It might surprise you to know that I didn't want to go to Africa. It was never on my bucket list at any time and I never felt called to Africa. A slow change came over me sometime after an email I received on a Friday in March 2022. I had been on mission trips to Guatemala twice with Health Talents International, and Rick Harper, the director, contacted me to let me know about a need for a gyn surgeon in Malawi for July 2022. My initial thought was, "Not me. No way. But I will pray for them to find someone."
You see I was afraid of Africa. There's ebola virus, yellow fever, malaria, and HIV and those little starving kids with swollen bellies that I saw on tv. How will I communicate? What language do they speak? Have I even mentioned it's sooooo far away? How long is that flight?
Over the weekend after that email, the Holy Spirit started working on me. He told me to at least find out about the trip before I shut down the opportunity. On Monday, I spoke with Dr. Jeff Bennie, one of the organizers of the Chikondi Health Foundation. We talked about the cases I would see in Lumbadzi. Immediately he told me the majority of cases we would see are some form of uterine fibroids. This is an area of my field that I'm very well-versed in and very comfortable managing. I often call fibroids my "super power" because of my knowledge and ability in that area.
I decided at this point to start praying about it and I elicited the help of my closest friends and my pastor to help pray for guidance and the right decision. Everyone was immediately supportive and encouraged me to go. (Isn't there anyone who thinks this might be a risky proposition??) Even my husband who is somewhat risk averse, especially with travel, said I should go if that's what I thought the Holy Spirit was telling me to do.
So I went! It was an absolutely wonderful trip with things I expected and surprises along the way. I'm told I set a record for the most gyn patients screened in a day and the most gyn surgeries done in a week. Gosh - if I had known there was a contest, I would have tried a little harder! I expected to help the women in Malawi by using my superpowers to help them regain their health. What I didn't expect was that I would be teaching the local Malawi health care providers some surgical techniques and life saving measures that they can use for patients experiencing post partum hemorrhage.
After all my trepidation at going to Malawi, I had an even more difficult time coming home. I did not feel like my job there was done and I know I will be back to help more ladies and continue to teach the Malawi medical personnel things they can do themselves for their patients. I am excited to go back and see the hospital continue to grow and maintain the excellent reputation they have in the community.
You see I was afraid of Africa. There's ebola virus, yellow fever, malaria, and HIV and those little starving kids with swollen bellies that I saw on tv. How will I communicate? What language do they speak? Have I even mentioned it's sooooo far away? How long is that flight?
Over the weekend after that email, the Holy Spirit started working on me. He told me to at least find out about the trip before I shut down the opportunity. On Monday, I spoke with Dr. Jeff Bennie, one of the organizers of the Chikondi Health Foundation. We talked about the cases I would see in Lumbadzi. Immediately he told me the majority of cases we would see are some form of uterine fibroids. This is an area of my field that I'm very well-versed in and very comfortable managing. I often call fibroids my "super power" because of my knowledge and ability in that area.
I decided at this point to start praying about it and I elicited the help of my closest friends and my pastor to help pray for guidance and the right decision. Everyone was immediately supportive and encouraged me to go. (Isn't there anyone who thinks this might be a risky proposition??) Even my husband who is somewhat risk averse, especially with travel, said I should go if that's what I thought the Holy Spirit was telling me to do.
So I went! It was an absolutely wonderful trip with things I expected and surprises along the way. I'm told I set a record for the most gyn patients screened in a day and the most gyn surgeries done in a week. Gosh - if I had known there was a contest, I would have tried a little harder! I expected to help the women in Malawi by using my superpowers to help them regain their health. What I didn't expect was that I would be teaching the local Malawi health care providers some surgical techniques and life saving measures that they can use for patients experiencing post partum hemorrhage.
After all my trepidation at going to Malawi, I had an even more difficult time coming home. I did not feel like my job there was done and I know I will be back to help more ladies and continue to teach the Malawi medical personnel things they can do themselves for their patients. I am excited to go back and see the hospital continue to grow and maintain the excellent reputation they have in the community.