A recent experience

It has been a while since I have had a chance to share what God has been doing here. First of all, thank you for your prayers! Chitra, the guard who got hit, is healing well and all of us with malaria are almost fully recovered. For those that didn’t know, I came down with malaria last week. I actually had a wonderful week at work before I got sick and had written about one experience that I wanted to share with you but never had a chance to actually post it. I have been feeling so blessed to be called to work with thes people. I know I have thanked you before, but I want to thank you again for helping me make this possible. I am truly grateful.

October 7, 2009

Today I was inspired, humbled, ashamed and burdened.

I had the opportunity to join Suzanne, our palliative care nurse, on her morning visits out into the community. As the palliative nurse, Suey spends her days visiting patients of all ages in various locations who are dying. Because we were unable to help these patients with surgery, palliative care offers them pain medications, supplies to dress their wounds, calorie boosting nutrition, and money for food.

The first lady we visited is living with the largest malignant facial tumor I have ever seen. It has completely disfigured her face and has overtaken her mouth so that she is only able to drink. Somehow she is overflowing with the joy of the Lord. We were welcomed into her one-room house and sat with her on the bed as she preached to US of the goodness of God. Her daughter, who takes wonderful care of her mother, cleaning her open sores several times a day, chased her small 2 year old son Glory around the room as we prayed with this patient and gave her more pain medications to control her constant discomfort.

The young boy we visited next was equally inspiring. A lively 15-year-old with a contagious smile, he is dying of rapidly growing lymphomas. He takes care of all his needs himself, telling us what supplies he low on and how the medications are treating his pain. He diligently works through the workbooks Suzanne gave him and loves going to church to pray for 3-4 hours a day! He is praying in faith that God will heal him before Christmas. His mother is a strong, beautiful woman who wanted to sing and worship with us before we left.

Unfortunately the common theme of the day seemed to be the absence of male presence. The father was absent in each home we visited, absent for years, leaving the women responsible for finding ways to provide food as well as care for the entire family, including the sick family member. Not only that, but in two of the three cases, the man of the house had actually cursed the sick family member at some point and the voodoo belief that the curse was the reason for the illness was definitely present. What would entice a father to do that, especially to his teenage son? The devil, no doubt. While the strength, joy and faithful toil of the women inspired me, I came away shocked and ashamed by this much too prevalent reality.

As I said, it was a wonderful chance to be challenged, humbled and inspired. Being welcomed into a dying person’s home was so intimate. Not only that, the conditions in which they must live are amazing. One small, hot room with one bed for the entire family sufficed, filled with the pungent odor of the trash that was covering the dirt ground outside the door. What a reminder that I have been blessed with so much more than enough!