Day 8: Just Another Day in Ghana ; )

As most of our mornings here, Thursday began with the devotional at the hospital. This is the time when the administrative staff and the medical staff get together to kick off the day with praise, worship, and readings from the Bible. It’s moments like these that tempt me to stay in Ghana forever. Even before we enter the hospital, we can hear the sound of their voices resonate throughout the building in worship: warm, heartfelt and pure. When the Bible is read, I realize that to them it’s not figurative or abstract – their lives depend on God’s word fully. To me, the Bible comes alive here as I watch Ghanaians cling to every word, hold on to every promise, and have faith that it will come to pass. There are no back-up plans around here– the Bible is it! And to me it’s so exciting! This is where God has room to create miracles and intervene in the lives of His children through the supernatural EVERY SINGLE DAY. Being here, we have become a part of this culture of dependence on God and have seen His interventions many times. Each day begins with the question, “What will God do today?” 

After devotions, Kayla, Caren, Jennifer and I headed over to the church where well baby clinic was being held. New mothers from the surrounding area gather at the Manna Mission church for their monthly well baby visits where medical personnel from other hospitals are available to give exams, vaccinate babies, weigh them, and provide teaching to the mothers. When we walked in, at least 20 mothers were already there, waiting for their babies to be seen. We began by observing the medical personnel, watching their techniques and taking mental notes, but the mothers and their babies were much more fascinating, and before we knew it, we were talking with the mothers, learning the babies’ names, holding them, taking pictures and loving on each infant. As we cuddled the babies we prayed over their lives, blessing them and their families. We wanted them to leave not only physically well, but also spiritually lacking nothing.    

Later in the day, Jennifer, Chelsea, Caren, and Janice scrubbed in for a C-section, although “scrubbed in” might be too generous to describe putting on a reused gown and cap. The baby was breached and in distress and came out limp, cyanotic, and not breathing. The girls recognized the baby needed resuscitation and as Caren rushed around the hospital to find an Ambu-bag, the rest of the girls stayed with the baby in the OR, praying. After a minute of artificial ventilation, the baby began to breathe on her own and gave out a faint cry. The baby was then wrapped in a warm blanket, and the girls finally exhaled, relieved that the worst was behind her.

this is the baby that was successfully resuscitated

  After assisting at the eye clinic, Katelyn and Vanessa joined Kayla, Kayli, and Ms. Poore to do breast exams for the faculty and staff at the Academy. Most of the women don’t get breast exams here, and for them to trust us to examine them was a tremendous blessing. After they were examined, we taught them how to do self-exams, and a group of girls prayed for each one of them, blessing their health and their families.  

doing an exam at the eye clinic

Abby and I were in the delivery room around the same time, comforting and assisting a young, laboring mother. She gave birth to a perfect baby girl and we blessed her with an adorable little outfit that was donated to us. Throughout the day we have been giving out clothes to the needy children. In the pediatrics ward, Chelsea drew pictures of children’s feet and we found the exact shoe sizes for the 4 boys and one girl that were there. 

a little boy getting his feet traced for a new pair of shoes

For one of those boys, that was his first pair of shoes. He was 3 years old. One of the nurses that was here last year when the ORU team came told us that the clothes were a tremendous blessing to their patients. Mothers often come to give birth and have nothing to dress their babies in. She told us they have been bringing clothes out for those mothers for months after we leave. We were blessed to know that even after we are gone, needs are met and God miraculously provides for His children.  

This is a hand-knitted hat donated to us before we left - this little girl's mother was so thankful!

the 3-year old boy who received his first pair of shoes

Lina Potafiy