I find I’ve been rerouted to make it home about 3 hours after expected. After about 35 hours of travel I arrived back to meet my beautiful wife and very happy dog, for the drive home. The following morning I meet with the health department to set up the monitoring situation. All are very helpful and pleasant.
for more mission stories visit our mission website www.missiondocs.org

for information on our missionary and christian workers oasis visit www.lifeimpactministries.net Safe Haven Oasis

Liberia #26- Feb 1

administrator Greg No Comments

Liberia #26- Feb 1

I am called at midnight to see a patient that feels weak. There is a young man outside. I walk up to him and the people gathered around him. I ask who speaks Engish, and a number of them respond that they do. Well what is happened to him? “He feel week” What else? “He got malaria and typhoid”. The guy looks up at me, and I get the sense that he is putting it on. I am immediately very annoyed with him. OK, I don’t want diagnoses, I want symptoms! What are you feeling? What is hurting? They don’t respond. Either tell me what’s happening or go back home! “He feel week” The 22yo guy, stands up walks around then sits down again. He is obviously not terribly sick. I tell them to go home. “No, he sick” “he not think good. He got typhoid and malaria” what do you mean by he has typhoid and malaria? “ silence. I think of walking away, but stay a little longer. Headache? “his head can hurt him!” fever? “he no got fever” stomach running (diarrhea) “no he no running!!” vomit? “he no vomit” Eventually I find out that he has been a little off this evening and I ask what drugs or alcohol he’s taken. He is kind of acting high and irritable. They deny everything. Said this happened to him before when he had malaria. I seen plenty of cerebral malaria, and this is not what they act like. Though very annoyed with the whole situation, I decide at least he is not a risk for ebola, and admit him. I give the usual quinine and artemeter, to cover malaria, knowing that if he likely just slept, that he would be fine. Still suspecting drugs as the cause.

At 3 AM, Im called to see a woman who just came in pregnant and has vaginal bleeding. I find out she is at term, and bleeding a little. By the time I get in there, the midwife has had a chance to evaluate her and ask more questions. She had had a spot of blood. It is her first pregnancy, and she has not lost her water yet. She is only dilated 1cm. So she is many hours from delivery with good contractions. Since she isn’t bleeding at all, based on midwifes exam, I head back to bed. 7AM comes to early. My last day in ebola land!

I awake, to the alarm, get up, eat some breakfast, and have my personal devotions. I cannot wait to be back home with my wife! I go in at 8AM for the hospital devotional. There were two deaths last night. One an old guy with a stroke that had been worsening the last 4 days. The other a woman I admitted at about 8PM who had been sick for a week and unconscious for that last day. She had looked about ready to die when I admitted her. Apparently she haden’t even gotten the IV yet when she died. I’m not surprised.

I do rounds on the 36 patients, while Dr. Seton does administrative stuff she needs to get done. She will be the only doc taking care of all inpatients as soon as I leave, and continuous call. I do the dressing changes, and eventually make it back to my place to pack. I take my last bucket bath and get dressed in regular cloths.

So I’ve noted a few things that would improve life at Cooper for Dr. Seton, and many things that could help them provide better care. If you are interested in helping financially here are some things that need to be done.

-new air conditioner for Dr. Setons apartment

-new windows for Dr. Setons apartment- to keep dust and generator noise out, and keep cool in.

If you are interested in helping towards these please send your contribution to:

Summersville SDA Church

70 Friends R Fun Dr.

Summersville, WV 26651

Include a separate note that it is for Cooper Hospital and Dr. Seton

Other medical things are needed:

New mattresses

Windows throughout the hospital

handheld pulse oxymeters

handheld thermometers (surface temperature monitors)

more glucometer strips

a decent lab setup about $10,000 for CBC and chemistry machines and materials and reagents

X-ray machine that works and someone to develop pictures- if a digital system- then that isn’t necessary no developing would be necessary ?cost?

some new operating instruments- needle drivers, and scissors

Cidex to clean the endoscopy equipment.

impregnation tablets for the mosquito nets

a new autoclave

funds could be sent to either Summersville SDA church or to AHI below- designating what it was to be used for or general needs of Cooper Hospital: Sent to:

Adventist Health International

11060 Anderson St.

Loma Linda, CA 92350

Phone: (909) 558-4540

Fax: (909) 558-0242

Email: ahi@llu.edu

Can be done online through the Adventist health international website as well.

http://www.ahiglobal.org/Cooper/

for more mission stories visit our mission website www.missiondocs.org

for information on our missionary and christian workers oasis visit www.lifeimpactministries.net Safe Haven Oasis