The Hospital and Orphanage

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We headed out to Elwa and Zubu today for a long day of fulfilling activities. In Elwa we visited a hospital and were split up to volunteer in different departments. They put me with the midwives. I've never been in a delivery room, much less a Liberian delivery room and it was quite an experience. I sat with a woman having contractions lying uncomfortably on a small bed with only her Lapa (a long piece of patterned cloth used like a sarong) covering her waist. They allowed me to watch as they checked to see how far along she was. and later gave me a newborn to hold. Shortly after I observed as they weighed her (they had a new machine that they couldn't figure out how to calibrate) and then measured her (turning her upside down and holding a piece of tape to the infant's side.) A Physicians assistant from the states showed me the maternity ward. It was really upsetting to see two new mothers nursing their babies alongside two women who had just loss their children (one a stillborn, one because the placenta tore and she could not get to the hospital.) I couldn't imagine what those two childless women were feeling as they gazed upon these happy new moms. As for everyone else: The two boys worked in the Laundry room, throwing loads into an old rusted out washer and ironing as best they could; Joyce was at the Nurses' station and helped fill out the tops of charts, Kim spoke with the counseling department, and Moses and Helena walked around the entirety of the hospital. (Alberta has been with her family the past few days)

After a fanastic lunch of fried chicken, fried fish, rice, palm butter, potato greens and bananas at Helena's relatives' house we headed to Zubu to visit an orphanage. The devastation I felt at the hospital was relieved almost immediately. Children raced our van to its parking spot, waving and smiling. They led us (hand in hand) to their school house were they sat us in a place of honor, and then proceeded to sing and say a prayer for us. I was almost ashamed by the amount of attention they gave our arrival. After, we spent the next several hours just playing with them. The boys and Kim played soccer on the large field, and I taught the younger kids Duck, Duck, Goose. It took some explaining: intially they wouldyell "DUUUUUUUUUUCK" and chase eachother all over the place, but eventually they got it, placing me in the goose pot several times. We also had potato sack races and played some kickball. The young girls on the team bossed me around and literally pushed me into positions of the field instructing me with almost drill sergeant precision: "YOU, Catch ball here", and then when I took a picture instead of watching the game and subsequently missed a runner, I was told "Put it (the camera) in the bag now and play!". They made me laugh.

The day ended as the clouds quickly rolled in and began to drop buckets of water. The kids scattered with hasty goodbyes and we ran to our van.

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