Any of you out there still do manual inventories or at least remember how challenging they can be? This week the big “to-do” was a manual inventory of EVERYTHING in the clinic. Praise God, I had a teammate and her teen daughter come help.
When I say everything, I really do mean that. I don’t know how many hours she spent counting #376 bandages (thanks West Cabarrus Church) or #679 empty pill bottles for which she also found corresponding lids (we dispense creams in these). And, I counted all the medications, medical supplies and more (this was after months of sorting and organizing those supplies). We celebrated with a large bonfire burning what is hopefully the last of the old clinic stuff to be destroyed.
We have 10 more days where the clinic operates under our ministry and yes that is really starting to sink in. I have shed some tears and done lots of praying and I am even more certain than I was a year ago that this is His plan. God keeps on answering prayers in huge ways!
After months of meetings when we finally signed the agreement to partner with the Gambian church and transfer the day to day clinic management our #1 prayer was for God to bring a medical director our way. With worldly eyes the job description was laughable, surely no one would have these skills AND be a Christian in this Muslim country AND be willing to move to a village in the middle of nowhere AND oh yeah we wanted them to start within 1 month (by Nov 30th) so I could train them.
Sunday afternoon God provided an interim director with almost everything in our job description who is a Christian and is willing to temporarily reside here. Monday morning as I was waiting to cross the ferry, my phone was blowing up with messages about her starting work the following day on Nov 29th, yep exactly the timing we had desired.
I scrambled to get a house prepared for her and to prepare the clinic and myself. When I went to the city 5 days before our Nov 30th desired start date there were zero prospects and me of little faith was not ready for God to answer the prayer I had been praying. By the way, she is great and a quick learner. Pray for FD as she helps in this clinic transition.
So, back to inventories. Yep, I have also been taking some personal inventories lately. How am I emotionally, spiritually, physically? The short answer is not great, but even this week in the midst of the craziness (a few maintenance issues arose to help keep me on my toes) God so clearly reminded me to walk in His strength and not my own. He gave me days with more peace and better perspective, He gave me Christian fellowship and even some much needed laughter.
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