This morning we went to the Maternity Hospital. Last year, and this year I’ve avoided going out
with the med. students. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to contribute much in
a hospital environment, so this was my first visit to the Maternity Hospital.
We started by walking through and praying with some of the new mothers and some
who were going into labor. It was awesome to spend time talking to God with the
new moms, they were just beaming with joy for their new babies. One of the
women we met there had just become an aunt. She was so excited for her sister
and her new niece that she went up and down the halls proclaiming “God is good!”
She even stopped to pray with different families and helped some of the moms in
labor. It was really encouraging to see.
We went down to the first floor, where there was a small
urgent care room. Hannah put on some gloves and began working with some of the
other nurses while Kelsey and I sat down to watch. After a few minutes a head
nurse snapped her fingers at us and told us to get to work. We tried explaining to her that
we weren’t med. students but I don’t think she understood because she handed us
a box of gloves.
Kelsey and I looked at each other like “oh my gosh! I have no
idea what I’m about to do!” but we got in there and tried to help as much as we
could! I helped change some bandages and cleaned some cuts. Then a little girl
with a big gash on her head came in. A nurse handed me some gauze and something
to clean the wound. Thankfully I wasn’t asked to help with stitches, but I held
her hands as they sewed her up. The poor girl was so scared, she had a death
grip! I’m really thankful that I decided to go to the hospital today. It
reminded me how important it is to be willing to go when God calls. Even when I
doubt myself, if I can trust in God, he will use me.
Over this last year, I feel like I have hardened my heart
towards people. I’ve had a hard time allowing myself to let my heart be open to
loving. I think that God started working on opening it up this week. We went to
the Pediatric Hospital again today. Here, it isn’t uncommon for children to be
abandoned at the hospital because parents can’t afford to take care of them. We
spent a lot of time with those kids today. We also got to go to the Life is
Wealth Orphanage again. I genuinely fell
in love with these kids. I was compelled to let some of my walls down and just
give as much as I could. I know that that might not seem like much, since I won’t
see them for another year and it might not be hard to love a bunch a kids. For
me though, spending this week with them has been such a great reminder to me
that giving myself can be one of the greatest blessings that God has for us.
God has worked on all of us in many more ways this week, and
in ways I’m sure we’re all still processing. Osei is telling me that since I’m
writing the last blog, that I have to summarize the whole trip. That’s just too
much… but I am really thankful for God’s presence here. I can see so much
progress in this city, over just a year. It’s awesome to be back here again and
continue building relationships in different parts of the community. God is
working here and I’m so thankful that he has allowed me and the team to be a
small part of his work.
-Renee Wubbenhorst
Hebrews 12:1-2
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