Lots to cover

Saying goodbyes is always difficult for me.  I have a tendency to become attached.  My time at Tenwek was fruitful, learning lots about myself and orthopaedics in the developing (but not 3rd) world.

One of my favorite interactions was with a patient that was in a serious accident (many fractures and polytrauma).  He was seen at an outside facility before being transferred to Tenwek.  At Tenwek I was his first contact with our orthopaedic team and I put a traction pin in his leg in the Emergency Room.  Not quite the most fun thing for a patient who is mildly sedated yet still in excruciating pain to have a rod put through their bone with a Dewalt drill (sterile technique).  I was pretty sure he hated me.
After the stabilization of his pelvis during the first major operating room procedure, he became quite interactive with the team, smiling and joking at every interaction.  His excitement to stand up with two broken legs, yet to be fixed, made the staff and I wonder if he was 100% with us mentally, but that turned out to just be his nature. 
The next day one of his family members gave him a mirror.  This was quite an event. His face was marred, yet not destroyed; his ear was bulging with a hematoma which was likely infected from the first hospital's repair with incorrect sutures; and some of the scabs were now coming off showing unpigmented skin.  He had many questions that I could reassure we would fix the issues upon his last surgery.
I got to be part of the OR team for his remaining fracture fixation as well as ear repair.  The surgery went well.
The recovery days following I started to see even more of a friendship develop.  The day before he discharged he gave me the most genuine of compliments. "You treated me as if I were your own father."  I didn't know that orthopaedics would induce me to tear on rounds.
He was a believer before, but his ability to translate let him be a point person for many others care while they were on the ward together, I know having an impact in each of their lives.   He was truly grateful that God provided his healthcare.

Interactions like this one is the reason medical missions makes sense.  Life changing interactions on both sides of the white coat.

I feel like every patient is a VIP in a mission hospital.  Since we are all God's creation, I find there should be minimal distinction except medical/surgical emergent need.  Scripture is very clear in James 2 that we are to not treat people differently if they are wearing jewelery or fancy clothes, lest we are making a worldly judgement.  Treating everyone with this high level of priority is exhausting.  There great strength provided to bridge this gap.

God provided some awesome opportunities to connect with those who have been doing international missions for most of their life.  I interviewed for both Orthopaedics and General surgery programs.  Prior to my trip I was unsure what "God's will" was in this choice.  All my education and life experience to this pointed towards orthopaedics, however there are many places general surgeons can serve where orthopaedics is too specialized.  It is very reassuring that when a general surgeon who has done orthopaedics for 12 years says, "If I could go back again I would do orthopaedics".  This sealed my ranking of programs.

I love followup.  I was able to see churches thriving ministering to Muslims, street children being rehabilitated, and clinics in the poorest areas providing high quality healthcare that was once only a prayer.

I left behind all of this, praying for a peaceful election(tomorrow 3/4/13) in Kenya, to enter a new land to me.  Ethiopia, is rich with tradition of its own.  They are very proud to be the only African country to never be colonized (however they were occupied by Italy for 5 years).  From the first moment there is a distinction from Kenya in this place.  The people are unique.  The injera(napkin bread) is full of aroma.  Addis Ababa is under construction.  It is like Kenya meets Egypt, which makes sense geographically, with a distinction in Amharic language to confuse any fringi(white foreigner).  Faiths here are Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic and Muslim.  The government is trying to be independent, but accepts assistance from almost anywhere. 

What have I been doing in Ethiopia?  I have helped American missionaries working at a Korean hospital, visited empowerment projects, observed clinics that are in need of short term assistance and done my best to encourage the difficult work.  Staying on the college campus has been nice to continually be connected with the students that my friend, Holly Garrett, has in class.  

Playing sports is universally enjoyable.  I have had opportunities in both countries to use volleyball, or wallyball, to build relationships.  Many of the things that tie us together can be used for God's glory.  The one request from the street boys in Ethiopia was for some time to play football(soccer). It could be a very powerful motivator for behavioral change.  There are many groups doing missions with sports including two cool missionaries that stay here on this campus.

All of these experiences are building a network for the future of the Kingdom.  It has been a very blessed time of preparation.

Last night I was writing by candlelight when the power came back on around 8:15pm (12:15pm est).  The connection was spotty, but I got to watch my Louisville Cardinals defeat the Orange.  I'm excited for March Madness.   Go CARDS!