The Calm Before The Storm
“It’s a category 4 storm, we are issuing a mandatory evacuation for Zones A, B, and C.”
This is what we heard on the radio in September 2018 as Hurricane Florence was barreling towards the Myrtle Beach area. The first projected head-on landfall in Myrtle Beach since the 1980s.
There we were, in a town that we barely knew, looking at the house that we had just bought and moved into 3 weeks before. The majority of our belongings were still in boxes as we hadn’t had much time to unpack. I was 28 weeks pregnant, looking at the unfinished baby room and unsure of how much of our house would be left standing after the storm. Now we were faced with a decision: do we stay or do we go?
Ultimately, Luis left with our two kids (who were 4 and 2 at the time), while I stayed to help staff the hospital. Then, in an unprecedented move, the hospital decided to close and transfer all patients out as the hurricane's strength exceeded the building's rating. With that decision, I quickly left to join Luis and the kids in a nearby state. I vividly remember walking through our house, taking pictures, and saying goodbye to our new home, knowing it might not be standing when we returned.
Thankfully, the storm weakened before landfall; however, it was so slow-moving that it caused flooding and significant damage in the Carolinas.
The path of Hurricane Florence in 2018 headed right for us in the blue dot.
A New Storm
Once again, as we settle into a new place, we are facing another unprecedented time. A week and a half ago, our hospital was alerted that there were several cases of an undetermined viral hemorrhagic fever of unknown origin in our region of southern Ethiopia, in a town called Jinka (about 5-6 hrs away). It has now been confirmed as the Marburg virus (similar to Ebola, with a potential mortality rate upwards of 90%, meaning that in some cases, only 10% of people survive). Ethiopia has never experienced an outbreak of Marburg or Ebola virus, until now. Similar to Hurricane Florence, we are quickly making plans and preparations based on a constantly changing situation.
How strong will the storm be when it arrives? Will it be a direct hit? What will the aftermath look like? So many unknowns. So many uncertainties. Thankfully, we serve a God who is not uncertain. A God who knows what the future holds.
Our expatriate coworkers have all faced questions about how to move forward at this time. Due to various reasons, some of our colleagues who were scheduled to arrive in the country soon have delayed their arrival. Others have temporarily returned to their home country to monitor the situation from there, while some have relocated to the capital city to assess further measures, and still others are staying here in Soddo.
Stay or Go?
Luis and I wrestled with the situation. We initially chose to retreat to the capital to decide then whether to return or if further evacuation was needed. However, late Sunday night, we both felt we should stay and assist the hospital during this time.
Between Luis’ experience in logistics as an engineer and in finances with his MBA, and my time during COVID… had we been brought here for such a time as this?
“It’s not ideal and it’s not what we wanted, but we want to stay together.”
One of the hardest parts of this decision has been our kids. Staying meant cancelling a trip to the capital that had been planned for months so our kids could participate in Field Day at their former international school (Bingham) and miss out on reconnecting with many dear friends. We presented the decision to the kids so they could have a say, and they chose to stay. Emma couldn’t have put it any better: “It’s not ideal and it’s not what we wanted, but we want to stay together.” With our family deciding to stay, my parents also returned from the capital, where they were working on the visa process, to support our kids and our family during this time.
Luis has fully committed to the preparation efforts. He has helped our Ethiopian partners set up screening, triage, and isolation areas. I have been juggling between managing the surgery services, preparing for Marburg from a clinical standpoint, and simultaneously assisting my team in getting ready for an accreditation visit scheduled for next week.
And now we wait. Waiting and scanning the horizon for a storm that may or may not come. So you may be asking yourself, how can you help?
Pray:
Pray for our hospital to be able to implement the appropriate protocols and procedures necessary to deal with this virus.
Pray for the containment team to be able to conduct thorough contact tracing so that we can stop the spread of this disease.
Pray for the staff who have been forced to leave and the staff who have remained. Pray for their hearts, pray for wisdom and guidance, and pray for unity during this challenging time.
Pray for our children, their hearts, and the challenges they are facing. All of their friends have temporarily left the compound, while at the same time both their parents are extremely busy. Praise for my parents who are a huge balm and help in this time
Give:
Our hospital has decided to pause all elective services until our new screening protocols are in place and staff have received the necessary training. However, the reality is that our hospital is still a business. We need to generate revenue to cover staff wages and keep the lights on so we can continue providing care to the community.
As we near Giving Tuesday, many of you may be looking for meaningful causes to support with your year-end donations. We kindly ask you to prayerfully consider making a generous gift to the hospital. Our hospital operates on very tight margins, and canceling almost all non-emergent services results in a significant loss of revenue.
If you feel led to give, please visit https://www.soddo.org/donate/ and select “Support the Hospital during Marburg Crisis” under the area of greatest need.
If you have any prayer requests, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to set up a video chat, send us a message! You can contact us on WhatsApp or email us at LCRC@cobosethiopia.org.
If you want to learn more about how to help us on this journey, please click the link below!
