secondhand best

I'm told there used to be a concept called the 'missionary barrel';
instead of throwing something away or giving it to Goodwill, you instead
sent it overseas for a missionary to sort out and use. Thankfully, that
concept has largely died, but it still holds true from time to time when
it comes to medical supplies -- send the expired stuff, the odd-sized
things, the rehabilitated or too antiquated equipment out to the field.
(Before I came, I was reading that Africa now has a waste disposal
problem because of the sheer number of antiquated or even
non-functioning computers that are sent out; apparently they contain
some kind of hazardous chemical inside which my 2 foot deep trash pit in
the backyard isn't quite adequate for.) Unfortunately, our patients and
doctors aren't particularly odd-sized (or expired for that matter!) so
we have an entire shelf in the storeroom full of size 9.0 and 5.5
surgical gloves! (that's really big and really small if you're non-medical)
We've been blessed with recent donations to cover the purchase of a
brand-new anesthesia machine for the hospital which will allow us to
give safe gas anesthesia to our patients at the hospital; saving us
money, providing for a safer anesthesia, and allowing us to treat
patients more effectively that we used to be able to. It's unusual that
something brand-new comes from donations and it got me stirred up again
about why we settle for less than the best when it comes to the work
that we are doing here. Don't get me wrong, we do our absolute best
with what we are provided with -- work extra hours, fill in the gaps,
trust in God to make up the difference -- but you get demoralized
because you know that your 100% effort is limited to say, 70%
effectiveness, because of the circumstances that are around you.
I was reading about the miracle at Cana and the fact that the wine that
Jesus made was 'the best wine'. Even though it would be 'wasted' on the
already drunk guests, it was still worthwhile to produce something that
would be the best to him. The difference between offering what could be
the best wine instead of watered down grape juice often lies outside of
myself and my control -- on the supplies from the government, the
donations of strangers -- and it's been really beautiful when the church
has recognized that responsibility and stepped up to fill the
difference. It's been one of the joys of being here to see that gap
slowly closed, little by little, with help from outside ourselves here.
It's very good when we can truly offer 'the best' to those who come
looking for our help.