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Londas-Sewing :: Dave & Kay Report
| Dave & Kay Report |
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July 29, 2011
This has to be one of the most amazing experiences of our life. By
Saturday night, we have seen @1000 Ghanaians. Today, Friday, was the
most intense day as we saw many, many people being carried by family
members for treatment. Back pain is a very common problem which is
easy to understand as their lifestyle is so difficult and women carry
everything on their head from piles of twigs to tables to food, etc.
One very elderly gentleman was led into the clinic yesterday by his
granddaughter who had her child on her back and was leading the blind
grandfather around using a stick which he held on at one end and she
held the other to direct his steps. David and I are helping to run
triage and we have 3 others working with us nearly all day. We have 5
doctors/nurses. and a pharmacist. The pastors and the interpreters are
fantastic. We all work with our own interpreter. Our interpreters
are great. I cannot begin to tell in a simple email the extraordinary
amount of poverty, malnutrition and sickness. Without a miracle, there
is little hope for any recovery. We have a bandaid approach. What
can be done for someone in the bush of Africa who needs a knee
replacement. We are so blessed with the American medical care. We
see STD's and people are most descriptive in discussing their health
issues. We see distended stomachs due to malnutrition and people who
are our age who look to be in their 80's because they have such a
difficult lifestyle.
We have a cook named Francis who is essential or we would all be
sick. We can come into contact with none of the water. The diet is
steady carbs...no lettuce, fresh vegetables. "
We attend a mass
Church service on Sunday in the Bush. The village where we have clinic
is soooooooooooooo remote that any GPS would never find us. People do
not own cars and walk to the clinic. I would estimate that we have @
300 people waiting to see us when we arrive in the a.m. and they have
walked a minimum of 4 miles--many with 2 children and one on the back.
This is truly the most incredible experiences. God is good. Zoe
Warner gave me instructions for triage and I never envisioned that I
would be in charge of triage!!! David has been a popular person with
the children who seem to love him. Babies are frightened when they see
us as they have never seen a white person! We look like a monster to
them
The faith of the people is inspiring. The pastors spend the night at the clinic to guard the medicines.
July 30, 2011
We enjoyed a lifelong memory today. 3 people were to be baptized in
the Volta River which is located @ 3 miles farther into the bush than
where we are already isolated. I am not sure that the children had
ever seen a white person and we were like the Pied Piper! The
children are adorable but they are dressed so poorly with many of them
wearing only underwear. They were doing their laundry by the River.
Getting to the location was liking being dropped into National
Geographic Country.
Thus far, we have seen 1038 patients, 199 eyeglasses and had 36 people give their lives to Christ.
Thanks for your prayers. We will have stories to bore you with for a very long time accompanied by many pictures.
July 31, 2011
We attended a Worship Service today unlike any that we have ever
experienced. Huge tents were set up around an open area. We would
guess 600+ people attended in their traditional garb. Dancing was the
order of the day. Dwain was the featured speaker. The outpouring of
love and appreciation has been extraordinary.
We go to the second clinic tomorrow. We saw over 1000 people last
week so God likely has more needs awaiting us. We passed out over 4000
individual doses of medications. David and I will still run triage.
Our team is wonderful. We all get along so well. I love my
interpreter. Her name is Ruth and I could bring her home with me. We
have clicked. She is a pastor's wife and eagerly prays for the
patients that we see. Her English is excellent. @ 42 pastors from the
area have committed to helping us with the clinic days. They sleep in
the clinic location. We need them.
A typical patient is registered by a pastor which is a good thing
because we would have much difficulty with the spelling of their names
and where they live. They are next triaged, see the doctor/nurse, go
to the Powerhouse for prayer which is run by the pastors and then end up
with the pharmacy for pills and/or reading glasses. We have seen
desperate cases. Blood pressure is a big problem along with malaria.
We have to be so careful with malaria issues. Malnutrition is a big
issue.
We went to another country today: TOGO which adjoins Ghana. What
an experience. They allowed us into the border for just a short time
because several did not have visas to allow entry and the rest of us
would have to pay $35/each just to go into TOGO for a short time and we
couldn't leave the team.
Thanks for your prayers.
August 3, 2011
We have traveled today from the Bush (rural area) of Ghana into Accra
where we will spend the night. We ran out of meds yesterday so it was
impossible to run a clinic for another day. In total, we saw 1647
patients, gave out 456 eyeglasses and cherish 55 conversions! The
people were amazing. Our eyes have captured sights to savor for a
lifetime. We have seen the more dire circumstances possibly known to
mankind. We met people happy to be clothed in rags and have a small
dish of ground corn to eat. One of the pastors told us that he
sometimes did not even have enough money to buy food for himself. The
health conditions are deplorable. We brought meds and visited the
hospital. The pharmacist told us that we have better and more meds
with us than he saw in the hospital. One man told me that the hospital
had referred him to our clinic. What a sight was the "clinic" and our
"offices" as the docs and nurses set up their office under a tree!
The health of the people was the saddest. Nearly everyone over 50 had
high blood pressure. One individual came to me only for glasses. I
asked to just take the BP while he filled out the form and the blood
pressure was 214/124 unbeknownst to the person. One mother reported
that her son had worms in his stools. We saw many bloated children.
Many women suffer from UTI's. We saw a pastor yesterday who walked in
with a cane and had a foot that resembled elephantitis. The Africans
want us to pray for them. I loved my interpreter, Ruth. She is total
joy. I could smuggle her home in our empty suitcase!!! David loves
the children and they love him. The 42 pastors are a blessing. One
station is "powerhouse" where every individual is prayed for before they
go to pharmacy. While we run the clinic, all of the patients enjoy
prayer and preaching while they await their turn. We work with what
sounds like African "chanting" in the background and often the beating
of drums. The ambiance is indescribable.
We go to the slave castle on the coast tomorrow. This will be a most
sobering experience. The castle is where Africans were brought before
they were placed on the slaveships. It will be a long day. We leave @
6 a.m.; but we have been up each morning at 5:30 a.m. so this should
not be too difficult! We return to Accra tomorrow night and fly home @
11 p.m.
Thanks for your prayers.
Love and blessings,
David and Kay
Summary of this amazing trip:
MORE THAN A RECORD
GHO IN GHANA
AUGUST 2011
DWAIN C. ILLMAN, M.D.
This was a team that exceeded all expectations during our ten days in
Ghana serving many needy people in remote, traditional villages at
Gamenu and Lakpo just east of the Volta River near the Gulf of Guinea,
which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. In my preparatory emails and
discussions the focus was on serving with a lot of energy. We were
going to be “ lean but mean”(in a good sense). The team was composed
of only ten members including one doctor (me), two nurses and one
pharmacist who were medically trained.
After our sixth day of clinic we had treated 1647 patients, dispensed
456 pairs of eyeglasses (including sunglasses and saw 55 conversions
to Jesus. The coordinator from Ghana Christian Mission, Raphael Gunu,
said this was the most seen by any medical team no matter the size nor
number of days worked. We were humbled that the Lord enabled us to
do such service. As I surveyed the flow and progress each day of
clinic, I could see that everyone on our team and on the national team
was working near max each day. And it was done with such joy and
enthusiasm.
But it is much more than the record that is important. Each number
represented a person with needs that we addressed through public
health teaching, blood pressure assessment, weight measurement and
medications. Each was seen and treated by a provider and then went
to “power house” to meet with pastors. Marilyn and Bright Nyador
distributed 456 pairs of reading glasses or UV protected sunglasses.
David Killough and Ernest Nyador provided over 6000 prescriptions to
our patients.
Some of the group were privileged to go to a small village on a small
tributary of the Volta River and witness several baptisms. On one
such occasion Jacinta Peel was left alone in triage when 25 new
patients came to her area with their registration forms to start the
process of care. Jacinta earned a daily “Jesus sighting”
commendation by the group that evening at supper. Each day Marilyn
reflected on Matthew 25 in which Jesus talks about taking care of the
sick, those in prison, etc and it was like doing it for Him. When we
see this in action, it can be a ‘Jesus sighting.’
More than a record is reflected in the changes in lives of our team
members. The group worked as a unit but each experienced exciting
personal change and had memorable people encounters. David Killough
commented that the Lord showed up at our clinics.
Lani Hold felt the time was “eye-opening.” She had never left the
USA and has been humbled by the events in Ghana. She reflected that
she has a “greater appreciation for what I have.” For Kay Lemons it
was “life-changing.” She promises to show more patience, humility
and kindness. Her husband David felt it reminded him that our God is
an awesome God.
Our Canadian Jacinta Peel could see the work as an amazing
life-changing experience. The local pastors particularly were
examples of God’s people working as the church alive.
The director of Ghana Christian Mission (GCM), Enoch Nyador from
Accra, Ghana said: “This was a smooth operation from registration,
triage, vital signs, patient care by providers, prayer, eye care and
pharmacy. This is the best we’ve done with GHO. It happened by
soaking everything more and more in prayer and everyone working hard
and together.”
“Akpe” is a local word for 1000. It is used to say, “Thank you 1000
times.” Marilyn commented this illustrated her emotions. 1000 thanks
to God. We were told the medicines were running out, yet Pharmacist
David continued to “find some more.” Glasses were not enough yet
every patient got what was needed. “I love to see the way God puts
puzzles together. The team was called upon to do the impossible but
with God’s help we did it.”
Our fearless “tripmeister” (my title for Raphael reflecting his
outstanding facilitating) said, “we saw God’s miracle power. He used
the least number to achieve a lot.” Our guest member Caitlin Bull is
spending a summer internship with GCM and contributed mightily to our
ministry thinks, “I’m truly living now and have been out of control
serving Jesus.”
The prize for coming the furthest goes to Rebecca Derry from
Anchorage, Alaska. She spent a day flying from Alaska to join us in
New York City for the Delta flight to Accra, Ghana. Her experience is
folded into an Alaskan experience. She describes the time as “an
avalanche.” There was an avalanche of patients, avalanche together,
avalanche of miracles, avalanche of keeping the meds coming and an
avalanche of God sharing His love.
Erin Myhre thought it was “beautiful.” The singing in the morning by
the people as they waited, seeing all the bright and beautiful Ghana
clothes and the pastors loving God so much were all beautiful.
For our nephew Ross Summers it was “eye-opening” as well. This
17-year-old high school senior was on his first international journey.
Everything was a complete “culture shock.” At supper following the
second day of clinic, Ross’s mother texted me: “ check to see Ross
took his malaria pill.” That became a humorous by-line each evening.
Truly this was more than a record on many levels. Each patient had a
story to tell. Mr. Lemons asked a patient “where did the dog bite
you?” The patient said: “behind the big tree at my home.” Not
exactly what he was looking for.
It was so moving to see grandchildren leading a blind grandparent on
several occasions. The method was for each of them to hold one end of
a stick and the blind person would follow along.
Mercy came carrying one day as a 40year old congenitally deformed man
was carried in by family members. We offered prayer and
encouragement.
Hypertension was our main serious problem. It is endemic in this
area. Probably 10% of adults had it. Some numbers were alarming.
As Kay Lemons took blood pressures she quoted the blessing Moses gave
Aaron in Numbers 6:24-26 which begins “The Lord bless you and keep
you; the Lord make his face shine upon you.”
One lady came in with heavy female bleeding for 12 years. The
translator Pastor Ruth said, “it’s just like the Bible (Matthew 9:20).
Let’s pray for her that Jesus might touch her.”
A ten-year-old girl has sickle cell anemia and has been adopted.
Rebecca Derry encouraged her with “we’re all adopted into God’s family
and He calls us His own.” Agorkpo Naomi wanted help with her blood
pressure. She is 52 and was a fetish priestess for years as denoted
by marking on her face, neck and arms. Now she is a Christian. Many
came in with muscle and joint problems. We saw a textbook’s worth of
dermatology cases. Most of the kids suffer from parasitic worms.
Several women came with large goiters. Ear, eye pains along with
tropical ulcers were daily observances.
Raphael said, “Ghana has 46-49 different languages. We were most
affected by the Tower of Babel.”
Our vibrant 72-year-old Pastor Victor Tachie told me one day he got
up at 5:30 AM to roundup people who wanted to be baptized. He made it
to clinic about 10 after several baptisms. Vic said “I sacrifice
myself for Jesus.”
Eight-year-old Kportufe had lots of markings on her face. Her
younger brother had the same. This was done because the first child
in the family died. The superstition is that when the child is marked
up, “the child will be unattractive to death.”
One man came with generalized muscle aches and pains. He had been
working in a smaller river boring into the sand looking for gold
(Ghana is called the Gold Coast). I asked if he were successful. He
said, “Yes, I find a lot.” He complained of “waist pains” which we
would call low back pains.
Two cases of hydrocephalous presented one day. We encouraged them
to go to the city to get into a neurosurgeon before more brain damage
happened.
Some funny happenings were scattered throughout each day. I got a
triage paper that said in big letters across the top “LOOK AT THE
FEET.” Trust me they were not easy to miss. This 60-year-old man
had had an apparent fracture dislocation of his ankle when he was ten.
It was neglected and healed at a 90-degree angle so he can’t walk on
it. The other leg has been hugely swollen for 3 weeks with developing
tropical ulcers. To say “look at the feet” is like saying the Grand
Canyon is big.
After the closing dinner in Accra Raphael was all excited waving his
camera case in his right hand saying, “has anyone seen my camera?” We
looked all around until he raised the same hand with the case and
said, “My camera is in the case.” I could tell then that Raphael had
worked especially hard.
The large area-wide Sunday worship made up of 20 or so different
church groups was a spectacular gathering. Over 1000 came and sat
under tents placed in a square around a large central open area. The
central area was used for dancing, singing, marching bands and became
the point from which I chose to speak when my time came. Problem
was the intense sun and some sunburn as Ghana is very close to the
zero latitude and zero longitude place on the globe.
After church Raphael arranged for us to go to TOGO. This is about 40
miles away but 90 minutes in our little bus. His friend at the Ghana
border allowed us to walk into Togo, talk with some of the people and
return to Ghana. Togo became my 127th country to visit! Marilyn
checked off number 126 (She avoided Niger last year). The trip there
was beautiful and continually enjoyable to see all that was happening
in the area.
The clinics stopped Tuesday after a record day and basically no
medicines left in the pharmacy. My GHO medicine order was prepared
for 3 providers and seeing estimated 1200 patients. By Tuesday 3:30
PM we had exhausted most as our 1647th patient came. Our closing
ceremony with all participants was held then. It was a time of
thanksgiving and gift giving.
Delta flight 27 left Thursday at 11 PM so we had all day Thursday to
drive along the west coast of Ghana to visit the canopy walk up in the
rainforest walking on swinging bridges as high as 120 feet off the
ground, have lunch at a restaurant surrounded by a lake with
crocodiles and then visit the slave castle at Elmina (Portuguese for
‘the mine’). Over a 400-year span 11 million Africans passed through
the “door of no return” on their way to a life of slavery. The
Portuguese, Dutch and British were at times involved in this historic
atrocity. The slave market was in a two-story building with market
on first floor and the church for the Europeans on the second. There
was some cultural and human blindness in their theology.
The departure through Accra airport is a real process and test of
patience. We arrived 3 hours early and took 2.5 hours to reach our
gate through lines and searches until we were on the plane.
Marilyn was our spiritual leader. Every morning she shared thoughts
on I and II Peter from the Bible. For some reason cute stories of
Savanna and Gavin were told on a regular basis(our grandchildren).
David Lemons said as he was in one of the Accra markets, he bought a
dusty old manuscript that turned out to be the ‘lost book of third
Peter’. I’ll close with it.
3 Peter
1. I know that I will be with you wherever you go and whatever you do
for me, whether to Ghana or wherever I desire a mission’s team to go.
2. And when you go to Ghana, take no thought about what you will eat
or where you will sleep or how you will get there, for I will provide
a leader whose ability to lead you will be unequalled.
3. I will give him the ability to send forth emails to remind you all
you will need to carry out my work.
4. Finally, brothers, as the peacock remembers her young and cares
for them, remember the one I have sent to meet your needs.
5. Remember to thank him and to keep him in your heart always.
6. I am sending him a wonderful wife for his support.
7. She knows My word and will teach it to you in a way you’ve never heard.
8. Remember to thank her also.
9. I am your God and I will send both of them to draw you closer to me.
10. As I love you, love them also
11. Finally, hold out both hands and receive my blessing. Mawu Ne
Yraw(Ghana expression of blessing).
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