Ravette & Mercy Ships

Ravette, one of Stephen's patients, was treated on the Mercy Ships in Pointe Noire and featured in a Mercy Ships video.  (Click here to see video.)

Ravette

by Mercy Ships / 1 week ago

Ravette has lived her eleven years of life with a deformity known as genu recurvatum, which loosely translates as “backward-bending knee.” It is a congenital dislocation of the knee. Ravette struggled to walk, to sit in a car or chair, to climb a staircase, and even to attend school. The most remarkable thing about Ravette is not her deformity. It is her beautiful, ever-constant smile. No matter what goes on, even if it’s painful or tedious, Ravette is always smiling. Every step was a struggle. Yet, Ravette always believed her miracle would come.

Ravette after her return to Impfondo

Ravette and her father with Stephen after church on Sunday morning.

Read more about Ravette's time on Mercy Ship: Straight Knees, Wind Swept Heart

POTD

Ladies heading home from work at the end of the day

The view of the moon from our backyard

This is how women carry their babies

Mama Clothilde working in the office

Siko and Delphine at one of their going away parties

The Oubangi River

Sunday Morning

Singing in church on Sunday morning

Ghislain on the drum

This little girl is super cute!

This baby's mom needed an extra set of hands

Mama Melanie sharing a song

Close-up of Mama Melanie sharing a song

The mom and twin of the baby I had

Twin Answers to Prayer

At 4:00 AM, I received a call from the nurse on duty in maternity.  "Doctor, I need your help!  The baby's in a bad position!"

I stumbled out of bed, pulled on clothes, and headed out the door.  I was worried because I knew that Bernadette has much more knowledge and experience of difficult labor and birth than I do.  If she couldn't help the mother, there would be little I could do.

When I arrived at Maternity, I saw that one twin was born, but the second twin was stuck.  Her foot, head, and umbilical cord were all coming out at the same time.  I pushed the cord back in, but I was not able to change the baby's position.  When I touched the umbilical cord, I could feel the baby's heartbeat, but it was very slow.

While I began to call the surgical team to come in for a C-section, Bernadette had the mother lay on her side to help the baby's heartbeat.  The heart rate increased a little bit, but it was still too slow.   Berndette began to prepare the mother for a C-section.

I went back to check on the mother and baby, and saw that the second twin was born.  She came out with a strong heartbeat but not breathing, and Bernadette was giving artificial respiration.

I asked, "What did you do?"

Her reply, "Nothing.  The baby just came out."

I knew that it was a miracle, and while Bernadette gave the artificial respiration, we prayed that God would finish what He started and cause this baby to start to breathe.  Before the prayer was finished the baby girl started breathing.  This was the second answer to prayer in the morning!

We gave the child some sugar and a couple of minutes of oxygen and she was breathing regularly.  Two days later she was able to leave with her older sibling and mom to go home.

I was able to share God's provision with our staff at morning devotions and with others throughout the day and upcoming weeks.  Rejoice with us that we have a God who still answers prayers!

Photo of the Day

For those who don't follow our Facebook page: some of our pictures that are posted there.

This is one of my favorite pictures!
This man was bringing a pineapple as a thank you gift to Stephen.

We see many beautiful birds in our yard.

Sunset on the hospital grounds

These boys were following me around one day.

The staff prayed for Eamon the morning he left.

We remove our shoes at the door-
lots of shoes mean lots of friends are visiting.

Around the Web

Jenica, Erin, and Erin, who work on Mercy Ships came to join us in Impondo for two weeks.

We had fun getting to know them, and we enjoyed hearing about their work with Mercy Ships and the heart they have for the Congo and all of Africa.

I could really relate to this post from Jenica's blog, as she talks about getting ready to leave Pointe Noire for their next assignment:

I find leaving so much harder than I thought it would be. When there were challenging days, days of miscommunication, homesickness, heat and humidity- I was ready to pack it in and go home. Now looking back over the past 9 months I can’t believe I had moments like that. I can’t believe I ever wanted to go home, give up and leave early. Now, I can’t believe it’s already been 9 months. How do you suddenly leave? How do you say to a nation of people that have grown so close to your heart “bye-o, have a nice life”. How does that work?  Read the rest at African Grace and Mercy.

Mudding a house in Impfondo- Erin Horn

 Erin has lots of Impfondo pictures, including mudding a house, community nursing, and one of the best pictures of the Oubangi I've seen.

Pirouge on the Oubangi River- Erin Horn

You can read more about their experiences at Healing with Mercy and African Mercy and Grace.

And... Just in case you have thought about becoming a missionary, here are 10 reasons:

Read the expanded version at A Life Overseas

Fighting malnutrition

 Fighting malnutrition is a constant stuggle here at Hôpital Evangélique "Le Pionnier."

In my earlier blog posts, I mentioned that it takes teamwork to treat malnutrition.  The teamwork continues...

Almost one month ago, this boy was in danger of dying from malnutrition.  He came to the hospital and received help from our team.

Mama Melanie is a huge part of our team to fight malnutrition.  She asks at the pharmacy two or three times to learn if more supplements are needed.  Most of the supplies (milk, oil, and sugar) are purchased in bulk by the office workers. 
Melanie buys peanuts, cleans and roasts them for peanut butter for the Plumpy Nut.  She also mixes up the Plumpy Nut and F100, and makes sure the pharmacy always has a stock.  Here she is on her way to drop off a shipment of plumpy nut
Melanie has a great love for the children here, and she is willing to work hard for their health!  

Now a happy, healthy baby is ready to go home!

His Grace by Elliot Tenpenny

First published May 13 by Elliot Tenpenny on Reigning in Life.

“If you don’t do something, she’s just going home to die,” her mother pleaded, and she was right.

Grace had been born with a large spinal malformation called a myelomeningocele, where an abnormal opening of the spinal cord allows the nerves and fluid to come out at the base of her spine. When we met her, 14 months later, the skin covering the swelling was paper thin and ready to burst open. If this happened in the remote, forest area she lives in, she would quickly die. After several weeks of praying, asking advice from multiple experts, reading everything possible, and exhausting the possibilities to transfer her, we made the difficult decision to operate.



We entered surgery with all our personnel. Everyone had grown to love Grace and we weren’t sure if this would be the last time we’d see her beautiful smile. The room was solemn as Dr. Joe prepared anestesia, Elliott read notes and prayed silently in the corner, Ben and Eamon collected supplies, and Danny and Sarah prepared her special bed for post op care. After everything was prepared, we prayed together.



“When peace like a river attendeth my soul, when storms like sea billows roll…” played in the back ground. The first incision was made. We drained the fluid and opened the sac revealing the inter workings of God’s hand. Tiny, white, spinal nerves spidered throughout the sac, created to control every fine movement and feeling of Grace’s legs. Working carefully around this precious circuit way, we tediously separated the thin layers of skin and closed the opening. After finishing a long and difficult operation, we praised God for guarding Grace’s life through surgery but worried she would never be able to move her legs again. She quickly proved us wrong as she woke up from anesthesia kicking.



God not only guarded the ability to move her legs, but over the next few weeks He also protected her from infection, kept her from developing hydrocephalus, and spontaneously healed an anal fistula. After another operation, good nutrition and many hours of worry and prayer, Grace will soon go home, healed. Every day we see Grace, we are reminded of God’s goodness. Most recently, Grace has started standing for the first time and trying to learn to walk. Through her, we have been touched by His grace and healing made real through the life of this precious little girl.

It is not by my knowledge and capabilities that Grace has been made well. Never before has this truth been made quite so real. “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Corinthians 3: 4-6

We may not feel or be qualified to do the things God asks us to do, but if He asks us to do it, He promises to give us the capabilities and use us for His glory.

What is God asking you to do today?




Elliot and Sarah Tenpenny are serving at the Pioneer Christian Hospital in Impfondo with World Medical Mission. Read more of their experiences at Reigning in Life.

What's on the Menu?

Our diet varies according to what local produce is available at the time.
Mango (cut on plate), papaya and oranges are being prepared for smoothies.  In the background is a big pile of clean dishes- a good representation of how I spent my morning!

Our oranges are green outside.  The temperatures don't get cold enough to kill the chlorophyll and let the orange show through.

Ready to eat a yummy lunch prepared by our cook!

This Capitaine was harpooned by a local fisherman.  He brought it here to sell it to us.  We were pretty happy since this is one of the best types of fish around.

Tailor Made- Part 4

Since the wedding, we've seen people wearing the wedding pagne frequently to work or church.

Stephen and I the day of the wedding

Easter Sunday- my whole outfit. 

The details on the back.  Notice the zipper doesn't really end at a certain point.  You are supposed to zip it as high as you can.  The beads on the sleeves are to give decoration and to give space to let in some air and cool you down.

One of our cooks has worn her wedding outfit frequently to work the last few weeks.

Random Saturday- Part 3

These are the last of the patients from "A Random Saturday."

This young man is doing much better after a blood transfusion for sickle cell anemia. 

This man cried when I first told him he had heart failure.  With some encouragement and medications his emotions and physical heart are better.

Have you ever stopped and wondered what happens to people who have had a stroke in the Congo?  This  man would do so much better with a good physical therapist working with him.

This baby is doing well, but her mom had a complication after a cesarian here.  A piece of gauze was left in her wound so we had to operate again and explain it to the family.  Pray for a good outcome and reconciliation.

This patient had an amputation done on his leg for a non healing wound for about 4 years.  It took him that long to accept that he needed one.

Two of our nurses that worked on this Saturday.  Visiting nurses are amazed about what they get done with so little.

We are doing dressing changes on this young man trying to save his leg.

We performed an operation for a tubal pregnancy on this lady, and found a big pocket of infection as well.

You may recognize this guy.  He has been here for a while and his family has abandoned him.  He maintains a good attitude and we are puzzling out a way to get him baptized, which he wants to do.

The happy smile here is hiding some trauma of being a refugee and a broken arm that has never healed properly and is now useless.

The bandage here covers a huge wound in his foream from a fall.  He has lost most of his tendon function in that hand and we are now just trying to save his hand.

Here is another old friend that I was happy to see again, but not happy to see in the hospital.  He has diabetes, and we are fighting to save his one remaining leg.  He has a great attitude, though.  His nickname is Double because when someone asked him for something he gave double.  

This cute girl is recovering from a risky life saving surgery for spina bifida.  She is holding one our peanut butter based nutritional supplements.

This young lady has a large infection around her lung that we are draining by a tube.  Her recovery has not been rapid and her family is losing patience.  Pray for her healing.

As you see in this post you see we are not perfect, we don't always have happy endings, and sometimes the endings are in doubt. Please pray that we will continue to offer up our small offerings and that God would multiply our efforts.