Busy clinic week

Friday 9th October
Last weekend was ‘pay weekend’ this means Bulembu is pretty much deserted. It seemed like half the village had left; even the milk shop is closed! Feels like a ghost town once again !
For a few hours in the afternoon hubby and I spend time with the youth treating them to milk shakes (obviously the lodge was prepared in their milk purchases) as the youth have done such a good job in helping with kids church.
I have a sudden pang of missing my own children a lot, the oldest daughter and her hubby in New York, the youngest daughter and her hubby in Kelowna, Canada, and my son and other two daughters in the UK. I feel such an empty hole but not much I can do about it, sometimes living out here and serving in Bulembu seems such a sacrifice!!! Remembering the times when some of them were here with us, such good times.....
Hubby and I met a really nice couple last evening – from Pretoria, a business man and his wife they had ran a lodge in Pretoria and have an awesome gift in hospitality. They are coming back to Bulembu in a few weeks to meet some of the managers to find out more about this place where we live.
Monday was mental, staff shortage, staff going on courses, trying to phone references for the new midwife with all the landline phones in Bulembu down. Now I know why the last midwife left! I spent the day nonstop dealing out medicines, seeing patients, calling people, emergency came in at lunch time so no lunch either! I eventually arrive home at 5.30pm, Hubby did offer to make dinner but his suggestion was not too inviting and I really fancied something tasty so I made dinner too.
In Swaziland, there are a lot of nurse led clinics and generally I can see it works well, consulting patients can be doable and the most important thing is to send them off down the 18km dirt track road to the doctor at the hospital, as I did with a lady who looked like she had a allergic reaction to possibly some of the meds she had been put on by the doctor! I was definitely not going to mess with that, not really sure what the doctor did, except add more of the same and some antibiotics which were unavailable at the pharmacy! You could say that was another wasted journey.....
Today I realised how impatient I am, It was blood draw day today and I went with the ambulance down to the hospital to drop off the bloods, I had one or two things to do and then I was ready to leave to get back to the clinic (see my commitment) . The ambulance driver decided he wanted to make some phone calls and we had to wait for the sick lady! It was hot and I was raring to get going, I was not happy to wait, everything is sooooooo slow in Swaziland , queues everywhere and always hanging about waiting...............and this grumpy new manager was ready to go home.
Today was interview day for 5 midwives, what a good day. We started off with a tour round the hospital, followed by a short dvd to explain Bulembu and the vision, then lunch at the lodge, followed by individual interviews, I’d asked my Canadian colleague and head of ministry who is also a nurse to be on my panel! I really did enjoy myself, what a great experience being able to interview and get to decide!! We’ll make the final decision in the next few days and pray we make the right one! 
Friday evening – the end of another busy week, time to put my feet up and converse with hubby - pizza from the lodge tonight – bliss don’t have to cook................
For any of those reading that are interested in the school, Hubby is busy taken on more staff to teach all the many children coming in and always looking for support, in volunteers coming for a year, finances and prayers. Go to www.swazimission.com to read blogs relating more to the school. Thanks