We have been busy this week here at Shank. Someone somewhere said things were supposed to slow down once it started getting cold. I have yet to see any slow down. Before I get into my blog I will give the scoop on the photos for this week.
Yes, it is getting cold. This is evidenced by all of the snow on the mountains. Those mountains are south of us, between us and the Pakistan border. We'll see if that makes a difference in the amount of casualties. Our elevation is around 6500 feet, and those mountains are at least 11-12K feet. The lows this week are supposed to be in the 20's. This is why I think that the Nobel Peace Prize should be given to the inventor of the electric blanket. Think about how many lives are saved because of electric blankets! I can think of at least four. The nurses control the thermostat as we share a heater between out two tents. This is a huge, industrial strength heater to heat up about 400 square feet of living space. As a result, when the heater is on, it really heats up quick, and the thermostat is more of a rough estimate at best. For some reason the nurses don't like it steaming hot and they don't like to turn the heater on. Problem solved, preheat the electric blanket at "5" an hour before bed and when it is time to insert myself into the oven, turn the heat to "4" and cook for as many hours as possible. Because for every hour I am asleep, it is an hour that I am not here in Afghanistan! BTW, I would also add for strong consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize the inventor of the washable marker. How many childrens' lives have been saved because they colored on the wall with washable markers? Think of the children!
The second photo is me operating with my scrub tech, Specialist Roberts. We are doing a Hartmann's colostomy after I diagnosed my patient with a penetrating rectal injury from a mortar fragment. How I made the diagnosis is a story for my brother and I to share at the dinner table, not here on the internet. Specialist Roberts is a great OR tech and an aspiring orthopedic surgeon.
This week, I couldn't help but think about 1 Nephi 1:20. The book of Nephi, (First book in the Book of Mormon) appears to be written retrospectively by Nephi. Here is his family, being cast out of their nice home, their riches, friends and all of their own hopes and dreams for their future being thrown out the window. They faithfully follow their father into the wilderness to save their family from the destruction of Jerusalem. Nephi, again with the ability to look back over his journey says, "But behold, I Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance". Nephi begins the Book of Mormon with this premise: Look and see how keeping the commandments, following the Savior Jesus Christ will lead you to happiness.
To understand the "tender mercies of the Lord" we have to first understand that God is our Father in Heaven and as such loves us. We are not talking about a fleeting feeling or sympathy. I am talking about a deep rooted and eternal charity that led him to send his only begotten Son to suffer and die for each of us. We have to have faith that he knows each of us, as parents knows their children. He knows our wants, our desires, our passions and our pains. He knows what we want most and what is most important to us. This is our Heavenly Father we are talking about, he knows us better than we know ourselves. I firmly believe that He cares about the little stuff too.
Over the next several chapters, Nephi shows us how the Lord delivers him and his family from various challenges and trials. He blesses them with scriptures, families and a way to travel across the ocean to their Promised Land. In fact, this is one of the premises of the entire Book of Mormon. The next time I read the Book of Mormon, I am going to focus on picking out the tender mercies of the Lord.
This week I observed a tender mercy of the Lord. If you remember my last posting, there is a soldier from Utah that was going home for the birth of his first son. He left Afghanistan on Monday morning, traveled for more than 20 hours to Salt Lake City. While driving home from the airport with his 38 week pregnant wife on I-15 she went into labor, and a few hours later, his son was born. I don't believe in coincidence, only divine intervention. I know he wanted nothing more than to spend his R&R time with his wife and newborn. The Lord made it happen that they could have that time. Link to the KSL story: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8651687
In each of our lives, we can see tender mercies extended to us. It can be so easy to allow the whispering of the adversary to blind us from what the Lord has extended to each of us. I am humbled and amazed at how merciful He has been to me and my family. On of the greatest mercies that I have received of the Lord is my eternal companion, Sarah. Followed closely by my little own little ones. It doesn't end there. I can go on for a long, long time detailing the many ways that I have been blessed.
The principle lesson that I have learned over the past several years, is encapsulated by the love that a Father has for his children. As a father, I want all of my kid's dreams and desires to become a reality. If we live our lives in such a way that the spirit of the Lord can guide us, He will lead us to happiness.
Afghanistan has taught me many lessons about life, and about myself. I am truly grateful to my Father for giving me the opportunity to be here. For the past 14 years, I have wanted to be right here. I have fasted and prayed many times, that I might be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bless his children on the earth. To be an answer to the prayers of hundreds of loved ones, back at home who kneel every night and ask God to protect their fathers and bring them home to the ones they love. It is hard being away from my best friend and my children. They are growing up so fast and I miss being with them. This is but for a brief moment me, yet for others it will be an eternity.
Remember that evening in the dorms...you had told me not to sit on your bed or otherwise touch it...I knew you would be returning to the room soon, so I crawled under your covers and made myself comfortable, which I knew would piss you off. You walked in and were furious. Of course I knew it was "sheet-exchange" that night, so it was all good. The point to this, is I would like to pull that same prank with your beloved electric blanket if I had the opportunity!
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