After several weeks of intense preparation and (literally) thousands
of practice questions, I finally took the written exam for the American Board
of Orthopedic Surgery last Thursday (for the second time). Having
already passed this exam directly after finishing residency in 2008, I remained
“board-eligible” for the past five years while we continued our work as orthopedic
medical missionaries at Tenwek hospital in Kenya. However, since I have not been able to work
in the U.S. for the required two full years in order to sit for the second half
of this exam (to become “board-certified”), my eligibility expired; hence, the
reason for the distinct pleasure of taking this brutal exam for a second
time. Round three will come in another
five years if we continue our work in Kenya, and the Board maintains its
policy regarding the requirements for “step two.”
Post-test celebrations where cut painfully short, as I had
to begin collecting all the documentation required for my next certifying exam,
which I am scheduled to take in six weeks.
In September, Dr. Kiprono (my Kenyan partner) and I will sit for the written
fellowship exam for the College of Surgeons of East, Central and South Africa
(COSECSA), in preparations for the new orthopedic residency program set to
start at Tenwek early next year. As part
of the “collection process” for this exam, I was required to catalogue all the
cases I have done at Tenwek into a master “log book." As I reviewed each of these procedures
individually (1700 in total), I was struck with the severity of the injuries of
so many of these poor patients (multiple open fractures, etc.), and sighed at
the thought of the workload that awaits me when I return. Contemplating
the recently-re-completed ABOS exam, the upcoming exam in Kenya, and the prospect of returning to significant difficult
work, the thought went through my mind, “Dan, is all this worth it?”
The following day, I received an email from Dr. Shawn O’Driscoll
(a good friend and colleague from the Mayo Clinic who had visited Tenwek last
November), which reset my perspective. He
had just received a phone call from a patient in Kenya whom we cared for during
his visit. This patient, named Helen,
called to let him know that she had fulfilled the promise that she made to him
last year after her injury: She would dance at her daughter’s wedding in July
2013. Helen called just after the wedding, and told
Dr. Shawn that she was dancing with all her might, praising the name of the LORD
right from the middle of the dance floor!
Helen was one of several women who arrived at Tenwek
simultaneously, all from the same matatu (bus) crash. She and two other women sitting in the second
row behind the driver were pleading with him to “slow down,” because his
driving was so reckless and they feared for their lives. The driver rebuked them harshly. Literally a few seconds later, while trying to pass a semi, the matatu was
forced off the road by on oncoming SUV, and crashed into a ditch. The second row seat (where the three women
sat) was not appropriately attached to the floor and was driven by decelerated
momentum into the back of their legs, creating six tibia (shin bone)
fractures, five of which were severely open (compound), with bone protruding out
the front of their legs. The driver
escaped somehow unscathed, and the women pleaded with him again, this time for his
help, as they were pinning to the floor by the faulty seat. But the driver ignored their cries (and all
the others who were injured), grabbed his coat, and walked away from
the scene of the accident.
Several hours later, Helen and the other victims arrived at
Tenwek (including a patient with a broken and dislocated cervical spine which
required surgery). After several
operations, including using local muscle flaps and skin grafts to cover exposed bone,
Helen was on the mend, and always upbeat on morning rounds. Dr. Shawn and Helen formed a strong spiritual
bond, and we prayed with her (by her request) daily while she was in the
hospital. It was during this time that
she made her promise…she would dance at her daughter’s wedding in July.
I was blown away (yet again) at God’s patience with me, even
in my unbelief at asking myself the “worth it” question. He provided what I needed (Helen’s story), at
the right time (in a valley of doubt), to keep me focused on who matters most (Jesus), reminding me
to “run with perseverance the race marked out for me” (Hebrews 12:1-2). But
even so, this is a valid question to ask ourselves, as Jesus himself encourages
us all (who would call ourselves His disciples) to consider the cost of
following Him (Luke 14:25ff). And
following Jesus can be hard, uncomfortable, lonely, exhausting, alienating, sacrificing,
requiring constant faith, and perseverance. But the joy comes in realizing that what we “give up” (i.e. stuff) can’t
even be compared to what we receive (i.e. Jesus, freedom, eternal life). As Jim Elliot (missionary-martyr to South
America) was quoted, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what
he cannot lose.” So, is following Jesus worth
it? Easy?...not always. Worth it?...absolutely!
All I have it Christ by Jordin Kauflin
(Click to view on You Tube)
I
once was lost in darkest night
Yet
thought I knew the way
The
sin that promised joy and life
Had
led me to the grave
I
had no hope that you would own
A
rebel to Your will
And
if You had not loved me first
I
would refuse you still
But
as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent
to the cost
You
looked upon my helpless state
And
led me to the cross
And
I beheld God’s love displayed:
You
suffered in my place
You
bore the wrath reserved for me
Now
all I know is grace
CHORUS
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah!
Jesus is my life
Now,
Lord, I would be Yours alone
And
live so all might see
The
strength to follow Your commands
Could
never come from me
O
Father, use my ransomed life
In
any way You choose
And
let my song forever be
“My only
boast is You”
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