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Letters from Liberia

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Our fellow Christ Follower, Dr. Ken Magee, was recently in Liberia with The Northwest Medical Teams
Here are some excerpts from his letters home.

 

July 8, 2004
Dear Jo,Family and Others, We just had our first day of clinic work in Liberia. Very interesting. Basically I and Mary worked with two Liberian nurses, translators and one running the pharmacy to see a fair load of patients. I'm sure we will get speedier as time progresses. Saw quite a bit of malaria, lots of diarrhea and other infections. There is so much poverty here and people trying to get by. It is basically a beautiful country with very lush vegetation and most of the houses made of bamboo and mud with various roof thatching. We have a little kitty in our house that tries to get in the cupboards, likes to jump up on things and loves to be petted. It is humid. Today, as we left the clinic at the refugee camp and the driver was loading our Toyota, I was standing behind it watching and a little hand reached up in mine and held on. Soon another little hand joined it and a group of kids about the age of our Circle of Friends gathered about. How nice. We are well cared for. Walked on the nearby beach a bit this evening. There is much more to report but enough for now. Much love to you Jo and to our family and friends. Ken

July 11, 2004
Dear Jo, Family and Friends,
Today is our day off, and I am enjoying it immensely. We went to a church service this morning made up entirely of Liberians, other than for our nurse, Mary, and myself. Lots of good music with plenty of rhythm accompanied by drums and a keyboard at times. The preaching was long.
I've spent three days in camps, seen lots of malaria and other such ailments. Many are anemic but we have no way of getting blood counts so we just look at their conjunctiva, tongue and palms.
We've seen several for whom we'd like to do more, but such isn't possible. A man near my age was brought to me in a wheelbarrow, because he couldn't walk and had fallen from a height two weeks before. His hip was not deformed, but it was intensely painful to try to move at all. I suspect he has a fracture but there is no way to get it X-rayed, let alone repaired. Hence I had him taken home to stay inactive for another four weeks and then to gradually start moving again. Hopefully it is not so displaced but that it will heal. Yesterday I saw a lady with a left lower quad mass that was a bit tender. I fear bad stuff but went ahead and treated her for diverticulitis as there are no beds available in the few open hospitals, let alone means to do an adequate work-up or a surgeon to operate. Such are the realities.
Kids: I love the children. Poverty is rampant. Little else. Little churches are everywhere.
Then why have their been such horrendous killings and wars? I ask the questions to many. Answers?
"Many people want to be head man." "Power" "Jealousy." "The common preaching that God wants us financially wealthy." etc.
Last night we ate with the head of the police force that is being formed under the UN here in Liberia. He is a Christ follower who was formerly the head of the LA and then the Portland, OR police Depts. First name of Mark, wife is Diane. He says they are working hard to weed out any people who have been involved in atrocities or dishonesty handling money or other corruption. They are then giving each group a three months course with a new group of 150 each month. It is a formidable task. Apparently many from the 16 political parties in the country come to him presenting their cards that say "The Honorable Such and Such." He says he takes little note of that and that the really honorable people are ones like the little lady sweeping in front of an administration building each day and the little policeman near the UN headquarters who salutes everyone, smiles at them and waves them in the right direction. How do we help people to center on God rather than themselves and their own selfish interests? How do we excite them to wage peace?
I asked if any in Liberia were teaching "love your enemies." Apparently few.
The little kitty keeps us entertained.
Love to you all, Ken

July 14, 2004
Dear Circle of Friends and Others,
(the "Circle" refers to Ken's Church School children's class)
We have had a busy day every day lately. The house we stay in is very close to the beach and if there is time I get to walk in the warm salt water and pick up pretty rocks and small shells. I will bring some home. Men in big canoes push their boats out through the breakers and put fish nets over the side. OFTEN they are very busy baling out water. I went out to see what they were catching this evening and it included three small sharks.
This evening I and Mary, the good nurse who I work with, went over to a little hospital to see Flomo, the twelve year old boy we admitted two days ago. He seemed a little better but is yet a very ill boy (pictures and more about Flomo). Yesterday when I went by he kept saying, "Go with you? Go with you?" His mother stays with him. She is a good lady.
You should see the bugs around here. The cockroaches are almost as big as mice. The other day I opened a drawer in the kitchen area and one about that big went scurrying away.
We see many sick children and older people. It makes us sad that there are often things that are not possible to do in this country. One thing I will teach you when I get home is the Liberian handshake. It is very different and fun. Do pray for the people here. They have suffered very much. And pray that I will do a good job of taking care of them. I am taking pictures.
Love to you all, Ken, Dad, GP, and Boom

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Captured, a Story from Liberia with pictures

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