Reflections on Hard Ground

Although long overdue I still have requests from some of you to write about the medical team in summer so thought on this drizzly Edinburgh day I could reflect on some of the highlights and lowlights.

Summertime in Romania is starkly different from Winter and the children play outside in bare feet and that just doesn't seem as harsh. The ground is hard and dusty unlike the quagmire they live in when it rains. They still don't own shoes but being in the stream collecting frogs and newts covers up the reality of poverty. The children run wild and free in minimal clothes spending the majority of days fending for themselves and looking after younger siblings. It is commonplace to see young girls not even ten with a toddler on their hip and another clinging to their legs. Dirty faces with matted hair curiously watch my every move until its confirmed that I do want to play with them and don't have any form of reprimand waiting. Women wash their bedding in the stream and beat their rugs on fences. The men are away working on idly sitting around having been unable or unwilling to find work.

The days are warm to begin with and then for some being exceedingly hot. Spending all day with sweat dripping down your back in crowded buildings in remote villages doesn't seem like the most enjoyable way to spend your annual leave. But in so many ways I wouldn't change it!

This year we returned to the same villages and saw many familiar faces. As usual we set up stations and the people travelled through organised chaos to triage, doctors, pharmacy and opticians. This year I had the privilege of running a doctors station. Although at times it felt more like a second waiting area for those who would see the lead doctor! It was a very different experience from last year in that I had to remain seated at my station with a continual flow of patients from around 9am until they were all seen which varied greatly depending on the day..latest 19:30!! There is a very difficult balance to find in seeing everyone that needs to be seen and spending enough time with each individual or family. And sometimes I struggled not to get up, stretch my legs and play with the children for a while. Although if I ever tried I was quickly rerouted back to my seat with another family promptly assigned to me. And although the children started shy it's amazing what a little persuasion can accomplish (And a sweet).

Bundle of Joy with Right sided paralysis

Awaiting mothers arrival before they can be seen

The children mainly suffered from ongoing coughs and colds that their malnourished bodies struggled to fight off even in the warm summer months. Skin diseases and rashes were common and existed in pockets as the people live in such close quarters with one another. Most families will have two beds for whatever number happen to live in that household and could be up to eight or nine. That is a lot of bodies in a one room house. Due to the poor sanitation it's often hard to rid the children of lice and skin conditions and daily washes don't exist. Unfortunately worms is also widespread due to the poor quality or drinking water. And although some of the children come and do not have anything wrong with them the mother knows that when the time comes they may not have access to a doctor. So they present with 'symptoms' and keep the medication until it's really needed.

Maria (Aged 23) and her six children

House fell so temporary shelter with plastic sheeting

This family's house fell down and so they are living in a temporary shelter constructed by a wooden frame and then plastic sheeting and blankets for walls. As you can see they have two thicker blankets on the floor to try and provide insulation to sleep with at night. The rats and mice and undoubtedly visiting them at all times of day. The only other item of furniture is a rickety table in a corner. Despite all of this the wee boy is proud to have his picture taken.

After the clinic one day we returned with large containers of warm water and de-licing shampoo and scabies treatment made by our very own in house pharmacist! We washed six children in the same family who thoroughly enjoyed the water part but not the shampoo factor. And then we spent 45 minutes combing very visible lice out of their hair!!! My little boy obviously found it very relaxing as he fell asleep.

Donkey bite

Calm in the midst of a storm

My glamorous assistant...who sometimes took over!

New Life!

Water for cooking, cleaning and anything else!

One of the most incredible experiences of the trip was witnessing two individuals (Both pictured below) being fitted with hearing aids. Often perceived by many as the village idiots as they cannot speak or communicate the same as the others. However, they have not been able to grow up, listening to and understanding language in the same way we do. It actually made me realise how much we take our hearing for granted and learning language as a child is not thought about all that much, just a process that happens. So to see the face of a man light up as he heard properly for the first time was spectacular. I think he was just as amazed as I was to see that the hearing aid fitted and worked. What a life changing situation.

Hearing aid just fitted

This wee lady was left to die as her family thought she was ill and passing away. So she was taken out of her house and the whole inside repainted for her wake. Thankfully it was discovered that she was just dehydrated and starved of food. So regular visits were made to ensure that her family were taking care of her. Sometimes it can be frustrating that their lack of insight could lead to something fatal happening that could have been prevented. It makes such a difference that relationships are built up and the people feel able to confide and advice can be given, which sometimes impacts only a little but other times saves a life!

And that briefly sums up the summer medical team....five months later!

Glimmers of Hope

The final couple of days in Romania continued to be busy with lots going on! Here's a few snapshots...

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Cooking Potatoes

Washing rugs by the stream

The building continued for the next house...foundations Romanian style

And it remained the main source of entertainment throughout the day.

Until Natalie started up Simon says which caused much hilarity.

Children playing in the stream after the heavy rain..all sorts of amphibians being brought up on display!

Following the 'mari apa' (big water)- torrential downpours for a couple of days it was decided that we would be able to provide the mothers with shampoo. The children had hair which was matted with mud due to the fact that they live in mudhouses. We gave each family a bottle of shampoo to try and provide a little comfort from the itchiness!

At the same time building continued with cement mixing at the bottom of the hill and the horse and cart taking it up to the top!

In the midst of everything I found time to just sit and chat with the woman. This quickly led to me holding all the babies in the surrounding area for a wee cuddle. One lady in particular stayed around to watch the happenings so I sat with her on the stone blocks in the middle of the house the men were building foundations for. This house isn't very big so we were all pretty well packed in...classic Romanian style! A few other woman sat round about and I practised my romanian as best I could. A lot of charades for various nouns and much fun was had by me trying to speak and them trying to understand. It was so lovely to sit and chat and actually know enough words to make a dialogue out of the situation. After a little time the woman offered me her baby, which I was already holding. So I said that yes I could continue holding it. She then offered for me to take the baby back home with me...she was being serious. At this point I felt significantly out of my depth so called one of the Romanian guys working to come and take over. He embraced the opportunity and explained that God was the provider of all things and that help didn't really come from me, it ultimately all comes from above. She looked puzzled but he went on to explain that although we physically were present and they could see clearly all that we were doing to help them...the reason we were there comes down to faith. He spent time with her and offered to pray with her and for her baby. She then said that because she was the one who was looking for help that she should be the one to pray and ask for it. So there, in the middle of house foundations with the dogs barking, children playing and men building she prayed for her child. Two others then also prayed for her family. 

It was such a blessing to just watch and listen. Only one woman and her baby and yet such an amazing illustration of hope for me that the Gospel can and will make a difference in people's lives. Yes there is so far to go in this village but there are barriers being broken down and trust is being built up! May we continue to live lives of good witness to those people any time we are working alongside them or with them.

Mud pies

Just casually playing with an axe

Finishing the day singing children's choruses.

And that it a brief summary of the last few days of the one week trip to Romania...scary how much you can accomplish in a week!

Roll on next Thursday (July 23rd) for the next visit!!

Ashes into Beauty

Back in Romania for a week and it's been great to reconnect with the people. So here's a whistlestop tour of what's been happening.

Deliveries of medical supplies and equipment to the local hospital from the most recent container. Such an incredible blessing for many lives to be touched,

The work in Seleus continues with it still being heart wrenching to return to a hill of mudhouses following the spring rain. Many homes are waterlogged and one family has a cup sitting in the middle of the floor in a puddle. It is used to throw the water outside when it rains! I don't have a huge liking for rain but it has never been due to the water collecting in my one roomed house. Many walls are collapsing and what little furniture they have ruined.

Life for the children continues as usual with playing barefoot amongst the dirt, rubbish, sewage and broken bottles being commonplace. The ones who do go to school have finished for summer so there's around 200 children on a hillside just watching and waiting for something to happen.

And then we began the next house. And that is entertainment enough for them! 

So I shall try my best to explain the social situation behind the choosing of the next family. A husband and wife with two sons (7 and 9) are moving into the house. Along with them three of her brothers (10, 16 and 23) will be moving in. The older brother is not registered because he has learning difficulties and therefore does not exist in the eyes of the government, The mother/grandmother is an alcoholic and has badly mistreated two of the boys. She has burned their precious school books in front of them and sold their clothes for alcoholic. So for reasons of safety for the boys a waterproof, secure house is being built for the seven that will be living in the house.

It was such a joy to see that on Monday morning she already had packed up her wardrobe and was keen to get the process started! And now her house is flattened...the family has moved into the holding house. They are putting the foundations in tomorrow! So its been a busy two days!!

We also held a feeding program and God provided enough food to the pot for the children! They came from all over the village and almost every child was there. That's somewhat concerning as they were absolutely starving.

Casian and me :)

On Sunday we travelled to Boiu for a service. There were around fifteen in the church. The pastor translated roughly what was happening throughout which made it much easier to follow. Just before the service began we were asked to prepare a song in classic Romanian style! The man in the picture below was the singer for the church and he held in his hand a written songbook, It touched me that someone had taken the time and the effort to write out songs to share in their fellowship. Thankfully this time when it was the visitors turn to sing all four of us got up and not just me! (Which happened the previous time.) It was a challenging service and it was a blessing to have been able to attend. So many small fellowships meet in villages around the country with few resources and limited literate members so much work is still to be done!

In and amongst the rest of the time we have been preparing the yard for summer teams arriving for kids camps. So a lot of lawn mowing and strimming!

And that's as much as I can currently remember! Only here another couple of days but excited for what else is happening! Now off to play pigeon.