Adrie woke up this morning with the unfortunate addition of a sinus infection so she had to stay home with antibiotics and her bed. The rest of us walked over to hear Thomas give the morning devotion on the importance of being obedient to God’s will, a huge turnaround from yesterday’s morning rant. I was then invited to join in staff prayer time, a small group that gets together to pray for their coworkers needs once a week, and got strengthened for the day. I really enjoy that fact that Nigerian prayer has no structure: everyone speaks out loud and at once and you are always invited to burst into song. It is so refreshing coming from a “Dear Heavenly Father Lets-Take-Turns” approach to talking to God.
Today was my start with the Social Services aspect of Faith Alive. Pastor Esther took me to the sewing class where HIV-positive women are learning how to support themselves and their children while learning more about the love and grace of the Heavenly Father. Most women who are positive have no husband to support their family since the men usually die first. About twenty women are currently enrolled in the program and I got the chance to share in Bible study with them. Esther believes it is most important that these women, many coming from a Muslim faith, understand who Jesus is first. The discussion started about Jesus being fully God and fully man but ended with trying to discover what makes Christianity better than Islam. Esther wrapped it up saying (in her Nigerian accent), “Remember that God did not make Christians and Muslims. He made people. We need to learn how to look at our brothers and sisters past their beliefs.” I’m going to enjoy getting to know this woman better.
The rest of the morning I had the privilege to spend with and HIV counselor named Emmanuel. He described to me the process and allowed me to experience all three aspects of what being tested looks like. A patient who wants to get tested is assigned a counselor who sits them down and tells them about what HIV is, how it is spread, and what can be done to treat it. Once the person(s) understands they go down to the lab to get tested. The doctor there takes their thumb, wipes it with cotton, and jabs a thick needle into it. (I had never seen so many people jump out of a chair in my life) They then squeeze the blood into a pipette and put a few drops into a little tray with a white strip. It takes about fifteen minutes for the test to show one (negative) or two (positive) lines so the patient waits until their name is called. The doctor hands them their diagnosis on a sheet folded in half and stapled shut. It is the counselor’s responsibility to tell them the news. So they head back to their counselor who will give them the diagnosis and help from there.
I was able to follow a woman named Aliah today. Her husband had come in the day before and tested positive so she was obviously nervous. Her eyes were teary and she looked tired, just as any woman would who just received devastating news from a loved one. The couple only spoke Hausa but Emmanuel asked them if I could go with them and she agreed. I sat next to her as she got her finger poked and she flinched a little. We then waited together for her name to be called before heading back to Emmanuel. The whole time I tried to imagine what was going through her head. A normal Tuesday for most people was going to be the determining factor of the rest of this thirty-year-old’s life. She handed the note to Emmanuel while her husband put his hand on her shoulder and we all held our breath.
“Aliah, your test came back positive. You have HIV.”
Emmanuel spent a lot of time talking to the couple about what will happen next. They will need to be put on ARV drugs immediately. They will have therapy appointments with Dr. Chris once a month. They will need to eat right, live healthy lifestyles, support each other. They will need to have hope. Because all is not lost, life just changes, and God is still the same God he was two days ago. Aliah and her husband left with a quiet strength, life had changed for both of them in twenty minutes.
I got to see more patients after that. Most came out negative and Emmanuel reminded them to stay away from harmful lifestyles. One woman got the same consultation as Aliah and is bringing her husband tomorrow. In-between patients I got the chance to speak openly with Emmanuel and try to process what I was experiencing. “We must always remind them,” he told me, “that God is not punishing them with this infection. This is not a death sentence. It is a new chapter in their lives.” I want to bring that same truth back to America, I think we have forgotten it.
After an emotional eye-opening morning I was able to have a good conversation with Helen and join in at the pharmacy again after lunch. Peju, Grace, and I are starting to become good friends and I love being able to have girl talk with them. Peju has dreams of coming to America to get her Masters of Public Health, something she said her professors had been trying to push her toward, but she said her entire salary at Faith Alive over the past year would not cover the expenses. I am now on a mission to get this girl information on programs and scholarships to look into! Who says a smart Nigerian woman should be left out of the education she wants and deserves?!
After a long day of emotions, questions, and reality I am ready to go to bed. I won’t fall asleep upset, just a little more aware of what this world looks like. I pray that Aliah finds some good rest as she starts her new life.
No comments:
Post a Comment