Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Goodbye Bangladesh



                                                                                                                                                             


Dear Friends and Family,

                Greetings from Bangladesh! It seems hard to believe that my 2 years in Bangladesh are quickly coming to an end.  I have really learned to love Bangladesh and am sad to be leaving.  My 2 year commitment with Samaritan’s Purse will finish in October, but my Bangladeshi visa expires the end of September, so now I am in the process of saying goodbye.


               
       These last 2 years have been full of many blessings.  One was the opportunity to work with some amazing Bengali women.  I really enjoyed getting to know them in and outside the hospital.  I was able to teach them OB, but they also taught me about Bengali culture, language, and how to provide apply good care in the Bengali context.  I also had the opportunity to lead the female ward staff devotions for part of my time. Please continue to pray for these women, that they would remember the things we talked about and apply them to their own lives.
       


             Another blessing was getting to work with some wonderful patients.  My patients came from many different backgrounds, Muslim, Hindu, Tribal and Christian.  The majority of them came for prenatal care and delivery, but I also saw a lot of patients for gynecological and infertility problems.  In this culture, it is so important to be able to have biological children, especially sons.  Being able to help some of these women achieve pregnancy and then have a healthy delivery was so amazing.  We were also able to share the good news with many of these women during their hospitalizations.  A few accepted (hurray!), but also many seeds were planted.  Please continue to pray for them in the midst of the difficulties that they face.
               


                Living in a different country for 2 years can be very difficult, but God really sustained me and provided me with some great Bengali and American friends, one of whom was my Bengali language tutor.  We would study together about twice a week, but sometimes we would just practice conversation.  Those were my favorite classes because I would really get to know more about her and what life is really like in Bangladesh.  Please continue to pray for her and her family.
               
               

 

         And of course, one of the things I’m going to miss the most is the spicy, but very yummy, Bengali food!
         

        My time in Bangladesh has now come to an end.  At this point, I’m not sure if I will be coming back in the future or not.  The program with Samaritan’s Purse is only for 2 years and unfortunately cannot be extended.  I am definitely interested in continuing with long term medical missions and will be looking into different possibilities.  For now though, I will be returning to Kentucky to study and take my oral OB/Gyn boards.  I will also be doing some OB/Gyn work in the US, while trying to determine what God would want me to do next.  I would really appreciate your prayers for wisdom both during my time of studies and in my future plans.
               
            Thank you so much for your prayers and support over the last 2 years.  I definitely felt your prayers during many difficult times.  Thank you also for your financial support.  With your support, many Bangladeshi women were able to receive safe medical care, but most importantly hear the good news!  My time with SP ends on October 13th, so if you would like to give in October, that will help cover my last minute expenses.  If you have been using electronic funds withdrawal through SP, please call (828) 262-1980  to cancel.
                I hope to be able to visit many friends and family over the next couple of months.  If you would like me to visit or speak at your church or small group, please email me at cgbrabon@gmail.com.

Onek Donobad! Nomoskar from Bangladesh!

Christel Brabon    


 
 My church in Bangladesh.

 










The female social workers at MCH.