Ok, let's get this part of the trip out of the way. This was no picnic. The hardships began for some of our teammates enroute to Sri Lanka. But again, what didn't kill us only made us stronger.
One of the hardest aspects of the trip was the lack of sleep. Again for my teammates coming from the middle of the United States, constant travel for over 48 hours was the norm. People arrived without sleep. And for the Advance Team, even after they arrived, they spent the first 72 hours on the road and in meetings. They slept on the van as they surveyed sight after sight on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka.
Making sleep more difficult was the weather. The trip started and ended with large downpours of rain. Given that we were actually sleeping in tents, in the Refugee Camp, starting a visit to an area is not fun when water gets in and soaks your sleeping bag and clothes. The mud makes it less appealing as well. And then, in between the rains at the start and finish, we struggled with high humidity and little moving air.
The days were also a challenge with the weather. The humidity was high most days. The sun was scorching (when it wasn't hidden behind the downpours). There were some breezes that made it bearable, but most of the time, we tried to do our clinics in the shade under some tarps.
Other aspects of nature that we battled during our stay included fighting off the creatures. There were a few scorpions that ended up in the tents and latrines. A snake made his way through camp. Even a bat came and visited the men's tent one night.
Another aspect of the trip that was difficult was the reality of the Tamil Tiger civil war. We worked in an area controlled by the government but the population was mostly Tamil. The military presence of the government was very real. The camp was guarded by the Army. In fact, we lived next to a "camp". We were even given strict orders NOT to cross the road because there were landmines bordering the military camp. We could not drive anywhere without stopping at military checkpoints. It made for a very interesting time. (In fact, last Sunday, for a little R+R we went to the beach. The first beach we went to was behind a military base that had suffered a lot of damage because of the tsunami. They recommended we not visit there as the tsunami had unearthed some landmines.)
Another aspect of hardship that hit me particularly hard was homesickness. I missed Marti and the kids very much. It was a struggle daily to get my mind focused on the work that I was there to do. Not having outside communication exacerbated this.
Not only were there the hardships listed above, but there were also the potential hardships (bad patient outcomes, sickness, and so on) that constantly weighed on our minds. AND yet, despite these hardships, we praise God that no team member suffered any real injury or illness. God was definitely our Shield and our Defender. He was an ever-present source of strength. He was our Rock. He was our Provider.
Thanks for going over there, and for sharing with us (and continuing to do so, I'm assuming) about your time in Sri Lanka. Glad you're back!
Posted by: Joe | January 21, 2005 at 01:45 AM