Getting Crafty

Many people ask if I have free time and what I like to do in my spare time. Although it varies week to week, I do find plenty of time to rest, hang out with friends, and play sports. Even though I have traveled half way around the world, my love of all things crafts has not changed. I was quite excited to find an ample supply of yarn in myriad colors available here. 

The local ladies are quite adept at making “bilums” (bags) that are hand-woven in various sizes, shapes and colors.

I prefer to use the yarn in knitting and crochet projects.  Since color-work is my forte, it works out perfectly. 

I have made several hats to thank some of my national friends for helping me with language learning, gardening, etc.

Kira is also enjoying a few homemade toys.

It is fun to be able to give back to my PNG friends who have given so much to me.

Faces of Surgical Ward

Here are a few of the faces and stories of patients on surgical ward:

Rose, age 7, presented with intermittent bouts of screaming pain and a tender mass in her abdomen. Surgery revealed that her intestine had telescoped inside itself; a condition we call intussusception. After a successful surgical reduction, she is now making a full recovery. Please pray for her as she heads home.

Justin, age 16, came to the hospital in excruciating abdominal pain after a pig meal. In the highlands of PNG, there is a severe infection of the intestine called pigbel that can follow pig feasts. However, at surgery we found an all too familiar culprit: ruptured appendicitis. Previously rarely seen in the developing world, appendicitis is now becoming more common as the western diet becomes more prevalent. For the first several days after surgery, Justin lay still as a board, hardly moving, his face in a perpetual grimace. The day I saw him sitting up with this smile, I knew he had turned the corner to recovery. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Paru is a young man in his twenties. While chopping down a tree, the tree trunk fell on him and broke his back. He is now paralyzed from the waist down. Permanent disabilities are very difficult to manage in a place where most people walk a dirt mountain path to get to their homes, where gardening is the main source of income, and where very few services exist. Thankfully, he was able to get a wheelchair sized for him at the local catholic health center. Please pray for him and his family during this very difficult lifestyle transition. Pray that they might find hope and strength in God in this time of struggle and doubt.

Jack is a walking miracle. During a tribal dispute, he stepped up to protect a female relative from a bush knife attack and was nearly decapitated. With God’s help, Dr. Jim (veteran surgeon), Dr. Rebecca (rural registrar trainee) and Dr. Erin (medial doctor) did an amazing job resuscitating and repairing the injuries to Jack’s neck. “I was staring at his spine,” Jim later recalled. By God’s grace, Jack survived and his family continues to praise God for this miracle. Please pray for Jack as he continues to recover and for his family as they try to resolve the on-going tribal conflict.

      I wish I could share the stories of each of the 28 patients currently admitted to the surgical ward with abdominal illnesses, fractured bones, bone infections, healing wounds, etc. Please continue to pray for our patients’ physical healing and spiritual restoration as they hear the word of God daily on the wards. Thank you for your faithful prayers.

Jack and family with Dr. Jim

(All names and pictures shared with permission)

From Death to Life

Inside the Medical Ward

The sidewalk outside the Medical Ward,
 where our patient spent the night.

       The stench of decay was overwhelming. It was so unbearable that we found our patient outside the medical ward, lying on a gurney on the sidewalk because all the other patients couldn’t stand being in the same building as him. A motor vehicle accident had caused a small, perianal puncture wound that had been neglected for three days prior to him arriving at our hospital. Now, infection had set in and was rapidly extending through his skin and soft tissues. As we debrided the dead tissue, we could see the necrotizing fasciitis (AKA flesh-eating bacteria) spreading before our very eyes. We removed extensive amounts of skin and soft tissue down to the muscle on his buttock, groin and side of the leg almost to the knee.  The resulting wound was enormous and difficult to manage as it wrapped almost circumferentially around his thigh.  We were out of stock of Clindamycin, the standard antibiotic that is crucial in stopping the spread of this type of infection. Instead, we tried a related medication and prayed it would work. We knew that his body’s response to treatment over the next 24 hours would determine his prognosis, and it looked rather grim. Amazingly, he stabilized overnight. With a glimmer of hope, we began the grueling, 2-month-long process of closing his wounds. He underwent daily debridement and dressing changes under anesthesia until the wound was ready for a special vacuum dressing. Eventually, the wound was closed with serial skin grafting.

         Early in his hospital stay, Benson asked Dr. Ben to pray with him. After his close brush with death, he spent a lot of time examining his life. Now, he had decided to place his faith in the God who had saved his life and he wanted to follow Jesus.

As I reflect on Benson’s story, I realize it is a strong metaphor for our spiritual lives. Inevitably, we will receive wounds from other people, circumstances, or events in our lives: disappointments, betrayal, or loss of loved ones to name a few. Even a small wound in our hearts left untreated allows sin to enter and take root. Before we know it, the festering resentment, irritability, bitterness, or discontent spreads until we become offensive to those closest to us. Without intervention, our decaying hearts will become dead: devoid of feeling and unable to fulfill the good purpose God intended for our lives. In order to rid ourselves of this spreading disease, we must submit ourselves to the Great Healer and allow him to cut away every part of our hearts that reeks of decay. The process can be long and painful as he whittles away every ounce of sinful flesh, exposes raw wounds, and gradually patches healthy tissue together again. But the joy of complete healing is worth the struggle, and the new life that He brings is beyond compare.

Benson, excited to go home soon and start his new life.

(Patient name and picture shared with permission)

The Dark Side

       Since moving to Papua New Guinea, I’ve witnessed many fascinating customs, met many wonderful people, and enjoyed breath-taking beauty that I have never experienced anywhere else before. Unfortunately, I’ve also witnessed some of the darkest atrocities and heart-breaking sorrows that I never could have imagined before coming to PNG.  This past week seemed full to the brim with tragedy. It is difficult to write about and I’m sure it will be difficult to read. If you can’t bear to hear one more heart-wrenching story this week, then please do not read any further. But if you are willing to travel with me into the heart of the very prevalent darkness, then please read on.

Photo Credit: www.abc.net

         In many traditional PNG tribes there is a very real fear of evil spirits. Any time there is an unexpected death or tragedy, someone must be found responsible and punished. Many times, a woman is singled out and accused of “sanguma” or witchcraft and subsequently killed. This was the unfortunate case of a patient who came to us this week. A child died after choking on food. Two women were accused of sanguma and were subsequently tortured with burning sticks and red-hot bush knives for 36 hours before police rescued them. One lady died; the other was brought by a Lutheran missionary to our hospital. She had severe burns covering 70% of her body and had endured unspeakable abusive trauma. Despite our best efforts, she also succumbed to her injuries. I can’t even comprehend the depth of fear and evil that drives people to mistreat other human beings in this way. It is unfathomable that atrocities like this are still occurring in our modern world today.

         Unfortunately, the tragedies don’t end there. On Friday, we cared for a high school student who presented very ill from complications of a village abortion. Abortions are illegal in PNG, but there are a few people in the villages that will perform abortions using very crude and unclean methods. Not infrequently, we see the infections that result from these illegal procedures. This young student presented in fulminant septic shock from a perforated uterus. Surgery was not enough to control her infection and the ensuing multi-organ failure. I can still hear her mother (who had encouraged her daughter to get the abortion) wailing uncontrollably at her daughter’s bedside as we prepared the body for the morgue. 

       These are just two stories from the many sad cases we saw this week. There were also domestic disputes resulting in stabbings and shootings, family disputes resulting in chops that will likely leave people permanently disabled, and a whole family inadvertently poisoned by wild beans which contain cyanide. 

       In the midst of so much darkness, where can we turn? Jesus claimed, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).  The light of Christ has been shining in this dark land for many decades and some change is taking place, but much darkness still remains.  Jesus has commanded us, his followers to carry his light into this darkness: “You are the light of the world….let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:14,16). Lord, help us to shine your light in this very dark place. Bring healing to the brokenness, drive out the fear and hatred and violence. May your love transform this land. Amen.

Photo credit: depositphotos.com

Independence Day

       Today Papua New Guinea celebrates it's 42nd Independence Day. Here at Kudjip the festivities started at sunrise and are still going. The festivities included a sunrise service and flag-raising ceremony followed by a day of games. Everyone came with the whole family in PNG colors and regalia. Here are a few glimpses of a fun-filled day celebrating Papua New Guinea:

Flag-raising celebration. Credit: David Wan

Miriam and I sporting our colors

OT Staff representing....

...and crushing it in the volleyball tourney

Kickboxing demonstration drew quite the crowd

Surgical ward staff playing in the basketball tourney

Future basketball stars learning to pass the ball

The future here looks very bright.

Happy Independence Day!