Jabulani (JOY)

It is not necessarily easy for me to recap my week in a simple blog, but I do the best I can, especially with the internet constantly cutting in and out. I will start once again by describing my clinical experiences for the week. Rather than going to the clinic on Thursday, the six of us went to a middle school to teach on different health related topics. In groups of two we spoke about nutrition, dental care, and Lyndsey and I taught about the female reproductive system to the girls (I guess I really am my mother’s daughter). The school system is not like what is in the States, so the ages of the girls were between 13-16 years old in the class, and most of them have a limited amount of education up until this point. Due to the age range, we could assume that most of the girls had already started menstruation, but what was so interesting was how limited their knowledge was about their own body and its functioning. Many of the girls had no idea why they had their period or if it was even normal to have one monthly period for 4 days straight. The most difficult part was speaking to the girls about the use of tampons. Many of them are subjected by their parents, and possible future husbands, to virginity tests, which are tests that check to see if the hymen is intact. The girls were wondering if the use of tampons would take away their virginity. From my American worldview it was hard for me to understand the virginity tests, as well as the fact that the use of a tampon could jeopardize the females’ viewed virginity status. It was hard leaving these girls because they had an endless amount of questions and we could have spent literally hours discussing their bodies with them.

On Tuesday, I had my most challenging day of clinical yet, as well as the most exciting. At the Eastboom clinic I found my way into the casualty unit where a younger doctor took me in under his wing and allowed me to work directly with him. Our first patient was a younger woman who earlier that morning was stabbed in her arm and wrist with a broken beer bottle by her boyfriend. I sat with her on the exam table holding her hands and speaking words of encouragement to her while the doctor stitched her wounds layers by layers. The wounds went straight down to her bone and were over 4 inches long. I looked into this woman’s eyes and I could see the pain and terror that was inside of her; she kept telling me that she was going to die. When she left I asked her where she would go and she said she was going back home where her boyfriend currently was taking care of her two children. It seems like an endless trap that some of these women live in. Immediately after this patient, another lady came in with a wound on her head caused by assault from her boyfriend as well. Additionally, we dressed the wounds of an elderly lady who had a 4x4 inch ulcer on her leg. A woman came in with a beautiful, healthy, 8-day-old baby, however when the mother pulled up her shirt she revealed her opened c-section incision. Apparently the doctor she went to took out the stitches prematurely and left her wound gapingly open and exposed. I walked into one room and a man sat in a corner having a completely normal conversation and laughing with another person, but when I looked at his leg I saw a baseball size/deep wound cut into his leg with adipose tissue and skin flaps hanging over the leg. Everyone acted like this was a normal occurrence. Once again people filled the waiting areas, patients waited hours and hours to be seen by a doctor or nurse. The things that I saw would never come into clinics in the US, but rather the patients would be seen in a trauma unit at a hospital; I think that’s what blew me away the most, no one seemed surprised by any of the wounds or assault.

On Saturday we got to hike through the Drakensburg Mountains/Hills to historical paintings done in caves by the San Bushmen tribe. The paintings were quite faded, however they also depicted much of the tribal culture and history. I don’t know if I have ever been in middle of such beautiful scenery. The vast green hills seemed to continue on forever and they lay so perfectly against the vivid blue sky’s. It seemed like each color was displayed on a vibrant high. I will never forget these images.

This week feels like it is has been the “revenge of wild animals.” I went walking through the game reserve next to campus with three other girls and we came upon the Zebras. The Zebras have always been quite peaceful and have never seemed to be bothered by people walking by, however it was dusk and I don’t know what got into these wild beasts, but in all honestly, they started running at us. We turned and ran; I could hear all six of them behind us sounding like a stampede, they were chasing us. To get away from them we dove into some bushes and turned onto another trail. The herd of Zebras has a brand new baby with them, so we assume that they must have been protecting their young from us until it is able to defend itself. The next day I was on a walk with another girl and two of the male monkeys literally started chasing us up the path back to campus. The boys got a little trigger happy with the paintball gun so we don’t have anymore paintballs and we might not be getting any more for a while, so to keep the monkeys away we now have pepper spray.

Although I am filled with joy and excitement each day I am here, this past week has been quite heavy. The girls that are in my D-Group have been carrying a lot on their hearts and as they become more vulnerable they are beginning each of their own healing processes. It has taken much prayer for me not to take on their burdens as my own, but I remember that through the death of Christ, I am able to lay each one of these beautiful women at the feet of the cross and know that Jesus has died for burdens such as these. God has been quite powerful here, I don’t think a moment goes by that I am not reminded by his goodness and the continued steadfast love he has for his me and His children.

I have been here for 31 days now and there is still a part of me that is waiting for a deep dread and homesickness to set in. I almost feel like I have adjusted abnormally well, but now I am frightened that this month will stir some of these dreaded emotions. Lets pray that I continue to flourish where I am right now! I am counting down the days until I get to see Mom and Chad when they come visit! I can’t wait! Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you even more for your prayers, thoughts, emails, and messages… it is honestly a source of such strength. I love you all!

(Chad: You are my beloved and I am yours; our love will only grow founder as we spend this time following God’s will for our lives.)