Mission Safari: The Next Chapter(s)

What Would You Do?

What would you do if you usually start decorating your house for the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving AND all of your Christmas decorations we on a container somewhere in the middle of the ocean? What would you do if you didn't have any Christmas music. What would you do if all of your Christmas presents were on that same container? Panic, cry, get mad, slump into depression, or all or bits of the above?

Well, after drifting between those intense feelings, my wonderful wife and daughter decided to IMPROVISE. They talked about the plan before Thanksgiving, and today, they executed it. Marti found a few cheap Christmas CD's at a local music store. Cheap as in a Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton Christmas album from the 80s. But hey, it is Christmas music. They also found a 3 feet high artificial tree for less than $10. They were able to buy colored flashing lights (not our favorite, but hey, they are lights. We also found out why they flash or blink. If they don't the constant current of electricity overheats them and causes them to melt.). They even found some round shiny red Christmas ornaments.

To add garland to the tree, the kids made a red and green paper chain link to wrap around the tree. They also supplemented the red shiny ornaments with some handmade ornaments. Marti even made an awesome yellow star to place atop the tree. Ben was given the task of making a nativity set. He fashioned the stable out of a box and covered it with leaves from a bush. Then he and Sarah made the characters (baby Jesus and all) out of homemade playdough. The tree and nativity set were put together of course listening to our 3 Christmas CD's.

Although it "ain't much to look at", I am sure we will remember this meager set of decorations for many Christmas seasons to come. Now, I am only hoping that our container arrives before Christmas so that we don't have to improvise on the presents as well....

Food as Culture

In my previous post I talked about our Thanksgiving in Kenya. One of the common threads of discussion at the Thanksgiving dinner focused on food. We all shared about our favorite meals, our favorite treats, and so on. We also talked about how it was "weird" that one of the first things you miss is food from home. And whenever someone from home says, "what would you like in your care package?" the items usually include food items (for us it was JIF peanut butter!). And as this thread carried on, I began to realize that from my experience this is a universal trait.

I remember visiting the home of a Burmese refugee. They had boxes of spices from home (Burma) that they sold to the other refugees from Burma. In Newberry, when the migrant workers started moving in from Mexico, not only did a bunch of "tiendas" sprout up, but the supermarkets started placing food items from Mexico in whole rows. Whenever one of my African friends flew into Atlanta for his first visit to the US, his luggage was exceedingly heavy from the supplies he brought for some African friends he was to visit in South Dakota. And the list could go on. And you could probably add a few stories to the list.

Food is part of all cultures. There is something about familiar tastes that make visits abroad (short or long) more tolerable, more, well, like home. So let's hear it for sweet iced tea, Coca-cola, Cracklin Oat Bran, pecans, JIF peanut butter, Smuckers Strawberry Jelly and so on. I could even add, gulp, I can't believe I am going to write this, McDonalds to the list..nah, but throw in a Crackel Barrel and I will be just fine.

A Kenyan Thanksgiving

What did we do to celebrate Thanksgiving? Before I answer that, let me note what we did not do. We did not drive 13 hours from South Carolina to Illinois to visit with my family. We did not drive 3 hours from SC to NC to visit Mart's family. We did not eat our Thanksgiving meal at Noon on Thursday. We did not watch the Detroit Lions or the Dallas Cowboys play football after we ate. We did not fall asleep on the couch watching the game because we ate too much. We did not have so many left overs we didn't know what to do. Nor did we have to make up a bunch of turkey based recipes the past 5 days.

However, despite what we did not do, we had a pretty "normal" Thanksgiving. That is if you define "normal" as getting up at 4 am on Friday to drive out to the bush to have Thanksgiving dinner with 20 other missionaries. That is if you define normal as driving 4 hours on tarmack (paved roads) and another hour on dirt roads to get to where the feast was to be held. Or it was normal if during the final two hours of driving the only other people you see are the Maasai people walking with their herds wearing there traditional red wrap around their bodies. It was normal if the guesthouse you stayed at had only solar electricity, rainwater collected water supply, or a constant wood burning stove to provide hot water. It was normal if the turkey that you ate was raised at the guest house and slaughtered the day before the meal. And tt was also normal that everyone that helped prepare the meals pulled out their "stores" of ingredients from the U.S. to help make the meal taste like Thanksgiving at home.

So, given the "slight" differences in Thanksgiving in Kenya and the US, we truly enjoyed our Thanksgiving "weekend". We feasted on turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, dressing, stuffing, homemade rolls, canned cranberry sauce, sweet potatoe casserole, and washed it down with good old fashioned Southern sweet iced tea. We finished the bonaza off with apple pie, cherry pie, pecan tarts, mango pie (ok, so we threw in a Kenyan twist to the meal), and chocolate chip cake. And of course, we talked and shared stories and laughed and enjoyed being with family and friends.

And although we missed our families and friends in the States, we were able to focus once again on the many ways that we can thank our God for His provision, care and love. That of course, the most common thing between Thanksgiving in Kenya and Thanksgiving at home.

Never Assume Anything

I went to St. Mary's Hospital today. Because of my connection to Alfred Gitu and Michael Johnson, many of the folks there have been looking forward to my arrival. In fact, Michael Johnson has made such a big deal about me coming "to help with medical education" that I guess they have made some assumptions about me.
One big assumption is that I know how to do C-Sections. I decided to spend the day in theater. The first few cases were prostatectomies followed by an open cholecystectomy. I of course assisted on these. Then, during lunch, one of the surgeons asked if I wanted to do a C/S. Of course I said. He told me to join one of the Medical Officers (MO = to MD) who was assigned to theater today.
Right before the first C/S, the MO asked, "so, you are a family doctor. Did you do c-sections in the states?" I answered, "no, I only assisted my partner whenever we needed to do one." "Oh, ok." After scrubbing, we entered the room to prep the patient. The MO had me stand on the patients right side. I said, "I have only assisted before". He said, "I will assist you, don't worry." Well, of course, I started to sweat, but as this was an elective,.repeat C/S, I knew I had time. I struggled through it, but with direction, got the baby out, and mom put back together. My clothes were soaked.with sweat, not urine! While we were scrubbing for the second C/S, the MO asked, "Do you want me to do the case and go real slow and talk you through it?" I answered, "You should have done that the first case. I might as well go ahead and do this second one as the surgeon." His answer? "OK". I must have done A LOT better, because during the second case, the scrub nurse, who was present for the first and actually did more "teaching", said, "So, you do these back home I see!" Again, mom and baby are well. Lesson: Never Assume Anything. Never Assume that Africans will take your word, they will think you are just being modest. And Never Assume that the dictum, "See one, do one, teach one applies here." It seems it goes, "Do one, then two, then teach..."

My International Birthday

Well, I typically don't like to bring attention to my birthday, but since I am celebrating my 35th birthday overseas I thought I would divulge the details. The morning started at the Kenya Police Central Headquarters. No, we were not arrested, but we did have to go there to pick up the police report on the accident Marti was involved in on Saturday. During this time we learned that our work permit had been approved (for those not paying attention: MY WORK PERMIT HAS BEEN APPROVED!) We went to the archdiocese to pay the work permit fee and should receive the work permit tomorrow.

While downtown, we had the opportunity to experience more Matatu culture and almost ended up in another accident. But after making our way through the maze of traffic, we drove over to the Pizza Inn where we enjoyed Italian food (Pizza) Kenya style. It was pretty good actually. After this we headed home.

After having some free time to myself (in which I read more David Livingstone and took a nap), Marti prepared the birthday feast. After Ben played "Happy Birthday" on his violin (he did quite well I must say), we had rice from Thailand (Jasmine rice, the best variety in my mind) and chicken curry (Indian). This was served with Kenyan water! After this delicious meal, we had the "birthday" cake, which was actually Apple Pie (American as you can get) from the Java House; this was served with Earl Grey tea (from Great Britian). It was then time to open the presents. The "theme" was "things for Daddy's office). I received 4 handmade crafts all made from banana fibers; they included a memo box, a coffee coaster, a wastebasket, and three "prints" to hang on the wall.

And to top it off, I have received many Birthday Greetings (emails and e-cards) from all over the U.S. Thanks to all.

Livingstone, page 131

A missionary is soon known to be supported by his friends at home; and though the salary is but a bare subsistence, to Africans it seems an enormous sum; and being unable to appreciate the motives by which he is actuated, they consider themselves entitled to various services at his hands, and defrauded if these are not duly rendered.

The issue of money apparently has been an issue since the beginning of missionary service in Africa. I wonder if Livingstone ever had an experiences with "hawkers"!

Livingstone, page 106

The Makololo declare they never heard of people being bought and sold till then, and disliked it, but the desire to possess the guns prevailed, and eight old guns were exchanged for as many boys; these were not their own children, but captives of the black races they had conquered. I have never known in Africa an instance of a parent selling off his own offspring. The Makololo were afterward incited to make a foray against some tribes to the eastward; the Mambari bargaining to use their guns in the attack for the captives they might take, and the Makololo were to have all the cattle. They went off with at least two hundred slaves that year.

Sadly, this reports that Africans were capturing Africans to sell as slaves. What a shame that whole business was.

Kenyan Hospitality

Coming from South Carolina, we have experienced wonderful Southern Hospitality. This Southern Hospitality has a reputation in the U.S. We were convinced that we would miss it. And to some extent we have. There is nothing like walking down the streets of small town South Carolina and be welcomed and known in all the shops, to be honked and waved at by all the cars passing by, and stopping and talking to several folks as you make your way around the sidewalks. Southern Hospitality deserves its good reputation.

Today, we were privileged to experience Kenyan Hospitality. I mentioned last week in the post "Visiting the Unwell" that we were to have lunch with a Kenyan family, but because of my episode of strep throat this was postponed for today. After church, we drove over to our destination. From the time we entered the house until the time that we were released, we truly enjoyed the time of food and fellowship.

Our lunch started with rice, chicken cooked in the usual Kenyan way, and fresh tomatoes. After this, a whole platter of fresh fruit was brought out. We snacked on this all afternoon. We enjoyed fresh mango, tangerines, bananas, and passion fruit. Still later, hot chai was offered and consumed. Our conversation went all around the world; we talked about America, Africa, and Europe. Our stories included discussions of early American and early Kenyan history. We shared stories from our childhood. We shared about our families. We talked about our relationships with the Lord.

Although we are very tired now that we have returned home, we were glad to enjoy getting to know our new friends. Although I am biased towards Southern Hospitality, I see that the Kenyans know very well how to share their time, homes, friendship, and meals.

RearEnded!

Marti had the honor of participating in cultural lesson #324. As she was driving to pick Sarah up from Ballet, she had to go through a roundabout. As she carefully entered in, the matatu (a 14 passenger minivan that is the bane of this culture) stopped unexpectedly. She alertly stopped and did not hit the matatu.until the car behind her plowed into the back end of our new car. She was jolted forward and then hit the rear of the stopped matatu. Praise God, no one was injured.

Fortunately the accident was witnessed by the police directing traffic in the round-about. Unfortunately, we are talking about the Kenyan police. What should have been a straight forward procedure of the police taking down insurance information, driver license, and license plate as well as statements on what happened turned into a cultural experience. Marti was directed to pull over to the side of the road. She parked next to a Land Rover full of 4 Kenyan police. As she got out of the car, she turned back and looked at the traffic circle. She could count another 8 police officers. But oddly, no one came over to take the statement. In fact, they sort of just sat there and explained that they had called the officer who took the reports and he was having to walk to the scene. Marti would just have to be patient.

By this time, I had been notified and was able to catch a ride to the scene. As we stood there, we realized that one of the delays resulted from the Presidential Motorcade. Yep, the President of Kenya passed right by as we waited. Oddly, he did not get out and assist us!

The longer we stood there, the man who actually rammed into Marti's car got more and more frustrated. He told Marti that the police were just dragging their feet because they were going to see if they could get a bribe. We do not know if this is true, but it took an hour and a half for the "incident report" officer to arrive. And he did arrive on foot.

Finally the details were obtained from each of the drivers and each of the vehicles. The officer then huddled us together and pronounced that his report would state that the man that hit Marti was at fault. He then told us that we could pick up copies of the report on Monday morning. Interestingly it seemed that the man at fault was more insistent on getting the report tonight. The police released us. As we got into our injured vehicle, I noticed that the police got in the car with the man that ran into Marti.

I am hoping that the report on Monday morning contains the TRUTH about the accident..

Dealing with Disappointment

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "All is vanity." Ecclesiastes 12:8

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil." Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

After writing my post on "Disappointment" last night, I picked up my Bible, looked up the days reading, and found myself reading the last two chapters of Ecclesiastes. Now for those who don't know much about the Bible, Ecclesiastes is not the usual book of encouragement. Given my initial frame of mind when I started reading these chapters, I was not quickly cheered by its message. I kept thinking, "yep, the work permit is vanity, the shipment is vanity, and the plumbing is vanity. It is all vanity."

But despite its sometimes "depressing" message that "All is vanity", the writer, or better yet, the Preacher, has a very important conclusion: Fear God and Keep His commandments. It reminded me of the first question of the Shorter Cathecism (from the Westminster Confession of Faith for my non-Presbyterian friends!) "What is the chief end (or duty) of man?" The answer? "To glorify God and enjoy Him forever." So, when all is vanity, when all is disappointing, what are we to do? We are to Fear God. We are to be reminded that He is a great and holy and righteous and powerful and jealous God. And we are to keep His commandments.

Is it easy? No way. Not on your life. It is hard. Especially when you feel displaced, or lonely, or disappointed. And it is even harder when you really just want to sit down and pout like Jonah did.

So, now that I have preached a sermonette, what did my family do today to deal with disappointment? Nothing extraordinary. We got up and started our day like we usually do. And after breakfast, Marti started with homeschooling the children. And I started reading and answering emails. And then I did some reading about Muslims. And then I started working on my Swahili lessons. And then..the day progressed. Bottom line? We feared the Lord, tried to keep His commandments, and tried to live our lives to bring glory to Him. Are we special? By no means. We were just trying to deal with the disappointments of life in the context that God loves us.and that is enough.

The Used Car Dealer

One interesting development since our arrival has been our developing relationship with the man that sold us our car. What started out as a business relationship is turning into a friendship. And I once again love God's sense of humor - the friendship is with a used car dealer!

For those who know me, I am not known for my mechanical abilities, so I really have to rely on others with more experience and knowledge when I look to buy a used vehicle. Coming into a brand new country with limited relationships I was very anxious about this aspect of getting settled. But God obviously had this particular scenario perfectly orchestrated.

After the completion of our business transaction for the vehicle, the dealer awkwardly asked if he understood correctly that I was a doctor. I said yes and waited for the "do you mind if I ask you a medical question?" I didn't mind (I rarely do), and he explained that he had diabetes and did I have any way to get a hold of a new "American" glucose monitor that he could buy. I said that I could probably arrange such and that I would let him know.

Well, I made arrangements to receive one from a colleague back in the US. It arrived this week. I knew that the car dealer would want to know how much it cost, but since my colleague sent one "gratis", I decided to barter with the gentleman. I had learned that although he was Kenyan by birth he was of Asian (India) descent and was from Mombasa. I also learned that he was a Muslim. I asked him if it would be possible to meet with him on a periodic basis to learn more about the country, the culture, and the different religions. He said that was a good deal.

We decided to meet for lunch today. It was more than a "cultural experience". It was the beginning of a friendship. We talked about his family and my family. We talked about where he was from and where I was from. We talked about Kenya and the US. We talked about Islam. We talked about Ramaddan (their holy month). We talked about their special feasts. Best of all, we enjoyed getting to know one another. We have arranged to meet at his house the next time. And this time I am to bring Marti. And his wife will prepare us a meal. And in the Muslim culture, this is very special, to meet together in a home.

Guest Writer, Sarah Hutchison, Number 2

More from the young poet:

The Ocean at Sunset

In a picture of the vast open sea, Three little children played on their knees. As the sun set it seemed to say, "Good night little children come again to play." As that mighty ball of fire had risen that morning to inspire, Now it set and went to bed,
"Little boys now rest your heads." The water splashed and slipped away, like a lullaby their mother sang. The yellow sand looked ablaze, The sight of it warms the heart always. As the sun set in the sky,
The children tired by and by. So the little boys gathered up their shoes, Turned to go and said so smooth,
"Good night sleeping world, good night sleeping sea ,
We will see you tomorow as we play on our knees."

Disappointment

Another "maybe tomorrow" update. We have figured out the plumbing problem. But it is still not fixed. And another larger problem seems to have cropped up. Saturday the plumber is bringing a "team" to work it out. Maybe.

I received a phone call today regarding my work permit. It has passed through several "people" and now it "just" needs to be signed by the Immigration Officer. Maybe I will have it the first of next week.

I received an email regarding our shipment. It was supposed to have arrived in port two days ago. It left Germany (why? I don't know) three days ago. Maybe it will be here (at the port) the first of December.

These were all disappointments today. I guess if I were more spiritual I would look at the glass "half full". I would say, "wow, they know what the plumbing problem is!" Or "wow, it has really moved through the beauracracy here fast!" Or, "wow, they know where my shipment is and it hasn't hit an iceberg and sunk!"

I am learning that one of the lessons we are going to have to learn here (and master) is how to deal with disappointment. It seems that each day presents an opportunity to learn this. I don't know why it seems that instead of getting easier, it is getting harder to deal with frustrations and disappointments. You try to humble yourself, tell yourself it is just God working on us, tell each other it is going to be ok and it will work out, and yet.it is still there.

Maybe as Americans we are too used to certainty. Maybe we are used to things working out our way. Maybe we don't realize how good we have it in America. Maybe..maybe tomorrow I will handle disappointment better.

Guest Writer, Sarah Hutchison

The following is a poem by Sarah. It is entitled "School".

School

The smell of new books met my nose Rich, expectant, lovely, untold. History, language, learning abroad,
Adding, subtracting, even and odd. The learning of unknown things, Learning of kings.

School keeps your mind fresh, It teaches you to do things and helps you in life. School is a thing, school is a way School is for every day.

Sarah Hutchison, age 11

Royal Dance Academy

A couple of years ago when I shared with Marti and the kids that I sensed God calling us to missions, one of the first things that came out of Sarah's mouth was "What about Ballet?" She had been dancing since she was 3 and had really fallen in love with the art. And she was showing some real potential. We tried to reassure her that ballet was a world-wide art and that she would probably be able to continue.

Well, when it looked like Kenya was the place, we prayed that we would be able to find a ballet school for her. I wasn't so sure, but was encouraged by a few Kenyans that there was a ballet school. Problem was, it was listed in the Yellow Pages or on the Internet. But, we were trusting that some how, God would provide this opportunity for Sarah.

A couple of weeks ago after getting a bit more settled in, we began to inquire about Ballet teachers. We came across one and took Sarah to one of the classes. Well, not only did God provide a class, but a class associated with the Royal Dance Academy of Great Britian. This is one of the premier programs in the world. They have a very structured teaching program starting from 3-4 year olds all the way to professional level. Each year the students go through a preset syllabus of techniques and movements. To move to the next "Grade" you must pass a yearly exam.

Turns out that Sarah is the youngest one in her "Grade" level. Her teacher has already commented on her ability. We are delighted for her and excited about this answer to prayer. Please pray that Sarah will dance for the glory of God in the Royal Dance Academy.

Visiting the Unwell

Today after church we were supposed to visit a Kenyan family at their house for lunch. We were looking forward to it. But since I was sick Friday and Saturday, we decided to wait until this morning (Sunday) to get directions. When I woke up and felt better, I was glad that we would be able to keep our engagement. However, whenever I called our host, he told me that since I had been sick that "in his culture" he could not ask me to come to his house since he had not visited me while I was unwell. He therefore said that he and his family would visit us at our place for tea. Although disappointed by the missed luncheon date, I was intrigued by this cultural twist. To top it off, when they arrived, they brought gifts. They brought a sack of bananas for us and three long sugar canes (uncut) for the children.

It turned into a delightful afternoon. We visited, drank tea, laughed, shared stories about how our transition was going, and just got to know one another better. The children of course had a great time together playing, running, shouting and so on.

I got to thinking about this "cultural" experience. As an American, if someone was sick, we would just reschedule the dinner. And we would surely not change it into the sick person becoming the "host". But I think I understand the difference and importance of this "twist". Travel from place to place here can be tiresome. The roads are bumpy and the traffic difficult. But that is for those of us with vehicles. If we had to travel the distance on foot it would even be a greater hardship. So, having the sick person stay at home and just "hosting" a tea is actually more thoughtful. It saves on travel. It allows the sick person to sit in their "comfortable" chair.

So today, I was the unwell being visited. I was glad for it. I learned something about the culture and the people here.

In fact, I am already starting to feel better...

Down But Not Out

Some may have noticed a "break" in posts to the blog the past couple of days. That is because I have been flat on my back fighting off a wicked case of strep pharyngitis. Last Sunday Ben started with a fever during church. He was down for a few days. He mostly had GI symptoms. Sam then started on Monday with fever and a sore throat. By Tuesday I was convinced it was strep throat and started him on antibiotics. He helped confirm the diagnosis by getting the scarlet fever rash on Wednesday. On Thursday, I started feeling aching and tired. I broke out into chills and fever through the night and ended up sleeping most of Friday. It was one big blur. I started antibiotics on Saturday and now by Sunday I am starting to feel better.

One interesting thing about this series of infections is how readily available medicines are at the pharmacy. For both mine and Sam's medicine I walked into the "chemist" or "duka la dawa" and asked for the medicine I wanted. I did not have a prescription nor did I tell them I was a doctor. They had the meds I wanted. For Sam's medicine, I even "bargained" down the price and paid $12 for a medicine that would have cost $85 in the US. For mine I paid $18 for what would have cost $48 in the US. Althought it seems unfair that we pay more in the US, the truth is that the average Kenyan still could not afford these medicines even at the discounted rates.

Oh yeah, I forgot that I bought 100 Extra Strength Tylenols for $1.25. Pretty good huh?

ICD P

I learned very quickly and painfully what these four letters signified at St. Mary's Hospital, the hospital where I will be teaching this year.  ICD P = Immune Compromised Disease, Positive or in its more familiar form ICD P = HIV positive.

I spent my first full day at the hospital today, doing rounds with another family doctor.  Out of the first 20 patients that we rounded on in the Women's Medical Ward, 17 were positive for this dreadful disease.  Their ages ranged from 13 to 57.  That's right, as young as 13 and as old as 57.  And the complications that they were suffering from ranged from Tuberculosis pneumonia to Cryptococcal Meningitis.  Unfortunately, the outpatient clinic was not much better.  At least 33% of the patients we saw today were infected with HIV.

To be quite frank it was depressing.  It was like walking into a war-zone.  The faces looked scared, old, and hopeless.  The stories of the infected were sometimes horrific - rape, prostitution, and marital infidelity.  I better understood 2 Peter 5:8 "the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

Pray for these ladies.  Pray for hope in the Master. Pray for me.  Pray that I can learn as much as I can about HIV in the next several weeks.  Pray that I can not only minister through the practice of medicine, but also in the practice of mercy.

Dr. Livingstone, I presume

- ON THIS DAY -

On Nov. 10, 1871, journalist-explorer Henry M. Stanley found missing Scottish missionary David Livingstone in central Africa and delivered his famous greeting: ''Dr. Livingstone, I presume?''

A Good Start

Marti pointed out the other day that I have been writing more about our transition and had mentioned very little about the "work" that I am doing. She suggested I write at least a short post to that point. So here it is.

I have had some good contacts lately with two Kenyans. One man is a converted Muslim, now Christian. I have learned from his first hand account of the real persecution that Muslims suffer when they become Christians, even in a "non-hostile" country like Kenya. When he became a Christian over 10 years ago, he lost everything. And for him it was a lot. He came from a wealthy family. He was cut out of the family business, stuck with over a million dollars in debt, and his muslim life left him. He describes his painful journey since then. It has been full of ups and downs. It makes me sort of ashamed at my "suffering" I have detailed in this blog. But nonetheless, he has been an encouragement. I look forward to developing my friendship with him. I also look forward to learning more about the Muslim worldview so that I can better witness to the many Somali muslims that come to the hospital where I will be working.

I also had a good contact with a Kenyan pastor. He has spent some time in the US, but has been in ministry here for about 8 years. He has started a church that focuses on racial reconciliation. Right now they are focused on the Asian Indians. There is a lot of distrust and animosity between Black Kenyans and Asian Kenyans. Their church is beginning to make in-roads into this difficult and often unreached group in Kenya. Pray for us to determine a good way to get involved in their work.

Tomorrow, I am going up to the hospital for my first full day. I will mostly be "shadowing" another doctor just to see the "system". I look forward to it.

More updates to come of course.