Peter Puts Pen to Keyboard ...and Remembers Guyana

The Difference a Year Makes

Just over one year ago, I knew about Rev. John O'Connor by reputation alone.  I knew he was an ordained Lutheran pastor and a former chaplain.  I knew that he had an interest in doing ministry in Guyana- some kind of ministry.  But the one time we communicated by email, he was in the process of moving back to Ayr, ON from Nova Scotia.  We agreed to get in contact with each other when things were more settled.

About one year ago, John and I finally met for coffee.  He shared about his chaplaincy work in the past and about his annual teaching experiences at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Guyana.  About three months every year for the past 10 years!  I shared about my one trip to Guyana, representing the ELCiC at the 2011 annual church convention of the ELCG.  I also shared about being in ministry at Maranatha Lutheran in Waterloo and about being a family physician working on the Specialized Mental Health Unit at Freeport Hospital.  I tried, somewhat ineffectively, to explain my odd dual calling to both ministry and medicine.  We talked briefly thereafter about the possibility of doing some work together in Guyana.  My response was muted -- where was the possibility to make a lasting difference??

In February, John and Anne joined Maranatha for our annual Black History celebration.  We didn't have much time to connect in person that day, but I believe that you can tell a lot about a person by how they lead a service and by how they preach.  Wasn't sure what John thought after that day, but was pleased to be invited to go for coffee again...

By spring, 2012, conversations with medical colleagues at Freeport led to a first meeting of our current Guyana group- Sujay Patel( Freeport psychiatrist), Ram Kalap ( Guyanese born chaplain at Homewood), John, and myself.  We talked about the idea of a medical contact-making trip to Guyana sometime in the next year- most likely when John would be back in Guyana between Sept. and November.  We talked about a needs assessment and we talked about meeting people.  We talked about who might support a trip like this with more than kind words and best wishes.  We talked about the realities of family life in Canada and the need to plan a trip only if we would truly follow through on a commitment to go.   We were blessed to receive concrete support for this trip both from Bishop Michael Pryse of the Eastern Synod and from Homewood Health Centre in Guelph.

In September, Sujay and I booked our tickets together.  Within a week or so, Brenna and Ram had also committed to an October trip to Guyana.  The Fellowship was established!  But what would we find and what might possibly develop?    Read on!

If you have followed this blog over the past two weeks, you will know exactly how much has been accomplished between Oct 23 and Oct. 30.  Thanks to John and to Dr. Bhiro Harry, we have safely explored Georgetown, Suddie, New Amsterdam, and the village of Fyrish.  We have visited the Georgetown Public Hospital,, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, the Suddie Hospital, and the National Psychiatric Hospital.

Brenna brought her Second Year
Class's Mascot - Flat Stanley 

Can you find Flat Stanley?

 We have met and shared in mutual reflections on mental health care in Guyana with the first year nursing class at St. Joseph Mercy hospital.  We have connected with Pastor Moses, president of the ELCG at Calvary, and with Pr. Vivian  (and her husband, Eric, fellow Canucks from Lunenburg, NS) at Ebenezer Lutheran in New Amsterdam.  We worshipped at Ebenezer on Reformation Sunday in the 270th year of the existence of the ELCG!  And we learned that it was at the 2012 Closing Service of the ES Biennial Convention ( hosted by Maranatha at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary with guest preacher, Pr. Paul Moonu, president of the ELCG) that Pr. Vivian first heard her call to serve in Guyana!

Do Ministers of Health Give Official blessings?

Canadians [plus a lone American] meet with Minister of Health Hon Dr. Bheri S. Ramsaran.  [l-r Dr. Bhiro Harry, John, Rev. Dr. Dennis LeBlanc, Brenna Patel, Dr. Sujay Patel, Minister, Rev. Ram Kalap, Dr. Shanti Singh, Director for the National AIDS Programme Secretariat and Rev. Dr. Peter Kuhnert  

Today, our final full day in Guyana, we met with the Minister of Health, Minister Ramsarran.  He talked passionately about his hopes for developing the mental health care system in Guyana.  He talked about the opportunity of having 100 medical graduates repatriating to Guyana within the next year after training in Cuba, and the need for someone to guide them in nurturing a passion for and skill in providing excellent mental health care.  He talked about the possibility of future partnerships  and invited us to contact him when we had more details to provide.  This afternoon, we met with a reporter from the national television channel, NCN, Ms. Samuels.  She had first approached us with the idea of an interview after worship at Ebenezer!  The ministry gave its blessing and the interview occurred today.  Sujay spoke eloquently about opportunities for partnership and for training family physicians and nurse practitioners and for bringing allied health professionals to train local trainers in Guyana.

Following the meeting with the Minister, the team was still exchanging ideas
in the waiting room of the Ministry of Health

Autographs are now $100 each.

Tonight, we enjoyed our final meal together with Dr. Bhiro Harry, with John and his old classmate Dennis, and as the Fellowship quartet. We reminisced about the amazing and blessed events of the week and we began to dream about what might yet be.

TV Stars in the making.  We all gathered
to see the Canadians on the Six O'Clock NCN News

If you can't wait till the full length movie comes to a theater near you:  Click Here.

Good bye... till we meet again.

What difference can a year make?  A mere 365 days?  Some would say not a lot.  Of course, others would say the entire world can change.  It certainly has for us.  How will this adventure continue?  Today, I can hardly say.  But then, of course, that's the story for next year.

Thanks to you, John, for the opportunity to guest-blog for you.  You and Bhiro have been gracious and thoughtful hosts and exceptional planners.  I am grateful.  Our team is grateful.  

Thanks for being a blessing.    Peter Kuhnert

Peter Kuhnert is a Medical Doctor and Lutheran Pastor.  Back in Ontario he is the pastor of Maranatha Lutheran Church in Kitchener and the medical doctor on a specialized geriatric mental health programme at Grand River Hospital. 


"Some Unknown Reason"
A student reflects on her visit to the "Berbice Madhouse"

Upon entering, I saw several persons going about their daily routine as they talked to themselves, which at first seemed very amusing until it actually hit me that these people are really ill and society has shunned them because of an illness which is beyond anyone’s control.   As my tutors and fellow batchmates enter the first ward on the hospital ground, I started to panic for some unknown reason.   Rev Dennis, introduced me to a patient by the name of xxxx who was very wonderful, she told me about her morning and was packing to leave the premises  as she indicated that her relatives are coming to take her home.  When xxx left me, I stood in the corner and observed every detail of each patient within my view and tears came to my eyes as I stood helpless just looking on, how these patients lost their husbands, siblings, children and friends all because of a mental disorder.