Time flies!

I am sitting here preparing to return to America.  I have already completed the first leg of my trip from LAMB to Dhaka and soon will start my 23 hours of flying, the longest leg being 14 hrs from Dubai to NYC.  I just cannot believe that 6 months have passed so quickly.  I look back at my time and feel truly blessed, so my leaving is with mixed emotions.  I am very sad to leave an excellent job and what now feels like a second home, but am very excited to see my loved ones in America.  I’m also excited to return to some of the conveniences of America, although I am fully prepared for “reverse culture shock” which I have experienced before when returning from time spent overseas. 

My last month here (January) was probably the most challenging medically.  We had two cases within 4 days of each other of massive postpartum hemorrhage.  Both patients required life saving hysterectomy and massive blood transfusion (18 units for the first patient and 13 for the second).  Unfortunately, the first patient (let’s call her "Amy") did not survive, which was devastating to me and all involved. Please pray for Amy’s family.  They are grieving a major loss and her baby is going to face many challenges growing up without a mother.  The second patient, let’s call her “Mary”, went home 10 days after surgery and is very healthy.  Praise God! She is truly an example of the life-saving work we do here.  She is pictured below with Keya, the doctor who managed her care with me.   

Healthy "Mary" and baby

How we eat with our hands

Gynae team at my going away party

My last few days at LAMB were spent trying to enjoy all of the little things.  I went on a few walks, spent time with friends, and had a going away party at Keya’s house: she is an excellent cook as well as an amazing doctor!

Planting new rice

I do not know exactly the road that God has for my future, but I am sure I will return to Bangladesh.  I am already tentatively planning my next trip, which will be much shorter (5 weeks) for next winter/early spring. 

Please also pray for my health.  I have a cough/cold and am praying that it improves a bit before I depart.  

My Aiyas (I look like a giant)

Thank you all again so much for your prayers and financial support during my time here.  God has been so good and it is obvious that HE truly hand picked me to be here.  I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Angela

Happy New Year 2015!

Sari on Dec 23rd

I have just experienced one of the most memorable holiday seasons of my life.  Christmas in Bangladesh is very different than in America, but also very special. 

One difference I noticed is the Christmas music.  I was talking with my family back home and my Dad mentioned going to a school musical program where Christ was not mentioned once in the musical selections.  Here, all we do is sing about Jesus.  Honestly, I don’t think there were any musical selections that didn’t mention Christmas being about the birth of Christ.  I also watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on DVD, and he talks about the commercialism in America then his friend quotes Luke 2, which says what Christmas is all about:

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

That’s how I felt here this Christmas, away from all of the commercialism and making it all about our savior coming to earth as Immanuel. 

During our morning handover at work, we always read a short passage from the Bible and have a prayer before beginning to see patients.  On December 23^rd I chose the passage from Luke 2 to read together with my Muslim colleagues.  I usually say a few words (as the only Christian at the table) before praying.  When I was speaking about how special this passage was to me, I began to cry.  My colleagues have never seen me cry in 4+ months so they were truly amazed.  I think just speaking about this amazing event of God coming to earth so humbly and notifying shepherds, who were among the poor people of the time struck me as so beautiful at that moment.  That coupled with the fact that I’m basically ministering Christ’s love to the people of Bangladesh on a daily basis and building relationships with my colleagues who are of a different faith, struck me as so special it brought tears to my eyes.  I feel truly blessed to be here, at this time, doing what I’m doing. 

Christmas Eve service

Christmas cake!

My family on Christmas Eve

Christmas was filled with parties and visiting others.  Dec 23^rd was our doctor’s party.  Christmas eve was a candlelight church service followed by a party at our medical director’s house and a party at my house with the other foreigners who are single/without family.  These 2 parties happened simultaneously, so I made a 15min appearance at the medical director’s house then back to my house.  The party at my house was another potluck similar to thanksgiving (no turkey this time, but we had a ham!).  We ate and ate, sung Christmas carols, played games, exchanged gifts, and ate some more.  I was introduced to Christmas pudding and Christmas cake (English traditions) and we had a really wonderful time celebrating together like family.  It was cold outside (and inside since there’s no central heat here) but it felt warm that night in this house.  Christmas day we had church in a tent followed by lunch in the same tent (goat curry).  After lunch, I went with Louise to visit some of the houses of other Christian Bangladeshis, which is their tradition.  They serve pita (cakes/sweets) and tea.  After 3 houses, it was 6:00 at night and I had been basically wearing a sari for 3 days so I was done.  I went home and got into my sweats and called my family.  The video even worked for enough time so I could see them opening presents. 

The tent

Lunch in the tent with the Kim family

New Year’s Eve is a little different here since they have a different calendar in Bangladesh and celebrate a different New Year as well.  But there was a “picnic” at 9:30 at night with food and a bonfire with my doctor colleagues.  Unfortunately, I never made it to the party because I was called to assist with a cesarean hysterectomy at the hospital.  When I got done, it was still before midnight, but the party was over.  What about ringing in the New Year with a countdown?  I guess not this group of people!  I had a snack and went to bed, wishing my family Happy New Year via text message. 

Imty's puppies (I was missing my Panini on Christmas)

The last few days I have been sick and have spent a lot of time in bed resting and trying to heal, so please pray for my continued health.  Also, now that it is 2015, I’m starting to think about returning to America.  I’m not really ready for that, so pray that in the next 6 weeks I will be ready because it’s happening.  There are plenty of issues to deal with when I return, so I’m praying that God works them out and helps me not worry about them.

We were asked at our bible study Friday what our New Year’s resolutions are.  My friend Hannah said she decided on a verse for the year instead of a resolution.  I’m going to copy her with Matthew 6:25-27:

Christmas Day with Hannah

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Again, thank you all for taking the time to read this, and for all of your prayers!

Angela