Swaziland Medical Missions trip –Robert Moore
It’s not often that you hear of a missionary kid actually going on a mission trip. An MK’s life on the field could be viewed very simply as a highly extended mission trip. However, I recently had an opportunity to go on a mission trip not in my own country of residence, South Africa, but in the small, land-locked country of Swaziland. The mission: to try to meet the medical needs of the rural Swazi people we came into contact with and, of course, the purpose of any good mission trip- to spread the gospel.
The story really starts last year, when I had the privilege of having Dr Grant and Carey Barr as the volunteer leaders for the older youth of our AMTM. They learned that I was interested in studying medicine, and subsequently they gave me the chance to come on the next mission trip that they had planned in March 2009. Naturally I was thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of a medical mission trip, both because of the experience that I would gain and for the chance to learn more about the various fields of medicine and the differences between them.
Skip ahead to the next year about the same time, and you find me thinking about the trip, the school that I would miss because of it, and the function I would perform since I would be the least qualified/educated person there. This last thought worried me because I felt that I might not have a function other than to be there to learn. But, the chance to learn by itself was definitely enough motivation to go. With that, I resolved to be helpful, in any area that my help was needed or asked for. I was ready and excited for the trip and tried to keep in mind at all times that it is not I who should be working; it should be God working in and through me.
The team arrived on a Sunday evening; it was great to see everyone again- the team consisted of some people that I remembered, and others that I had never met before. There were 10 of them: 4 doctors, 1 physical therapist, 1 paramedic, 1 dental assistant, 2 teachers and the team leader, Rick. I made the team 11, but there was still ample room on the two Volkswagen vans (I mean this in African terms- the team might disagree with me). Anyway, the plan was to leave at about 6 in the morning, which meant an early, bleary-eyed trip.
The morning came, and surprisingly enough I was wide-awake for having had a 5am wakeup. It was still fairly difficult to shake the feeling that I would not really be needed on the team. However, that day we would not be going to any clinics so it did not matter. Instead, I focused my attention on picking the brains of the doctors that rode in the same vehicle as me. This was more difficult than you would think as the professionals were refreshing their knowledge of common diseases that don’t occur much in the States. So, after breakfast on the road, I switched vans to give those who had gone to school for longer than I had been alive- I’ll just call them the doctors - some study time.
The afternoon came, and after a fairly smooth border crossing (who knew permanent residency would hold things up?) we made our way to the guest house to settle in, shower, and be briefed for the next day. During the briefing I was given the post of working at triage. This helped me greatly: I now had an objective, and it was something I could do well. That night I prayed for a successful next day; that our team’s attitude would be a reflection Christ’s love; and that whatever the circumstance, it would not be us acting – it would be Christ.
The next day came quickly, and after a wonderful breakfast provided by the guest house, we were off to save some people! By this, I mean more spiritually really than physically, but both apply. The most interesting thing was that we would be working through translators. Once we had arrived at the church where we were going to set up, we began unloading the multiple trunks which contained the medications and supplies that the doctors would be using.
Always ahead of the game, Rick, our team leader, quickly devised a process for people to be treated effectively and promptly. I worked with the paramedic at the desk in the very of the building, as the first station that people would have to go through before they received care. I believe this post was necessary as it determined the doctor the patient would see, depending on their chief complaint. There were many interesting complaints: one lady complained that her arms became tired if she used them, to name but one. However, the hardest part of the job was not keeping a straight face as the patients rattled off their ailments, nor was it trying to keep the descriptions of their problems to a minimum, it was trying to accurately spell the names of the patients. This was the area that came more naturally for me, as one somewhat-native to Africa. I now could perform a fairly specific function that applied to my knowledge! As the day progressed it became obvious that there was a slightly better way of doing triage which was implemented the following day. The rest of the day saw a fairly good number of patients- not the most that week- but an amount that I could do other tasks as well. These included holding down children for procedures, handing out painkillers to mundane and vague ailments, and sitting in on diagnoses. All of these were great learning experiences for me and I am grateful for them.
The following days were similar in nature; some more busy than others, but all were filled with great opportunities and insight both from the team, and through the work that we did. I consider myself blessed to have been a part of that team. I know that God strengthened me spiritually as well as further confirmed my call towards medicine. I am also certain that the team was guided by God, because all of the team worked in harmony to accomplish the tasks that were at hand. There is no earthly possibility that the team could have worked that well without the Lord’s presence and provision. God has to receive all credit for the success of the trip, because all in all, He is the one who orchestrates eternity. We are mere vessels to be shaped and used by Him. I look forward to see what He will do in my life next…
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