Celebration

Last Sunday instead of going out to church I went to church on the ward. I know I wrote about this last year as well. I always enjoy being able to worship with the patients and hear their testimonies and it's always so vibrant and joyful. Patients covered in bandages from their legs to some on their faces with drains all come together into one ward to sing, dance, or if they are unable to do that, at least clap:) Although many of them are uncomfortable and healing from surgery it is a time for them to come together and enjoy each other, sing, laugh, and smile!

This past Sunday during service and again Tuesday I was able to be a part of the dress ceremony they do for the vvf women who have had surgery to fix a hole that causes them to leak urine and are now dry. Many gave their testimony and told about the tragic life they had suffered many years because of this and all the options they tried including hospitals, fetish priests, and witch doctors-none of which worked. Most women tell of how their own husbands, families, communities disowned them. C-sections are not available so women suffer through labor days before having a still born and consequently having a fistula between the bladder and vagina from the prolonged labor. And as if all the suffering they go through is not enough, they are often blamed for their 'illness' as a consequence for a sin or something they have done. their husbands often abandon them and just use their other wives for child birth.

Anyways...back to the ceremony.....It is such a cool thing to see the women with a new beautiful dress and make-up leaving a brand new woman. The joy and happiness they express is life changing. Because all the other solutions they tried failed, many of them are now going home believeing in the true God and say they are no longer going to sacrifice chickens and give money to witch doctors because they know who the true healer is! This is such a cool thing to be a part of!

Attatched are some pictures from Sunday's church/ceremony.:)