The Power Of Prayer

I am up writing this story at one o'clock in the morning as I listen to the rain pouring down. I just finished a prayer for Naomi and her family as she is walking home right now with the little malnourished baby, Dominique, on her back while trying to keep him dry with a raincoat I gave her. It is very dangerous to be out walking right now so late in the night. The rain may be the one thing keeping her safe tonight. She is trying to get back home to her boys. They had to be left there alone which leads me to my story.

Two hours ago Naomi called me frantic. She said, "I am here at the hospital with Chitiwa and her babies. She is acting like she will die!" I reply to her, "I am coming, I will be there in a second." I run over to the hospital and run into urgents looking for my friends in need. Naomi brought the lady to the hospital that I have written about before. Chitiwa is a young lady that just had her fifth baby but only the second to be alive right now. Her other baby Dominique is the baby that we have been helping with nutrition for over 3 months now. He too has been in and out of the hospital for the last 3 months. Just two weeks ago he had to receive blood because his hemoglobin was down to 3.9 which is really bad.

Naomi tells me her miraculous story on how she got Chitiwa to the hospital. Chitiwa had complained today of having a bad headache so Naomi right away went to the market and got her medicine. But things got worse for her after everyone went to bed. Naomi was awakened by the loud moans coming from the small house that Chitiwa is staying in. She is burning up with a fever, her back and her head hurts so bad she would repeat that she is going to die. Naomi sees her eyes roll back into her head and Naomi panicked. She knew she needed to get her to the hospital. She put one baby on her back and the other one she just held. All of Naomi's four children are crying and trying to hold Chitiwa. Naomi tells them to be with her while she runs with the babies to the market to try and get a taxi motorcycle. She is running and is in the middle of the market in the middle of the road. She just drops to her knees and cried out to God for help. This is what she said, "God you know what is before me. Only you can help me. Where are you now? Put the way before me to help Chitiwa." She gets up and out of the darkness is the one and only taxi motorcycle in the market. She knows without a doubt that God sent him because as soon as she is safely on with him they move down the road just a little ways and the motorcycle light shines on a large man trying to hide a big wooden club behind his leg. At that moment she thanks the Lord but is in such a crazy state does not realize till later the danger that was waiting for her.Naomi gets back to her house and has two neighbor men put Chitiwa on the motorcycle and Naomi still has one baby strapped to the back of her and the other one is held between her and Chitiwa. Naomi wraps her arms around them all and holds tightly to the taxi driver. They all get to the hospital safely. Chitiwa is treated immediately and given an IV and they take her information over to Dr Appel. A plan of treatment was then assigned. After some time Chitiwa has settled down and we start to become at ease with the situation. But now Naomi and I look at each other and think now what are we going to do with her babies? It has been decided that I will take the newborn just in case it needs the mother, Naomi feels like she needs to go home to her children and she will take the other boy that is about 1 year old. But now it has begun to rain and it is so late. I worry about letting her go but I also worry about her leaving her children in the panic state that she did. They have all grown to love Chitiwa and would worry. I go over to the hospital after everything is decided. As I hold the head of this newborn, up to the mother's breast, I feel bad while the mother is loaded with drugs so much she can not feed her baby. I just think about this place. Why is there so much suffering? How can there be so much going on in such a small place like Bere'? I can only think that Satan must really be having a good time keeping so many people sick. Keeping people down emotionally and even financially. So much sickness! I think about my circle of friends. So many are even sick right now. I can always go to the hospital and find someone I know that is sick. Why? How can there be so much like this going on? It is really weird to me. The stories I hear are heart breaking. I think the next few things I write will just be short stories of some of the things I hear day in and day out.

Naomi just called and told me she got home safe and her children are all fine. This women teaches me everyday how important prayer is. It may have saved her life tonight. I can clearly see that God is with this woman. Please keep praying for all of us in Bere'. You never know whose life it will save.

08/11/10

Sunday I was going to go to a soccer game that was being played out by the market. Some of the young guys I know were going to be playing and they asked me if I would go and watch them. Soccer is a very big sport here. I was delighted to have been invited and took cool fresh water with me to give them during half time. On my way to the game I noticed a couple of boys in front of me that were going to the game too. They were probably about 14 y/o and seemed to be as happy to have somewhere to go as I was. As I studied the boys walking in front of me I noticed one had on a pair of shoes that stood out like a sore thumb with the jogging pants that he had on. The shoes were a pair of sparkling white dress shoes that came to a point and were about 4 sizes too big. My first thought was how ridiculous they looked. But then I let God talk to me. What is the story behind the shoes. What if the shoes were all he had left of his father with so many children here without parents. What if they were the only shoes he owned. There could have been a number of stories that could have explained why the shoes were obviously so important to him. It made me think about how we are so quick to judge other people for their outward appearance. I have done that so many times here that I am so ashamed after I find out the real story.

Short stories that tug at my heart strings when I hear stuff like this.

08/11/10


One mid morning Sabbath day we had a 9 year old visitor come to our door. This is a little boy that lives about two miles from here. He has helped me around the yard for flip flops and I have helped him with a few other things. This particular morning he did not look so good. I invited him in and sat him down. I asked him what was wrong as I touched his forehead. He was burning up. He told me that he has not been feeling good for some time now. He said he has had diarrhea for about five weeks and his head hurt. He also said that he was very hungry. He has tried to get food from his family but anytime his mother tries to feed him his father would beat his mother. Of course Jamie and I got him some food and gave him all the medication he needed to get better. Just this week his mother came to me with him she said that her corn crops had come in and she brought me about 9 ears of corn already cooked. This is a big thank you when someone brings you food.