I will tell you this much before I go sleep in my African princess bed that those flat, round and squishy from hours in the fridge, sweet little morsels of goodness took my day from an 8 to an 11.
Here's why: I noticed some pumpkin pie spice in Bob's kitchen last week. I guess now would be the appropriate time to use what I learned in Catholic school and confess- Pumpkin flavored things and I have had quite the affair for some time now. And yes, this is my first confession... Anyway, I was thinking about what to eat for sustenance this afternoon after I got home the hospital and BAM. It hit me. Pumpkin pie spice. Cold pancakes. Together..... ?!?!
I cannot tell you how proud of myself I was for thinking of that. I even ate two, and one just a minute ago, for a grand total of THREE.
I consider this a moral victory. I will never use one of my precious cliff bars for a non-emergent situation again.
The Medical Outreach something something (MOCA- forgive me Dr. Emme, for I know not what the other two words are) team from Buffalo, New York arrived in an air conditioned van yesterday. There are 13 of them. I am not at liberty to discuss the way I would like to the dynamics and the interactions I have observed since their arrival because the purpose of this is not to poke fun... unless you try to propose to me of course. Sometimes Americans outside of America are funny and I will leave it at that. I laugh at myself daily for that reason. They are wonderful people and in one day have already done so much at the hospital- organizing the 600 pounds of medical gold they brought, distributing gifts to all the kids in the children's ward, lined up more fascinating surgery cases for me to see tomorrow. Dr. Emme is the team coordinator and she is WONDERFUL. I am looking forward to our visits this week. She is an OB specialist, so I will get to see lots of good stuff.
I keep forgetting to tell you two things:
1. The little girl I have been telling you about with typhoid is doing sooo much better! She’s not out of the woods yet, but progress is progress. I realized today that the man who hasn’t left her side is actually her uncle, not her father. Both of her parents died of typhoid (her mother the DAY before her uncle carried her to Saboba) and she is in his care now. He is a Muslim man and leaves her only to go outside, face east, take of his shoes and pray. I have prayed for her at her bed before not knowing this. He is also very kind to me though.
2. Some may not know this, but way back in the fall after I had decided to come, Dr. Jean emailed me about a little boy named Kojo who had a very similar situation as the girl above except that he would literally die if he did not have an operation to fix the typhoid-induced perforation. She had asked for prayers for this five year old little boy, and I felt very strongly about this and committed to this daily. I wanted to meet his little boy and I wanted to understand in a very personal way that God is a healer, and He’s big enough and compassionate enough to intertwine two hearts from opposite sides of the world to care for each other. I knew the operation had gone well, but that was about it. I remembered this the other day and got a verbal dissertation from Dr. Jean (this happens when you ask questions because she is so smart) about how he was the cutest little boy and had remarkably recovered and was running around the children’s ward before he left. I hope you can picture that like I am and if you are, you will be smiling.
Ok I need to get up and go to Togo and back before the heat sets in. Surgery and then market day tomorrow! My goal- yellow fabric (at the market… not in the OR. Yuck).
May you rest tonight (in 7 hours) knowing that you are so deeply loved.
And also that when your stomach is lonely, a cold pancake dashed with pumpkin pie spice will be your friend.
Mom- I know what you are thinking. I am not starving. I am healthy. I am fine. Some situations call for a little creativity, that's all:)
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