Third post of the Day!

Hi everyone,
I know it seems like overload today, but we have had some free time and the internet is actually working well. You should find a post from Jeremy from earlier today, some pictures (we learned how to use photoshop to make them smaller and upload faster), and now a brief update from me.

I just wanted to write and share some positive news as I think many of my previous posts have had some negative topic to talk about. Today, I write with a smile on my face because I see things are going much better than a week ago.

On rounds this morning in the pediatric ward, I was able to discharge 3 patients, and have 2 or 3 more who may go home tomorrow if all falls into place overnight. It is very encouraging to see the patients healing, and regaining their strength, and also to see the delight of their parents when they are allowed to go home. For the majority of the week I was questioning myself and finding I had to rely on God to help me with treatment because I was definitely dealing with illnesses I have never encountered before. Now, however, I am becoming more comfortable with some of the presentations of various common illnesses here, and feel God is guiding me not only with the care, but with confidence in myself, and again reminding me it is OK to say, "I don't know."

I was also encouraged this evening when one of the nurses came down to talk to me for a while at the guest house. He was having some problems and just wanted someone to talk to and chose to come talk to me. I am glad that I am earning their trust, and hopefully setting a positive example for the staff here. At first I was worried he was upset with something I had done, but actually he was complimenting me with my work over the past week, and also encouraging me to know he and the other nurses would continue to help me learn the system and culture here. The nurses here are very good, and I can give nothing but the highest compliments to them.

I did feel a little ill earlier today, just with some fatigue and some GI discomfort, but after some gatorade and a couple relatively long naps, I feel much better. I believe I was mostly likely a little dehydrated, and getting fluids back on board really was the answer. I would bet we are drinking upwards of 3-4 liters of water every day here just to stay hydrated. As Jeremy mentioned in his post, the temperature is hot and nothing but clear sky with the sun boiling down on us. He is definitely correct regarding our pale skin, I have even been straying away from sunscreen, because we are only in the sun for a few minutes walking back and forth from the house to the hospital. Supposedly the rainy season has started with the 3 small rains thus far, but it will apparently get even more intense over the next few weeks, so who knows how much sun we will even see as we continue on here.

Today, I also started taking pictures with various different camera settings. Hopefully I will be able to continue to learn some of the tricks of my camera and we will get some great photos to post and also a few to have to show when we get home. We have several photos from the hospital, but felt it is probably best not to post most of those here, because some are pretty gut-wrenching.

One last thing, if you get a call from an unknown number, it could be us. We have learned there is a prepaid cell phone here we can use from time to time, so when we are able to purchase cards, we will try to call.

I think that is all I have for now. Take care, and keep us in your prayers. We will post again soon, assuming the internet is our friend!
Love,
Steve