the truth about Bernadette

I borrowed this story directly from Catharine's blog - it's so good and I wanted to share!

 

Bernadette is a runaway.

Three weeks ago, she packed her bags, lied to her mother, and bought a one-way ticket on a train bound for the coast. She said that she would be visiting a cousin, and then she disappeared. But someone like Bernadette does not go unnoticed for long.

The tumor over Bernadette’s right eye pushed her brow to her cheekbone, blocking her vision like an eye patch. As she journeyed from her hometown to Pointe Noire, she would lift it up with her right hand so she could use both eyes to see her steps, her path, and, finally, her destination: a hospital ship.

Now in the hospital ward, Bernadette is a little cheeky, almost rebellious. At about 5’ tall, what she lacks in height she makes up for with spunk. She keeps a match tucked in her hair ‘in case the inside of her ear tickles’ and occasionally erupts with loud, happy laughter. Some days she jumps up and down. Since the operation, Bernadette’s right hand is free to join her left in clapping, pointing, or trying to knit with hot pink yarn. She says she wants to make a chair cushion. The little girl in the next bed watches Bernadette with shy fascination.

Bernadette had no choice but to lie, she says. When she had a tumor, people would see her coming and go the other way. No one would touch, her except for her mother. Even so, if Mama Philo had known that her daughter was traveling to a hospital ship for surgery, it would have made her sick from worrying. By running away, Bernadette spared her mother from fear.

Now that her tumor is gone, Bernadette is looking forward to her future. Some day, hopefully soon, she will sell homemade peanut butter to passengers outside the very train station where her great escape began. Bernadette smiles at a thought: not having a tumor is going to be good for business, she says. In fact, she may expand to selling pastries.

The next time Bernadette buys a one-way train ticket, it will take her home. She hopes that her mother will be too happy to be angry. And if she is mad? Well, Mama Philo will have to forgive eventually, because Bernadette is old enough to make her own decisions. Because Bernadette is 54.

On a hospital ship in Africa, there is a runaway with a bandage on her head and a match in her hair. And if you ask her, “are you ever too old to spare your mother from worrying?” She will look at you with two eyes and say, no.

 

Photos of Bernadette courtesy Mercy Ships Photogs:

Debra Bell, Michelle Murrey, & Catharine Murphey

 

mbote!

Here's the scene: a group of friends around the dinner table on Saturday evening, some were looking a little toasted from spending the day off ship, I had just finished up with a day shift followed by a late afternoon nap, and the question was...what next?

Movie and popcorn?

Play guitar on deck 7?

But then Nick said- "I know, let's go get the get those costumes out and go sing for the patients!"

And that's how a nurse, a physiotherapist, a radiology tech, a doctor, the off-ships project manager, a reception team member, the communications department manager, and a teacher all ended up in crazy outfits down on the ward on a Saturday evening. And oh my it was a party! :)

 

We sang a made up song- with the only words we really know in the local language, Kituba:

"Mbote, wa faso?

(Repeat 3x)

Ka bien!"

That means "hello, how are you?" And "I'm fine"

On to verse two:

"Jabula!" (Repeated over and over, that means "high five!")

 

And that's all the Kituba you need for a silly song that makes lots of people laugh. We sang and played and danced on each ward along with patients, nurses and caregivers. When you are dancing it gets really warm under that fuzzy green wig really quickly. :)

For some of our longer term patients, life can get a little monotonous around here. So some crazy crew members wearing bug anntenae and clown outfits is welcome entertainment. Our song was pretty catchy too, on our way out the kids were still singing it. Actually a couple of them were still singing it when I went back to work the next morning. One of my patients smiled and asked where my green hair was, but I had traded it in for blue scrubs.

:)

I love this hospital.

 

find suzanne / what to do with a weekend

(Just in case you weren't sure about where I actually am right now)

I am in Congo

But not the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), that's our next door neighbor.

I am in the Republic of Congo, also called Congo-Brazzaville

Thought I'd post a map today just for fun:

 

 

See that river north of Pointe-Noire? Its the Kouilou, and it's about an hour and a half drive from the city, which is the location for my next topic:

what to do with a weekend:

When you have a long weekend, and you are in the Congo, and you haven't really left the ship in a lot of days...grab a backpack and a mosquito net and some friends and go on an adventure!

 

Camping day 1:

Grocery shopping

Visiting the village next to the river

Don't mess with Jess...sugar cane can be a weapon...

Kouilou River

Looking out to where the river emptied into the sea:

Talking with people from the village just north of the river and telling them about the ship

Through the jungle to find a new campsite...

 

There was lots of driftwood and bamboo, so Nick and Ryan built a huge fire:

 

Breakfast on Sunday!

 

The kids came and waved at us on our way back through the village the next day:

 

If you have a minute, go visit Catherine's blog and check out this post. It's pretty great :)

And I'll finish off with an encouraging psalm that a friend shared with me this week:

121 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

² My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

⁸ The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore

 

 

beaucoup de photos

Just wanted to share some of the photos I took for screening day- most of the photos I took are now part of private medical files, but I have permission to share some of the candid shots. I was also able to walk around and take some candid photos on my break- I mostly focused on fellow crew members.

We are very careful with taking photos: while recording our work and sharing patient stories is important, we never want the people we are serving to feel exploited by taking photos. They came to us for medical treatment. Anyway, cameras are banned from the screening day except for the communications team, so it was exciting and an honor for me to be allowed to use mine. On to the photos...

 

The room we used for pre-op photos:

Leigh and Sarah getting the white boards and paperwork ready before we take pictures

Ryan from the IS department and Jordan work on importing files

Michelle- really wonderful ship's photographer

Catherine- really wonderful ship's writer

Josh and Catherine getting ready to go take video footage of the line outside

And here's Mette who works with me on B ward

In the general surgery screening area:

Jen and Lord Ian

Agnes and Frida were helping in the women's health screening

Nick in the ortho screening:

Courtney and day crew members

Melinda and Martha

And some candid shots between medical photos with the patients:

This sweet girl is back and had her surgery, and I have been her nurse for a few shifts, she likes doing her arm extension exercises better if we incorporate the Macarena. Today we sat out on deck 7 together and worked on my French, she really makes me work for the correct pronunciation.

This sweet grandma laughed when I called her "mama" while I was taking photos. When we were in Guinea I got used to saying that to any elderly person, it is a way to show affection and respect even if you don't know them. Anyway, she laughed at me and when I told her she was my "Congo mama" she kissed me on top of the head. :)

And if you are wondering about what she has, it is a really large goiter.

She is a forest dweller, and for some perpective on her height here is a photo Deb took. I am kneeling on the floor and she is standing :)

I mentioned this cutie when I wrote about screening day a few posts ago:

And oh my here is this little guy who is so snuggly!

Ryan and Mahesh took a couple picturs of him and I, wow I love holding this baby :)

Ok that's it friends- just wanted to share the pictures, thanks for looking through all of them if you made it this far :)