PNG Recap video

Joseph and his head wound 

Hello Friends!

I'm excited to share a story with you about a young patient I met in Kokoda. This comes from my journal as I was writing down special moments that impacted me. And since you are an extension of what I do, I hope you feel like you were there too :)

"Next patient please..."

May 14, 2013

Last week, while on outpatient triage at Kokoda Memorial Hospital, I saw a six year old boy named Joseph. He and his grandmother made the 2 day trek to the health center to be seen after falling from a tree, his forehead smashing into a stick that was protruding from the ground.

Christina and Joseph taking a
 "snap" together

The 4cm laceration was gaping open and exposed the skull, but was otherwise clean with no signs of infection.

Joseph was very shy and didn't say much when I came to visit the next day, but he smiled and  brightened up when I asked if I could take a “snap” with him. It warmed my heart to see him light up at having a special visitor, and I felt privileged to have been the one to have bandaged his head wound and help him get better. I don't know if I will ever get to see Joseph again, but he was a small boy who made a big impression in my heart... I don't think I will forget him.  

Recap Video

Here is the recap video that gives a better overview of the 9 weeks we spent in PNG. There are some statistics at the end and "the ship video" refers to The YWAM MSA ship video that we showed to the chiefs and elders of each of the villages we visited. The video is slightly over 4 minutes but is well worth watching :) Just click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIL-x26KF1Q&feature=youtu.be

Christina carrying a
typical bilum in PNG

 Curious Capers is Moving!

You can now find Christina's Curious Capers at a new blog website www.christinascuriouscapers.wordpress.com! Feel free to click on the link and check it out! Take a wee tour with some of the tabs I put in explaining more of the background of how I got involved with YWAM as well as my testimony. But I will be posting all my blog posts from here on out via the blog site above. Don't worry.. if you are receiving this as an email, you will still continue to receive this post in an email format. :) 

Hope you enjoyed the adventure :) 

Until next time... Lukim Yu Behind (See you again soon)

 Christina 

Oro! Oro! Oro!

Hello dear friends and family!!!!

I'm happy to be writing you in Australia, back from PNG. The last 9 weeks have been incredible not to mention intense, challenging and exciting. It's hard to describe life in PNG in a single sitting, so I will be highlighting and sharing some of the main stories in the coming weeks.

   

Oro! style welcome

An Overview:

We spent 8 of the 9 weeks in Oro Province where we were welcomed with traditional dances and necklaces, and people calling  out “Oro! Oro! Oro!” (Oro literally means welcome). Our team of 6 had the absolutely incredible privilege of meeting with Governor Gary Juffa (I get to meet with government officials?!?!?). YWAM townsville has one medical ship currently, but we are feeling led to buy a bigger ship that can stay in PNG longer and go into more provinces, including Oro. Under the Governor's commission, we traveled up and down the coast conducting health survey's and doing clinics. We visited a total of 38 villages, spent almost two weeks riding in dinghy's, and saw 937 patients. 

Christina, Casey and Liz (USA) Angie (Canada) Hannah (AUS)
Sven (Switzerland) ready to meet with Health Officials

The Governor also insisted we have armed policemen travel with us, and though we initially rolled our eyes and thought it was overkill, we believed Father God set it up as a divine appointment. After traveling together for 6 weeks, Remmie, George and Peter have really become like family.

Not your average day:

We assisted in delivering two babies which was really exciting! We also did antenatal clinics and immunizations and treated plenty of malaria, cough, suspected TB, back and knee pain, neonatal sepsis, worms, upper respiratory tract infections and pneumonia.

Sometimes It's Challenging...

   

Gabriel and his family in the Adult
Ward at Kokoda Hosptial 

There were things that definitely rocked my world, like walking into the hospital in Kokoda and 6 out of the 10 patients are being treated for TB.... and the hospital didn't have any masks. I felt panic rising as my mind was racing thinking “HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!... I could get TB!!!!...” But I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes and prayed “Father.. I believe You have called me here, and that I am here for Your purpose. I believe that You are greater than these germs and that I am under Your protection. Thank You for Jesus and what He did on the cross....” Almost immediately, I felt at peace and was able to go assisting the head nurse dispense medications, and little by little ease into seeing the patients, talking and sharing stories with them.

Some friends we made in PNG :)

Tenk Yu Tru..

As they say in PNG, Thank You to all of you who prayed for me on outreach. There were days when I was struggling and took courage in knowing people were at home cheering me on and praying for me. Thanks also to everyone who donated financially so I could go to PNG... :)

Can you say "DINNER?"

Birthday Surprise

I also say a huge thank you to all of you who sent cards and messages for my birthday. There were 17 cards and 2 packages waiting for me when I arrived back at base!!!! I cannot tell you how blessed and grateful I was to

feel so loved and thought of. :):):)

Sorry this post was so long; but stay tuned for more stories from PNG! 

In the meantime... 

God blesim yupla! (God bless all of you)

Christina 

3 nations under one Tapa Cloth

Life in a dinghy... 

Christina, policeman Remmi and his wife Scholar

Nearly Off to Poppondetta....

Hi Everyone!

Happy belated Easter! I hope it was a special and enjoyable holiday for all of you, spending it with friends and family :)

Warning: Blogger in Training

Thank you all for bearing with me as this update is going out much later than I had anticipated. I apologize for any technical problems you've encountered on my blog; the donate button is now functioning if you tried to use it earlier. I'm not an expert in IT or blogging, but I'm learning a lot as I go :) Thank you also for your patience as this update is going out much later than I had anticipated and I am somewhat in a state of shock to realize we leave for Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a mere 6 days.... HOW DID IT COME SO QUICKLY?

The IPHC team with our homemade water filter

What we've been learning

The last 5 weeks have been full of teaching and application on ruptured ear drums, corneal ulcers (eyes), malaria, TB, and just finished the oh so lovely worms and skin diseases. I'll spare you some of the descriptive details; it takes quite a bit for me to be grossed out as a nurse, but there were a few things that made my stomach 

turn.

    

Angie using her otoscope to examine Christina's eardrum

... But The Greatest of These is Love

My heart and mind have also been mulling over the reality of treating contagious diseases like  TB. The risks are incredibly real; I'm coming face to face with a disease that ravages the  bodies of men, women and children...and the reality that people die from TB. YWAM does take care to ensure our safety as a team in going, but there there are still risks involved. A friend of mine stated it well “what makes others cringe and retreat in fear is the very thing that compels us to go.” One sobering reality is that these people, dearly loved and precious to Father God, are dying of preventable diseases without knowing the name of Jesus and how much He loves them. I prayed and asked Father to show me His heart and how He feels about Papua New Guinea and the people we are going to. I saw an image of a people with long faces marked with hardship, grief, and hopelessness...waiting for life and purpose; I also saw an image of Father God with tears running down his cheeks and a deep sadness in His heart. He just longs to give a welcoming embrace, and He whispers through his tears “Do you see my people? My people are hurting... who will go?”

Three PNG kids in health care clinic

It's humbling to realize that I thought I was going to nursing school to graduate with a career, make money and have status. But Father God got me through nursing school, not for myself, but to entrust me with a precious task of taking care of His children. My eyes well up with tears thinking that He has chosen and entrusted me with something He cherishes. I pray I can love the way He loves, dressing infected wounds, or giving a hug to the woman with HIV. 

Where We Are Going...

We leave here Saturday April 13, and will return June 14 (sorry for those of you I told the 21st- that's graduation). The plan is to spend the first week in Port Morseby and then travel to Oro Province and stay in Poppondetta for the remainder of our outreach. Thank you for all of you who have been praying for me and my team! 

I will be thinking about and missing all of you while I'm in PNG. But I will be anticipating God working in incredible ways while we are there and will post the stories when I return.

Gone to PNG!
Be back in 9 weeks

God bless,

 Christina

   I Corinthians 13: 12-13 "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then      face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am     known. And now abide faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. 

6 weeks and counting....

Hi Everyone! 

Just wanted to share this with you! Here's a wee excerpt of what we've been doing the last 6 weeks and what we'll be heading into as we get ready to go to PNG!

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Below is song called "We Are" that is from one of my favorite artists Kari Jobe. She describes very well in a song what's been in my heart, my focus in taking this health care course.... and the reason why I do what I do. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B07iK9uh9qY

 Many Blessings,

             Christina :)

Bacon on the sidewalk ....

Hello Friends!

Greetings from the very warm and sunny Townsville! We just finished week 2 of classes for the Introduction to Primary Health Care (IPHC) school I'm taking. We have two staff and five students: three Americans, a Swiss French and a French Canadian. It's humorous to have most of the class in English with a few bits of French being heard throughout the room :)

                                                                               School's In Session

Angie (Canada) and Liz (America) showing how to test
hemoglobin for anemia

The IPHC school is geared towards training individuals with a non-medical background and preparing them to treat up to 80% of the diseases typically found in developing nations. Upon graduation, I will have the certification to be a “Community Health Worker” and run a clinic in an impoverished nation. One of last year's graduates is a young man in Papua New Guinea (PNG) who ran an aid station by himself for a couple of months, and another is in PNG leading a team to administer medication with a goal to eradicate a disease called “Lymphatic Filariasis” or “Elephantitis” as it's also referred. http://www.ehow.com/about_5340255_life-cycle-lymphatic-filariasis.html

This week  we had a speaker, Kathy Kennedy, who came from Perth, Australia and taught us about maternal/child health and nutrition. I loved hearing her passion come through her teaching and an emphasis on having to hear God for direction on emergency births (and just caring for patients in general) and what an opportunity to be with a scared, pregnant mom, provide comfort and pray for her and her baby.

Christina caring for sick chid in Baimaru, PNG

                                   

 Labor Ward in a well- run clinic in PNG

• I also had ample opportunity to reflect on what it must be like to be a woman in labor of a rural community riding on the front (or back) of a bicycle for hours to reach the nearest health clinic, with the significant possibility of dying in childbirth. I've never had a particular interest, let alone a passion for maternity (my hat's off to all you OB nurses out there!) However I had a few occasions this week where my eyes welled up with tears, first with empathy and compassion for what these women must go through; but also extremely humbled that any complaints I have is so utterly minor and irrelevant in comparison to how much of the non-western world lives.

Life In Australia

• Did I mention it's hot? It's been 93-100 F with 45% humidity. I was walking to the mall recently as the sun was beating down on me and thought “I wonder if this is what bacon feels like?” 

• 

  It's been great to connect with friends I made last year:
  Sarah (NZ), Angie (Canada) and Sven (Switzerland)

  
  
  Housing: I'm so blessed to be living in a flat with five other girls: Two Americans, my friend Angie the French-Canadian, a Brit and a gal from Northern Ireland. Sometimes we just look at each other due to the difference in lingo, as the Brit asked me recently if my room needed “hoovering?”(Vacuum)
• Proper Way: Name of the Pacific Islander dance group. Every Monday and Thursday a few of the staff who are Pacific Islanders teach Hawaiian basics and cultural dance to the students and staff who are interested. This is my first week, but I love wearing a lava lava (sarong) but it's not for the faint of the heart- it is a workout!

A special Thanks to the awesome crew at Spokane Allergy and Asthma for the donation of the glasses and the otoscopes!

The ship's office showing our appreciation

“Medical Ship's office, this is Christina speaking...”

I have the great privilege to serve in the Medical Ship's office for a few hours after classes Monday thru Friday. It's really fascinating to be on the “land” side of things of how the ship operates and what it takes to manage. I've been writing thank you notes for all the donations coming in, assisting with transport of glasses to the local Lions club for grading (to be ready for the ship). I've also been developing dental education that will be put into a flip chart for the ship to use in the villages. I hope to be able to do one in English, Tok Pisin (the national language of PNG) and Motu (one of the more common of the 700 languages spoken in PNG).

Calling all People:

Babies are a precious gift, but many
of them don't see their first birthday

The MV Pacific Link (YWAM medical ship) takes many dedicated people every year to leave port in Townsville and bring much needed healthcare to rural villages in Papua New Guinea. We're still looking for Doctors, Dentists and Dental Assistants, Physical Therapists, Midwives, and Optometrists. If you have any of these skills or you know someone who does and is interested in the adventure of a lifetime as well as making a difference check out the ship's website at www.ywamships.org. Or you can check it out if you're interested in seeing more of the ship's ministry to Papua New Guinea. :)

We leave for Outreach to PNG on April 15^th, and though I don't know exactly what we are going to be doing, I have a great anticipation of Papa God moving in exciting ways and changing people lives forever.

Christina with painting of PNG sunset

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and for all your prayers and encouragement for me to be here in Townsville, Australia. I am so grateful to have you walk with me on this journey. But also glad you don't have to share in the mosquito bites:)     Cheers,

                                                                      Christina 

Welcome to Australia!

Hello Friends!

Just wanted to send out an update to let you all know I arrived safely in Australia! :)

I flew out of Spokane, Wa at 6 am on Jan 17^th, and flew from Spokane to Seattle, Seattle to Toyko, then to Singapore and finally arrived in Perth at 1:15pm January 19th! Yayyy! I think that tops it off for my longest trip at 40+ hours. The only casualties in my bag were a bottle of hair cream that was smashed and exploded (Thank You God for ziplocs), and my camera that is currently Missing In Action.

Christina and Aunt Sue in Albany, W.A.

On my flight from Seattle to L.A., an announcement came over the intercom “Are there any medical personnel on board the flight?” A woman had passed out on her way to the bathroom and wasn't responding. When I stood up to offer help, the flight attendant was bringing a tank of oxygen to the back of the plane. The crew were awesome and very quick to respond. I made an assessment, took her blood pressure and elevated her legs as she was becoming more alert. I think it was related to low blood sugar since she was up all night packing and hadn't eaten anything. She ended up being fine, and Alaska gave me a voucher for $200 off my next flight with them! What a huge blessing! And seeing how God takes care of me.

I'm here visiting my Aunt Sue in Albany (Albany, not ALLbany), Western Australia, a few hours south of Perth. It's been delightful to spend time with her and her husband Geoff and my cousin Chris. I'll get to see my cousin Ben Thursday night, whom I haven't seen since they came to the States 18 years ago!!!

Painting acrylics on canvas.
Who knew color could be so complex?

My Aunt Sue is helping bring out my creative side since she's incredibly talented and artistic. We're painting acrylics on canvas, and I'm painting a sunset on a beach of Nabua- paka, one of the villages we stayed in Papua New Guinea last summer. I've also been experimenting in the kitchen, making homemade bread with Geoff and helping with dinner. Sue is sending me with some recipes I can make in Townsville, that are already listed in kilo's and celsius, so I don't have to convert them. We're also going to make haloumi 

cheese, and crepes with quark...

what an adventure! :)

 

Christina with cousin Chris

Chris, Sue and Geoff have been teaching me some new vernacular I would love to introduce to you:

 To “send him up” is to make fun of someone or a parody of something, while “cheers” and “ta” are both words for thank you. 

A “jumper” is a pull over sweatshirt and I learned last night that what we call a “hoodie” over here is a “sloppy joe.” 

That one definitely threw me for a loop- I guess they don't have the famous cafeteria sandwiches. 

Sunset taken on Mt. Melville

I'm also grateful to be here in Albany right now as there is a cyclone farther north in Western Australia and Townsville (where I'm heading) so hopefully it will be gone by the time I arrive on Saturday.

Hope all of you are doing well :) Thank you for the love and encouragement you've given to help me get me to Australia and this continuing journey. 

Cheers from Australia,

Christina  :)

15 days and counting...

Hi  Everyone!
Happy New Year!

Thank you to all of you who have made donations, one time or monthly support.. I am so grateful for your help and encouragement, I continue to be amazed at God's faithfulness!

Good news! My visa has come through, my plane ticket is booked and I leave for Australia in a little bit over 2 weeks! I will leave for Australia on January 17th to spend a week with my Aunt who lives on the western side of Australia, then board a plane for Townsville, where I will be living for the next 2 and 1/2 years.

 On January 27th, 2013 I will start the Introduction to Primary Health Care (IPHC) school where I will be in training to diagnose and treat 80% of the diseases generally found in a developing nation. I'll be attending this school in Australia until we leave for outreach,( in March I believe) to Papua New Guinea for 9 weeks. I recently found out that we will be traveling by boat (dinghy), riding public transport or PMV's (the back of a truck) and living in villages, which certainly means it will be an adventure!

I feel so privileged to have this incredible opportunity to experience different cultures, expand on my nursing skills, but most important, bring hope to those who need to hear about the saving power of Jesus Christ.

I'll be updating my blog/emails regularly once I get to Australia, so stay tuned! :)

For those of you who have been asking for my address, here it is:

Christina Peterson
PO Box 6221
Townsville, QLD 4810 Australia

I would be absolutely delighted to hear from you! I think it costs $1.08 to send a letter and takes approximately 10 days to arrive :)

Christina with Colleen and daughter at farewell dinner in Aroma village

I'm so thankful to have all of you come along on this incredibly journey! You are a vital part- I cannot do what I do without the love and support of family and friends.  Thank you!

God bless,
Christina