orville bignall operating

This is my first post. I want this journal to be exciting, insightful, and encouraging. Most of all, I want to share the resilient spirit of these families, and encourage you to help better the lives of children around the block and around the world. 

Located on the north coast of South America, Guyana is the only anglophone ("primarily English-speaking") nation on the continent. 83,000 square miles large, only 750,000 people call it home, making Guyana one of the most sparsely populated countries in the western hemisphere. It also has some of the largest, undisturbed tropical rain forests anywhere on earth! The infrastructure is very underdeveloped: power outages are not uncommon, many roads are in disrepair, telecommunications are unreliable, and tapwater is not always safe to drink. The people, however, are some of the most welcoming and kindhearted folks I've ever met; I've been treated well and respected everywhere I go.

I'm stationed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, the largest health center in the country. If you want to know what it's like, imagine a hospital in the United States... 40 years ago! Large open wards with patients, limited medical supplies and medications, and unreliable air conditioning. I have seen several dramatic traumas, and I've been put to good use so far!

Make no mistake about it: I miss my parents, my sister, Ebony, my friends and my Riverside family intensely! It helps that my mom has been checking in with me faithfully each morning to pray with and for me before I leave for the hospital (Skype = WINNING)! I have so appreciated the prayers and steadfast support of my family; the encouraging Facebook, Skype, and email messages of my friends; and even the unexpected monetary gifts of my church family! I am already "more than a conqueror" (Romans 8:37).

I'm experiencing answers to your prayers daily, so please, keep the prayers, notes, and encouraging words coming! I'll write again soon...