Sad time, our last outreach has come to an end.
For myself, this was a very special outreach. As you all know, the last
weeks/outreaches I have loved being in the dental clinic. Well, this time
around was a little different, and exciting for me. I was in the dental clinic
for four days and for two days, I was on land being a part of the media team
taking photographs.
The first three days, I had the privilege of
working with two Dentist who are actually from PNG. It was a different dynamic
as they were able to communicate in their native tongue. I had two awesome
assistants who helped me and we came across some great patients who made us
laugh and who blessed our lives. One patient decided that when I asked him to
lie back, that he would put his head into the headrest as if he were about to
receive a massage. I informed him that we would need to have him turn around,
and all three of us had a fun giggle about that. But if you think about it,
these patients have never stepped foot in a dental clinic for the most part or
even in a place with aircon, so it is all very new for them. It was a busy
weeks in the clinic; we saw 129 patients, did 222 procedures, 118 extractions,
62 restorations, and 42 cleanings.
I was so excited to be apart of the media team
and I got to use a pretty awesome camera, Canon EOS 20D (thanks Amy)! The first
day we went to the shores of this beautiful village in Woodlark Island. Crystal
clear, baby blue water and white sand. The surf was a little high so it was
interesting getting onto land seeing that you had to have the perfect timing so
you don't get crushed by a wave while in the zodiac. Many men from the village
jumped into the water to help us. I got out and was blown away by the beauty of
the village. It was truly paradise. I had the pleasure to take the team picture
of one of the primary health care teams and I was a little jealous with their
spectacular picture background.
Then, I was able to follow the community
engagement team as they did teachings in the elementary school. I loved being
able to go in the classroom because it is always interesting to see what they
are learning. Plus, the kids are so dang cute and love having us there. One
thing is that majority of the kids have machetes and carry them around
everywhere. You will see them on the desk or against the wall. Even in Daru,
two year olds would be playing with them. They use them to open their coconuts
and to cut grass, practical things.
After being with community engagement, I was
able to take some pictures of the health care team. There were many happy,
beautiful babies and I love babies so this was nice. I enjoyed being able to
see how clinics are run in a village and they definitely have a lot of
organization which was impressive. This outreach had the largest medical team
with five doctors and about 14 nurses, one midwife and a physiotherapist. So,
they all split into two teams and were able to serve many villages in the short
amount of time. One case, which I was not there for, was a small girl who had a
fractured wrist, they were able to sedate her and place the bone back in place.
It was great being able to be around one of the teams and see their hearts for
the people in the village.
In the afternoon Andrea, who leads one of the
community engagement teams and is amazing, had it on her heart to speak to the
married woman in the village about their value to God. Woman in PNG, can be
looked down upon and are not always treated properly. So it is always nice to
be able to bring God’s truth about
equality and how we are all very valuable. Andrea asked me if I would share
about godly relationships and I was a little nervous seeing that I am not
married. But, I prayed about it was able to express the heart of God when it
comes to marriage. Also, how much God values relationships and the importance
of communication. The woman told us how grateful they were for having us.
We asked anyone if they needed prayer, to come
up and we were available. A lady, Delanea, came up and began to talk to us
about a referral that she had from 2011. The referral was to see a Doctor in
Alotau which is about a 3 day dingy ride (small man-made canoe with a motor),
also very expensive. The woman was having numbness and a lot of pain in her
left shoulder and that was what she was referred for. She has never gone
because it is too expensive and she is constantly working. While she was
talking, I felt that I should get up and pray for her to be healed. I was a
little hesitant but knew that I had been waiting for an opportunity like this.
So Andrea and I laid hands on her and began to pray for healing. While I was
praying, I felt it with all my heart that she would be healed. Afterwards
Andrea asked the question, “how
do you feel?” She
replied, “good!” With a smile on her
face, she began to mover her shoulder around. She was healed!! As we left the
beach, I saw her as she was walking around putting her arm behing her back. It
was such an amazing experience to be a part of. We read in the Bible of people being healed but how much do we
exercise this amazing aspect of God? I know that for myself, I do not on a
regular basis. But, it was just very encouraging to be a part of this God
moment and to see how blessed she was. Here is a picture taken after:
Overall, being on land the two days, was a
phenomenal experience for me! I was able to see into the villages and how
people live. I was grateful to be greeted by so many happy smiles. This was a
great end to outreach for me!!
The next week we will be in Alotau on land doing
a mini-dts for youth then off to Australia. Prayers are much appreciated. Thank
you for all the support and continual prayers. I have been blessed beyond what
I could have ever imagined. My eyes have been opened in many ways and I am
surrounded by people who have the same heart to serve God.
Enjoy these lovely pictures that I was able to
capture:
Babies first apple!
Pretty sweet cave!
