To Whom Much is Given

As I finally fell asleep last night, the phrase in a verse in Luke 12 "to whom much is given, much is required," kept rolling around in my mind. Please allow it to simmer in yours.



We lost the husband this morning, he was gone before the sun rose. Such a fighter. He fought with us 9 days. I don't know how many days he was sick before he came to see us.

Sierra Leoneans are a friendly people and have a touch-oriented culture. Because of Ebola, they have had to limit physical contact which has been quite hard on them. They are also a cautious & suspicious people; and there are many myths believed about Ebola throughout the communities. Some people believe westerners inflicted this dreadful pestilence on them because we wanted to make money off of them by developing medicines they must buy to get better. It reminds them all too much of AIDS. With HIV, they were told to "limit physical contact and avoid body fluids, use condoms..." Sound familiar? Then extremely expensive drugs were made to combat HIV but they were initially quite difficult to acquire. Hauntingly familiar; their suspicions  make logical sense.

Also, there is a belief that the nurses who took care of one of the first Ebola patients stole his money and he cursed them before he died which is why so many healthcare workers have gotten sick.

There is another belief that the chlorinated water we spray is actually poison and that is why so many people are dying. And, as it is poison, that is why we wear the suits.

One individual may believe one or all of the aforementioned beliefs. Viruses aren't visible to the naked eye, only their effects are. Others do not even believe Ebola is real. I have seen a few graffiti signs around the community that say, "Ebola is real" and "Beware of Ebola."

Slowly the people are beginning to seek care earlier on in their sickness, and returning survivors to their communities has helped tremendously. But health literacy is quite low, and many survivors continue to be ostracized by their communities :-(

IMC hopes to help Sierra Leone rebuild their health care system but that will take time and tremendous effort. The country has to have zero cases for 42 days before it can be declared "Ebola free." During that time, we will be able to have training seminars in our ETC. We hope to convert it into a clinic when the outbreak is done. We have already started our seminars. Today's was on malaria. Dr. Jean and I hope to do one on pain management and palliative care soon.

Thanks, y'all, for your encouraging words and prayers. Thank you for lifting me up on the difficult days. It is greatly appreciated :-)