2016 Maternity Mission - Update 3

MEDICAL MATERNITY MISSION | UPDATE THREE

 

 

There is a saying in Zarma (a tribal language here in Niger) that says "kana kana"...meaning bit by bit. That's what we're doing here as we minister in this large maternity clinic. God is showing each of us that we must trust in His plan for this mission even if it looks different than what we planned. Proverbs 16:9 says "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." In the same Proverb we are commanded, "commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed" (V. 3). Please pray that we would trust God with every detail.

Monday - Day 4

The clinic grounds were buzzing when we arrived to start our day. A highlight of our day involved a first time mother named Zeinabou who began her day in the triage department where two of our team members were serving. They comforted her by teaching her breathing techniques and holding her hand through contractions. The doctor determined she needed a C-section, so they took her to the operating room. We were so excited to learn our team doctor performed her surgery because up to this point she had only been allowed to observe.

A few team members had the opportunity to observe our doctor deliver a sweet baby boy. Since this baby was born via C-section, he was taken to the NICU where a nurse from our team was granted the privilege to dress the baby before she presented him to a proud first time father. We visited them in recovery, and the mother and baby are doing well. Given the size of the hospital and the hundreds of patients, we describe this as a full-circle miracle because at each step of this family's journey our team was able to serve them.

A few team members served in Labor and Delivery where they met a young, married 16 year old girl  who was pregnant with her first child. By mid-morning she had already been laboring for several hours. The team members initially assisted her in labor techniques to help reduce her discomfort until they were discouraged to keep doing so by clinic staff.

After many more hours of laboring, the team members witnessed a traumatic birth in the afternoon and were made fully aware of many cultural differences.

Other team members spent their day changing bandages in the oncology unit and ministering to the very sick women receiving chemotherapy. These women sit side by side on a simple wooden bench to receive their treatments while battling nausea and pain in unthinkable conditions. In the NICU, team members changed many diapers and spent a lot of time rocking, praying and singing to provide comfort because the babies are only fed at certain times (mothers do not  feed "on demand" at the clinic).

We continue to be amazed that babies born here, weighing less than 2 pounds, are able to survive.  At the end of the day, 18 mothers being discharged were blessed with the postpartum bags we had previously prepared for the mother and new baby. The mothers were overjoyed and very grateful for these unexpected gifts that we pray will help give them a strong start.

Tuesday - Day 5
Today we kept very busy around the clinic. Our team doctor operated on an ectopic pregnancy. One of our nurses accompanied a woman in labor to use the bathroom (a bucket) and soon realized she was delivering the baby feet first, so the nurse rushed to get assistance and the baby was born on the floor. Another team nurse delivered a baby boy in the afternoon and after prolonged failed resuscitation efforts he was rushed to the NICU because he wasn't breathing. Our entire L & D team members accompanied him to the NICU, where they met up with our NICU team member to help bring him back to life, as the clinic staff stepped back and let our team members take this on. What a privilege it was for our team to serve in such a powerful way.

A small team spent the morning in oncology providing wound care to breast cancer patients. It was incredibly difficult to see the women wincing in severe pain with such deep wounds and only periodic pain medication. Many gave us permission to pray with them and one accepted Jesus in her heart after 2 team members shared the Gospel. Praise God!

A few other team members visited and prayed with several new mothers and their babies. Four of them asked Jesus into their heart! One of these was the mother of the baby that 2 of our team members rescued in the NICU on Saturday (mentioned in the last update). We thank God for these saved lives both spiritually and physically!

We gave 20 mothers the postpartum bags and explained the purpose of each item as they were being discharged. They were accepted gratefully and many moms that are not yet discharged are eager to receive their own. We look forward to giving them these gifts in the coming days, and we thank you for your continued prayers for these women and children that we have the privilege of serving!

As the sun rises on the rooftop, we begin our day giving God our first fruits during team devotions. In the evenings, we end our day in worship and prayer on the rooftop praising God for the miracle of life, these strong women of Niger, and the privilege of serving Him another day!!!

The Medical Maternity Mission Team