Luke Commission Bush Clinic Day Two - Visit to Hawane CLC - Visit to Local Hospital

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

We began our day by gathering at Echo and Harry’s house where all eight of us, plus the six VanderWals, and ten Swazi Luke Commission translators sang and prayed before we began our journey to the Hawane Christian Life Community Church.

Almost four hundred people were there waiting for us for medical care. We were excited to be at CLC Hawane and see what all the prior CLC teams had built and refurbished. First we stopped at Hawane Farm (a Teen Challenge Swaziland project - learn more at www.swazitc.com/Vent/Haw/hawpage.html)

We met people from the Potter’s Wheel Church who were here from London, England who took us on a tour of Hawane Farms. We were impressed by the physical outlay of the farm and were able to meet some of the children. We were there for about an hour when Helen Ward came to pick us up for the newly set up clinic at Hawane CLC Church.

The people were already in lines when we arrived back at the church, so we began putting together more bush friendly wheelchairs. There were a few young men and women from Hawane Teen Challenge that helped fill out registration cards, and translated for us, which was very helpful. As each station was readied we began our individual tasks to minister to the people. The main medical clinic was set up in the sanctuary with the prayer department next to them. It was a beautiful sunny day and Kathy and Phyllis were set up outside to triage the patients. For several hours one of our tour guides, who was a nurse, assisted in the triage department.

Today we saw 396 patients, with over 90 of them having received HIV testing, 175 fitted with glasses, 30 dental patients with 75 tooth extractions, and 3 patients fitted with wheelchairs. We tried to fit one man with a crank type wheelchair, but due to his severe leg and body stiffness (which he has had for twenty years) he was unable to utilize what we tried to give him.

At one point during the clinic, a horse ran through the church compound and out into the road. It got hit in the rump by a truck; bounced into a ditch with all four legs straight up in the air; then got up and tried to run back into the church compound. Luckily, someone quickly closed the gate and the horse ran down the road. The truck’s windshield was shattered and the front of the truck smashed in. This goes to show that not even a wild horse could drive us away from our clinic!


Thursday, August 20, 2009

Echo took us on a tour of Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital. We started in the lab then toured the surgical ward, emergency room, pharmacy, medical records, and made a stop in the male medical ward. In the male ward we saw a man who had suffered for thirty nine years with a draining wound due to a bone infection caused by an accident. He pulled a hankie from his pocket and in it was a fragment of petrified bone that had been surgically removed. He proudly showed all of us and praised Jesus.

We then continued on to the pediatric ward where we passed out clothes, paper and crayons, and tracts to the families and children. The mothers and children clapped and giggled with delight.

We ended the tour with the male and then female medical wards. At the very end of each ward were patients in the end stages of HIV. They received very basic care as they struggled to breathe. Their family and friends were at the bedside caring for them. We sang and prayed for them with our lead translator praying in SiSwati. It was very sad and many of us were moved to tears. They are just like us.

We left the hospital and went back to Echo and Harry’s house for yet another delicious homemade meal. All the meals have been different and we have appreciated them very much. After our meal we left for the Manzini Market where we bargained and haggled for the best prices on souvenirs and new treasures. Back to the house for fellowship, more delicious food, and to watch a South African film called “Faith like Potatoes”. We highly recommend it.

It's been a long day and we are now getting ready to head off to our house. Please stay tuned for Bush Clinic Day Three.