From the Field

Katherine Radcliffe is one of our new doctors.  She is a family practice doctor and also the mother of 2 adorable little boys.  She is here with us for 2 years through Samaritan’s Purse Post Residency Program along with her husband (more on him later).  Twice Katherine has come as a student and then a new doctor, but now is here long term to care for the lost and hurting in PNG.  She is learning Pidgin and relearning how we practice medicine, but is excited and willing to learn all she can and help out as she can.  Grandma Kathy enjoys the time with the boys while Katherine is working, so it is a win win for everyone. Ben Radcliffe is Katherine’s husband and also the oldest son of Jim and Kathy Radcliffe.  He grew up in PNG and now is back to learn all he can from his dad before Jim retires after 30+ years of missionary service.  In some ways it is like Ben never left, but in others, it is like he just arrived.  He too has been here 2 others times in a medical capacity, but there is still a lot for him to learn about being a missionary surgeon.  Thankfully, his dad is here to help him grow in that area, and others like Scot Pringle can help as well. As we look to the years ahead, we know we are going to be losing 3 doctors who have been a major part of us…
Source: The next generation of Dr. Radcliffe from Erin Meier – Asia Pacific

In a day the doctors see somewhere around 150 patients a day.  Many of those go home with a treatment for a disease that can be cured, others go home with medicines for a chronic condition (like high blood pressure), but some go home after hearing that medically we can do nothing more for them because they have cancer that we can’t treat with surgery or chemotherapy.  Too many go home hearing this.  In one day I saw . . . A 30 yo female, the mother of a 4 yo, walks into my room thinking she is pregnant but also being concerned about some fluid draining she has been having.  I find that she is 3 months pregnant, but that she also has cervical cancer.  There is no easy answer here.  The cancer is nonresectable and any treatment you give to mom will hurt the unborn baby, but realistically not sure either will be alive in 6 months. A 30 yo male comes in complaining of abdominal pain after eating.  I examine him and wasn’t real impressed, thinking he likely had reflux and was planning on giving him some medicines and tell him to avoid spicy food.  Instead, I bring him to the ultrasound room and find a mass in his liver.  We don’t have any treatment options here for liver cancer, we only can over supportive care and prayer.  He was with his pastor, so the prayer part was easy, but telling this young man that he would…
Source: Too much cancer from Erin Meier – Asia Pacific

Praises: A relatively easy move to Varna with God’s provision for transportion of my things, help from my home group in loading the van, and assistance from the Razgrad church in unloading. Ease in finding an apartment that is in a great location accessible by all means of public transportation in Varna so that anyone can reach my apartment for when we start groups. Dick and Cindy Phelps, who are incredible teammates and a source of encouragement and solidarity. The shared community that I have with the Phelps in times of prayer and Bible reading. God’s work in the lives of the people that He is bringing into our lives.  Rarely do I ever bring up spiritual things because the people that God has given us are the ones doing all the questioning and searching.  It’s a joy to share the journey and to share out of the overflow with them. The Dechs, a family coming to serve in Varna in the fall both teaching in Theological Education and teaching English. A new student in the TE classes: Liliya. Various volunteers and summer teams for the summer and the ministry that we will be doing with them. Prayer requests: This week (April 13-18) we’ll be starting English lessons.  We have identified several cafès where we could meet with people for conversation classes.  On Tuesday (April 14th), we’ll be meeting with managers and owners at the several locations that we’ve narrowed down to see if they’re willing to host us several…
Source: April 2015 from Jessica Morris