Newsletter January 2017

NEWSLETTER: JANUARY 2017

Sheri Graham, Missionary to Mozambique

As you know, the clinic has been getting busier each week as news spreads through the villages that if the nurse is at Maforga, she will see you. I’ve been seeing 15-20 patients per day, which keeps me busy since I’m alone, no translator, and having to do all the prep, stock and clean-up.

Despite my sending word out via the guards and village “telephones” that Maforga clinic was only open Mon & Thurs, I returned from a busy Chiqueda clinic Friday afternoon to find several people waiting for me. And of course, as soon as the clinic doors were seen open, many more came. I was so exhausted by the end of the day that I left the clinic in an unorganized, depleted, dirty mess.

Friday night was hot & humid, and no electricity to run fans, so I didn’t sleep much at all.

I attempted to sleep-in Saturday morning, but after tossing and turning, thinking about my lengthy to-do list for the day so I could take a Sabbath rest on Sunday, I finally got up at 7am. I remained busy all day, but never able to get to the clinic part of my to-do list before dark (the clinic currently doesn’t run on the generator power): cleaning Friday’s equipment, restocking medicine & supply boxes & shelves from bulk stock, preparing my equip and common-used items for easy access, taking inventory, and shopping for needed items.

An “emergency” team meeting was suddenly called for 7pm. There were some heated discussions, then calmed down toward the end. But I left rather deflated and sad. I spent Sat night praying and asking God if I could change my plane ticket to visit home early.  I intended to skip church Sun morning, to continue seeking Him for answers about some unresolved issues and concerns. But I finally decided to go. During opening prayers, I felt led to read Psalm 37. “Do not fret…Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness…Do not fret…Do not fret — it only causes harm.” Nope…not allowed to go home early. Ok Lord, I’m sticking this out!

I spent several hours Sunday after church cleaning and stocking the clinic, and preparing for Monday.

Sunday night was another hot & humid night with little sleep.

I woke up Monday morning tired and concerned about the growing number of patients, my ability to keep up by myself, the inability to hire anyone until the clinic is officially opened, awaiting clinic inspection, getting Madalena’s dorm ready for when I can hire her back, the water & electrical issues at the clinic & staff dorm, hiring another translator, getting all the workers their health cards, etc, etc. At 6:30am I already had 2 men knock on my door, wanting to be seen. I told them I would open the clinic at 8am.

And then, at 8am…I walked around the corner to the clinic waiting area. God help me!

I smiled, told the crowd I would return in 5 minutes, then continued walking to Sarah Bell’s house, where I panicked and asked her to pray. At least 40 patients! There’s over 40 patients waiting to be seen!

So I returned to the clinic, prayed, smiled, prayed, and started with patient number 1.

At 10am I made the mistake of looking outside at the waiting area. More patients! They keep coming!

More prayers. Jesus help me cuz the only way I’m going make it through today is by Your strength and grace alone!

I kept so busy seeing patients that I really didn’t have time to continue panicking. And whenever I felt the anxiety starting to build, I just prayed. I refused to look outside at the waiting room. I tuned out the noise of all the crying babies. I just kept working, kept praying. By 1pm I was already slowing down, physically and mentally. Lack of drinking water and skipping breakfast didn’t help, plus the clinic was hot and I constantly had to wipe the sweat off my face. But the steady stream of patients that came in looking so lifeless, so hopeless, and leaving with smiles on their faces and hope in their eyes somehow kept my batteries charged-up just enough to be able to see the next one, and the next one, and the next. Only 1 patient refused to let me pray over her.

I have Jorgina come every Monday to clean the clinic, so in the event that the inspectors finally show up, it will be easier to do last minute cleaning before they come. Praise God Jorgina just happened to take her lunch break, sitting in the clinic watching me work, when I had two patients in a row that spoke only Shona, and didn’t understand my medication instructions despite using picture of the sun for time.

That provided me with the biggest laugh of the day. Jorgina translated for me a couple times last year when the clinic was open. For some reason, when she translates to them, she shouts…and loud! But she then translates back to me in her normal voice. It is so funny! It’s like she thinks they’ll understand better if she speaks really loud!

I finished the last patient at 2:55pm and hopped in my truck (before anyone else showed up!), sitting down for the 2^nd time since 7am (the 1^st being the 2 minute pee break I had to take at noon!). I headed to Chiqueda for more water so Jorgina could finish cleaning. I then continued on to Gondola to grab a chicken & rice lunch at a Somalian Take-away café and a cold Coke! Ahhh! I sat down to enjoy my 1^st meal of the day at home in my folding lounge chair, when I was promptly interrupted, twice, by people needing food to feed their families that night.

What a day! I counted up the logs: 57! When the clinic was open last year, we were seeing an average of 60 patients per day with 4 of us!

I was so grateful when it was dark so I could [hopefully] have some peace and quiet (it doesn’t always end at dark).

As I sat in my chair looking out the window, I reflected on God’s promises to give us everything we need to accomplish His will. I pondered how we can truly walk out onto the deepest waters, when we keep our eyes on Him and not the waves of our circumstances around us. I praised Him for showing me, once again, that He is the God of the impossible; and that He will allow us to be confronted by overwhelming circumstances so that He can walk us through them and prove His working power in us, thus producing a more perfect faith in us.

Eph 1:17, 19-20 …that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him…and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead…

And,

Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…

But also,

James 1:3-4 …knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

And I did not forget the beauty of His glory that He displayed in the skies over Maforga yesterday:

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders…  Psalm 105:5

Thank you all for your love, prayers and emails of God’s Word and words of encouragement!
Please pray that the clinic will be licensed and open soon so I can hire help.

We’re united in love and prayers!