From the Parkers August 13,2009

From the Parkers August 13,2009


Dear Friends,

We just wanted to send a note and let you all know what has been going on here in Bere. We are busier than ever. There never seems to be enough hrs in the day to get things done. Jamie is now working on his 2nd vehicle. The hospital van is running now with a new motor. The next challenge has been the 2002 Toyota truck (that was rolled a few years ago) the motor had to be rebuilt. Good thing there is another volunteer (David) that is helping out with the vehicles a lot esp. since Jamie is now experiencing malaria for the first time. Fun! Fun! But oh no! This is not the first person to get it. Brichelle just got over it a week ago and it really hit her hard. This is the peak of the rainy season which means more mosquitoes which means more malaria. Please pray for our health it has been a challenge for us.
Cory has had a lot going on in his life. He was able to experience his first surgery, which was a man that was on a motorcycle that got hit by a car. The man was paralyzed with two broken legs. One leg was really torn open. It was pretty bad so Dr. Appel wanted pictures taken and that is where Cory came in. He now says that he really wants to be a Doctor. Cory also saved a boys’ life from drowning in the river. The kids and some adults were going to go swimming and before the adults got there the children all went in. Well the water was higher than usual and a small boy went too far. All the kids were yelling for Cory to help for he was the oldest and the only one who knew how to swim. The young boy had already gone under. God really had His hand in helping Cory to remember the rules when someone is drowning and he pushed the boy with all his might over and over to safety. But before they were both safe Cory experienced the boy pulling him down with him. It was very traumatic for Cory but God was there and all is well.
Brichelle has had an adventure as well. Last Friday afternoon she went on a horseback ride with another volunteer here (Michelle, RN- 21 y/o). After they left I was outside getting the laundry off the line and all of a sudden I saw both horses flying by without any riders. Of course I freaked out! All the kids that Cory was playing with (about 10 of them) helped get the horses back in the compound and they also ran around looking for Brichelle. They all knew I was upset. Fortunately Dr. Appel was driving the van helping some people move into their new home and saw Brichelle running out in the field. He brought Brichelle and Michelle back in the van but the van went straight over to the hospital, someone was hurt. When the children told me to go to the hospital my heart dropped and I just prayed. That walk was so lonely. I was afraid of what I was going to see. I walked around the van between all the people and there was Brichelle standing next to Dr. Appel while people carried Michelle out of the van to the hospital. I hugged her and didn’t let go. We both began crying. Michelle ended up getting a head concussion and she stayed with us for 3 days and we took care of her. One lesson was that Brichelle is never to get on the horse again without her horse helmet on. Both of the kids want me to tell everyone that we invested in a young monkey for the weekend. We thought we wanted a monkey for a pet. It was a good experience to get out of the way in the beginning of our journey. We kept the monkey in our breezeway. The children here can be very cruel and would pick on it daily which would upset it then the monkey would scream at them. Having the extra attention around our home is something we have learned you want to avoid. The monkey would otherwise be very gentle and purr almost like a cat. The torment the children were giving was too much so we took the monkey for a drive in the country and let it go free. Things are now a lot more peaceful around here. My new job here is to get the new pediatric ward ready for patients. There is an overflow at the hospital of patients and they need the room. “This is their slow time” huh! I will be creatively painting cute things on the walls and sewing privacy curtains. It seems like such a simple task but nothing is simple here. There is one roller with a brush and limited paint and colors of paint. But I have already learned that we work with what we have and God will be with you. I can’t believe the roller has lasted. I have about 70 feet of wall to paint and it is all raw cement so I have to go over it 3 times. “God is good”! As you all can tell life is an adventure here. It can be scary at times but we know God has sent us here and He will be with us. I can’t tell you all enough how much we miss you. The distance is really setting in. Continue to pray for us. A volunteer took some of our pictures back to the states and will be putting them on our blog soon, hopefully. Watch for them.
Love, The Parkers