Sometimes you find yourself in...

Meet more Bengali's and Bideshi's (white people)

Susan...working in Bangladesh for more then 20 years in multiple different roles - presently with the Health College. A woman of God who took me under her wing not only as a coworker and friend but letting me eat at her table every day in SGR 2, my neighbor on the compound.

Ruth. Another amazing woman with a huge servants heart! Such a great example to learn from. She lived with Susan in SGR 2.

This is Peter, SGR 2's cook, his daughter and brand new grandson who he was so proud of!

Samsho and Peter the men who kept me alive while I was in Bangladesh...great cooks! It was such a blessing to be so well taken care of.

Eti - my language teacher and her family. This woman had the gift of patience definitely!! Being a language teacher has got to be such a challenge, listening to adults talk baby talk in their own language.

Lovely and her husband. Lovely worked in the administration office on the compound. Not only is her name Lovely but she truely match's her name inside and out. Wonderful woman! We were invited to her home for her son's birthday party. She'd had Bideshi's over many times as she understood we can't eat a heaping plate of rice and everything else too.

Lovely's children...Sunny and Rainy :) These truely were their names. They also had Bible names - David and Jonathan.

Annie - full of energy and spunk!! Bengali people are so hospitable. Such examples to learn from. I had the priveledge of being invited to many different homes. Annie's house was one of them.

Annie came over to my house one day to decorate my feet with mende.

Mohim (right) and his brother. This Muslim family was so involved in the work of Memorial Christian Hospital. Most of their family members were employed by MCH and were amazing workers. So kind and hospitable! I also was blessed with eating a tasty curry meal at their family home.

Hanna (left), one of my students and her family. Yep, you're not seeing double, she does have an identical twin sister. I could not tell the 2 apart. Her Mother and brother Ronnie were also employed at MCH. Wonderful hospitable people!

Rotna and her son. A widowed woman with an amazing testimony and heart for God. We were invited to their home for her son's birthday.

Ruth, Mary (the only other Canadian - yay), Megan, and Susan at the party.

The deCosta family and Grandma. They gave so much when they only had so little. Such wonderful people! Since I left Bangladesh they were blessed with a little baby girl. Subrato is an employee at MCH.

A boat ride out on the Cal...(inlet of Bay of Bengal).

First day of rainy season...but it held off for a few hours :)

Goats...everywhere.

We visited a couple fishing huts.

Sujan and Sukumor, my translators. Sukumor is arranging a wedding in this picture - not a joke, he really was!

Caught some crabs

Sujan, Sukumor, me, and Lynette holding huge crabs!

Fishing traps would be up or down, depending on the tide.

Sujan's family home. This Hindu family is all employed by MCH. Yet another wonderful, hospitable family!

Heidi (who works in translation) and I were invited for an amazing, one of the best I've ever tasted, curry meals!

This is SGR 2, the home I ate at each day. Susan and Ruth hosted a singles dessert farewell for me when I left. It was such a wonderful evening of playing 'Would you rather...', eating awesome desserts, and hanging out together one last time.

Glenda, Lisa, Susan and I.

Lynette, Mary, Megan, and Christel.

Such wonderful people who have such an amazing ministry here!

Clinical - Memorial Christian Hospital

I loved how you'd teach something and the next day they'd see it in the hospital! The students spent time in different areas including wards, outpatient department, operating room, physiotherapy, orthopedics, pharmacy, and registration.

Physiotherapy with the physio techs.

Outpatients with the medics

Outpatients

Orthopedics - teaching cast care

More practical class...Gag me, literally.

Gastrointestinal system - everything and more from tube feeds, inserting NG tubes, oral rehydration (ORS), hospital diets, to colostomies, bedpans, and enema's.

NG (nasogastric tube) is a tube inserted through the nose into the stomach, used to remove stomach contents or for tube feeding. Probably one of the least pleasant experiences done to me, but watching others is one of the most entertaining. I think we all laughed till tears were shed. I was the first example...it was completely their choice if they wanted to experience it :) They were pretty amazing sports.

Irine and Rumpa...first trying it on the dummie. Just not as realistic and entertaining.

Porashor, the first brave soul. Love the others expressions.

Get this thing out of me

How can I do this without vomiting?

"Swallow Halim, swallow!"

Practical classes - Integumentry (Skin) system

Practical classes...after vital signs we learned about sterile technique, dressing changes, wound care, surgical wounds and drains, and bandaging. So fun to work with!!

Bishwazit and Halim

Kapil and Mintu

Baby and Johanna

Dezy and Irine

Bishwazit and Kapil

Bishwazit, Noyan, and Arup

Halim and I

The lovely bunch

I miss...

Hard to believe it's been more then two months since arriving home in Canada from Bangladesh. In some aspects it seems like a long time ago, other moments it seems like yesterday. Not a day goes by I don't think and pray about it. I'm not done blogging...yet. There's still more to say and share, I'm just a bit behind.

I miss having cha tea and samosa's everyday for tea, I miss hanging out at the mess eating icecream or just drinking more cha tea and being in Bengali friends company. I miss the students cheery faces twice a week at 7am in the hospital saying 'Goodmorning madam' or 'Sister, what does this mean?'. I miss seeing them learn something I've taught them...and remember it a week later, ok sometimes :) I miss laughing with them, in practical time, in the hospital, and in my Bangla communication. I miss laughing with Ashim and Sadonna in the college office about random things.

I miss chatting with the Bengali hospital staff the night before clinical or during clinical hours and them laughing at my butchered Bangla. I miss all the medics...and all the times I was treated to tea. I miss seeing their heart and pride involved in the care they give. I miss curry.

I miss the missionaries...Susan, Lisa, and Glenda at the college, other medical and nonmedical missionaires, 24 nights with the Longs/Weldy's and of course Christel and Lynette - pumpkin curry, chocolate dessert balls, movie nights, night swims, and of course our chats.

Through all the challenges faced by everyone from multiple directions it's so comforting to know God is Sovereign and we can rest in that. Coming home and having a chance to reflect, pray, read God's word, and process thoughts - He's teaching me so many new things! Reading different missionaries biographies and different mission magazines, it's comforting to know and see other missionaries dealing with challenges and how God is working through that.

I miss being able to relate to others about Bangladesh. I'm so blessed to have had the opportunity to experience what I did, yet part of me is so sad to not have shared that with someone here at home. Just to be able to chat about it and what's happening there now, to agree with someone about it in prayer - not that people don't care but to have that personal connection. I am thankful at least for email and facebook to keep somewhat in contact with what's happening half way around the world.

A verse shared by one of my Bengali friends:
Joshua 24:15 'But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.'

How this rings so true not only in Bangladesh but here at home. I'm so thankful that God's word is applicable universally!

Memorial Christian College of Health Sciences