Hannah’s grandparents, David and Lorene, have been in Timor for a week with us.  We are in Baucau today, after most of a week in Lospalos.  Most of the story is theirs to tell, but I have to share a bit.  

Lospalos has been a wilderness experience for them.  No laundry facilities, no regular electricity or running water.  No refrigerator. and most of all, no cell phone or internet access to speak of.  I realize just how much I have gotten used to this, but am refreshed in memory of my first few months here, when the lack of these creature comforts was true hardship.  

David and Lorene have been wonderful, and in my opinion, their stay is much too short.  Everyone here was in awe that they were only going to be here a little over a week. (Not a month or 2? people asked)  That speaks to how we all gauge time, I think.  In Timor, things move slowwwww; in America, we are always rushing. Imagine, when was the last time you took a month to do anything leisurely? Would you do it now?  

Anyway, out here in the wilderness, I realize a whole month has gone by and I haven’t written an email. that is because I have not been to a computer.  And, Simon, Hannah and I spent our first several days alone without Tom 3 weeks ago as he was a chauffer around Timor for some guests of our NGO, Fusona (church NGO here in Timor).  I had all the women around me taking turns with Simon, and of course Hannah loves and is loved by all the community here.  So, my single parenting turned out to be very low stress.  Could I ask for more?

I have begun teaching in earnest of late.  I am beginning a mini-school here with the staff to build their capacity as health care providers.  None of the 5 women have been to nursing school.  Some have taken trainings in laboratory or pharmacy, and 3 have worked at this clinic for an average of 10 years.  Yet, when I asked them what a normal heart rate was, no one could tell me, nor did they know where your heart exactly was located in your body.  OK, maybe I am too demanding, maybe you are saying to yourself, geez, I don’t know the answer to those questions either.  Well, when someone has worked in a clinic for so long, treating very ill people at times, I do think these are fair things to know, and I do think someone should teach these staff about medicine.  So, I am.

We began last week with an overview of anatomy and physiology of systems (digestive, nervous, etc).  Then a class on cell biology.  Next was microbiology (bacteria, parasites, etc).  They were all in disbelief at first when I told them we all have lots of bacteria on and in our bodies all the time, even when we are healthy.  A good conversation about bacteria and worms in feces followed, with some more eye-opening information.  I am starting to tap into their consciousness about how hygiene and sanitation play a leading role in health issues here.  At least I hope I am.

Time to sign off, more soon!

Monica