What have I been up to these past few weeks? Well, I've been busy at work with the AMAZING ladies on B ward, the VVF ladies. These are women with obstetric fistulas, from prolonged child labor. Some have vesico-vaginal fistulas, a hole between the vagina and bladder, so that they constantly leak urine. Others have a rectal-vaginal fistula, a hole between the rectum and vagina, leaking stool from the vagina. These defects are caused from prolonged labor, lasting for days. The fetus' positioning for a long period of time presses on the soft tissue and creates the hole, or fistula. 
Once these women finally are able to get help, often through a C-section or "forceful" removal of the fetus, the baby is often stillborn. The ladies then wake up and they are leaking and do not understand why. A common story among these women is that they are abandoned by their families, by their husband and sometimes previous children as well, because they leak and they smell. Through no fault of their own. They often hide out in remote locations to avoid ridicule, or taunting. They live a life feeling unwanted, unloved, and undeserving of love. It is a life I can never imagine.
Despite their situations, these women bring and share enormous amounts of joy with all of us on board. We are so blessed and lucky to share love with them (the easiest job in the world!)... but they love us in return and show us each day. We slowly warm up to each other... At first a hand on the shoulder, then a hug, then a daily kiss on each cheek to greet one another... The trust slowly builds and soon I walk onto the ward to hear "Molly!" called out from various beds followed by joyful greetings that make ME feel so loved! (Hey, wait, isn't that MY job? To love on THEM?)
We hold hands. We knit together, play games together. We sing songs and dance together, followed of course by laughter at how funny I look when I dance for them. We rejoice when surgeries are successful, and we cry together when they don't. We pray together regardless of the outcome. We become sisters in Christ and my heart will never be the same. There will always, always be a giant piece of my heart that is reserved for the obstetric fistula ladies. They stole it in Togo, and they stole it here in Congo. They are simply amazing.
This week has been a bit rough as some of the ladies are leaking after their surgeries. We have had many successes and so much to be thankful for, but are lately struggling with feeling a bit defeated. There have been many tears shed as some patients, and us nurses at times, have felt hopeless in the physical rehabilitation of these women. We also know that we need to trust fully in God and know that He has a plan and that we can lean on Him in everything. I just pray for healing, knowing that miracles have and can continue to happen. And regardless of the surgical outcome, I pray that they are filled up with God's love and grace and peace and come to know Him better than ever. I am also asking that anybody reading this will include these incredible women in your prayers. They are such beautiful, loving, unconditionally faithful women, and have set an amazing example of how to trust in and lean on God through any circumstance, even when we don't understand why those circumstances exist.
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