Today my only job was to work on refinishing some of the wood doors. Exposure to the elements here has taken its toll, and some aspects of upkeep have fallen by the wayside. The ROS were very thankful for my work, so I’m glad that my work is helpful to them. Later in the evening, had Bible study with ROS, and realized that I’m very grateful for some defined, physical tasks to focus on. I've just been feeling overwhelmed with the enormity of things here: the children, the work to do, and most of all the needs of Malawi outside these walls. I really don’t know how to take it all in or even where to begin. Having small things to do here (like working on the doors, printing out a new recipe system, etc.) not only occupies my time, but it also makes me feel like I’m chipping away at the bigger problems.
Tonight I got a chance to see the clinic here in the village. There's only one nurse here right now, Eileen, but it's been a long time since she's worked as one, and she's never done it in a setting like this before! She prays every day for wisdom about how to diagnose and treat each case she sees among the children and the workers. As she puts it, she gets enough mana to make it through each day. Last night she showed me a microscope slide of a blood smear that she used to diagnose a malaria infection. It was pretty cool! Tomorrow, she's going to let me come along to the central hospital in Mzuzu. From what I've heard it's a decent place, and they treat emergencies for free. The only catch is that you have to provide your own transportation there, which can be nearly impossible if you're in a medical emergency.
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