simplicity and satisfaction

Working at the hospital, and living here in Shell for that matter, has become significantly easier over the past several days.  It's amazing to me how quickly after arriving I became so overwhelmed I wanted to give up... and how quickly it all changed.  The Ecuadorian interns have taken me under their wing to help me with abbreviations, the different equipment here, and some of the more colloquial phrases.

I was on call last night and got to first assist on an emergency appendectomy... so much fun!  After the surgery they told me to wash my gloves and leave them on the counter to be sterilized and reused!!!  Yuck.  I know they really sterilize them well, but something about it seems SO wrong to me.

I'm getting more used to the town.  Shell is about 5000 people total and there are about 25 missionary families included in that number.  It's a simple town, but I still feel like I have everything I need.  I'm learning a lot about the value of simplicity these days.  The fruit and vegetable market (so cheap and SO yummy), the meat markets (I refuse to buy a chicken that's been hanging all day in an open window, though), several restaurants, an internet cafe that has a pet monkey.  Oh and there's a big swinging bridge over the ravine.  It's probably about 50 meters long and creaks the whole way across.  It's beautiful though, so I'm trying not to think about what would happen if it broke while I was walking on it :)

I don't know what to say other than I feel very satisfied right now...doing what I love, serving people who need it, learning, feeling useful, staying busy, crossing cultural barriers, opening bodies to heal infection and disease, and knowing all the time that my sovereign Lord's hand is over it all... He's given me the privilege of being satisfied in my work!  Hallelujah!