Hi Everyone!!! Reminder: pls email to: cbtruxton@hisen.org and put as the subject line: "shermeen" WOW, can you believe I've been gone now for 3 weeks?? I really don't know where to start and what to tell you because it seems like so much happens within a day, let alone an entire week!! But as you may have noticed, I say this everytime and then end up writing this massive email. So, oh well.... Praise God we have managed to stay out of sick bay. All three of us did get sick in the first week, but we are all now I think immune to the bugs in the water....Helena, Keith and I are bonding well and managing well. We started our first week of medical ministry on Monday. I picked Paediatrics to start first!!! My first welcome procedure was to observe and help with 2 circumcisions....HA!! I'm not kidding!!! OUCH! Sometimes they don't use anesthetics here and that bugs me...Ya. I basically go to the wards in the morning, do morning rounds with the docs and then do some self-study in the hospital library. I really enjoy doing this because then I have some kind of theoritical understanding after seeing lots of practical stuff. ie. malaria, renal failure, neonatal tetanus etc... A hightlight was seeing little Alfred come out of his coma from cerebral malaria....a downner was seeing Yakbu who has chronic renal failure...she has severe edema but there's really nothing we can do for her...we don't have dialysis, only one hospital in the city does but it costs too much....Please realise how blessed we are in Canada! My biggest joy has been playing/ministering to the surgical outpatients in Paeds. THey teach me Hausa, I come in with balloons, stickers, songs, crayons, camera etc... Got to share the gospel with them using the kids 'gospel glove'....They've taught me several Christian songs in Hausa...since they've missed about a month of school from their injuries, I went in on Thurs and taught them alitte bit about Canada etc... Not only do I get to play with them, but I get to socialise and talk to their parents, which is great!! They have about as much fun making fun of my Hausa as I do trying to converse in it!! On Friday they drew pictures for me to put in my room.... I also got to help clean and care for the premies in the Paeds ICU...yikes, not my most favourite places. It's so sad and they are so small and I can't really carry a conversation with them. So after about 12 noon, I basically finish my clinical stuff and have free time. Many of the late afternoons though we have resident lectures/rounds, M & M mtgs, journal club etc...so we do have stuff later, but mostly, it's God-time after work. It's been great. If I can sum it all up, because there is just too much: God is God and He is Awesome. He has taught me so very much and has made me 'be still' and 'quiet' before Him, it's incredible. Today, my prayer was that I will be totally surrendered and conscrated and desire to know Him more...yes, more intimacy with my Lord!!! I still don't know any specifics, but that's one of the lessons: that I don't need to know. I just want to know Him first and foremost and allow Him to lead me wherever He takes me for the next step. I want to know 10 steps in advance but that's not how it works...funny, it's back to blind trust again and I'm loving it!! Africa is Africa, it's great, it's funny, it's hot and it's EXOTIC...ha! Yesterday, oh, got to tell you about yesterday, and I'll end it then. We had our first big adventure out by ourselves doing some shopping yesterday. We took two taxis to get to where we wanted to go "safeway" and the "bituri veg market" (white man's veg market) and the big adventure was the journey there (remember Nigerian traffic???), and bargainning, and then the stress of trying to get back with all our stuff in time before Friday Muslim Prayers started (because Jos is still apprehensive about Friday tensions.... By the way, Jos is calm and safe now, the curfew is still on, but now only from 7pm to 6am...but on Fridays everyone stays home after 2pm just in case something erupts). So, God provided. One of the missionaries' driver/helpers spotted us and took us home and we were just dandy and fine!! Then at night, we had all the missionary kids come over to our house. Gosh, it was the best!! We played games, sang songs, had Bible stories, ate....honestly, I much rather do this all day everyday (play with kids and build into them) then even pursue medicine....which is rather alarming to me sometimes...but then again, why not? Whatever.... I'd say Friday night with the kids probably was the most enjoyable thing to date. I am loving it here. It's safe and it's fun and it's a challenge. I do miss all of you though. Africa is still Africa....I am more made aware daily that I'm not African. (darn!) This couldn't have been a more 'missionary' hospital. We pray before and after our meetings, learning sessions etc...and they have a real heart for loving people and ministering to a person wholistically!! God is being glorified here and it's awesome to watch these docs and nurses be Christ-centred. So much more to say, but you get the gist of it. Please keep praying for us not to get sick, for us to be safe, for us to continue to have a teachable heart, for God to direct our paths, for us to not get on each others' nerves, for us to be ambassadors for Christ in a culture that is rather different from ours. I love you all! thanks! shermeen