Sunday, May 20, 2012

and so the journey begins...

Hello everyone, or as they say in China “Da Jia Hao!”

I want to say a big thank you for everyone's encouragement and support. It's very humbling to have so many people who believe in what you are doing…

and as for what exactly it is I am doing... As God would have it I have three awesome pit stops before I get to Guinea…

Leg 1: Training in China...
Leg 2: Training in Iowa City…
Leg 3: Training in Texas…
(Lots and lots of training)

Leg 1: Training in China...
One of the things I’ll be doing on the ship is treating kids with clubfeet. Click on the promo video below that I put together for more info...


Anyways God gave me an awesome opportunity to spend some time in Guangzhou (southeast China) with Doctor Liu who treats clubfeet, so I jumped at the opportunity…



And it was aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwesome… I wasn’t sure what to expect but my time in China was so sweet...

Ok so God often has amazing and also funny ways of reminding me of who He is and this was no exception…

Jehovah-Shammah "The One Who is with us everywhere”
Now I know my Chinese is really bad, actually non-existent would be more accurate. And this proved it; the first night I was told that I would be assisting in surgery first thing in the morning. Now something obviously got lost in translation and so I had to clarify that as Physiotherapists we don’t do surgery.

 
Anyways it was great to know that God was with me (even in China) because everything worked out and I learned heaps assisting in their clinics... 

Jehovah-Jireh “The Lord our provider”
The doctors from China were sooooo hospitable and pretty much wouldn’t let me pay for anything.... they fed me, gave me a place to stay and made me feel like family…  God truly is good…


Jehovah-Sabaoth “The Lord of Hosts, our Protector”
I even had a chauffeur driver who definitely kept me safe…

 Traffic in China is chaotic


Jehovah-Shalom "Our perfect peace"
Working in China is chaotic… people everywhere…
Guangzhou has about half the population of Australia in its city…
Yet amongst the chaos, God gave me His peace…

Jehovah-Raah "Our Shepherd Who tenderly leads us, loves us and will keep us safe"
Boy did I need guidance… China is a complex and big place and so are the hospitals…


I had such a great time in Guangzhou and for all those travelers out there I want to share a few things that I learned…

China Traveling Tip 1…
When eating or drinking, trust me do, not ask what it is…

 You may find yourself eating a chicken neck

or drinking something that tastes like poison…

Tip 2…
When in a China the best way to make friends is karaoke…


Tip 3…
In preparation for using their subway, take up Rugby…


Tip 4…
To fit in and look fashionable, get some 3D glasses and poke out the lenses…

Tip 5…
When you are a guest in China, expect strangers to come to your door, say something in Chinese and prompt you to go with them…

Just go with them and before you know it you will be on some kind of adventure…

River Cruise...


 I got to see a Great wall in China, however I am not sure if it was the GREAT WALL OF CHINA...

Tip 6…
When working in China, get ready for an endless line of people…

Tip 7…
If you get the chance, go riding on an electric bicycle

and yes I am in a lift...

Tip 8…
Pay attention to all the signs…




So that was pretty much the first leg of my trip…
In summary, God is good; He provided an awesome learning opportunity in China…

Stay in tune for the next update:
Leg 2: Training in Iowa City…

Which will involve spending a month in Iowa with one of the world leading doctors in Clubfoot management…

Nick Veltjens reporting on China….
God is good