Friday, June 2nd
Hi everyone, you’re hearing from Foster again! Today had many obstacles, but through God’s grace and His gifts of patience and perseverance, we were able to work through those challenges and accomplish a lot today.
We had a bit of a timing issue early in the morning due to some unexpected challenges before we got to the clinic, so we were already pressed for time when we arrived at the outreach center for the day. Thanks to the hard work of Julius screening all the patients, we were able to begin assessing people right away. We had three stations set up in order to see multiple people at once, but we all collaborated throughout the day to help wherever was needed. I spent the entire day working with Siah to take patients’ vital signs and do physical assessments, and it was the first time either of use had ever done any kind of clinical assessment like that. It was great to work with someone who was learning just like I was, and we were able to bond over the process of making mistakes and continuing to improve with each patient we saw.
We saw a wide variety of patients today, and one particular patient stuck out today. This woman had seen Gayle a year ago for a large goiter. We were able to refer her for surgery to remove it, and she came to see us today in order to thank Gayle for the work she had done and show use that she has been healing well since her surgery! With all of the difficult cases and challenges we faced at the outreach clinic today, this moment stuck out as a high point that put into perspective just how much impact these clinics have.
Due to the late arrival and nearly overwhelming number of patients, we left the outreach clinic much later than we intended today. Everyone was very tired and a bit discouraged about the day, but Gayle helped remind us that the work we are doing is good and has a large impact even if we can’t see it yet. My primary takeaway from today was that even if things don’t go according to our plan, they are still happening according to God’s plan, and everything that happened today had a greater purpose even if we can’t see it yet.
Sending Love and Prayers, Foster
