The Nitty, Gritty, and Gross!

This week saw us learning about gastro-intestinal diseases and infections that – these most commonly are diarrhoeal in nature! In addition to this we started learning a hands on approach to patient examination. This included feeling the abdominal quadrants for irregularities, learning the location of the lymph nodes, and listening to irregular breathing patterns just to name a few.
I really enjoyed the learning this week as the majority was hands on. Much of the anatomy and physiology was just reiterated information - stuff I had previously learned in my undergrad. The practical component, on the other hand, was something new for all of us. We learned patient examination (see image) such as feeling for abdominal irregularities, finding lymph node associated with various diseases, and listening to regular and irregular respirations. The school is finally in full swing and although it is rather easy in terms of difficulty it is still life-saving and extremely practical. This is one of the joys of being in a school like this. The majority of all deaths in these impoverished nations are easily preventable just by taking simple precautionary measures that can be taught or taught by ANYONE. I think that God really desires for us as a people to stay healthy and to take care of ourselves. Therefore He has made it simple for all of us to be hygienic and clean. I find that the more schooling that I am doing, the more excited I am become to go to Africa and actually implement what I have learned.
In addition to the GI diseases, we learned about nutrition and lack there of (malnutrition). It was odd to hear stories from our instuctor (a nurse who has spent over 10 years of her life in Mozambique) about children dying just due to lack of food only eating one type of food. It is also interesting to see just how much our culture affects the developing nations. For example, Avacados are really a super food because they are rich in proteins, essential nutrients, and energy in the form of carbohydrates. Yet many people in these nations do not eat this readily available and affordable food. They often believe that these foods are not good for you for just that reason – because they are cheap. In fact, healthy foods are most often equated with price. The higher the price, the healthier the food. Going by this logic, potatoes (not as readily available in Uganda) are more nutritious than say bananas. It is simple things errors and beliefs like this that can easily be changed just by proper health education. Yet some of the consequences of poor nutrition are ghastly. For example, Rickets –caused by a deficiency of Vitamin D- will give an individual bowed legs for the rest of their lives. Or take Xeropthalia, due to a simple lack of Vitamin A, can result in an optical ulcer or even blindness.
This week also gave me the opportunity to visit London. This is the second time that I was able to see London for a weekend. I recall the first time I went to London I was overwhelmed by the big city. One could say that I fell victim to the lure of what London had to offer. I fell in love at first site. Yet this time I was really able to see London from a different perspective. I didn’t realize just how skewered my point of view has been over the past few years. Yet after living with a load of people that are living example of the gospel, one can only be changed. This time in London had a different feel to it. This time its vanity didn’t seduce me. In fact, I was able to see the all the marketing and bedazzling for what they really were. London is a great city, but in the end it is just a city, like any other. Perhaps in the past I idolized London for all that it had to offer.
While in London I had an epiphany. I was sitting in the middle of a park enjoying the sun when I realized just how happy I was then and there in the moment. It sounds trivial I know. It wasn't the fact that I was just happy or content. For the first time in ages I was, dare I say it, thankful! And thankful to God (this just keeps sounding crazier every moment!). I keep viewing myself as 'not one of those people in church' that is openly thanking God in front of everybody because, quite frankly, I am not always thankful. But this was one of those genuine times in which I was actually truly thankful. I think it maybe has to do with God slowly renewing me more and more daily (or something like that - you know you've heard it all before). It really brings a new dynamic to the relationship when you can say your thankful and actually mean it, when it is not forced. I think every week God is doing something small like this in my life. By the end of the five months it will be many small things which will hopefully equate a big change.

Worldview, poverty and health.

  
Worldview, poverty and health.
This week we have been learning about biblical worldviews. It is so interesting to see how one’s view is shaped. The lecturer started the class by asking us the simple question: “is the world changing for the better or is it changing for the worse?” I think as westerners our natural inclination is to say that the world is getting worse. By just being inebriated by the scandals of the world via the media, there really is not another way of viewing the world.
What about a black person from South Africa? Certainly since the fall of the Apartheid their lives have gotten better. Yet a white South Africaner who left the Country years ago, on the other hand, may state that the country is going to the dogs. We, as westerners have a worldview different from other parts of the world. Therefore, we must be open and willing to hear other points of views if we are to be effective servants of Christ.
As a health school, there is a huge focus on serving the poor and needy – in other words the sick. Often our worldview instills in us the false belief that these impoverished people are also stupid and inept at life. It is thus easy to even subconsciously have a superiority complex. How we have forgotten that these people are also created in God’s image? Our God does not make mistakes.
One aspect of training this week was on poverty. Poverty is a unique issue in that it not only incapacitates the individual physically through lack of food and water, it also destroys the individual mentally and spiritually through feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness, and loneliness.
This week’s teaching has been an amazing. I feel as if my eyes have really been opened up to various aspects of health that I would have otherwise never even welcomed the thought of. If anyone is interested in community health initiatives as a means of evangelism I highly recommend the book Jamkhed.
Once a week the base comes together to worship. But once a month there is a larger worship session in the evening with invited guests from friendly churches and such. This week was when we had the monthly meeting. At the centre of the room was a cross. Through my time here God has been slowly ebbing away my walls of comfort. So often I find that I desire for God to change me, yet more often than not it is myself that hinders these changes. This week I was praying for God to truly break me and to reshape me. I was emotionally and spiritually high (perhaps relying on these euphoric feelings too much). But God asked me to bow down to Him first before He would initiate such a change in me from the inside. I thought to myself “Bow down? I don’t ever speak up in church or do things that would bring attention to be like that in church. That is for other types of people, surely not me. I just like to sit in the background.” But God was adamant. How was he going to bring about change in my spirit if I wasn’t even willing to bow down in surrender to Him? I think God wants to bring about change in so many of us, but we just need to fully surrender to Him before his is willing to do so. The simple act of bowing on my knees is really nothing if you think about it. Yet my initial reaction was to say ‘No!’
How often in my life I have wanted change, but have not surrendered. This concept of surrender is not new to me either. It is kinda funny… or I guess I should say odd. I know that as soon as I surrender to God that He will bring about change. Yet everytime God asks me to surrender I hesitate. You’d have thought that I would have learnt my lesson by now.
Getting back to the story I finally did surrender. The simple act of bowing down was more difficult than I had expected. I think that it is the difficult things we do truly bring about change. As soon as I bowed down a peace came over me – a peace I can only describe as the peace of God. I was able to surrender to God various issues and worries in my life that had really bound me.
I don’t want to preach to people but rather share that we have a God that wants to change us from the inside. We just have to be willing to initiate that change ourselves and he will gladly take over!
For those of you who are laboriously reading my blogs each week I thank you. I hate asking for prayer, but please pray that God would continue to renew me in His image, and that I would be open to this and willing to obey. For those of you who LOVE to write letters I must admit that it is a real joy here at the base to receive a letter from abroad. If you feel so inclined to share what God is doing in your life or just to send a letter of encouragement I would be most appreciative. My address here is:

James Mullen
c/o The King’s Lodge
Watling Street
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
CV10 0TZ
England

First week in England

            Well I've arrived safe and sound in England. After a week long bout of jetleg (worse than I've ever had before), my body has finally adjusted to the time change. The school is so far very interesting. It is a combination of curative medicine and preventative medicine. In other words, the school focuses on addressing the present disease and wound needs such as prescribing medications and wound care. However, the school has a large focus on health education. Since a majority of diseases that we will be dealing with are easily prevented, health education has the greatest ability to bring about change.

             There are four students in my school along with four staff: Chelan, a fellow Canadian; Kelda, from Switzerland; Linda, from England; Rose, Caroline, and Lyn - all British; and Lucena, Philippino.  We've decided to do the practical component of the school in Uganda.  Many of the staff have been to Uganda on previous occasions so they already have a good rapport with the locals there.

              Being back in Youth With a Mission (YWAM) was a bit of a shock for me since I have been away from it for the past 5 years.  I am used to the academic component of any schooling.  However, YWAM also has a huge emphasis on personal and spiritual development.  Therefore I often am spending a large portion of my time doing readings and devotions.  Having done solely academic before at University, I can see just how important personal and spiritual development is in regards to education.  YWAM is not only teaching, they are raising future leaders.  

               The base, like most YWAM bases, is an eclectic cultural soup.  There are individuals here from England, Scotland, Whales, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Norway, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Philippines, Canada, U.S.A, Malaysia, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Egypt.  Like a said, quite the mix!  I love being surrounded by all of the cultures.  Everyone is so different yet we are all here united by one God and one faith.  It is so crazy to see so many cultures working together - especially community living - in a manner that works!  

               I normally am busy from morning to night Mondays to Fridays.  This consists of classes, intercession, worship, work duties, meals, and devotions.  Every Tuesday or Wednesday we have a local doctor come in to teach us about various health things.  In addition, two of the staff members of the schools are nurses.  One has spent over ten years living in Africa!   

               This week we learned about Primary Health Care, what it is and what is its purpose.  In addition we started with human anatomy and physiology, health education, and taking vital signs.  I must say that wearing a stethoscope around my neck feels very natural.  During our health education class we were asked what we thought were some of the main causes of diseases were.  Every answer we stated was a typical western answer such as poor hygiene, infection, poor diet, overpopulation (not a lot of space), poisons etc.  We never thought to say things like sin, spiritual bondage, worry etc.  Yet these are biblical principles!  Not only that, but the people that we will be trying to educate and work with in Uganda are very spiritual.  It is so easy to get caught up in our own worldview.  In the west we tend to focus just on scientific and logic-based health methods.  How on earth are we to tend to the health needs of the malnurished if we come to them with an attitude of superiority or we dismiss many of their religious beliefs.  Many tribes have witchdoctors, therefore; often the individuals being treated will search out a physical cure (ie. medicine) as well as a spiritual cure.  Both cures have equal importance to these people.  This was an eye-opener to me.  If I am to truly have faith in God, then why would I dismiss such ways of thinking.  If God exists, then the spiritual realm must exist as well.  

           God is definately doing a work in me.  I am excited to see refreshment from God in my life as well as to see how he guides this school.