in the Jamaican hospital

Whenever I see the tall imposing form of the public hospital, in Montego Bay, it always brings to mind thoughts that are...gloomy and foreboding.  The first time I saw it, I was pregnant with Brynlee and trying to decide if I wanted to have my baby there.  The hospital sent shivers down my spine.  It is old, entirely concrete, many stories tall, and dirty gray.  I'm really not exaggerating I think of myself as a brave woman, but the thought of going through the security checkpoint and entering through those walls makes my belly flip.  So why entertain thoughts of going in there?  One of my best friends was inside, having a baby.

Early this morning, we received a call that my close friend, Jannice's water had broke and she was at the hospital.  Farouk and Jannice are a very faithful couple at Valley Baptist Church and dear friends of ours. Just last Sunday, they came forward as a family( with their nieces and nephew) to pray together at invitation.  They are such a blessing to have in our Church.  Normally I would be so excited about the coming of a baby {oh, how I love babies}.  But, Jannice's due date is 7 or 8 weeks away.

Prince got ready and I dressed the Princesses and we headed to town.  When we arrived at the {gloomy and foreboding} hospital we found a parking spot wayyyyy across the lot and after securing the bus, we headed for the front entrance.  When we arrived we saw our next door neighbor who was there visiting her sister.  Her sister was in a nursing home and when our neighbor went to visit her 2 weeks ago she realized that she couldn't walk.  Come to find out, she had fallen and broken her hip and nobody had noticed....I said, nobody had noticed.  {sad, very sad} My neighbor used to be an RN in Long Island, New York.  She was very upset and took her sister to the hospital and they did surgery on her hip yesterday.  I haven't talked to her for a few days, so we stood in line and visited while we waited for the visiting hour.  This is a direct quote from her, "This place is a dog house, I'm sorry to say that but it is."  That didn't help to sooth my worry, wrinkled eyebrows.

Children under the age of 12 are not allowed in the hospital so the girls and I walked around and found a large tree to sit under and wait.  I sat on a large root and had a "spelling bee" with Moriah and Alexis while we waited for Daddy.

He was gone a long time and then I was approached several times by men wanting to know if I wanted a taxi and ladies wanting to know if I needed a child keeper.  My white skin.  There were taxies buzzing around everywhere.  One taxi stopped on the road and called out to the group of drivers, sitting on the dirt, under the tree beside us.  He asked them,  (I'll translate it to English...wink) "Are they your tourists?" and he pointed at me.  One of the men under the tree called back, "Yes." So the man drove on.  I was thankful for that man.

When Prince returned he said, "You can go now."  It shocked me.  I didn't consider going....by myself.   Please realize life here is nothing like life in the States.  Especially life in my {wonderful} little home town of Kahoka, population 2,200 (aka Mayberry).  We stand out, we don't blend in well, with 4 sandy haired little girls there are just some places you don't go.  I do stay home a lot, I don't mind.  It's best for my little girls.  In America I drive across states alone, I do my own shopping {deep sigh}, I can walk down the street and feel safe....but this just isn't America.

I said, "I'm scared." Prince ignored me and gave me directions to find her.  Go through security and the man with the wand, down the hall, left, right, left, right, around the corner, go through the door marked exit, left right, up the stairs, left, right, she'll be sitting in the middle of the room.  Humm, well at least he didn't say "turn north then south".

Here I go.  Waiting in line and getting past the tall security guard was no problem.  Right away I was confused, I thought he said go left but the only door on the left said "surgery" in faded red paint.  I asked an older nurse wearing a white skirt and shirt uniform and an adorable {tiny} white cap pinned on her head. I walked in circle for another minute or two and after an older gentlemen felt sorry for me and asks me where I was going, he gave good direction by pointing.  I was overwhelmed by the amount of people.  It was a huge building on the outside, but the inside was very open.  I mean open, no ceilings in some places.  Rooms were around the outside walls with straight, wooden waiting benches.  I was supposed to not wait for the elevator because "it's very slow".  So I was supposed to walk around behind the elevator and go through the door market "exit."  Humm, do I go up the skinny twisting concrete steps with the dim light bulb?  Some nurses were walking that way so I followed their pretty caps.  As quickly as my high heels would allow, I ran up the stairs that seemed to circle around and around.  There was a overwhelming hissing sound coming from behind a small metal door on the wall.  One floor up, turn left then right and you're in a room with a lot of beds.

Nothing could have prepared me for this.  A very large room was filled with beds so close together that you could only walk between them.  No glass windows, only wooden panels that you turn to catch the breeze.  Mommies of all ages sat or laid in their narrow bed.  Some were obviously still expecting and some were holding their tiny babies.  I saw one very young girl, great with child.  Even now, my heart aches.  I take so much for granted.

I kept walking until I made eye contact with my sweet friend, Jannice.  She was sitting on the edge of her bed smiling at me.  So much better then the visions I kept imagining of her tossing around in her bed in excruciating pain...my imagination is just too big sometimes.

I hugged her tight and felt so much better.  Now, I could try to comfort her.  She said the nurse listened to the baby and said it sounds good.  Her water had broke so they gave her an injection to help the baby's lungs and the doctor is going to run a test on her.  She just wants her baby to be ok.  Please keep praying for my friends, Jannice and Farouk, they need it.

Today was Eden's 4th birthday, and I'll share more about that later, but right now my thoughts and prayers are on my friend who is carrying a baby I already love.

Thank you for your prayers,