Dear Friends!
Thought I'd drop you a quick line again as I'm trying to keep these updates monthly. Every month I get wonderful feedback from people about how they've enjoyed reading our news, I hope this is a way for you all to feel a part of what I'm doing. As I'm sure I have said before this work would not be able to continue without your support in friendship, finance and prayer. So if you are getting this newsletter you are all totally part of God's work in this country and long may it continue.
This last month I have tried to take a bit of rest. Life has a way of getting ever so busy here and although I try to keep weekends to recover, that does not always happen. So when my boyfriend Rob offered to come out from the UK around Easter, not only was I overjoyed to be able to see him after too long, but also knew that he would enforce some rest! And that we did.
It made me think about what rest is and this is what happened....To think back over my time here and what God has done and is doing is exciting when you are talking it through with another person, Rob in this case. Some things are hard to describe how and why, but I do know that God has been good to me in so many ways, I only hope Rob does not think me totally mad for the decisions I have made in the past. Sometimes making a difficult decision can seem like taking too huge a risk, but God is faithful when we are walking in His ways. A lesson well learnt. We also spent some time visiting some hidden yet totally beautiful parts of the country – my favourite place being Banana Island, and then Bureh Town beach were we slept out despite the sudden down pour of rain. We had fun together and refreshed we certainly were, by God's awesome creation and having time to just be together.
As far as work goes Abu carried on seeing some of the patients on his own. I am hoping that by passing on more responsibilities to him independently that he will rise to these new challenges. He is particularly struggling with organisation and planning and for as long as he has me to fall back onto, I think he will not learn. So sending him out more on his own and expecting the same high standards that I have set, we'll see just how he grows!!
One thing that Abu is doing more and more is measuring for and designing special postural seating for our severely disabled children who cannot sit. His side of things have been going well, but our carpenter Allusan is becoming somewhat slack again. I'm not really too sure how to handle this and would certainly appreciate your prayers. Since he is the best carpenter we have worked with (and it took 4 previous ones who took much time and overseeing only to produce disasters!), we really need to keep hold of him working for us. These designs are complicated and specific to each child. Allusan does an excellent job at the making, but the timing and organisation of his work has let him down numerous times recently. It makes us look unprofessional and uncommitted to our families if the work is not done, and that can also mean wasting time and money, not to mention stress and tiredness on unnecessary travel. It's not making me all that happy(understatement). I would love Abu to be able to sort these kind of issues out on his own, but it seems that 'white man' standard cannot be achieved when it is one SLeonean dealing with another, especially as they are friends. Payment is also an issue. I want to pay fairly, but I want Abu to start dealing with the money. Allusan is very grey with how he prices his work, not that I feel we over pay him now, but if left to Abu, I'm not convinced that that would not start to happen. When we are unsure how much materials cost as the prices are so unstable, it is very hard to consistently be good stewards of money. May God grant us, but particularly Abu wisdom and honesty in this money business!
Two of our patients have been seen by a visiting Danish Orthopaedic surgeon in a hospital in a town called Makeni. We were praying for some advice about how to get in touch with them as it was seeming like every way we looked we couldn't get through. Then everything seemed to happen in one go! Two weeks later I was sending Jamestina and Kallon off for review. Jamestina had some soft tissue release operations on both her legs, which we are hoping will help her to walk better. While Kallon's feet have been plastered in a special way, hoping to get better positioning so he can stand. We'll see them both this next week, but they both need skilled follow up and good care and compliance from their families. We will also be dependant on the 'National Rehabilitation Centre' – a now government run facility, to make splints. This will also be a challenge for many reasons.
We have been involved in Disability Awareness training at SOS, as well as liaising with other therapists in the country in a SLART meeting! (– SLART – Sierra Leone Association of Rehabilitation Therapists). I found out officially that in the country there are 3 national physiotherapists, 3 expat physios, 1 trained Occupational Therapist, and a handful of Mid-Level Therapists, who have basic training in rehabilitation in general. Not many for a country of 6.2 million people. However, it was good to meet with about 5 of them to encourage them and talk about helping each other out where possible. We should be unifying more to try and get the government to recognise the importance of therapy. As a body, I tired to encourage them to promote themselves and their profession, but mostly to use each other to learn and develop their own skills. Self directed learning and continuous professional development is not promoted here, but we all have more to learn. Watch this space as to how much more I get involved.
May is already here as I write this and a new season is about to begin in this work. Sarah the Occupational Therapist who is due to come out in September for a year, has just arrived for her 2 week orientation. There will be much to introduce her to – culture, language, a different way of working, Abu, getting around...the list could go on and on. Please pray that I make it the most useful time for her, and that she is inspired and excited about what will be a huge new adventure for her too.
Finally I want to show off one of my friends' achievement. Caroline McMillan, who visited SL earlier in the year, ran the London Marathon in 4 hours 50 mins!! She was raising money for the new SOS rehab fund and has started us off very well. Congratulations to her and thanks to all her sponsors!
With Love, Vez
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