Today we went with two of the sisters, Sister Carolina and Sister Euphemia to the hospital inTamale with seven children.  Felicia, Nicolas and Joshua were going to see a psychiatric doctor, Abraham, Elizabeth and John were going to see a surgeon, and Angela was having stomach problems, so she was going to see a regular doctor.

In Tamale, there is a teaching hospial that is far bigger and has more specialists than the hospital in Yendi that the sisters usually go to.  But bigger does not always equal better, and when so, so many people come to the hospital, there is no intimate, personal care.

We didn't have appointments for any of the children, so we thought we might be there most of the day, and as it turned out, we were.  Paula keeps telling me I am using my first world mind in the third world, and the two just don't jive...but, since I have a first world mind, I don't see how to avoid that.  The result is always frustration and confusion...not a great state of mind to have!!

We first had to go throughout the hospital looking for the children's files.  We went from floor to floor trying to find them.  Fortunately, the sisters had some friends who helped them.  But why do the patients have to run around looking for their files?  Shouldn't they all be in one place?  Or computerized?  Then we had to go into different specialists offices begging to see the doctors.  In the case of Abraham, Elizabeth and John, this was their third trip to the hospital in three weeks.  The answer they got:  The doctor is not here, come back on Tuesday.  However, today was the day they were told to come back last week.  These are poor, sick children in need of care.  Why don't they care?  Some of the children were seen today and received medication, but each was a hard fought battle to see doctors and get care.  For the rest?  We are going back on Friday for Abraham and Elizabeth and the others will be seen on Tuesday...or so we are told.  Since Paula and I will be gone and Sister Stan is in Colorado, the sisters, who do not drive, will have to take public transportation.  And don't think for a minute it's anything as good as first world public transportation at it's worst!

Paula and I were dumbfounded and had such emotional upheaval at the state of this hospital, at how hard it is to see a doctor, and even when you get to see one, getting care for the child may be another battle.  Exhausted by the day, the trials and disappointments, we asked the sisters at dinner why everything here has to be so hard.  They kind of looked at eachother, confusedly, and answered, are you kidding...that was the easiest trip to the hospital they can remember!  Having us there drive them and to hold and look after the children made it easier for them to get what they needed. Then it was our turn to look confused...that was easy??!!??

I guess it is all in your perspective, but Paula and I know better.  That was really hard.  Way harder than it should be.  I know, I'm using my first world mind again.  I certainly cannot change the way the teaching hospital is run.  But I am in awe at how the sisters handled each situation, calmly, with persistance and acceptance of how things are run.  We got the majority of the children seen, the sisters say many times, they spend the day there and no one gets seen.  Their certainty that God loves them and will provide for them in His time is what drives them.  And He does.  There have been many, many things happen on this trip where my anxiety and nervousness threaened to grow out of bounds, but the sisters handled each with calm acceptance and complete trust in God, and He has come through each and every time.

I will share them with you in a later blog. Right now, I am off to take a bucket bath then to bed!

Good night!  May God bless you and give us all the grace to place all our worries, concerns, needs and hopes in His hands, to be answered in His time.  Love, Sarah