When I got on the plane to return to Papua New Guinea after my shoulder surgery, I realized it was exactly 8 years ago that I first got on a plane to come to PNG. I remember being a bit scared 8 years ago as I boarded that plane, leaving behind all I had known and having no idea what I would find, who I would meet or how God would use me in PNG. 8 years ago everything was new: the people, the language, the smells, food, the medicine I was there to practice, the missionaries I was serving alongside. Now 8 years later, so much is familiar: the people have names and are friends; I speak the language; I have grown accustomed to the smells and know when to avoid smelling; I enjoy eating all kinds of foods; I have a good handle on the diseases I am treating and now serve as the Medical Services Director of our hospital; and the missionaries are now my family. Despite growing familiar with many things during these past 8 years, there are still challenges to serving in PNG. The PNG culture where fighting and domestic violence is accepted and doesn’t seem to end is a continual challenge. The lack of diagnostic ability and medical resources always challenges and stretches my medical skills. Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt;…
Source: 8 years from Erin Meier – Asia Pacific