Tenwek Day #8: "Full To The Brim"

It's Sunday (now 1:30 pm) here in Kenya.  This post is going to be current, but out of order because I really want to post some pictures and video's and thoughts about our first week at Tenwek.  The past week seemed to fly by while we finished our adult week of cardiac surgery.  The "first wave" of the cardiac team arrived last Sunday, November 6th.  We were pretty tired before we even started our week because of the length of time it took us to reach our African destination from where we all started in the United States.  I reached Tenwek about 45 hours after I left my home in Nashville. 

Once at Tenwek, we started a day earlier than originally planned, which was great because not only did we start, but we did 2 cardiac cases.  2 more people were treated than we would have been able to do had we waited until Tuesday as originally planned.

We worked long hard hours all week long.  Monday, our first day started at 5:00 am and we didn't get back to our room until 3:30 am the following day. I don't think any of us realized the long hours or the missed meals that first day because we were so excited to either be back at Tenwek or to be here for the first time.  Our clinical days this past week have been incredibly rewarding as well as devastatingly brutal as you've read in my prior posts.  Still we kept moving forward trying to treat as many patients as we could while we were here. 

We try to have devotions each day by members of the team, but because of the long hours each day we haven't been able to meet regularly this week.  Dr. Russ held the first devotion and has spoken to our team several times during the week to praise our work, lift our spirits and to keep us focused on the reason we are here, not only to repair the sick hearts in Kenya but to witness to the people we interface with and to remember Tenwek's mission statement: "We Treat, Jesus Heals".  Dr. Russ said he had spoken to Roger's 2 friends that came to Kenya from Canada to be with Roger during his surgery.  I met the 2 ladies at his funeral.  Dr. Russ said Roger's friends were very concerned about how our team was dealing with Roger's death and hoped we were all doing OK.

When our first week was over with yesterday (Saturday), most of our team had gone to safari around 9:00 am while we were preparing to operate on our patient in surgery.  The procedure went very well.  As soon as it was over with Dr. Jim and Eric, our adult cardiac surgeon and perfusionist had to rush off to catch a ride to Nairobi to return back to the States.  In the process of finishing the case, processing all the blood from the pump, transporting the patient, copying photos to Dr. Jim's thumb drive before he left, catching up with Eric on where things were, how much of everything was left, which pacing box to bring home to return to him, cleaning up the pump and organizing all the meds for our next case on Monday, etc etc etc when I finally stopped for what seemed the first time in 8 days since I left home I realized how drained and completely exhausted I was.  As I said goodby to Dr. Malik for the weekend as he was getting ready to leave on the weekend safari and talked about issues from the preceding week, he asked if he could pray for us.  As we stood in the middle of the cardiac room with blood on the floor and empty packaging around us embracing each other I couldn't help but break down.  I really needed some down time, and I would get it over the next day-and-a-half while everyone was on safari.

After a quick snack in the kitchen, I headed back to my room for a much needed nap.  2 hours later I felt so much better.  Today is Sunday.  My first year at Tenwek in 2008 I was able to attend the Sunday church service, which was an incredible experience.  Last year while visiting Tenwek, our team was not at Tenwek for the Sunday service on either end of the week that we worked.  So today I was really looking forward to the church service.  When I went downstairs to the kitchen, there was no one around, I thought there would be some people on our team that could go, but I think the ones that stayed behind were working in the ICU all night caring for our patients.

I gathered my camera (you never know when you might have a photographic opportunity that needs to be memorialized) and took off for the church.  I was told the service was supposed to start at 9:00 am.  On my way, I ran into Dr. Russ and we walked into the chapel together.  Some of the American physicians and nurses whom I'd met over the previous week were there, but no one from our team.  To be honest, I was disappointed that there weren't any of my friends around to share the experience with, but I settled into the back bench of the chapel so I could take some pictures / videos if it were appropriate.

The chapel was pretty empty at 9:00 when I entered except for about 10 people rehearsing up front.  It sounded great, and I was looking forward to my next Kenyan church experience.  People started to come into church.  There were some familiar faces; medical staff from Tenwek Hospital that I'd met over the years as well as people I'd just met this week.

A mother sat down next to me with one of the cutest little girls I'd seen.  So... and out came the camera.  The mother and daughter were so sweet.  The little girl had on a long linen skirt, tennis shoes and a fuzzy white jacket.  She walked right up to me and put her hand out to shake my hand like a little politician.  When I shook her hand, she turned right around and went off to play with another child.

When it was time to "greet those around you" I went up to the little girls father to introduce myself as a member of the cardiac team, he said he knew who I was because he was the hospital preacher that gave the ceremony at Roger's graveside on Tuesday night.  I didn't recognize him because it was so dark that evening.  At the end of the service I spoke with he and his wife at length and they invited me to their home this evening for dinner, which I am very anxious to do.  His name is James and his wife's name is Carolyn.  I guess I'll find out the little girls name tonight at dinner.

There was another young child sitting right in front of me in church that I snapped a couple of pictures of before the service got started.  At the beginning of the service one of the women who was singing in the choir asked for everyone to introduce themselves (which I didn't do, but should have...).  The next thing the woman asked was for anyone who had prayer requests for the upcoming week.  The father holding the little girl stood up and announced that their little girl was going to have open heart surgery on Monday and asked for everyone to pray for a good outcome for her.

So this precious little girl is our patient for tomorrow.  During the morning greeting I introduced myself to them and told them I was on the cardiac team from the US and I would be running the heart-lung machine on their little girl the next day.  Please keep her in your prayers and I'll let you all know how she does.  We won't be starting the surgery until tomorrow afternoon when our team returns from safari, so we probably won't finish up until late tomorrow night.

(Let the video run through the first time to buffer, then play it again a second time and it will run without all the pauses)

The congregation was then asked to stand up and speak about anything that they were thankful for.  The video above is Dr. Russ telling the congregation about Kip our patient from the middle of last week.  He thanked the congregation for praying for Kip and explained that he was so sick that he arrested before his surgery started, and the medical team was questioning whether or not they should proceed with his surgery.  After praying about it and putting it in the Lord's hands they brought him into the cardiac OR and completed his surgery.  Dr. Russ said Kip's recovery after surgery was nothing short of a miracle.  In fact, Kip and his father were in the corner of the chapel about 15 feet away from me.

I followed Kip outside as his Dad and he were leaving.  I haven't seen him without his Michigan hat on since he woke up post op... and I'm sure the bright red soccer ball was stashed away somewhere on his wheelchair as well!

After about an hour of singing, worship, prayer requests and introductions, the children were all asked to come to the front of the church so the congregation could pray for them before releasing them to Sunday school.

Have you ever had one (or more?) or those Sundays where the Pastor seems to be speaking directly to you?  Well, flying half-way around the world to a country that couldn't be any more different than your own and having that happen has a way of really catching your attention.  The minister started out speaking about all the medical staff and families that have made the "necessary" sacrifices for their loved ones to travel to Tenwek hospital.  He went on to say that when God is calling us into service you cannot always have your life as usual and still follow God's purpose.  His example was Noah.  We must all make the "necessary adjustments" to follow God's calling and God's ministries.  Each person must abandon something to follow God's calling, and these adjustments or sacrifices allow us to be obedient in a Godly way.

He said that humans have a tendency to want to skip the sacrifices that are required to allow God to use us to manifest his greatness through us.  God frequently requires adjustments in areas we never thought of before.  We many times feel inadequate to serve.  If you surrender completely you can accomplish so much.  The places we feel we  own are the places God nees us to serve.  When we follow God's calling for each of us, we cannot imagine what we can accomplish with His help (Kip's miraculous surgical outcome?)  If we totally surrender we can bear the cross.  The will of God is meant for the best in our lives and the best of his ministry.

In closing, the preacher said since Jesus died for our sins, there is no sacrifice too big for us to make.  You cannot say yes to God until you say no to your life first.  If God is calling you and you've identified an area of expertise in your life, then say yes and make the necessary sacrifices. Reflect on your life for areas of surrender.  God knows the desires of your heart.

I feel as if I've sacrificed so much the past 10 days and the weeks before that just getting supplies ready and our practice prepared for my absence that I was completely empty and exhausted on Saturday afternoon as soon as the last case was completed.  But I've gained so much more from the week than I've contributed.  The people I met, the impact these people have had on myself and our team over the past week and the weeks to come.  I came into the weekend feeling as if I couldn't do one more thing and it completely blows my mind that these people who appear to have so little are so rich in so many ways.  The family members and friends of the patient we lost early in the week are concerned about our teams morale as they grieve for their loved one.  I'm not empty, I'm full to the brim and ready to move into next week to surrender some more. 

Next week, by the way starts in a few short hours.  Tomorrow will be a long day, so I may not be able to post at all.  Please keep us all in your prayers as we start our pediatric week...