This post is reblogged from "Through a Porthole" . . .
Our precious, vulnerable patients are arriving from all corners of
this undulating island* seeking help for conditions sometimes shocking
in their appearance. Their courageous journeys to find Mercy Ships are
often epic and heart-rending. Here are just two:
Patient screening is taking place in 12 far-flung locations around Madagascar. Pic: Mirjam Plomb
Tiahana’s family is typical of many rural Malagasy – they farm in a
remote area and live on less than NZ$1.25 a day for all their needs. At
church they heard Mercy Ships is providing free surgeries to help
people like 23 year-old Tiahana. Her mouth is being melted away by the
flesh-eating disease noma, and she could only manage half a sweet smile
with what remained. In desperation, the family sold one of their
precious zebu (cattle) to fund the arduous 1000 km (600 mile) trip for
Tiahana and a family friend to get to the coast and find the Mercy Ship.
For days they braved hot, crowded mini-buses and the
humiliating stares of strangers.
On Tuesday she shyly pulled her brilliant green scarf a little
tighter over half her face, and firmly squeezed my hand as she shared
her story (through a translator.) I was totally blown away at the sheer
human COST of her hope for healing.
Yesterday I met Viviabet. A couple of days ago she brought tiny
Hiango to a Mercy Ships’ selection day for potential patients in her
mountainous rural region. At six months , Hiango measured less than a
baby’s normal birth-weight. Her bi-lateral cleft-lip and palate had
stolen her ability to breastfeed. The tiny girl’s situation was so dire
that the nurses asked Viviabet to come back to the ship with them on a
flight scheduled for the next day.
Viviabet had walked for a few days from her even-more remote village
with her mother-in-law and her three other children to get to the
small-town screening location. Then she undertook the heart-rending,
desperate choice to leave her other children, to go with foreign people
she had never met before, to trust us to bring her fragile daughter back
from the brink of death, to fly on a plane for the first time – without
being able to send word back to her village. It was a life and death
choice to go, or to stay. The bravery of her decision to trust us
absolutely humbles me!
*Madagascar is an island nation the length of New Zealand, but twice
the land-mass. 90% of the 23 million Malagasy live in extreme poverty,
80% in subsistence farming.
The kids at "Kids Stuff" were told this summer that behind this door lurked a closet monster and the only way to keep the monster in the closet was to feed it. So they did. And when we opened the door to our CPR Supply Closet this fall, we found all sorts of food, paper, game pieces, trash . . . etc. in there. So today we cleaned out the closet and I do mean cleaned! Kids Stuff isn't in operation again until next summer, so we moved their stuff to the Dungeon. (There are a few interesting room names at the Y!) And we put our stuff back where it belonged. Trust me, there is no more closet monster or closet monster food!
The Africa Mercy is back in Madagascar and today was their first day of surgery. This post was reblogged from the Cash Family Blog:
It’s a special day on the Africa Mercy! It’s our first day of surgeries for this field service! This morning, as a community, we stood and
prayed throughout the ship - committing this Mada 2 Field Service to God
and His glory. We thought you - our family and friends around the
world - would like to stand with us and pray, too…
Heavenly Father, we stand together on this first day of surgery. We are grateful for all the ways you have shown your love and faithfulness, and how these have brought us to this moment. We thank you for your hand of protection over us and for your continued presence by our side. We thank you for the part you have called EACH of us to play. Because
each one of us has been uniquely gifted by you, we ask for your
enabling grace in our lives, that we may be good stewards of these gifts
and use them together as a community unified around you and your
kingdom. May you be evident in everything we say and do, as we work
together to provide hope and healing for the people of Madagascar. We
thank you for the Hospital and the many programs through which we
desire to serve the people of Madagascar. We commit each of these
programs to you now. We ask for your protection, provision, and healing for each person who will be cared for in our Hospital this Field Service. We
pray that the seeds of Christ’s love which, by your wonderful grace, we
will sow into each other’s lives, as well as our patients lives, and
the lives of all those taking part in our training programs, will grow
and blossom far beyond our wildest expectations. May they bring new
life and eternal transformation, not just to individuals, but to
families, communities, generations and nations around the world forever
more. Now
to Him who, by his power working within us, is able to carry out His
purposes and do super abundantly, far over and above all that we dare
ask or think, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts,
hopes, or dreams—to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.
And a quote from the facebook wall of our OR Assistant Supervisor, Missy Brown:
The
day has arrived.....our first patients will walk into the OR this
morning....for most a hope for help/surgery not thought to be
possible....now a reality...hope being restored....our prayer for our
precious patients....transformation of the whole person... body and
heart!!! Thanks for your prayers!!!
. . . Sam and I met with Dr. Halsten at Courage Kenny Rehab today to get the results of my neuropsychological assessment. Sadly, during my testing I ranged any where from average to superior - yup, scored a 99% on one of my tests - my brain is fine. That's sad only because I'm still light sensitive, stuttering, have difficulty finding words and sleeping at night. So there is really nothing they can do for me at Courage Kenny - my brain is "too good". However, maybe an occupational therapist could help me with the stuttering and light sensitivity so now I'll contact my Worker's Comp nurse and see if there's some way I can get some help. Of course, it may just get better on it's own - maybe by Christmas or next summer or . . . maybe I can just help me along! Pray . . .
My neighbor Jerilyn took me paddleboarding for the first time ever today on Lake Marion with boats, buoys, and waves! I now feel muscles I never knew I had. However, much to my children's disappointment, I never fell off! Glory!
Is always an adventure! Today I shared it with students from Carlton and an adult group from Zone 4 of CHECK (or maybe it's CHEQUE). Either way, it was fun! I enjoyed leading the team building and sending people up the high ropes and down the zip line - even in this heat!
