Since arriving at the end of July, I have been here for about a month. It has gotten a lot easier mentally to be present with the kids and this helps counteract missing home. On the nursing side, I am dealing with a fever bug that has been going around for about two weeks, alongside various ailments the kids have. Additionally, seven new Student Missionaries arrived, the rats are bothering less, and everyone is settling into their new roles fairly well.

 

I will say that working as a nurse here is incredibly rewarding, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I have been given to care for these precious children. However, it is a job that one never really gets a break from. Even on days off, I try my best to be available to any calls or messages from house parents about sick kids. The last two weeks have been very difficult, and they’ve honestly been a blur. About everyday, a different kid has developed a fever that peaks in the evening and many get significantly high, therefore needing to be treated in the middle of the night. Luckily, Sierra (a past SM and the nurse who started this clinic) was here this week bringing the new SM's and providing assistance in various things, and I am so thankful for her being here. She helped me move an additional bed into the clinic for patients who may need close observation or care throughout the night.

 

The first patient to stay the night, was a two-year-old boy who had the fever bug, and a terrible productive cough. He had been sick for a while with a general cold, and we were treating him with nebulizing treatments and natural cold remedies. However, he developed a high fever of 104F, that would go down slightly with medications, but once they wore off, his temperature would shoot back up. I took him to the clinic so I could monitor his temperature throughout the night and to give the house parent (who was also sick) some much needed rest. Most kids were getting over this illness in about one to two days, so I hoped that this two-year-old would also be able to fight whatever infection he had, on his own. For the next two nights, I kept him in the clinic, with his temperature reaching 106F at one point (where I quickly stuck him in a cold shower). He was on a steady dose of acetaminophen for the temp, and electrolytes to try and keep him hydrated. His fever was very high and very stubborn, so eventually, it was no longer worth letting him try and fight it, so I had to give him an antibiotic injection. Luckily, by the next morning he was a lot better, still very dehydrated, but little to no temperature.

 

I was also reminded within these last few days, that nursing is not only about taking care of physiological needs, but also the mental side of things. In nursing school, I did not particularly like the mental health side of things, but it really is something that plays into every physiological case. One day, a house parent called to come check on a girl who had been crying and would not come out of her room. I entered the girl’s room and asked her if she wanted to talk. After a bit, she opened up and told me that something had reminded her that day of her brother who had died when she was eight. I let her share what she was feeling, and we were able to connect on certain life experiences. I told her that having bad days are completely normal and healthy, and I offered her a journal, so she could write her memories. After that she seemed a lot better and participated in activities and chores for the rest of the day. To be honest, keeping up therapeutic communication was challenging, and for me, knowing what to say was difficult at times. But I am glad that God gave me the right words to share and helped me in the situation.

 

Aside from nursing, we gained seven new SM’s about a week ago. Kelsey and Lauren are now house parents in the Flores (little girls’ house), Jayden has joined Matthew in the Guerreros (older boys’ house), Aiden and Justin are in the Leones (younger boys’ house), Carlie has joined Emilie in the Lila’s (older girls’ house), and Ellie is taking charge of a new agriculture program (and is my amazing new roommate). Having new people is such a relief, and it has been so helpful in many ways. We are all still getting to know each other, but overall, we have a good group of people.

 

If you read my last blog, you heard about the rat problem in the clinic/my house. Well, Ellie and I got a cat, which has helped with the rats! However, the cat does not like to sleep alone, and kept us up many nights, meowing, pooping in the house, and climbing on our mosquito nets, trying to get in. We finally decided to lock it out at night, but then, one night, I watched it climb up the screened window, into the ceiling, and down into the house. So finally, we took it to another house to spend the night, and that seems to have worked. However, this past night, I woke up at 2:00am to the sound of something climbing the rafters. I looked up to where I had so often watched rats run across at night, and I saw a large cat. This was not our cat that we had taken to the other house, however, but a different cat who, according to the torn cat food bag I found the next morning, was just hungry and looking for food. Anyways, the rat problem seems to be solved, but now I guess you could say we have a cat problem. But I’m counting it as a blessing for now.

 

One more event that has stood out in my mind this week occurred when I was helping at the younger boys’ house. Most of the new SM’s do not yet speak enough Spanish to handle tantrums and to logic with the kids. The younger boys are always a handful, and on this particular day, one of the boys was being especially difficult. He began throwing things at us, punching, and biting. The only solution I could come up with was to hold him to keep him from hurting anyone or anything else. I told him I would hold him until he calmed down enough to talk. As I held him, he kept struggling to get away; punching, kicking, biting, and headbutting, but I kept telling him he could not leave until he would talk. As I held him there, it made me think about how Jesus may have felt while on the cross and what He feels like every time we disobey Him. He endured so much pain and scars caused by our sins, our "hitting, kicking, and biting" sins. His own creation, that He loves so much, continues to hurt Him daily, but he endured it all for the sake of our salvation. Sometimes we are destructive to others and ourselves, and Jesus is holding on to our hearts, hoping that we will come back to him and obey him, because ultimately, He knows what is best for us. This was a very humbling moment, as that thought ran through my mind. Eventually, the child tired himself out and sat quietly as I tried to reason with him.

 

Between caring for sick children, and fighting rats and cats, I have had very little sleep in the last couple weeks, and this has left me a little under the weather with whatever bug is going around. At least I can sympathize with the sick kids now. Sometimes I still wonder why I am here, and how I could very easily be at home, in a rat free room, healthy as could be. But, the other day, I was reminded by a fellow SM about how we are exactly where God wants us to be, no matter how difficult it is in the moment. I have been reading through Philippians this week, and I am learning that just as Jesus emptied himself to be born in the likeness of men, we too, should humble ourselves in service for the sake of others, and to further His ministry (Philippians 2:7-8). Being in Bolivia, is nothing compared to what Jesus did for us. Sure, I gave up miniscule things such as A/C, hanging out with friends, being with family, and advancing my education, but that is nothing, and I mean absolutely NOTHING, compared to Jesus’ death on the cross. This thought to me, is very humbling.

 

Even though it has been a struggle, it is not always difficult. I got to celebrate my birthday this past week and got to experience a fun tradition the kids at Familia Feliz have. On the afternoon of my birthday, I was rounding on the houses and saw the older boys walking towards me with eggs and a bowl of flour in hand. I had heard from past SM’s about the tradition of egging and flouring an individual on their birthday, so I immediately knew what was about to happen. At first, I tried to get away, but quickly accepted my fate. I spent the rest of the afternoon washing eggshells and flour clumps out of my hair and washing the doughy mixture out of my clothes and shoes. It was a fun experience, at least for the kids, but they made up for it by surprising me with a cake that evening.

 

In conclusion, these past few weeks have been filled with valuable learning experiences, fun moments with the kids, and building new relationships. I am finding it a lot easier to find peace and the positive in things throughout the day. I am getting used to the new normal, and I am seeing God in a whole new way. His blessings are truly endless, and I am learning to rely on Him more. I am excited for what is yet to come.