Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Ringing in the new year, Cambodian style!


There's nothing like celebrating the new year with a bunch of Cambodians at an outdoor restaurant, all singing karaoke! Literally the most hilarious thing I've ever experienced. We are just a couple hours away from 2014, and man we finished 2013 out strong today!

Over 600 patients were seen in our rural village clinic. We got quite the diversity today. Saw some rare Cambodian diseases and we were able to send three patients into the local hospital to receive life saving surgery next week. These cases were so encouraging. I have found it so frustrating that there are so many things we can diagnose, but not treat. For example today I heard an arrhythmia and had a patient with pretty definitive BPH. Both of which I consulted with some of our docs- nothing at all we can do. So frustrating. But I'm realizing that this isn't about saving lives, it's about touching lives. This is about a developing country seeing the light of Christ. While we know that a months worth of pain meds won't do much in the long run, it means the world to them. As we were driving away from the first day, my mom questioned how much good we had really done. Then we pulled up on the accident 10 minutes later. God has us here, for lots of reasons. I have been praying daily that my expectations and agendas be thrown away. I'm not here for me. I'm here for His glory, and His glory alone.

Tomorrow is a travel day. I'm actually headed to the coast. Beach clinic baby!! Mom is in Phomn Penh fitting amputees and teaching students. They are beyond grateful to have her here. 

Happy New Year, friends! 

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