From a different overseas...

For those who still occasionally check this site... don't you have something more interesting to read online?
I'm in New Zealand, and although it shares one word in common with the name of Papua New Guinea, it is a very different place. For one thing, it is very cold.
I'm here on a 3 month placement for work, being a junior doctor at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, and trying to work out what I'm going to be when I grow up - all suggestions welcome...
Love to all!
Shar

I Still Call Australia Home

I seem to have spent a fair bit of time over the last several weeks explaining that I am Australian. And still many people in Oro Bay do not believe me, and keep referring to me as Indian. But as Hugh Jackman reminds me through song (alas! via the iPod and not in person!) - Australia is my home.

And that's where I'll be soon. Things have not worked out well at Oro Bay. With a well-equipped hospital a short distance up the road, and plenty of capable nurses at Oro Bay, there is not nearly enough work for a full-time doctor in that position. I trust that I may still be able to help the community at Oro Bay from home, and maybe one day (God willing) return.

Many many thanks to everyone who has helped and supported and prayed during this time. I am looking forward to catching up with you. In the meantime, I will continue to find stories to tell you via this site...

Sincerely,

Sharmini

News from the black...

Sorry it’s taken so long to be in contact; communications here in Popondetta and Oro Bay are less reliable than I expected…

Suffice it to say that I have arrived safely.

With many important matters to discuss, let me begin with the trivial:

I have discovered the perfect shoes for the PNG climate: crocs. Light, comfortable, don’t get soggy in mud puddles. It was worth the time and effort traipsing all over Melbourne to find the right size, style and colour.

There are a few issues with this placement at Oro Bay that I am trying to work out. For now, can I just ask that those of you who pray, please mention this situation occasionally. Thanks.

I’m hogging someone else’s computer to write this, so I should go.

Love to all,

Sharmini

Happy New Year!

Greetings all! As I type this I'm getting ready to head to Port Moresby for a night before heading to Popondetta and Oro Bay on the 4th. I've had a wonderful time here in Goroka.

I've been staying with a family that works for MAF - Mission Aviation Fellowship. I cannot speak highly enough about what they do here in PNG. In a country with very little infrastructure, they provide an incredibly valuable service, transporting people, coffee, medical supplies and occasionally patients. On Christmas Day this year, they received a radio call about a woman in a remote village with prolonged labour. I was privileged to ride along with the MAF pilot, Tim, and a health worker, Barb, who dropped everything to go. The baby did not survive, but the mother will be ok.

Well... lots of challenges ahead, probably a few I haven't thought of...

For those of you who pray:

Praise God for the work of MAF.

Please pray for a few administrative details that I'm still waiting to fall into place. Also for safe travel, and that when I arrive, I'll be able to get along well with people and get a clear idea of what needs doing.

When I get sorted out, I will let you know my contact details.

Love to all,

Sharmini