Guatemala 2011

El Roi: The God Who Sees

San Pedro, Guatemala
November 2011

His name is Abrahm. He is adorable. He smiles easily and melts my heart. He is probably four years old. He has an infection all over his ear and near his mouth. His VBS teacher said it started with a mosquito bite 6 months ago but it is only getting worse.

His brother is Diego. Diego is a fireball. He is energetic and feisty and gives a big thumbs-up when he sees us coming. However, Diego is picked on and bullied. The first day we were there, a boy put him in a headlock and I pulled the boy off. Diego cried and cried. He wasn’t physically hurt but his heart was broken by the rejection of his peers, something that seemed to happen continuously throughout our time there.

Their sister is Ana. She is beautiful. She is quiet and shy. When I sat beside her she sat close, but not touching. Over the next few minutes she inched closer and closer until we touched. I put my arm around her and she looked up at me with a sweet little twinkle in her beautiful brown eyes. When Ana writes, she holds the paper up to her face until it touches her nose. Those beautiful eyes are failing.




Abrahm, Diego, and Ana are orphans. Their mother died and their father abandoned them. Their poor, widowed grandmother struggles to provide for them. In a village of poverty, they are the poorest. They are rejected and outcast. Does anyone even see them? Does anyone see their hurt? Does anyone see their need? Does anyone even notice these little ones at all? God does. He sees them and knows them and loves them. And He told me to tell them so.

So we prayed over them. We prayed that God would heal Abrahm’s ear, calm Diego’s spirit, and restore Ana’s sight. He can do that! He is the God Who Sees…and heals and calms and restores. We had the privilege of washing their feet while we told them that Jesus washed the feet of those He loved. We had the privilege of providing new socks and shoes. Riley had the privilege of putting her own shoes on little Abrahm’s feet. We had the honor of visiting their home to meet their grandmother. Their home is a single room made of concrete with a mud floor. Their only furniture is a small mattress on the floor in the corner. A solitary light bulb hangs from the tin ceiling covered by spider webs. When we met their grandmother she told us she is a Christian. When we told her we had come to pray for her and share with her, she wept. We wanted her to know that God sees her. He hears her cries and He sent us to encourage her.

God saw Abrahm, Diego, and Ana’s needs and gave us the privilege of sharing with them. We were His ambassadors to San Pedro. We were His messengers. We got to tell them that the God of the universe sees them and He loves them very, very much.

Later that night, Riley shared with me what God had taught her. He taught her that when you give something away (like the shoes she gave to Abrahm), “it’s not about how much I want it, it’s about how much someone else needs it”. What else do we have that is not meant to fulfill our wants but was provided by God to meet someone else’s needs? I look around and realize I have so much. Too much. We give away a bag full of dolls and stuffed animals for other children to enjoy this Christmas and we don’t even miss them. We clean out our closets to donate clothes to the homeless and can’t even remember what was there before. We give away coats and sweaters for families in the inner city and yet we still have plenty to keep us warm all winter. What if we gave sacrificially? That is my prayer for myself and my family this year. It’s my prayer for you, too. That God will show us that He has blessed us so that we can love, give, and share in His name, for His glory. I pray we will give until it feels like sacrifice and then come to realize that when we give for the good of others and the glory of God, it’s actually no sacrifice at all.

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27

Saying Goodbye to Juliet

After spending the morning at Katie’s, we headed back to Renee’s home/clinic. I was so eager to check on Juliet. She woke up from her nap and I helped her mom change and dress her. It hurt her so much to be touched and she cried the whole time. After she was dressed, her mom let me pick her up and she immediately stopped crying. I’m not sure I can put into words the way it felt to see her again. She was so small. Her skin still had open sores all over, especially under her arms. She never smiled or made eye contact. I held her and she put her head on my chest. I wondered if she remembered me.

Melanie and I read to her. I sang to her and talked to her. I prayed and prayed over her. At the end of the afternoon, it was time to leave. It was so hard to give her to her mother. Her mother took her from me but didn’t soothe her or comfort her. She quickly put her down on the floor as she prepared to give her a cup of milk. How can a mother’s heart not break for her suffering little girl? I can’t imagine a life so hard, so tough, that a mother’s heart becomes calloused toward her own baby. Oh what I wouldn’t do to be able to bring Juliet home with me. To hold her and love her and watch her grow. To see her healed, running, playing, and laughing. What would she look like if she could stand, walk, even run? What would her face look like if she smiled? Would her eyes twinkle? What would her voice sound like if she laughed or sang? It physically hurt to say goodbye to her. 

I could only trust that I was leaving her in the arms of One who loves her infinitely more than I do…

Amazima with Katie Davis

Saturday we had the joy and privilege of visiting Katie Davis’ ministry, Amazima. Katie’s ministry provides sponsors for children so that they can attend school, receive food, and receive medical care. Most importantly, these children are shown that they are dearly loved by God. They hear the good news that Jesus has died for their sins so that they can be in an intimate relationship with God. They are discipled as they come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Every Saturday morning, the children gather for a Bible study, eat lunch, and take home a big bag of food for their family. I have followed Katie’s blog (www.kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com) for over two years now. This is where my love for Uganda began! We have the privilege of sponsoring one of Katie’s children. Her name is Carolyn and she has just started boarding school. This is a great luxury for her and we are humbled to contribute to her education. Since she was away at school, I didn’t get to meet her but I was able to leave a special package and a letter with the social worker who knows Carolyn well.


To be perfectly honest, I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I expected to be star struck when we met Katie. She is one of my greatest heroes of the faith and I have long been in awe of her testimony. As soon as we arrived, Katie greeted us. She asked for a piece of gum to mask her “coffee breath”. I opened my backpack and replied “bubble or spearmint?” She laughed out loud as she said, “Oh, you Americans”. I guess it was pretty funny to be standing in Uganda, Africa with a backpack full of snacks, a jacket, some wet wipes, hand sanitizer, mosquito repellant, pens, journal, and more than one flavor of gum. She gratefully accepted a piece of spearmint gum. So it turns out that Katie is pretty normal, down-to-earth, and funny. She doesn’t wear a halo after all. She’s simply a young woman who has abandoned everything for a Savior who is worthy of her sacrifice. I’m still in awe…in awe of her almighty, all powerful, all loving, all gracious God.

We spent the first hour or so just hanging out with kids. The girls loved to play with my hair but got frustrated pretty quickly with how fine it is. Obviously, my hair texture is completely opposite of theirs and they gave up on trying to braid it. They taught us some of their songs and enjoyed taking pictures with our cameras.

We hadn’t been there but a few minutes when a little boy, Kapata, climbed right up in my lap. He was PRECIOUS. I’m guessing he was 3-4 years old. He didn’t want to play with my camera like all the other children. He just wanted to be held.

 

At one point, I got up to go talk to someone. I thought he would hop down and hold my hand as we walked. Instead of sliding out of my lap, he simply wrapped his legs around my waist. He was NOT getting down. I had a good laugh and happily toted Kapata around with me ALL morning long.

After receiving a boiled egg for breakfast and playing with us, the children participated in an amazing Bible study. They worshiped, laughed, and listened attentively as the Gospel was taught through Scriptures and powerful story-telling. After the lesson, the children received a huge plate of boiled chicken, rice, and beans for lunch. Then they were given a bag of food and flour to take home to their families. It was so amazing to see firsthand what God is doing to break the cycle of poverty and rescue these children in Uganda.

God's Gift for Daniel

Friday afternoon, as we were shopping in the local market, Royce (our trip leader) got sick and had a couple of episodes of vomiting. Therefore, he and his wife Sandra stayed at the hotel while the rest of us went to dinner that night. While Sandra was sitting on the covered deck reading her Bible, an employee named Daniel, approached her. He asked if she was reading the Bible and if she was a Christian. He told her that he is also a Christ follower. When asked how he came to be saved, Daniel shared that he had been participating heavily in witchcraft when God revealed Himself to Daniel and changed his life! Daniel found a small village church and has come to saving faith in Christ. However, he shared that he was sad to say he doesn’t have a Bible of his own.

Sandra shared this with the team when we returned from dinner. We joyfully invited Daniel to join our evening Bible study and were able to give him 4 Bibles for himself, his mother, and his church. I promise I have never witnessed such joy and gratitude! He could not stop thanking us. He was crying and grinning at the same time, hugging his new Bible, and thanking us and thanking us for the gift. He couldn’t wait to be able to read it for himself. He also noted, “my mother will be driven to excitement to have her own Bible!” I LOVE the African English! On a side note, Royce never got sick again. It was so evident that Royce and Sandra were meant to be at the hotel that evening. God had a gift for Daniel and He allowed them to deliver it.

Father to the Fatherless

Friday morning we spontaneously decided to visit Sonrise Baby Home and Sonrise Children’s Home, orphanages run by devoted Christ followers. We stopped first at the baby home, an orphanage for babies 2 and under. They were clean, well-fed, and obviously cared for. I expected it to break my heart. Instead I found myself praising God for this place of love and safety for these sweet babies to stay until someone takes them home to their forever family. 

Julie (my sweet friend who is in the process of adopting from Uganda)

Melanie (my dear friend and our team pharmacist)

me and Johnny

 

The children’s home (ages 3 and up) was equally impressive. The children were just getting home from school. They ran straight to their rooms, pulled out their little bins, took off their uniforms, and put on play clothes. They giggled and smiled. There was lots of excitement but remarkably little chaos. They were delightful.

The children’s home has a tiny, one-room medical clinic in the back. The nurse kept charts on each child and the little clinic was spotless. However, when she opened the medicine cabinet, it was nearly empty. She shared that she does all that she can to help the children but it’s obviously difficult without any antibiotics, pain relievers, or malaria medication. As we spoke, she held a little boy and told us in her African English, “he is having the malaria.” She noted that if she cannot help a sick child, the only other option is to take them into town to see a physician. Unfortunately this is not always possible because they cannot afford the gas to take them.

We left there knowing that we were supposed to help. As God would have it, one of our team members was a pharmacist (Melanie). We collected our money and the next day, Melanie led our team in purchasing antibiotics, basic pain relievers, and many other kinds of medications, including both oral and IV. Thankfully, in Uganda, you can purchase any medications without a prescription and because of God’s provision we had the expertise and resources to do just that. We estimated that we were able to provide the equivalent of $10,000 worth of medication! We asked Ivan, the orphanage director, to meet us in town and we surprised him with the medications plus the leftover funds. He was so grateful! He tearfully told us that he never asks anyone for money, he just prays to God, begging God to provide for the orphans. God used our down time and a spontaneous change in plans to provide for these children. He was orchestrating it all along! He put together the pharmacist, the visit, the funds, the timing, all for their good and His glory. What a privilege to witness the love of the Father toward the fatherless.

 Ivan and some of the children

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord

Thursday we travelled back to Jinja to Renee’s clinic to reunite with our team members, Julie (physical therapist) and Vivian (pediatric nurse). We weren’t quite there yet when we passed Katie (Davis) on the road and she told us a little boy was in crisis at Renee’s. As with all the children at Renee’s, 2-year-old Hatim was admitted due to severe malnutrition. They had been nursing him back to health with a liquid protein diet. However, when they introduced solid foods to him again, his little body began to shut down. He was in cardiac distress and they were having trouble stabilizing him. Thankfully, one of our team members is a cardiologist so we rushed to the clinic. Melody went in and the rest of us stayed back, not wanting to interfere or be in the way. We spent the afternoon praying for Hatim, his mother, the medical team, and Renee. I am so burdened by the weight Renee carries day after day, night after night as she tries to save the lives of these precious children. God has, without a doubt, divinely equipped her for this ministry. He performs miracles through her as He saves children that hospitals turn away, parents abandon, and everyone labels “hopeless”. In the end, He is sovereign over both life and death. However, Renee’s heart breaks for every child that does not survive and I’m sure the enemy pounces on every attempt to cause her to question herself and her decisions. So as I prayed for Hatim, I prayed for Renee’s heart to be protected no matter the outcome. Hatim was stabilized and they watched carefully over him, taking shifts throughout the night.

Later on Friday, we got the call that Hatim had passed away. We all wept. Our hearts broke, especially for his mother who was pregnant with her second child due any day. The team had done everything possible. I believe God sent Vivian (nurse) and Melody (cardiologist) for this very purpose: to assure Renee that she is making good decisions and providing excellent care. These deaths are not her fault. She did not fail. Melody told us “I have 13 years more education than Renee and I have nothing to add to her treatment plan”. Hatim’s life was in God’s hands. All we can do is confess in the words of Job, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”. Please pray for Hatim’s mother. Please pray for Renee and her ministry through Serving His Children. I have seen the miracles of healing with my own eyes and felt the weight of loss in my own heart. Renee is simply a young woman, living in obedience. Please stand with me in lifting her to the Father.

                                   Left to Right: Melody, Renee, Vivian

Call Me Prissy... I Don't Know Nothin 'bout Birthin Babies!!

After getting the update on Nora, Melanie and I went back to the delivery room to find a mom struggling to deliver her baby. This was her 6th child and she had been pushing for two hours with no success. Clearly something was wrong. The doctor told her the baby was “getting tired”, though they had no real way to monitor the baby’s well-being in that little clinic. He announced that he was leaving to prepare the OR for a c-section. However, the mom and her husband seemed unwilling to sign the necessary paperwork for surgery. The atmosphere was tense and we were so concerned about this mom and her baby. Melanie and I just stood by watching it all not knowing what in the world to do. We looked at each other and knew we needed to pray. We stood there in that tiny, unairconditioned delivery room in a remote village in Africa and called out to the only One who could intervene. We prayed aloud and simultaneously calling out to God to save this baby and mom.


After several minutes the OR nurse entered intending to get the father to sign the paperwork for a c-section. She looked at the mom and decided “we can get this baby out”. So she literally climbed on top of this mother and began pressing down hard on her abdomen. We had been told by the doctors that the nurses and midwives will do this but that many moms and babies have died because the uterus ruptures under such force. The midwife was yelling at the mom but the mom was losing strength. Needless to say, our fears increased with every passing moment. Finally, the midwife looked in our direction and said “come help me”. I’m sure we must’ve turned to look behind us. Who? Us? Well there was no one else there and, frankly, I was happy to have an assignment if it meant helping in this emergency. The midwife asked Melanie to hold one of the mom’s legs and asked me to help her sit up. So I did. I reached my arm around this mom’s waist, letting her lean back on my chest and shoulder, my arm against her bare, sweat-soaked back. And we ALL pushed. Finally, after many minutes, a little head emerged. Soon we could see the problem. The baby’s umbilical cord was wrapped around its shoulder and chest. Thankfully, it wasn’t around the baby’s neck. The nurse pulled the cord over the baby’s head and the baby boy was finally born. WOW. Boy did we cheer and cry. I’m certain I worked harder to bring that baby into the world than I did with my own children!

Our celebration was short-lived when we realized this baby was not breathing. He was gray and lifeless. His little head was horribly misshapen from being in the birth canal for so long. Again we prayed fervently, begging God to breathe life into the baby. Finally, after what seemed like many minutes, the baby boy began to cry. More cheers. More tears. The nurse and midwife thanked us over and over again for our prayers. I will always believe that God allowed us to witness a miracle that day. He displayed His power over life and I pray He received all the glory!

New Life

After Juliet left with Renee, Melanie and I were able to observe a c-section birth. The team used Ether to sedate the mom. We watched through the window of a swinging door, inhaling plenty of Ether ourselves. While the team prepped for the surgery and the mom was still awake, she was left on an operating table in the center of the room, completely nude and all alone. She appeared remarkably calm in spite of the circumstances.

The c-section was amazing and a beautiful baby boy was welcomed into the world right in front of our eyes! We cheered at the sound of that first cry.

We then went back to the maternity ward where we met Nora. She was in labor. She was from Kampala, the capital city, but had traveled many hours to this village to visit her sick mother. Her husband was in Kampala and her mother was too sick to be with her. So she was in labor with her first child and was essentially alone. When we met her, she was 6 cm dilated and contracting every 5 minutes. She was also experiencing excruciating back labor. Sandra and I ministered to her the best we could. Of course, there was no pain medication. She didn’t even have a bed to rest in but was told to walk until time to deliver. We wiped her brow and neck with a cool cloth. I let her squeeze my hand during contractions and exams (and, boy did she squeeze!!). At times she would squeeze so hard that I had to brace myself to keep from being pulled over. We walked and breathed and prayed. We took long, deep breaths together. I rubbed her lower back during contractions. It was a hard but sweet time. She was so appreciative and once said “Thank you so much, I appreciate your company” in her sweet African accent. It was so hard to leave her at nearly 8 cm. We stayed until the very last minute that we could. We prayed over her and I continued to pray all through the night that God would comfort and protect her.

We visited families in the village the next morning and by the time we made it back to the clinic, Nora had already gone home. She had delivered a healthy baby girl during the night. Praise the Lord! The midwife told Sandra that Nora had named the baby Celeste. It means celestial and was in honor of “the angels” God sent to help her the day before. Wow.

Uganda Day 1: Meeting Juliet

My first couple of hours at the Manafwa Health Clinic were spent touring the facility. Hundreds of people come everyday, waiting for hours to be seen by one of two doctors. There is no running water at the clinic and the facilities are quite primitive. Despite their very limited resources, this clinic treats HIV, TB, malaria, and dehydration. They do surgeries and deliver babies (lots of babies – stay tuned for those stories!).

After touring the clinic, I began to feel pretty useless. I’m not a doctor or a nurse, so I wasn’t sure exactly what my role should be. I turned the corner to see Josh (Serving His Children’s team coordinator) holding a tiny, lethargic, sickly little girl. Juliet had all the signs of severe malnutrition. Her hair was losing its pigment, her skin was breaking down causing open sores and cracks all over her body, and her hands and feet were severely swollen with edema. Her shoulders and back were so bony and her eyes were so sad. I gently took her from Josh but she winced from the pain of being touched. She was too weak to cry but let out a tiny sound, like a newborn kitten. Although she looked like a young toddler, Juliet is actually 4 years old.



For awhile she sat in my arms, not responding to anyone or anything. I had no idea what to do with her as we waited for her mother to return and for Renee to finish clinic so that Juliet could be admitted to the Jinja clinic. I have a four-year-old little girl at home. So, on the one hand it was so easy to love Juliet. On the other hand it was almost unbearable to see her suffering. So I comforted her the same way I would’ve comforted my own little girl. I held her and swayed. I sang “Jesus Loves Me” over and over. Finally she relaxed and rested her head on my chest. As long as I was singing or humming, she would keep her head right there on my chest. So we walked and we swayed and we sang. After awhile, I sat in the back of the matatu (van) and leaned back on a backpack so Juliet could rest without me putting too much pressure on her hurting little body. She finally fell asleep. Oh how I loved holding her. I believe that’s exactly what Jesus would’ve done if He were physically present in that moment. So I was His arms holding her. I was His hands gently stroking her tender skin. I was His voice singing over sweet Juliet. “Jesus loves me…little ones to Him belong…they are weak but He is strong.” Oh God, thank you for my time with Juliet. They were two of the sweetest hours of my life. Father, please teach her mother how to love her and feed her and care for her. Please draw her mother to You.