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