Thursday, 8 November 2012
Saturday, 3 November 2012
Update on donation info: the nitty gritty of dollars and cents
Good afternoon Everyone!
Thank you so much to all of you who came on Saturday to hear and see a wee bit of Papua New Guinea! I was so honored to share my story with you and show you the videos. I had so much fun, and it gets me excited and refuels my passion for what I'm going to be doing when I go back. :)
Thank you to those who have been praying for me and asking how I'm doing: I'm happy and grateful to report that I have a job!!!!! It's been such a blessing to be at Riverview Care Center in Spokane, working on-call. Not only do I get paid (yay!!!! saving money for Australia and Papua New Guinea) but I get to brush up on my nursing skills and be a blessing to the residents there!!!
Even though I'm working, I am still raising support to go (as a full time volunteer) to Australia and Papua New Guinea for two and a half years. Many of you have been asking me how to do that and I wanted to give you an update on the latest info I have.
All of you who are reading this are a vital part of this great adventure. Finances are a part of me returning to Australia and Papua New Guinea but so is prayer and words of encouragement; You may not realize it but even the smallest things such as following my blog is so uplifting to me. So I thank you for any way that you are able to journey with me.
I am so grateful for all of you who are supporting me and you who have been incredibly kind and generous with your finances and donating to the mission I am embarking on. You are not only supporting me, but you are helping to change a nation by bringing much needed health care and hope to those in desperate need.
Currently, because I will be based in Townsville, Australia, what is donated through YWAM is not tax- deductible. For tax-deductible donations, please write a check to
"Father's Hand Ministries"
and leave the subject line blank (VERY IMPORTANT- DON'T PUT MY NAME IN THE SUBJECT LINE) but attach a post-it or note that says "for Christina" and it will be transferred to me. Then please mail it to:
Father's Hand Ministries
4620 A Bellstar RD
Clayton, WA 99110
If you don't need the tax credit, and/or would like to support me monthly, I have direct deposit, or you can make an online donation directly at www.ywamrto.org/payment
I'll keep you updated as I find out more!
Have a blessed week!
Until next time,
Christina :)
Thank you so much to all of you who came on Saturday to hear and see a wee bit of Papua New Guinea! I was so honored to share my story with you and show you the videos. I had so much fun, and it gets me excited and refuels my passion for what I'm going to be doing when I go back. :)
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| Christina speaking to primary school, 300 + students |
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| Lack of education leaves many people believing "magic" is the cause of sickness and disease. This poster explains "TB is not caused by sorcery, but by contagious germs." |
Even though I'm working, I am still raising support to go (as a full time volunteer) to Australia and Papua New Guinea for two and a half years. Many of you have been asking me how to do that and I wanted to give you an update on the latest info I have.
All of you who are reading this are a vital part of this great adventure. Finances are a part of me returning to Australia and Papua New Guinea but so is prayer and words of encouragement; You may not realize it but even the smallest things such as following my blog is so uplifting to me. So I thank you for any way that you are able to journey with me.
 |
| Christina with happy PNG baby and mom, being seen for well child check and immunizations. |
I am so grateful for all of you who are supporting me and you who have been incredibly kind and generous with your finances and donating to the mission I am embarking on. You are not only supporting me, but you are helping to change a nation by bringing much needed health care and hope to those in desperate need.
 |
| Poverty is devastating to those who experience it, but we want to bring hope as our ship motto comes from John 10:10 "I WANT TO LIVE" |
Father's Hand Ministries
4620 A Bellstar RD
Clayton, WA 99110
If you don't need the tax credit, and/or would like to support me monthly, I have direct deposit, or you can make an online donation directly at www.ywamrto.org/payment
I'll keep you updated as I find out more!
Have a blessed week!
Until next time,
Christina :)
Friday, 19 October 2012
Hear and See a wee bit of Papua New Guinea!
Hey Everyone!!!
I would love to take you on a journey to Australia & Papua New Guinea...
You won't need a plane ticket or sunscreen....
But join me on October 27, 2012 at the
Spokane Valley Library 2pm-2:45pm
I'll be sharing videos and stories of my exciting adventures abroad, as a nurse working on a medical ship.
Would love to see you there!
12004 East Main Ave
Spokane Valley, WA 99206
Questions? Call Christina 370-0623
or email christyp20@gmail.com
Friday, 12 October 2012
Brian's Story
Blog Post 10-10-12
Hello Everyone!
I hope all of you are keeping warm, as
I am writing this in a sweatshirt and a steaming cup of tea. It's
hard to think that less than a month ago I was profusely dripping
with sweat in the humidity of Papua New Guinea, praying for a soft
breeze to sweep by. And I will probably be saying something similar
when I go back in January- Australia's summer. But there's nothing
quite like fall in the northwest, the trees slowly morphing from
green to autumn red and yellow with the crunch of leaves under your
shoes.
I first off wanted to say how blessed
I've been to travel through Oregon (and Washington) on a “farewell
tour” to say goodbye to friends and
family before I leave in
January. I received so
much TLC (Tender Loving Care) while I was
there and the many blessings of meals and laughs- it was delightful.
Thanks also to all of you who have graciously watched the videos and
photos and listened to my stories, expressing interest in what I'm
doing, your prayers, advocacy and generous donations! I CANNOT do
what I do without all of you. THANK YOU SO MUCH for standing with me
and being an extension of what I am a part of on the other side of
the world. God bless you!
So last time I left you, I was living
in our first village (Aroma) for 2 weeks in Gulf Province. We then
hopped in a covered truck (with benches- WOOT WOOT!) and rode the 7
hours to Port Moresby to reunite with the other half of our DTS
(Discipleship Training School) joined up with the Medical Ship in
Port Moresby.
(Due to the fact that the ship can only
hold 50 people including crew, volunteers, kitchen staff, etc... at
one time, our school of 24 split into 2 groups and would alternate
locations; Team B in the village, Team A on the ship for 2 weeks,
then switch).
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| Brian and his mom in Aroma |
Before I advance to the next adventures
on the ship, I was recently reminded of a tender story I would be
delighted to share with you.
Brian is a 4 year old boy that we had
the great privilege of meeting in Aroma. We first met his mother
during women's fellowship the last wednesday we were in the village,
but we also encountered Brian when our team performed dramas in the
village and played games with the other children along the beach. I
hope you can see by his smile he is a boy full of life, his laugh
reminded me of the squeal of sheer delight of a child embracing the
purity and simplicity of childhood.
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| Women's Fellowship, praying for Brian |
The other women in the fellowship
requested we pray for Brian and his mom during our prayer time, as he
was experiencing extreme pain of a suspected broken arm after falling
out of a tree a few days before we arrived. Reports of his condition
concerned us as we were told he wasn't sleeping and would often
scream out in pain being touched or moved. In the U.S or any other
western country, tylenol, ibuprofen or similar painkillers would be
given to ease the pain, however the high cost and limited
availability of the medications weren't an option for Brian.
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| Mel, our ER nurse and Brian |
We bowed our heads with heavy hearts
for this young boy in such distress and agony and cried out to God
for His Father's heart to touch this young guy and to help us help
him.
By the second week of our residence in
the village, we began to see more of Brian as his pain was
decreasing. Mel, our ER nurse from Canada, was able to assess Brian
and determine that his arm was almost certainly broken. As a team,
with three nurses, we discussed different ideas of how to help him
and what we could do. Since the fall occurred before we arrived, our
best guess would be that the bone would be beginning to set in
improperly and cause him significant pain and adverse affects in his
future. Therefore we determined he needed to seek further medical
attention, that we were unable to provide for him.
Three days before we were scheduled to
leave Aroma, we arranged transport to travel and reunite with the
ship.
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| Team B heading for the city! |
Helen, our leader informed us that since we (as a team) were
paying for transport (it wasn't public) we could invite Brian and his
mom to travel with us to Port Moresby to have an x-ray of his arm at
the hospital! We were absolutely thrilled and delighted to have such
an answer to prayer. It's interesting to note that God knew Brian
would break his arm and need help. And even while we were praying on
the blue tarp that acted as the floor of the church during women's
fellowship, God had already sent an answer: us. We were there at the
right time and had a few nurses to assess the suspected break, and
as a team, the available transport to get him to a proper medical
facility.
Brian was such a trooper and brave little guy; he sat on
his mom's lap for the 7 hour bumpy ride to the city, sleeping
occassionally.
 |
| The bumpy ride to Port Moresby |
We loved having him along and smiled at his delight at
the “lollies” when we shared our oreo rations with him. He was
a particuarly good sport when the trip was delayed by a few break
downs and a tire blowout. When Brian and his mom were gathering their
things to exit the vehicle, I was so thrilled they made it the city
where he could receive the medical care he needed. In that moment,
however, I felt a pang of grief in my heart and tears welled up in my
eyes as I watched them go. This precious little boy who delighted us
with his bright eyes and smile, had charmed his way into my life and
stolen my heart. Even though I'm not a mother, I was amazed at the
capacity in my heart to love that darling boy, wanting to shower him
with hugs and make silly faces together; yet I was facing the stark
reality that I likely wouldn't see him ever again.
 |
| Brian with his homemade sling |
It's so curious to me that I boarded a
plane and traveled thousands of miles, across the world, with the
mindset to help and serve Papua New Guineans. During those two weeks
in Aroma, our team performed dramas, taught health education, led and
spoke at church services- which is all wonderful and much needed.
Nonetheless, that simple act of my team being in the village at that
time, assessing his arm and providing transport was all in God's
gracious plan to care for Brian- and had more impact than any other
church activity we participated in. I didn't anticipate that
assisting a 4 year old child and his mother would impact my life so
significantly. As I reflect upon this event, I realize it was worth
it- Brian was worth it: the mud, the bugs, the heat, the travel, lack
of conveniences.... It was all worth it, for a 4 year old boy to know
that his Father in heaven deeply cares about him and desires to love
him and be a part of his life.
As you can tell from the beginning of
this post, this story wasn't what I was intending to share with you.
But I was reminded of Brian and eager to share this with you, since
so many of your thoughts, hearts and prayers were with me while I was
in Papua New Guinea.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and
that you felt that you were there, that you were a part of this story
because you are: you are a direct extension of what I am a part of. I
cannot do what I'm doing without the love, prayers, and support of
you back home. Thank you!
If you have any questions or would like
to be more involved, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to
email me at christyp20@gmail.com.
Love and blessings to all of you,
Christina
Monday, 24 September 2012
Outreach 3- Gulf Province
Hello everyone!
I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the fall sunshine! I'm still adjusting to the weather changes and the dry heat here, but overall I'm really enjoying being home.
Thank you so much to all of you who have been supporting me since being home and taking an interest in what I've experienced. It's been wonderful to catch up with everyone and find out what has been going on here in your lives. :)
As I'm unpacking my experience of the last 5 months, and recounting the stories I wanted to share an exciting piece of information with you: 24 individuals in my school impacted and made a difference in the lives of over 25,600 people in 3 months!!!! Isn't that incredible???? :)
Glancing back in my journal I rediscovered my packing adventure (it was quite an event) where I had to use PAM spray on my luggage zipper to get it sealed. Thankfully it traveled to Australia, PNG and back home, though I set a personal record for packing and repacking 11 times from home including my time in PNG. I'm not quite an expert, but I can confidently say I can pack my luggage in a short amount of time.
June 22. 2012 ~
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| MV Pacific Link |
Left Aroma village to join the MV Pacific Link docked in Port Morsby; commenced clinic orientation. The ship runs health care clinics (dental, primary health care, optometry, opthalmology) for a period of 2 weeks at a time. Volunteers (Doctors, nurses, dentists, optometrists, general volunteers) ranging from vast parts of the globe come to live on the ship and serve in a clinic for 2 weeks. Due to the fact I was part of a school that was involved with the ship, we participated in multiple consecutive outreaches and clinics.
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| Christina and Candace managing Triage! |
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| PHC clinics |
I was placed in the PHC “Primary Health Care” clinic team and was responsible for triage with Candace, a medical student from Malaysia. We made a dynamic team and learned many things together! The first clinic day we had the opportunity to work with the doctors and nurses in the outpatient at the Kikori hospital and I was in charge of wound care for that day. It was a far cry from abundance of supplies I was accustomed to and grimaced as I chased away cockroaches from my working area and wound dressings. I was amazed to work with one of the nurses who was insightful and knowledgeable concerning the myriad of tropical ulcers we saw and how she treated her patients with basic supplies. Even though I carried a backpack containing wound care ointments and dressings, it stretched my nursing brain and skill set to realize there wasn't likely to be follow up or daily dressing changes. I came to recognize yellow puss-filled and purulent ulcers required antibiotics but it astounded me that in recounting a patients history, a child stated he fell while playing 3 weeks ago and received a small laceration; presenting now with a 2 inch convex raw ulcer.
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| David RN and Christina presenting mosquito education |
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| Christina with a baby who liked the tasty stethoscope |
Each day following we spent in a different village, setting up clinics in churches, or schools. One young boy had some kind of congenital birth defect and had club feet which tore my heart when I saw him. Yet, he moved and walked which amazed me! I couldn't believe his adaptability- he walked down a muddy, slippery mountain, that I had trouble getting down!
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| young boy with congenital defect/club feet |
This was also the village (Babaguna)where I met a woman who acted as translator for us, but also was seen as a patient. She rolled up her sleeve to reveal a stump on her left arm. She explained her husband was drunk and chasing after her with a knife and sliced deep into her flesh- so deep it required amputation. I remember looking in her eyes to see a reflection of such deep fear, pain and hurt. Yet, she informed me she was no longer with her husband, but as a single mom was doing the best she could for her children. She was such a help to us, speaking excellent English. Though my heart ached for what she had been through, I was impressed and grateful her village accepted and included her.
In case you're thinking that all of PNG contains is sad stories, I can reassure you that's not the case. I did witness heartbreaking poverty and stories as those described above, but there were also uplifting stories as well.
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| PNG boys outside clinic |
Dr. Waimbe is a PNG opthalmic surgeon. He works at a hospital in Port Morsby, but came on the ship to get more training and practice with Dr. Keith, an opthalmic surgeon from New Zealand. It was wonderful to see their partnership as they were able to share skills and techniques with each other. This is one of the goals for the ship ministry: to raise up leaders and individuals in PNG that will carry on this mission of mercy to the poorest of the poor within their own country. So it was with great celebration that Dr. Waimbe had the privilege of receiving higher training and that we were so blessed to have him on board. Soft spoken in voice, he has a smile that breaks out from the corners of his mouth and lights up his whole face. Click on the link below to see a video of more of this story!
I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog today! If you have any questions or are interested in ways to be more involved, please email me at: christyp20@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!
Thanks heaps! God bless,
Christina
Thursday, 13 September 2012
HOME!!!... and back to Fahrenheit
G’day Everyone! J
Hope this finds all of you well and enjoying September!
I’m happy to say I’m back home on American soil and relishing harvest season, though I’m still adjusting to the temperature difference, especially since it's not in celsius. When we left Papua New Guinea (PNG) I don’t know what the temperature was, but it was hot! The humidity was something like 84%, and it dropped drastically to 48% when we reached Townsville. What a difference! Coming to Spokane almost seemed like winter!!!
This week I’ve been catching up from jet-lag and recovering from a cold I picked up the last week in Townsville. I traveled from Townville (left at 6am Sunday) to Brisbane to L.A. arrived at 7:30 am Sunday. Hit Spokane at 7pm Sunday- what a trip!!! I think the trip was 28+ hours and I’m giving myself a gold star for navigating the international airports! WOO HOOO!!! J
Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading my blog and keeping updated with Facebook and photos. I’m so excited to be sharing this journey with you, and I’m filled with enthusiasm to share my experiences, but this wouldn’t be possible without the love and support of all of you! Thank you also to my parents for spreading the word and advocating about my mission and purpose, and those who were praying for me and my team. We saw breakthrough, miracles and lives changed because of your dedication!
These last 5 months (8 weeks in Australia and 12 weeks in PNG) has been the experience of a lifetime! I’ve lived in villages without electricity or running water, and also taken on the role of a doctor prescribing medication for adults and children. I’ve experienced multiple 28 hour sails (with seasickness),sank into thigh-deep mud, almost fallen through bamboo floors and shared my story in front of a crowd of 300 students. WOW!
I look back and realize that even though it was hot, muddy and extremely trying at times… I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. I see myself sitting in a rocking chair 50 years from now with my grandchildren, recollecting stories of PNG. I yearn to tell them what it is to have mothers inform you they are unable to feed their babies because flooding has destroyed their crops and they have no food. To convey the pain and intimidation in one woman’s eyes as she reveals a stump on her left arm from amputation- a result of her drunk husband chasing after her with a knife and slicing deep into her flesh. And yet, to convey the laughter and hilarity, sheer joy of late nights on the ship singing songs in Motu and Pigeon (2 of the 700 languages in PNG) with the PNG nationals aboard the ship. I want to urge and implore my grandchildren to experience and know first-hand what it is to be a life-giver, to offer hope…real hope.
Christina with mom and happy baby (before immunizations) in Western Province
PNG brought out some characteristics I didn’t even know were in me. I discovered I have substance: I’m strong, and more importantly, I am an overcomer! I can conquer challenges; stare fear in the face, and laugh while having “nothing.” I realized that the intimidation of impossibilities is just a screen ready to be marched through and conquered! Through this, I realized I have a fiery, fervent desire to be a part of something greater than myself; I want to be part of the solution, justice to those suffering the injustice of poverty.
Our motto heralding the ministry of the medical ship is “Mi Like Stap Laip” which in English means “I want to live.” This is derived from John 10:10 which says “The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came to give life and life abundantly.” I feel I was born to fight for something… I want to fight for LIFE! It is for this reason I am planning to return to Townsville in Australia in January to complete a second-year school “Introduction to Primary Health Care” (IPHC) which trains individuals to be capable of treating 80% of the diseases in the developing world. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I discovered and grasped a hold of a passion for teaching, and have excitement about training non-medical individuals to have the medical knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat 80% the preventable diseases in 3rd world countries. Similar to the DTS school I just completed, I would spend a portion of the time in lectures with an outreach portion in PNG!!!!!!! J After the five months of school, I will commit to be on staff for 2 years. I am here in the States for 4 months to take care of a few things as well as raise support since I’m returning as a full-time volunteer.
Because there is no way to describe 3 months of PNG in 1 post, I wanted to start sharing stories over a period of time as I recount this incredible journey. Sorry to keep you waiting, but be watching with baited breath for the next post! J
Hope you enjoyed reading this. If you are interested in more information or would like to partner with me in more specific ways, feel free to email me at christyp20@gmail.com !
Thanks a million!
God bless,
Christina
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Back in Australia
Gup pla Morning Olegeta!
Well, it's afternoon actually. But that is a Pidgeon phrase we learned in Papua New Guinea.
I hope you are all well, I'm glad to say I'm back in Australia and going to be heading home early next week.
Thank you all for reading my posts and traveling with my journey. It's been exciting for sure!
I will be updating my blog with a few stories each week to share with you since there are so many! So please be watching for that!
Feel free to send me an email (christyp20@gmail.com) to say hi and update me on how all of you are doing. Would love to get an update!
Also, We have graduation as a school (the discipleship training school I've been a part of these last 5 months) which is tomorrow at 11am (6pm pacific time). It will be on the YWAM reef to outback homepage (www.ywamrto.org). You're invited to watch, if you would like!
That's all for now, but I will be writing another post soon.
God bless, Christina
Well, it's afternoon actually. But that is a Pidgeon phrase we learned in Papua New Guinea.
I hope you are all well, I'm glad to say I'm back in Australia and going to be heading home early next week.
Thank you all for reading my posts and traveling with my journey. It's been exciting for sure!
I will be updating my blog with a few stories each week to share with you since there are so many! So please be watching for that!
Feel free to send me an email (christyp20@gmail.com) to say hi and update me on how all of you are doing. Would love to get an update!
Also, We have graduation as a school (the discipleship training school I've been a part of these last 5 months) which is tomorrow at 11am (6pm pacific time). It will be on the YWAM reef to outback homepage (www.ywamrto.org). You're invited to watch, if you would like!
That's all for now, but I will be writing another post soon.
God bless, Christina
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