Bye Bye Nalerigu

I have been busy most of the week, and just didn't make it to posting. Sadly, I'm not writing this post from Nalerigu, but I'm back in Accra (the capital).

It was a sad goodbye, I really fell in love with Nalerigu, the hospital, the people. We had station meeting last night, Christy and I sort of have made our song of the trip, "On Jordan's Stormy Banks." Let me give you the lyrics, it's an old hymn, but we prefer the new version (from Jars of Clay Redemption Songs)

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan’s fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

O’er all those wide extended plains
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns,
And scatters night away.

Chorus
I am bound, I am bound, I am bound for the promised land (2x).

No chilling winds or poisonous breath
Can reach that healthful shore;
Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,
Are felt and feared no more.

When I shall reach that happy place,
I’ll be forever blest,
For I shall see my Father’s face,
And in His bosom rest.

Chorus

My favorite verse is the one where it talks about how sickness, sorrow, pain, and death are felt and feared no more. It's a comfort to dwell on that verse when I think of my patients in Nalerigu and all my future patients.

At 4am this morning, I was picked up at the house and on my way to the airport. There was a slight scare last night, when we realized a mistake had been made, and no one had my ticket. However that was quickly resolved, and I had no problems getting on the plane today. A little different, no one ever asked for my name or passport, or anything actually.

When I got to the guest house in Accra, I realized how little I slept this past week. I really wanted to be ambitious and do and see things, but it's hard to do when you're tired and you have no one to go with. I had been picked up from the airport with a mission team from Alabama just arriving from the states. They overheard me talking to Fushsani about not having anything to do today, and they decided to join me to go to the beach. It was actually a hotel, next to the ocean. I sat next to a very very nice pool, swam, and chilled the afternoon away. To top it off, I had REAL ice cream! And I was thankful they came with me, because I did fantastically getting a good taxi price, but then the guy got lost, and it was definitely nice to not be alone and lost.

I'll have to post about what they are doing here because I think it's a pretty interesting story about how God can turn tragedy into something miraculous.

PS I temporarily have misplaced my cable for my digital camera, so I can only post old pictures.