We had a great weekend at Chisamba Safari Lodge with Elsa and Lars and their children. Luke tried swimming for the first time and Richard held a snake for the first time. It was good to get aware and good to spend time outside of the Mission with our friends.

Lars is a teacher at the High School and is a great guy. Elsa is the children's doctor at the hospital and is a remarkable lady. Chikankata are very blessed to have them here I wrote an article about 3 women as part of a series of article of Women of Faith involved in women's ministries within the Salvation Army. It has now been published in 3 different SA periodicals now. Here is the extract on Elsa....

When Dr. Elsa is on call at The Salvation Army’s Chikankata Hospital—where Catherine works on the administrative staff—she often races to the rambling white building at 3 AM to deal with an emergency.

It may be a mother from a nearby village with serious complications who requires an immediate Caesarian section to deliver her baby. Dr. Elsa, trained and ready, focuses on the problem in the operating room and sees it solved before returning home for a couple of hours of sleep before she begins her first ward rounds at 7:30 AM. Being a doctor at a Salvation Army hospital is no ordinary job, but then Dr. Elsa is no ordinary doctor.

Elsa Bjorkqvist left her home in Sweden to work at the Chikankata Mission Hospital in July 2006. Deep in rural Zambia, Chikankata is virtually a million miles from the practice and lifestyle she left behind in northern Scandinavia. Her journey took her from one of the best healthcare systems in the world to one of the worst, if World Health Organization statistics are accurate. According to Dr. Elsa, however, this is what she wanted to do since she was a teenager. “I’ve always had a calling to work with those in poverty and the marginalized, especially women and children,” she says.

With a 200-bed general hospital, six rural health centers and daily mobile clinics for children and HIV/AIDS patients, Chikankata Hospital has provided both facility and community-based healthcare to people of all ages for over 60 years. As one of only three doctors serving a catchment area population of over 80,000 people, Dr. Elsa shoulders responsibility for care of women and children in the hospital and surrounding communities. This means balancing the demands of mothering her own three children with serving as hospital doctor in a land where almost 20% of the people are HIV positive, and one in five children die before age five.

Dr. Elsa is called upon to do anything and everything. She can be found in the operating room, the outpatient department or the HIV/AIDS Center. She travels out with the mobile clinics and accompanies the League of Mercy members on home-based care visits each month.

Dr. Elsa daily sees mothers of young children who need health education, plus emotional and spiritual support. Add this to the pediatric and maternity wards plus with malaria patients and malnourished children. Clearly her ministry represents a holistic approach that most of us talk about but never see. The women in the region know Dr. Elsa and are well aware of her care, commitment and compassion for them.

For Dr. Elsa, working at Chikankata is much more than a medical practitioner’s job; it’s a ministry. She says she feels free and liberated to be working in an Army hospital, for she can minister to each patient every day during her rounds. “I always try to spend some time with the women, to pray with them and just be a presence,” she says. “I want them to see that I love them, but more important, that God loves them.”

Zambian rural culture means that polygamy, plus other demeaning and risky sexual rituals are widely practiced. The role of women is usually subordinate to men; they are often treated as second class citizens. Dr. Elsa says, “One of the most important aspects of my ministry is to encourage women and point out the positive things they do as mothers.”

While the medical side of her job is important, Dr Elsa believes it is only one part of her holistic approach to working with women. “I want the women in our area,” she declares, “to know they are valued and special to God.”

Walking away from the hospital, Dr. Elsa is stopped by a woman, a widow whose six-year-old son is ill with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. He’s a patient in the hospital. The woman thanks the smiling doctor for all she has done for her child; then she places a bag of groundnuts from her own garden into Dr. Elsa’s hands.Then stepping close so she can hug the doctor, the woman says she is a Christian and her faith has grown stronger because of Dr. Elsa’s work and ministry at the hospital.

It seems Jesus always has time for the women of our world, thereby demonstrating their value to Him, and in Zambia Catherine and Elsa obviously have time, profitable, well-spent time, for them, too.

YOU WHAT?!

What I actually said to the newspaper reporter:

"I can confirm that a meeting took place between myself, a doctor and the HRH Chieftainess Mwenda regarding the matter you are referring to. All other questions will need to be directed to the District Director of Health."

What appear in two national newspapers this weekend:

"Chikankata Hospital Authorities worried over increased cases of defilement

Mazabuka, 09 February,2008 ZANIS......Authorities at Chikankata Mission Hospital in Mazabuka have expressed worry at the increased cases of defilement being attended too by medical staff at the health institution.

Hospital Administrator, Mr Richard Bradbury told ZANIS in Mazabuka today that most children admitted to the Children's ward where victims of sexual assault.

Mr Bradbury said the hospital management has since sought the intervention of Chieftainess Mwenda to help sensitise communities on the dangers of defiling under aged children.

He said the rate at which girls are defiled in the area is worrying and called for the protection of under aged girls from sexual abuse.

And Chieftainess Mwenda has confirmed receiving a team of senior hospital staff led by administrator, Richard Bradbury.

She said the team complained that girls as young as 10 years were frequently being defiled and receive treatment at the hospital while suspected defilers are left scot free because of the absence of Police in the area.

Chieftainess said she will not allow the scourge to continue because it is ruining the lives of children."

Three points;

1. Amazing what you can get from one sentence.

2. Most children are admitted to the children's ward with Malaria, Pheumonia or Malnutrition

3. The increase is due to increased awareness amongst community members and now at least they are actually bringing the children to the hospital for treatment.

"My Friend, Bwana, Mr. Richard"

Today I was woken at 5.45am with someone at the door telling me that my friend Nathan had died. It made me very sad. Nathan used to always address me in a very loud voice, the same way every time he saw me; "My friend, Bwana, Mr. Richard" befor proceding to talk to me. Bwana means boss in Tonga. It will be one of those things we remember about Chikankata.

Nathan was a psychiatric patient but a man of great intelligence. Heidie and I 'look after' a number of waifs and strays one way or another, usually with food or soap or clothes. The services for patients with mental health problems in Zambia is poor so most are managed by local hospitals and community members as best they can. But Zambians are not so politically correct when it comes to such issues and he often got a hard time.

Nathan would come and sit outside our house and we would give him some food and he was always so grateful. Always dirty, always carrying bags, more oftent than not shouting, Nathan would make us laugh alot. One time I gave him a big bag of clothes including a pair of boxer shorts. The next day I see him wearing every single item of clothing I had given him and the boxers were over his trousers. He also talked alot about Major Young who had obviously had a great influence on him.

I have been so touched by how so many people have approached me this morning and have referred to Nathan as my friend. Nathan was my friend and I was proud to have known him. I went this morning in my car to pick his body and bring it to the hospital and I had a deep sense of sadness but a real feeling of joy that at least for this man he is now at peace and will be shouting and making the people upstairs laugh.

Rest in Peace, my friend.

FAMILY UPDATE....

Highlight of the week for me was on Saturday. Each month we have a shopping trip to Lusaka. Here we basically have to buy our groceries for the month (my worst nightmare). As we were driving home we drove over the bridge spanning the Kafue River. We saw huge herd of hippos. I thought to myself that I don't reckon that's going to happen as we drive home from Tescos or Sainsbury's when we are back in the UK in a few months.

Luke (now generally known as Luka, as is the Tonga pronounciation) is getting longer by the day and is now beginning to sleep through the night till about 5am. Hallelujah, Praise the Lord. I have had two long sleeps this weekend

And then there's Ronaldo. I've noticed that it is a trend among some bloggers to list the books they've read during the previous year so I have decided to do something similar

Books Ronaldo has eaten during 2007

Imitations of Christ - Thomas a Kempis

Revelations - New King James Version

Never Admit to Biege - Jonathan Drape

Last 2 chapters of Revelation - New International Version

Others - Chick Yuill

Quite an impressive list, I'm sure you'll agree.

This week Ronaldo has also attended prayers twice, a talk on Home Based Care, a meeting about the future of our ART (HIV/AIDS) clinic and attended the Holiness meeting today. It's like she knows she belongs to me and feels like she can do whatever she likes and go wherever she wants. And everyone encourages her! She is such a great dog and Heidie is already thinking of ways to bring her back to UK in May.

.....BUT MOST OF ALL YOU'VE LET YERSELF DOWN

2008 has not been so good on the blogging front. 1 post in one month is the worst ever yet. Sorry about that - Here are my excuses;

1) Electricity has been particularly bad this year. We have also had some rolling blackout across the country – a knock on from problems in South Africa. One evening it seems the whole of sub-Saharan Africa was blacked out. It does not bode well for the future.
2) Our e-mail servers have been hit by thunder and power surges. It is also raining a lot – too much! The e-mail system is severely interrupted during the rains and storms. We are so grateful for Kennedy “Mr. IT” Nakaanga. He does a brilliant job in very difficult circumstances.
3) We have had loads of visitors already this year. Always a great pleasure and blessing. So far they have been here from the UK, Norway, USA (x3), Denmark, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia.
4) A wee bout of malaria or man flu or something like that!
5) I have been a little bit distracted. We have spent a lot of time thinking and praying over our future (still!) This is tricky! We feel its right to come but as things stand we are worried about what will happen here when we go. I have spent a lot of time trying to sort out the finance for the year. It’s not looking good for 2008 but to be fair, it never does in January. This year will are going to have to raise about $300,000 outside current funding. It’s a big deal but God has been faithful in the past, it’s up to us to trust, pray and figure out a plan!
6) Just plain tired. My main ally and friend, Martin, has left for a new job in Lusaka. I am having to cover some of his tasks as well my own and others. Luke is teething so sleep is disrupted – bless him. Not a great time for resting. I am falling asleep earlier and therefore not writing or working late into the night as I used to.

So there’s my reasons – I will try to do better in February. However I have been inspired by friends John and Rochelle in Zimbabwe. Things there are not good there and the people need our prayers. Rochelle writes in a much more insightful way than me (see http://johnandrochelle.blogspot.com/ ) and gives some really great experiences of Christian living in a community and missional way. I have gone with their theme Bible verse for the year from Romans 12: 12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” It’s a kind of solidarity. I too hope than I can love this out.

Finally, HIV for Children in Zambia is awful, even more so when the treatment is there but the child is not able to access it due to the fears of the parents. Two weekends ago we lost so many children, among them many of the children we visited on Christmas Day and in the early days of 2008. I was so sad but felt so priviliedged so share with them on this special day. Please also pray for Dr. Elsa, who is in charge of the children’s ward. She is such a lovely Christian lady, who bring hope just by her presence. But it is an emotional and physical struggle for her. Below is a couple of pictures. One is with a child that was treated and discharged, one of the children who sadly passed away. It’s not right that the innocent die of this awful disease!

Finally, well done to the staff of Maternity, who for the first time for many years, maybe even ever, recorded a ZERO maternal mortality rate in their ward. That’s right a big fat O! So many reasons to be thankful.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM

P.P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - ALAN MacD