Patients

It is hard to believe we are close to the end of our time in Togo. It felt like just yesterday we arrived in the port of Lome’ to provide hope and healing to the Togolese people. Hundreds of patients have walked the hospital halls of deck 3 and left walking on the gangway out to the dock, a healed transformed person.

There is Lawson that came in the first week of surgery to have this facial tumor removed. I was able to donate blood that he received during surgery.

Patients came with bowed legs and hand contractures that can now use their once deformed extremity to play like a normal child.

There are babies, like Marius, that came in starving, but left with a full belly and a new lip. These patients taught me so much as I took care of them in the OR and saw them on the ward. They taught me perseverance through suffering, strength that overcomes adversity, and most of all, love that conquers all barriers.

The patients that will be in my heart forever are my VVF ladies.

Afaua kept the faith, in Benin we had to put her on a waiting list because of her complicated fistula, but this year she received surgery. Then there was Deborah, who spoke small (little) English. I would look up verses in my Bible then she would look it up in her Ewe’ Bible, the local dialect, and then read it to all the other ladies on the ward. At her dress ceremony she shared she had been praying for healing like the lady in the Bible had been bleeding for 12 years.

This year was Deborah’s 12^th year of leaking urine and she is now dry. She taught me persistent in prayer. I had the privilege to love each one of ladies, like a human being should be loved. Being looked in the eyes when spoken too, holding their hand, being next to them even if they did smell like urine. I would see their ashamed frowns turn into smiles of joy. I could hear their songs of praise from the OR and take a few steps to watch them dance down the hospital corridor. All the ladies have showed me what true thankfulness looks like in their own words.

Most of all, I learned about love from my patients. Love translates into all languages, it communicates when nothing else is understood. I came here to show love to my patients, but in return they have taught what love can do. I know when I am in the right place, when “the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13)