October 20, 2005

  • What A Difference A Day Makes!

    Well, what a difference a day makes!! 

     

     

     

    I thought it would be good not to let you all hang on the last update too long, for God is good and His mercies are new every morning.          

     

    In church the previous Sunday, Linda had told the elderly people 60 and over to come to the farm on Friday at 15 hours (3pm) because she had some “goodies” for them.  Linda wanted them to come to the farm so she could find out what village they were from, what their food status was and the number of orphans they were housing.  This is the time of year when food is short and Linda begins a feeding program if needed with a special concentration on the elderly.   It’s amazing to me how word spreads here in Zambia….they don’t have telephones and they don’t live close and yet the word spread all the way to Livingstone!  A total of 75 people came to the farm that day.  Some of these elderly people started walking at 3AM in order to arrive at 8AM, just so they wouldn’t have to walk in the hot sun.  Remember these are people 60 and over with the same aches and pains as Americans their age, but these people don’t have medicine to take, no bathtubs for a nice soak and some don’t even have shoes!  It made sense to all these people to make a day of it and stop in and be seen at the clinic in hope for some relief of whatever ailed them.  We saw 51 out of the 75 in the clinic; most with arthritic aches and pains…..Ibuprofen, Flame On (like Ben Gay), a little kindness and a smile for everyone! 

     

    As they sat under the Pavilion (waiting room for the clinic) and under surrounding trees, Linda gave them rolls for lunch.  At 3pm, they all gathered in the church for encouragement out of the Word and then Linda, Joann and I handed out 4 articles of clothes, a pair of shoes and a blanket to each one.  Surveys were completed for assessment information and then they all climbed up on the Lorry truck (and yes they climbed up!) for transport home.  I have enclosed two pictures for you to get a visual idea of the number inside the church and the number in the waiting room of the clinic!! 

     

    After a very satisfying Friday afternoon just as Sal and I were settling in to have a relaxing evening, the phone rang.  It was Mary from the orphanage on the hill calling to tell us that 9 month old Steven who had been seen in the clinic also that day was “going in and out of consciousness.”  We prayed, “O Lord not again”, grabbed equipment we thought we might need and jumped into the Defender.  Driving up the hill on the dirt roads after stopping at the clinic doesn’t do much for the ETA!  Sal and I continued to pray the whole way to one of the teachers houses…..Little Steven was wrapped up in a shetangi and a crocheted afghan and had a knitted hat on his head!  His temperature was 102 degrees and needless to say he was a little lethargic.  I unwrapped him and started to bathe him with tepid water teaching the mom as I went.  Sal consulted with the doctor in town for dosages of the concoction of medications for persistent fever via the telephone and then we proceeded to give three injections.  We decided it would be best if mom and baby came to stay at the clinic overnight just in case.  When we left to go back to the clinic, Steven’s temperature was 99.5 and he was playing.  Leaving mom and baby on the army cot in the clinic with instructions to leave him uncovered, breastfeed him often through the night and call us for any changes, we went to our apartment for the night.  The next day, Steven was doing well enough to go back home after another injection.  Mom was instructed to bring him back the next three days for follow up and an injection

     

    on each of those days.  Well today is Monday and Steven has no temperature….he is doing well.  It says in God’s Word (and I’m paraphrasing)….that what Satan meant for evil, God turns to good!  We received a blessing when Steven’s mom asked for a job!  After prayer and a proper interview, we have hired our second worker for the Clinic!

     

     

     

     

    Zambian Waiting Room!!!!!