Last August, our family spent five weeks at Nkhoma Hospital in Malawi. While Jim and I worked in the hospital, our children Miriam 22, Ruth 19, John 16 and Christopher 13 helped at Ebenezer School. Ruth became a first grade teacher since one of the teachers had left when a parent died. The boys directed recess and played a lot of soccer. Miriam read books to the children whose first language was Chechewa. We were all challenged by the living circumstances. The kids who ordinarily have their own rooms and space lived in a hut together. We walked a mile to the market to barter for our food and prepared meals as we were able between intermittent electricity outages and water being on or off with no particular warning. It was an adventure much like camping.
Like most hospitals in developing countries we found the needs overwhelming, the work physically, emotionally and spiritually challenging, staff overworked and supplies and equipment inadequate.
On the pediatric ward there were two to three children per bed, most with malaria, pneumonia and severe anemia. The mortality rate for children under five in parts of Malawi is as high as twenty percent although recently there are areas with as low as one in 8. Still throughout Africa, malaria kills a child every second. There was never enough oxygen for all the children who needed it. Every day children died. I wept with mother's as they lost their dearly beloved children. Many children had multiple illnesses. Leonard, an unimmunized 11 year old boy, was admitted with meningitis, malaria, anemia and schistosomiasis (a disease due to poor sanitation and unclean water) and developed measles while in the hospital.
One day a teen arrived and collapsed unconscious and unresponsive. Her blood looked like water and her hemoglobin was two (A normal hemoglobin is 12). She had malaria, but parasites like hookworm and schistosomiasis as well as malnutrition can worsen anemia. Amazingly, that afternoon after a unit of blood and fervent prayer she sat up and ate porridge. After my 16 year old son donated blood one afternoon, he commented to his friends on face book, "I gave blood today, saved several lives. What did you do?" What a great question and a challenge to all of us. What are we doing?
Waiting to give blood
Scripture tells us "If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it," I Corinthians 12:24. But do we really? Are we engaged in active sustained commitment to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering in the world? What does partnership mean and what is our response to James 2:15 "If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?" and even more pointedly in I John 3:17, "Whoever has the world's goods and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"
The Lord of the universe, rich beyond measure, chose to become poor, letting go of position, power, reputation and rights. Jesus' life was one of voluntary sacrifice in submission to the will of the Father. He came for the poor, the lost, the grieving, the broken hearted, the oppressed, those in mourning, those in despair, disgraced, shamed, hungry, naked, wandering in darkness. We are called to join Him in restoring, rebuilding, renewing, planting, blessing, healing, satisfying, strengthening, watering, raising up foundations, bringing light, justice and mercy for His glory so that righteousness and praise will "spring up before the nations" Isaiah 61.
I pray my words will inspire all of us to seek after the heart of God and consider how can we get involved?
Amy, this is really powerful writing. Thanks for taking the time to put your deep feelings into words. You have expressed things I would express if I could. I imagine Jesus would be living and working in places like Nkhoma Mission Hospital, but He is living and working through those who serve in His name.
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