February 15, 2006

 

 

 

Right on the heels of the Medical Outreach Saturday, we were again challenged.  A father carried his four year old daughter, Jennifer to our front door around 7am Sunday morning and told us, “I think she has malaria.”  Sal took them over to the clinic, confirmed that she did indeed have malaria and began treatment.  The father took her home only to return later in the afternoon still concerned about her.  We took her over to the clinic to assess and monitor her and since darkness was soon approaching, we told him they could spend the night. After more medication, she slept off and on.  However, when she would wake up, she would cry out with a very crazed stare and claw at the air as though fighting with something….almost like possessed. The staff was not working since it was Sunday and so there was no one to stay with them through the night.  Now Sal has been known to stay up through the night and monitor patients he’s concerned about, but Jennifer was on her medications with vital signs stable and seemed to have fallen asleep. Sal told Jennifer’s father Samson to come to the house anytime if he needed to get him for any reason.  With those instructions given at “tuck-in” time, Sal and I went to the apartment to get some sleep.  Early the next morning, Sal went to check on Jennifer only to return to get me saying “Come quick…she’s dying!” Sal raced back over to the clinic and attempted to start an IV while I quickly changed clothes.  When I got to the clinic, Sal was not having success with the IV.  She needed fluids desperately…how could this have happened in 6 hours with her dad present? Praying “Lord, help us”…. and speaking “you will live and not die,” I inserted an NG tube and we started ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution). Assessing her status further, she was limp with a high fever…..oh, did this bring back memories. IM medications (shots) were given one for the fever and one to protect the brain.  Sal did an HIV test and thankfully it was negative. Her vital signs were not normal….temperature 101 axillary, pulse 160 and respirations at 60.  Lungs were congested and sounded like a death rattle.  We got out the suction machine and I stayed at her bedside.  Reverand Mechesa who teaches at the Bible College and lives on the farm came and laid hands on her and prayed, anointing her with oil.  He told me…”there is a time to live and a time to die and God knows the appointed time.”  Sal had gone into the other exam room and put his head in his hands and sobbed.  As Reverand Mechesa walked by, he saw Sal and went in to pray with him telling him the same words that he had spoken to me. The word of the seriousness of her condition got out somehow and extended family members started showing up…her mother and four siblings came, her grandmother, a couple aunts and friends of the parents came….all lifting up prayers. As I was suctioning I noticed that the NG tube had become displaced and had worked its way out her nose.  Not having much choice I removed it completely.  The short time it was in and we were able to get ORS into her was enough to hydrate her so that her veins were visible.  Sal was able to start an IV which we would now be able to use for fluid and medications. Not having much success getting her breathing under control however, Sal told me to give a Nebulizer treatment holding the medication under her nose (despite her heart rate).  I have to admit that as I was putting the equipment together; I lost it also, crying in between getting supplies and setting up the treatment.  You know, the outreach on Saturday was awesome, but I have to admit that I desired to see God move in signs and wonders…I wanted to see miraculous healings before my eyes.  I wanted with all my heart to see God be glorified as He says over all the world.  Yet it did not happen the way

 

I hoped.  So now I prayed again for another chance at a miracle.  This whole time we were working on her, she never woke up….occasionally she would open her eyes and moan not really focusing, not recognizing….almost like “nobody’s home.”  After the treatment, there seemed to be a change.  There was a peace that came over me as she fell back to sleep.  Her breathing was easier…respirations at 40, pulse at 130.  It was almost a feeling that the worst was over.  We continued to monitor her through the afternoon and evening…body temperature lowered to 99….she no longer needed suctioning; her lungs were clear, pulse and respirations were stable.  She was incontinent of urine, (we had put a disposable diaper on her) so her kidneys were functioning. Everything looked like it was improving, but she wasn’t waking up.  How much damage to her brain did she have from the high fever and cerebral malaria?  Why wasn’t she waking up?  Would she ever wake up?  Janet offered to work until midnight when Sal would take over, so we went to the apartment.  While we were there, we thought of giving some glucose IV to maybe stimulate her and hopefully wake her up.  Unfortunately, nothing happened.  We told the family at that point that we had done everything we knew to do….it was now in God’s hands.  We told them to keep praying.   When Sal went back at midnight, there was still no change.  Discouraged and feeling at a loss, he went to the other adjoining exam room to spend the night working on charts etc.  His intention was to check on her every hour.  At 1am…no change.  At 2am…still no change.   Around 3 o’clock in the morning, he heard her crying in the next room and when he went to check on her, she was sitting up in the bed with her eyes open and focused.  She was back!!!  As the night progressed into morning, she continued to improve.  When Sal woke me at 5am, he said, “Come and see the little miracle!”   She was moving all extremities on her own with purposeful movement….she recognized her parents….she told her dad she was hungry….she ate porridge and drank water.  Throughout this whole time, her dad never left her side…he slept on a chair next to her bed…he sponged her down…he helped whenever I wanted to turn her or suction her…he fed her…etc.  It was a very special thing for us to see a Zambian man so attentive to his child.  Usually all the nurturing is done by the mother and other women. You could definitely see how much love he has for his family. Everyone came the next day to see how she was….there were tears of joy…and dancing and leaping and praising God!!!  I really think God gave us a miracle….and it’s not the first one.  Reverend Mechesa the next morning said, “You get sick quickly but healing is slow like a snail.”  Maybe God is giving us only what we are ready to handle.  I’ll take it however the miracle comes….immediately, over a couple days or however God chooses to move. All I know is that Jennifer went home today on her dad’s back (first time I’ve seen that here) J   Smiles galore and thanksgiving to God from everyone!!!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Medical Outreach

 

February 11, 2006

 

It's Sunday afternoon and I'm just sitting here pondering the last few days.  The team of five from North Carolina came on Wednesday:two women; Alma and TB and three men; Pastor Billy, Greg and Jim.  Hearing Pastor Billy share the first night during a devotional time, my heart was stirred.  I just knew God had put us together for such a time as this. You see, we had felt led to have our first outreach on Saturday and this team was the one we felt led to take with us.  As I sat listening to Pastor Billy's heart for the Zambian people, I could hardly keep my heart from pounding right out of my chest.  For those of you who know me well let me just say I was wearing the crown!  The more we talked with all of them, the more excited I got anticipating the day and what God had planned.  You see, Sal and I really didn't have much time to plan out every detail (remember 963 patients in January)....and God wasn't revealing too much. However, despite not having a detailed plan, Sal and I were very much at peace.  Even the night before, we were still missing some answers.  We just trusted that God would light the stones as we needed them and we definitely wanted to leave room for God.  I just grew in anticipation when things started to heat up....Sal got conjunctivitis in his left eye Wednesday night and it spread to the other eye on Friday.  He wore a patch over his left eye all day Thursday and some of Friday in the clinic, but when both eyes became affected he had to remove the patch and just see patients with draining red eyes.  (I know, gross huh?)  Key people became sick making them unable to go like the worship leader who got malaria on Friday and one of the people we had designated as a cook.   Well despite the obstacles being thrown at us some that we just won't mention....Sal and I started to load up the lorry at 6:30am and people started showing up at 7am. This outreach was to demonstrate the love of Christ through meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of the people through the enabling of the Holy Spirit .healing through medical care and prayer, and feeding of both food and the Word. We had nine 25kg bags of mealy meal (for shema).  For the relish as they call it, we had 30 heads of cabbage, with a large bag of onions and tomatoes and a very large bag of kapinta fish (tiny whole fish with eyes and all)! We packed three Rubbermaid containers with medical supplies and medications and also took tables, chairs and 25 people in all.  We drove in three vehicles the Land Cruiser from the Hill carried two American missionaries Tim and Mary and three Zambian women Marian, Patricia and Rebecca.  The Land Rover held two Zambian women Rona (one of our staff) and Lena B, two work team members TB and Alma and of course me as the driver.  The Lorry, driven by Sal, held JoAnne, three work team members Pastor Billy, Jim and Greg and ten Zambians Enoch, Padmore, Brigadier, Doubt, another Doubt, Samson, Beauty and staff Anna, Janet and Bertha. After we had packed the vehicles, we met inside the apartment for prayer and last minute directions. Believe it or not late Friday night, the stones were lit:Sal and JoAnn would do medical, TB and Jim would be taking pictures, and prayer lines to be covered by Alma, Greg, Tim and Mary.  Enoch was to have total control of the feeding program, cooking, collecting tickets and rationing out food for everyone with Doubt helping him.  Lena, Beauty, Samson and the other Doubt were the worship team members and the rest were to be used as interpreters.  I figured I would be the floater as well as Pastor Billy.  After prayer all together with the entire ministry team and encouragement that God was up to something good we started out.  The sun was shining and the sky was clear....God answers prayer.  The tarmac that I had just driven on Friday to and from Zimba had the potholes all fixed (they were polluting the road less than 24 hours before)!!!!.....God works out stuff even when you forget to ask Him.  When we got there, instead of the tiny Pilgrim Wesleyan church, we were directed to the Basic School.  What a blessing!!...we were able to use three rooms:two for exams and one for gathering to share the Word and give order to the day's events. The church across the way was to be used for food preparation and feeding.  God had given me Matthew 9:35 awhile ago which was the ministry of Jesus.  Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  Pastor Billy's devotion the first night was from Matthew 9: 9-13.  So late Friday night, when I was seeking God and His direction, I decided to read all of Matthew 9.  It was all there and it became very clear to me that it was everything God wanted to say!!!   So after setting up, we gathered all the people present into the meeting room and I shared the Word.  In Matthew Chapter 9, Jesus forgives sin, the lame walk, the blind see, the dead rise, the sick are healed, the demons are cast out, the mute speak and Jesus eats with sinners saying, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."  He goes on to say, "But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy (that is readiness to help those in trouble, Amplified Bible) and not sacrifice."  All in one chapter!!!  The Word was shared, the praise team led in worship and the people were encouraged that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! They were reminded that Jesus said, If you believe, you will receive what you asked for in prayer (paraphrased out of James).  They were to get prayed for and anointed with oil prior to coming for any medical treatment. They were also to register and pick up there meal ticket.  The rest of the day was just as awesome and God directed as the beginning....over 800 people were fed shema and relish, over 300 people were seen medically including two brought on those "bush ambulances," the children were played with and the singing of praise and worship was heard sporadically throughout the day.  The prayer lines continued all day with 25 new salvations reported.  Most of all His loving kindness was demonstrated to all.  The team was great, the day was wonderful and God was and is Awesome!!!  Pastor Billy had to encourage Sal to stop as darkness fell and we arrived back at the farm around 8:00pm.  After we as a ministry team joined hands to give thanks and glory to God, we all went our separate ways feeling very tired....but it was a good tired.   

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 3, 2006

It's February..hard to believe we have been here for only 5 months. Somehow it seems much longer. The rain has not stopped and people are very concerned about the condition of their crops.so I guess it's safe to stop praying for rain!! I also lifted up my prayers for rain right along with yours. I recall that during the first Sons of Thunder prayer meeting we had with the Jones and Byrums back in September, I was led to sing "Send Your Rain" out loud now you know if I sang out, I must have felt led by the Holy Spirit because you all know how well I sing!! Needless to say, it has been raining ever since!!! J The tarmac (paved road) is polluted with potholes from the rain, but out of necessity I have been forced to drive. The patient load at the clinic has prevented Sal from leaving, so on Fridays I have been driving the Zimba run?..the first couple of weeks with JoAnne driving one way. I am proud to announce however that Monday I drove with Pastor Jerry in the passenger seat (just a little pressure J) to pick up discharged patients and today I drove alone picking up and dropping off patients along the way!!!! I want you to know it's no longer about driving on the left or the fact that I?m driving a tank on wheels with a left handed stick shift?..the difficulty is the road itself! There is only one tarmac road from Lusaka to Livingstone and from Livingstone to Zimba, the road is poorly paved without any defined edges along the side. Sometimes there is not enough room for two vehicles. Now imagine big trucks coming in the opposite direction with what road there is polluted with potholes. Don't forget the people walking on the side of the road, bicycles in both directions and the occasional baboon family!!! There is also the street vendor holding out a large mushroom or fish...it is quite different. Pastor Jerry even said, "You can't just go for a leisurely drive here, can you?" The rain has also caused the grass to grow...and grow. Everywhere you go you see men and boys cutting the grass, but not how you probably have pictured it. Here, there are no electric or gas lawn mowers, no riders, here it's done by hand with metal blades and it's called "slashing." Sometimes if it's a small area, they just pull out the grass by hand!! The rains have not only brought out the mosquitoes, but the snakes as well!! Terry has killed two and just the other night at about midnight, Sal and I heard a knocking at our bedroom window! It was the night watchman, Lemison!. The doorbell either didn't work or we just didn't hear it, so he came around to our bedroom window determined to wake us up. We jumped at the sound of rapping right at our window, only 2 feet from where we were sound asleep. Lemison had just been bitten by a snake and was somewhat panicked. He had no idea what kind of snake it was, nor had he seen it in the dark of the night. We don't have anti-venom so even if we did know what kind of snake, we still couldn?t have done anything to counteract the poison. So we put our trust in God's Word and prayed. It says in God's Word that we can "trample on snakes and scorpions and that nothing will harm us" (paraphrased from Luke 10:19). We did develop a protocol for non venomous snake bites, so we initiated that next and kept him for 30 minutes. When there were no ill effects witnessed, we went back to our apartment and Lemison returned to finish his shift.

Last Monday, we had Children's Under Five Clinic for the month of January giving immunizations, Vitamin A and de-worming pills. Rona, Bertha and I worked with the children and Anna, Janet and Sal saw the regular clinic patients. We even had the proper registration book from the Kazangula Health District in addition to the Children?s Clinic Cards so we could keep official records. What a day!!! Between us, we saw a total of 134 patients all in one day!!! The month of January concluded with 963 clinic patients being treated. That figure does not include the HIV patients to Livingstone nor the surgical and TB patients to Zimba. It was quite a month!! Speaking of the Kazangula Health District...there seems to have been a change in attitude. We made an appointment and met with the Director and two other official titles to request immunizations, malaria tests, family planning, and all supporting documentation cards and registers. We also discussed our HIV growing numbers and requested to be considered as an ART medication site. When we presented documentation on our numbers etc., I think they finally realized we were not going way, especially when they found out we had a work permit already. After that meeting, we received vaccines, an initial supply of family planning (for married couples only), 100 malaria tests, all the registers and cards and the authorization to receive replacements whenever necessary. Hallelujah God!!! You know God's timing is perfect, don't you?

Well just a few days after that meeting, the work team from Damascus Wesleyan Church in Maryland arrived bringing in 5 bags of medical supplies and donated medications. For whatever reason, the team was stopped at Livingstone airport and the bags confiscated. When Sal and I went with paperwork to retrieve the bags, we were told to go to Customs. Customs told us we needed a clearing agent and directed us to one. The clearing agent came to the airport and the bags were all inspected. Then we were told that an expert was coming and had to inspect the bags again. When the so-called expert arrived, she looked through all the bags again with specific attention to the medications. They then released the bags and the clearing agent was to complete the paperwork. We were very happy to have walked out with those bags...the medical stuff is very much needed but I have to admit I was most concerned about the home video of our grandchildren!!!! J The elation, however, was short-lived. They called us three hours later to tell us that we had to bring the bags back they were concerned about the medications. Seems we did not have the proper "permit." Turns out there is a permit you must have from the Poison Control Board in Lusaka in order to bring medications into the country. Well we left everything in God?s hands because truthfully we have been too busy to handle anything and as He always does when you get your hands off, He's been at work. The Kazangula District pharmacist and Director have both written letters to the Poison Board in Lusaka and the paperwork was to go to the pharmacist of the entire Southern Province to be faxed to Lusaka. When we were at the HIV Clinic in Livingstone, we discovered the pharmacist that we have been dealing with for the last two months had our paperwork in hand. He personally is taking care of it and attempting to get us a permanent permit. Now does anyone think that was a coincidence?

There have been so many patients I could tell you about...There was Doreen, a 33 year old woman with HIV and TB who came to us on another oxcart. She is now in Livingstone hospital for TB treatment first. It took 7 days for them to start treatment because they were waiting on sputum tests. In the meantime she just laid in a bed without even an IV. Then there was her 1 year old daughter who grandma brought to the clinic with severe dehydration from diarrhea. She is also HIV positive. When I say severe dehydration, I?m not talking about needing a little Gatorade. I mean totally limp with a high fever and almost unconscious?.. if left a few more hours would be dead. Sal and I immediately prayed as we worked to start an IV. After no success at an IV, we inserted a nasogastric tube (NG tube) and began feedings with ORS(Oral Rehydration Solution) We also gave medications through the tube for her fever and diarrhea and kept her overnight. The next morning found her dramatically revived although still a concern. When Sal decided she could be discharged Grandma asked if JoAnne would take her in the orphanage because she was unable to care for her by herself. JoAnne met with the woman and assessed the family situation. Grandma was sent home with baby Joy and HEPS for five days. She was told to find the father so things could be discussed with him and to return to the clinic in 5 days.

There were two people who have had minor eye surgery at the Zimba Eye Clinic...smiles on their faces have been priceless. A 75 year old man who walks to church here at Sons of Thunder every Sunday is almost blind and needs to be escorted. Well we took him to Zimba Eye Clinic and found out that he had undergone surgery in the past on his right eye and had a lens implant. The implant has shifted and they think surgery can be done on that eye to improve his sight. When we gave out Bibles in September he was one of the first in line to get one. I wondered how he was going to read it, but I gave it to him thinking he has faith to believe! I want to see him reading that Bible.

Two little girls are our overnight patients tonight; one 13 month old named Judith who weighs only 12 pounds, very malnourished. She also received an NG tube for feedings. The other little girl, Mary, is a three year old with what we think is polio...eye pain, fever, diarrhea, stiff neck, difficulty walking, and leg pains (when you touch them she yells out). At first we thought possible meningitis because we aren?t used to seeing polio...but we have to remember where we are, don't we? We were able to get an IV into her and gave her medications via that route. Prayer is always a priority part of treatment because without God, we can?t do anything. Judith was in the bed in the first exam room. Mary was on the army cot in the second exam room and clinic patients were still being seen around them!!! When darkness came, two parents stayed with Mary and three people stayed with Judith. All the visitors slept on the cement floor without blankets or pillows. Some had walked 5-6 hours to get here, so it wasn?t that easy to just run home. A bigger facility is definitely on the horizon....you know the saying "You build it and they will come." Well I think "they are coming and we will build it" is more appropriate here!

In the midst of all the medical work, Sal has been teaching the Undercover series by John Bevere on authority during Sunday School at the church on the farm. I have held train the trainer classes for the new group of Sunday School teachers in the Firm Foundations course that we will begin in mid- February. We have divided into four groups: Adult, Teen (10-15), School Age (6-9) and Tots (3-5). Hopefully by the time the classes start, we will have been to Lusaka and purchased more Bibles. The hope is for a Bible to be in every pair of hands!!! After all, how can we know Jesus if we are not spending time in the Word? Feeding on Sundays only is just not enough...we need our daily bread, Amen?

The work team with Pastor Jerry brought such a breath of fresh air for us...we thoroughly enjoyed their presence even though we were so busy and did without some much needed sleep....we will play catch up the next few days.

Enough for now?.

P. S. Oh I almost forgot!...We have a praise: All the Outpatient registrations...all the   labwork...and all the x-rays are now free for the HIV patients at Livingstone Hospital. The only thing we pay for now is the actual visit (K50,000) which is approximately $15.00. I can't answer why all of a sudden they are free except that our God is a God of the suddenlies. J

         Little Mary

 

                                         Baby Judith

 

 

 

 

January 25, 2006

Days are rolling into weeks….I am starting to lose track of what we did when. Things are getting busier and busier. As of end of clinic today, we have seen 697 patients in the clinic so far this month….I have no idea how many HIV patients we’ve taken to Livingstone this month or how many to Zimba. All I can tell you is that the vehicle is packed on both Thursdays to Livingstone for ART treatment for the HIV patients and Fridays for our trips to Zimba with admissions for TB and surgeries. Tomorrow, we have 10 HIV patients to take to Livingstone and this coming Friday; we will start with patients for the eye clinic in preparation for the eye surgeons coming February 6.  

^{from America. I think there are 7 eye patients scheduled to go. Things have been so busy at the clinic on Fridays that the last two weeks Sal has sent me on my own to Zimba with the patients. Because I had only driven that once on the tar-mac (paved road), I begged JoAnne to go with me the first week and drive. She agreed to come with me but made me drive one way. The second week I just got behind the wheel! It even poured down rain most of the way there…but I kept on going. What road there is has become polluted with potholes with all of the rain….some I might add of very substantial size! It’s quite challenging to say the least.}

^{We have hired another worker…that makes four staff members and Sal and I have put them on a rotating schedule of six hour overlapping shifts. We’re starting to pray if it’s time for a Clinical Officer or Driver or both. We do have people interested….so we shall see. We don’t want to run ahead of God nor do we want to lag behind. I am reminded of the Scripture in Psalms….Psalm 139: 5-6 says: "You have hedged me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me." Being hedged behind we cannot stop or quit (or run back home J) because we are being herded forward. Being hedged before, we cannot accelerate or push ahead, we can only move forward at the pace the Lord sets for us. We can’t work up momentum and we can’t quit. Then we are under the mighty hand of God, which means we can’t turn to the right or left either. We are without options. Some may consider this as highly constricting, but David calls it "high knowledge that he can’t attain." I view it as the loving embrace of His arms keeping me in the center of His will…His provision…His protection. The Lord is right here with us…thank you God.}

^{We met with a Headman, Assistant Headman and Village Council requesting permission to have our first outreach in their village. Remember Susan…our first HIV patient? Well, she has sort of become our poster child and is a walking testimony. God told Sal that her village was to be our first outreach. We scheduled it for Saturday February 11th when a work team from North Carolina will be here. They have been in}

^{e-mail contact with us and although we have never met them, we both felt that we were to plan the outreach when they would be here. They told us in the e-mail that they "just wanted to serve" and they felt they were to do that with us somehow. We feel the vision for the outreach is to show "unusual kindness" through fellowship, feeding, medical care/healing, and prayer…..demonstrating the love of Jesus. The Headmen and Council gave us their permission and told us it would be a privilege to have us come. Sal told them that the privilege was ours. After plans and promises had been made we discovered their territory included 9 villages!!!!! We thought of one small village but this is going to be a total of nine. We were a little shocked and there was a fleeting thought of "Can we handle this?" But our God knows what He’s doing…..so we are going to trust in Him. We had a confirmation as soon as we returned home from that meeting….we received word that our free medication order from King Benevolent Fund had been delivered in Maryland just in time to come with Pastor Jerry and the work team. I’ll keep you posted as the plans unfold.}

^{Last Sunday, we went to Zimba to visit our 4 patients. Jacqueline, our high risk HIV positive pregnant woman had just given birth to a baby boy during the night. Mom had received her AVR cocktail and the baby was due to get his medicine later in the evening. We would return tomorrow to take them home. Our two TB patients, Elena and Headman, were on their TB meds and breathing easier. Big smiles covered their faces when they saw us. Liz, the HIV positive TB patient who had the 4 liters of pus drained off her lung was not in her bed. On Friday when I had stopped in to see her by myself, the surgeon was removing a chest tube that he had inserted. He looked at me, shook his head and said her lung is not inflating and with her HIV status he did not give her any hope. I immediately laid hands on her and prayed with her. Well not seeing her in the bed today….my heart sunk!!! I asked "Where’s Lizzy?" One of the other patients said, "Oh, she went to the market!" Now the market is an open outdoor shopping area behind the eye clinic. It is quite a walk ….maybe about 6 blocks if I were to give you an idea. Now Friday Lizzy looked very near death….frail, very skinny, in pain, difficulty breathing….the whole nine yards. I told Sal "We have to find her. I can’t believe she walked there." As we entered the market area looking for her, we saw someone walking toward us with a big smile on her face. When she reached us, she greeted us each with a big hug!!! Her breathing was easy, not labored, her face looked healthy and she told us she felt good. I’m telling you that we were witnessing another miracle!!! She wanted to know when she could start on the HIV medicines!!!! This woman has a renewed hope!!!!}

^{Our God is amazing!!!}

^{Well we were flying so high when we were leaving the grounds that Sal failed to see through some high grass that was covering a ditch for an open sewer line. The next thing you know the vehicle is in the ditch leaning on its right side, both tires in the hole.}

^{About an hour later with about 20 Zambians lifting the vehicle (men and women) and another vehicle with chains, we were on the road again. We drove back from Zimba and decided to continue on into Livingstone for diesel and dinner. Everything was going smoothly until we were leaving the restaurant and on a very dark stretch of road we got a flat tire. We had no torch (flashlight) and too small a jack…so we called a missionary friend in town that came to help with his jack…but that one broke too! So we called another missionary friend in town with a bigger jack and he came out to help. It was close to 10pm and the Steeler game was showing here on ESPN at 10pm. Can anyone picture Sal???? Can you imagine his mood after all that transpired this day???? I’m going to leave you right there with whatever mental picture you have knowing there is probably a smile on your face. J Thankfully, this jack worked, the tire was changed and we arrived back at the farm at 10:30pm having only missed the first 30 minutes of the Steeler game. Just another one of those normal days in Africa!!!! …………………..}

^{And thankfully the Steelers won!!!!!}

January 17, 2006

 

 

Last Thursday…the Land Rover was packed with 7 patients, 1 family member and 1 baby in lap.  These were some of our HIV patients we take into Livingstone Hospital for ARV medications. This time we had 5 new patients and 2 reviews (follow-ups). Livingstone Hospital is the only place in this area to get the Anti-Retroviral medications for HIV and the system has been frustrating to say the least.  We have had difficulty with many departments.  Problems with the Lab….no reagents to do tests that have been paid for, lost blood samples so patients have to have their blood redrawn and return in a week, and disorganization with finding results amidst a sea of papers. Problems with the Outpatient Department….clinical officers not showing up at all to see a whole Outpatient Department full of patients, long cues (lines), and nurses with attitude.  Problems with Pharmacy…. medications out of stock, long cues, and changing locations.  Problem with Registration and Cashier….we have never been charged the same thing twice when registering patients to be seen.

 

This was the largest number of patients we had brought at one time and we anticipated a long day.  ……….But today was to be different.  When we got to the lab, (where by the way I had almost burst into tears the week before and prophesied a full state of the art lab at Sons of Thunder with all properly working equipment and a never-ending supply of reagents.  I told all the lab techs standing there listening to me to get ready if they were tired of trying to do a good job with inadequate equipment and supplies because we were going to be needing them!!)  Today when Sal and I went to the lab to get results for 5 patients…anticipating a total of 20 pieces of paper scattered all over the room….we were ready for the fiasco.  But to our amazement they greeted us with a smile and handed me 5 stapled packs of results!!  One patient’s tests did not get completed because the blood clotted and they taped the tube on the pack to show us.  I was so impressed and thanked them for their organization and efficiency!!  All the patients this day qualified for the drugs except for the patient who needed to have her blood redrawn, so with the results in hand we proceeded to register our patients and then take them to Fast Track.  When we registered the 5 new patients and went to pay the Cashier, they told us there was no charge because they were HIV patients!  Now all this time we have been paying 10,000 kwatcha each for an OP registration card….so this was a blessing today and saved us 50,000 kwatcha(about $14-15)!!  The staff at Fast Track was taken back with so many patients even though I completed all the interviews and filled out their initial paperwork for them.  The Administrator came to see us and requested that we let them know next time how many we would be bringing….now imagine 6 patients threw them into a spin!!  They felt stressed!  The physician that they saw was from Lusaka and he was happy that people were being treated, but nevertheless we promised to stop in on Tuesdays and inform them of the numbers they can expect on Thursdays.  That seemed to ease the situation and we were out of there by 12:30pm!!!!  Thank you, God. 

 

The smiles on these faces when we walk back to the vehicle are worth more than gold.  Clutching their medications they have a new hope.  They see a reason to live. Now you are going to say “But Jesus should be their hope” and we agree…..but I think they see Jesus through us.  What they see is that Jesus sent us to show them He cares …to show them they are worth it….to show them that their life matters….to show them the love of Christ.  Just months or weeks prior they may have been dying in their huts crying out to an Almighty God in despair and hopelessness….and now they know that God answers prayer.  Even Jesus, my friends, met people’s physical needs.  When Jesus fed the multitudes and healed the sick…He had compassion on them and met the physical needs He saw in front of Him.  I believe we likewise are to meet the needs put in front of us.  Jesus said whatsoever you do for the least of these brethren, you do for Me.  Ours is not a ministry to just preach the Gospel.....I believe this ministry has been commissioned to show it. For a year prior to our leaving the US, our Pastor had us going out into the local community on Sunday afternoons meeting physical needs…practicing servant hood…living the Gospel…making a difference.  I see now where our preparation was not only believing the Gospel and sharing the Gospel…but actually showing the Gospel in action!!!

 

It’s only halfway through the month and we have already seen over 400 patients!  More than 50% continue to be new patients coming from all over….from Zimba (about a 45 minute drive one way) to Livingstone (about 25 minutes in the opposite direction)!! Since Linda and Mike returned to the States, we have seen over 15 inches of rain….mud everywhere…water everywhere….rivers rising….even the dam nearest to the farm broke with the force of the waters.  So much rain is also not good for the crops….I am not a farmer but even I recognize too much rain is just as damaging as not enough.  Everything in moderation!!! Because of all the standing water, the mosquitoes are out in force.  So, needless to say, we are treating a lot of malaria.   We have seen multiple cases of cerebral malaria in young children.   Having only one bed in the clinic has proven a problem as we have had to sponge bathe children under trees to aid in bringing down fevers as we wait for the injectable medicines to take effect. Probably the scariest case was a five year old little girl named Ilena who came in with a 105 degree fever with delirium.  We immediately stripped her of clothes, praying over her as we went, started an IV and gave her a concoction of IV medications…one to bring down the fever, and one to save her brain. She was then carried over to the bed in the other clinic room and we started to sponge bathe her, teaching the mother and father how to do it also.  After a few hours, her fever had come down and she awoke recognizing her parents and talking coherently.  Hallelujah God!  She stayed with us for the night as we observed her fever and started her on oral medications.  We got her to take ORS and then eat….She went home the next day on oral medications with a normal body temperature.

 

The Zimba Hospital runs have included another woman for surgical removal of a breast mass and three TB patients.  One of the TB patients, Liz, is also HIV positive.  Before we can get her on HIV meds, we had to take care of her TB….her chest x-ray was completely white on the left side!!!!  That means that her entire left lung was filled with fluid…there was no air exchange moving on the left side.  She had so much fluid that even her trachea (windpipe in the throat) was shifted over to the right, not in the middle as is normal.  The American doctors were still at Zimba thankfully and removed 4 liters of fluid from her lung!!!  She is breathing much better now. J   She is staying at the hospital until the general surgeon gets there today to see if she needs a chest tube for awhile….Once the lungs are somewhat under control…then we will concentrate on the HIV

 

Another one of our antenatal patients went into labor one day last week and came to the clinic at 10:00am to deliver her baby.  After 12 hours of contractions with very slow dilation….the labor pains just stopped!  We could still hear the baby’s heartbeat which was strong and steady…..baby was in position…everything seemed to be alright but why had labor stopped???  Not being experts in Obstetrics, we decided at 10:00pm to take her to the hospital….they requested to go to Zimba.  The American doctors had already gone but we knew there were Clinical Officers and midwives there and we thought that the Clinical Officers at Zimba could do C-sections.  No one at the hospital answered the phone when we called, so we just headed out with Ruth lying on the back seat with her head in my lap.  Forty-five minutes later we arrived at Zimba only to find out no one was able to do a C-section…..but they did call the ultrasound tech to do a sonogram.  The ultrasound showed cardiac function and baby in position….placenta was okay and there was no rupture of the uterus…..so WHY did her labor stop?  Well, the ultrasound tech started conversing with Ruth in Tonga and we discovered that she had taken a traditional herb to initiate her contractions.  The herb causes very strong uterine contractions but the cervix doesn’t dilate or dilates very slow…..then the medicine just wears off.  The problem is that a lot of these women have ruptures of the uterus and the baby dies….and if in the hut, probably the mother too.  Is this another reason for maternal/child death?  God just uses all kinds of situations to teach us things!!!  All things are revealed in the Light!  Armed with this new knowledge, we proceeded to Livingstone Hospital (approx another 65-70 minutes) again holding Ruth’s head in my lap as she slept on the back seat. A nurse met us at the door of the hospital and wanted to know where her antenatal card was…..I told her we didn’t have her card with us and she proceeded to insist she needed to have the card so they could tell the fundus height etc.  It was after midnight and I had about all I could handle at this point…I proceeded to inform her that we didn’t need the card to tell us the fundus height since we had the fundus with us!!!!  She became very quiet and led us to the maternity ward with Ruth in a wheelchair.  I told her instead of being a nurse to the card that sometimes we just had to be a nurse to the patient!  Sal was behind me just smiling and shaking his head. I know what he was thinking… “yeah…that’s my wife!!”  We left Ruth and her mother and sister in the labor ward with a midwife.  They had Pitocin and/or a physician to do a C-section if necessary…..so we felt okay to leave her there.  It was 1:00am when we finally got back to the farm….where a cup of tea and a hot shower were in order.  The next day after clinic , we picked up Ruth and her new daughter Sarah at the hospital to take them home to meet daddy (who by the way didn’t know about any of this!)

 

January 6, 2006

 

 

                                         Zambian Ambulance!!!!!

 

 

On the walk over to the clinic at 8am Tuesday morning, we were greeted by a Zambian ambulance: a wooden cart pulled by two oxen!!  They started out from their village at 2 am and walked 6 hours to get to us. Can you imagine walking 6 hours to get medical care??  I have no idea how they heard about us, but here they were….they had hope that we could help and so they came.  In the back of the cart was Patricia, a woman who had delivered a set of twins at home the previous Thursday.  The twins died two days later and now the family was bringing Patricia to us because she couldn’t move.  She had severe pain in her right leg, a swollen right arm and hand with possible bite marks on the arm and a fever of 101.  Sal admitted her into our little overnight room.  After lifting and placing her in bed, Sal started an IV and did an HIV test.  Her test was positive and we have seen what can happen to women with HIV after delivery. (Remember Susan?) That’s probably the reason for the death of the twins also.  After taking a history, proper assessment and physical exam, Sal started IV medications for fever and infection.  The pain she was experiencing on any movement was much more pain than has been seen here even with childbirth!!   After 24 hours, the swelling in the right arm was gone and so was the fever.  Patricia had inadvertently pulled out the IV, so we decided to switch to oral medications.  The pain however remained.  After much thought and a tweak from the Holy Spirit J, the diagnosis was made of “sciatica.”    We found a moist heating pad and applied it to the affected area and added another medication to the concoction.  Within 24 hours she was up and walking slowly on her own…previously the two women that came to stay with her carried her piggyback to the outside toilet. (Someday soon we will have a clinic with indoor toilet facilities and more patient capacity...but for now the toilet is outside)  Today is Friday and Sal is planning on discharging her…but first he will do HIV counseling and offer to put her in our protocol.  Her husband by the way tested negative for HIV and there are two children at home, one 4 years old and one age 2 who have yet to be tested.  We are expecting them to also be negative.

 

            The same day that Patricia arrived, a very young woman came with a year old little girl named Catherine.  Catherine had a fever and was severely dehydrated.  She was lethargic, eyes rolling back and looked very much like 4 month old Andrew that died back in September.  Needless to say, we started to work immediately.  When we started taking off her clothes, we found multiple strings tied around her neck, her waist, both wrists, and both ankles.  Now for those of you who don’t know about these strings….these are “charms” placed on these infants by either older traditional villagers or witchdoctors also called traditional medicine healers.  These charms are believed to have the power to heal or protect the infant.  Sal always talks to the people about where they are putting their faith, that Jesus is the Healer and that they are in fact causing harm to their child.  He cuts them off before treating the patient and either burns the charms in front of them or takes care of it later.  The people are told that these strings are so powerful that they will not burn….so Sal proves they have no power by burning the charms in front of them. These were the most I had seen on any one baby. When questioning the young mother, it was discovered that Catherine’s father and grandmother and grandfather were in the waiting room.  Catherine’s (paternal )grandmother was the village “witchdoctor!!!” I wondered when we were going to run into a witchdoctor…now here she was at our doorstep!  Well, Sal proceeded to cut off the charms and I laid hands on little Catherine and prayed for healing in the name of  Jesus.  You have to understand the seriousness of the situation we were facing.  Sal and I thought she was at the point of death and if we didn’t act quickly, we would lose her.  So after prayer, we attempted to start an IV line but without success…we gave her medications in two shots and had mom give her ORS.  Thankfully mom was able to get her to drink the ORS in between falling limp and lethargic.  We wanted to check her for malaria, but all of a sudden, Catherine’s young mom started to tell us we were making Catherine’s heart race and we were “sticking her too much.”  I very seriously told the mom through Anna in Tonga that her baby was very serious and if we didn’t act quickly, she may die.  The mom said “you are making her heart race.”  At that point we offered to take her to the hospital of her choice…either Livingstone or Zimba.  She said Livingstone and took the baby outside to tell her family.  While Sal was getting the vehicle, Grandma (the witchdoctor) appeared in the doorway and in Tonga told us they wanted to go to Zimba.  Knowing that there was an American team of doctors there including a Family Practice physician, we were much happier to go there also.  On the 45 minute ride to the hospital, Sal kept checking the status of the little girl…were her lips still pink?....was she still breathing?  When they arrived at Zimba still in the car…the miracle happened!!  Between the prayer, the two injections and the ORS….Catherine woke up, sat up and looked normal!  The fever was gone and Sal felt silly taking her in to see the Family Practice physician after calling ahead with this life and death situation.  The Family Practice physician confirmed that she was fine and told the family “all the right things were done for her...She can go home.”  He suggested to Sal to cover her for malaria also…which is what Sal wanted to do back in the clinic when the young woman told us no more.  It was a witness for everyone including the witchdoctor!!!  They were very thankful and appreciative on the ride home and when they eventually left the clinic.  But the story doesn’t end there!  The next day Wednesday, the grandfather (the witchdoctor’s husband)  came to be seen as a patient along with a four year old boy.  The little boy had diarrhea and stomach pains. He had a large mark on the side of his face…it looked like a bruise from being punched,  When questioned, the grandfather said it was ringworm and the grandmother had put traditional medicine under the skin with herbs and who knows what to heal it.  We asked, “And did it work?” not really needing to hear the answer, but wanting him to say it out loud.  He answered “No.”  We were again able to witness to the futility of traditional medicine and the power of Jesus. That little boy, however, will bear the scar from that on his face for the rest of his life unless Jesus touches it.  The grandfather just had back pain from working in the field…a little kindness, the love of Jesus and Ibuprofen for him. 

 

            We have begun a protocol for HIV patients, drawing our own bloodwork on Tuesdays using our own forms, and then transporting them to Livingstone on Thursdays for acceptance into the free governmental program for ARV medications.  Fridays have turned out to be our Zimba Hospital day…to date we have admitted 6 patients there; 2 for TB, 1 for a high risk delivery, 1 for pneumonia, 1 for surgical removal of a breast mass and 1 infant with severe dehydration.  Joseph, the pneumonia patient, and Tito, the 16 year old boy with TB have been discharged.  Joseph is healed and back to work on the farm and Tito is on TB medications and high protein food supplement.  Belita, the other TB patient is doing well but is still in the hospital; Jacqueline the HIV positive pregnant patient is being kept at Zimba until she delivers because she is high risk.  Rona, one of our workers had a breast mass removed Wednesday by an American OB-Gyne physician and we are picking her up today.  David, the infant with severe dehydration died however in the hospital….we were with patients in Livingstone last Thursday when the mother brought him to the clinic…JoAnne took a look at him since we weren’t there and gave them transport money to go to Zimba.  When we went to Zimba that Friday, he looked good…but Saturday morning we received the call that he had died. How our hearts sunk!

 

Frustration and lack are what we seem to fight most. Here, in the local government clinics and Livingstone General Hospital, there is never enough of anything.  The clinics run out of what little medications they have. The hospital lab can’t do simple tests such as electrolytes or liver function tests and sometimes even CBC’s because they don’t have reagents.  We discovered that they even clean and reuse their blood collection tubes! At Zimba Hospital, patients have to bring their own blankets, buy their own soap and even purchase their own notebook to be used as a chart.  An OB kit with latex gloves has to be purchased in order for the woman to deliver her baby.  The gloves are for the midwife or physician to use when delivering the baby…..and she was even told to purchase bleach to be used to clean the instruments afterwards.

 

This is a whole different world….but please know…….  

 

 

God is taking care of the Zambian people…His people…people He loves, through Sons of Thunder Medical Ministries.  Through hearts that have been touched to give, we have been able to provide:

 

 

Practical things…. 

 

 

• transport for patients to and from the bush, and the hospitals with a reliable vehicle

 

• labs and registration fees for HIV patients at Livingstone General Hospital to get them on ARV medications

 

• registration fees for children with Cerebral Palsy to receive physical therapy at Livingstone General

 

• hospital admissions, x-rays, surgeries, medications and miscellaneous costs at Zimba Hospital

 

• needed medications along with medical and office supplies  at the clinic

 

• payroll for three part-time workers

 

• lab equipment and quick testing capability to diagnose and treat patients at the clinic

 

 

but,  probably most important….

 

 

• love and kindness to a people who aren’t use to seeing it

 

• hope to a people who have not known it

 

• choice to a people  who have never been given it

 

 

It’s all about showing that “Someone Cares.”  Through all our hearts and hands linked across the Atlantic, we are showing these people that Someone…Jesus Christ….He Cares!

 

 

 

 

                                            Baby Catherine

December 26, 2005

 

 

Well today is Box Day in Zambia…..the day after Christmas is a holiday with government offices and some stores closed.  I’m not sure but I think some people give a present on this day (in a box).  Not everyone celebrates it or even knows about it, but nevertheless when Sal went into town today before clinic hours to pay our road tax…the Road Transport office was closed for the holiday. 

 

            The week before Christmas was very busy and I only told you of the wonderful Christmas presents, but the rest of the week proved very productive.  Last Monday we had our “Under Five Child Health Clinic.”  We were finally able to get the vaccines from the Kazangula Health District and so Monday was our first day.  We saw 22 children along with 40 regular clinic patients.  Sal, Bertha and Anna handled the regular patients and Rona and I took care of the children….it was quite a zoo, but a lot of fun!!!!  We told all the moms that Children’s Clinic would be the last Monday of each month starting in January.  I’m sure the numbers will increase as the word gets out!!

 

            Tuesday we started at 7am drawing our own blood samples from people in order to save time and a second day in town with patients since we already go in on Thursdays with them to the HIV clinic.  Everything went very smoothly and Sal drove into town to drop the blood samples at Livingstone Hospital with our own Sons of Thunder lab requisitions!  The line for the lab was all the way down the hall and around the bend, so it was definitely a timesaver to do our own blood draws.  The lab technicians are very accommodating to us, probably hopeful for extra work in the future. 

 

Tuesday afternoon Sal went back to town to meet with a government official with the Health Department to see about a well.  One of the villages has a well problem and Sal has been treating a lot of people with dysentery.  The well is just a round dirt hole in the ground and has no pump.  The people asked Sal to come look at their water problem to see if there was anything he could do…so we went one day and visited the village.  We gave some medical care while we were there and Sal took a look at the well.  The trip into town was very unproductive however.  The official took Sal to Family Health Department where their solution was to sell the village chlorine for the water.  Sal told them, “They don’t even have enough money for food and you want them to buy chlorine.”  Set on doing what God puts before us, Sal proceeded to talk with an African farmer who has agreed to go to the village with him to look at the problem.  You might be wondering what does that have to do with Medical Ministries??....but clean water is VITAL for good health. Diseases that are not even heard of in America are very prevalent here and can be in epidemic proportions as they spread through villages.  Please pray for God’s answer.

 

            Wednesday after a normal clinic day, Sal and a few Zambian men worked in the church to try to give it a much needed face lift for Christmas.  All the ugly construction materials located in the back of the church were moved and the large dangerous holes in the cement were fixed.  One of the men began scraping and painting the walls.  With the new budget principles Sal taught the church, they were able to purchase cement and cleaning supplies for church maintenance within just a few weeks.  To their surprise, they were also able to afford all the food for the Christmas meal that had been planned. Praise God!

 

            Thursday was HIV clinic day, but only one out of the three patients who had their blood drawn on Tuesday showed up to go and as it turned out her lab values were not low enough to qualify her for free ARV medications.  She is however in the system now and will be followed.  We were treated with a little better attitude from the staff this time which was a nice treat. We are making breakthroughs!!

 

            Friday is getting to be our Zimba Hospital day!!  Last Friday we took a 16 year old boy (Tito) that we suspected had TB…turned out to be confirmed with a chest x-ray and they admitted him.  Tito had been sick for 9 months, was very underweight and looked like 10 years old.  He lives in a village with a very concerned family who love him very much….there was no money for any treatment…or transport etc.  His father walked with him for over 1½ hours one way just to bring him to us.  Sal saw him, skin tested him for TB, symptomatically treated him for fever and cough and told the father to bring him back to have the skin test read and if it was positive to be ready to go to the hospital.  The skin test proved positive and his dad was ready to go with Tito to Zimba….his dad stayed with him and is still there with him today.  You see whenever anyone goes to the hospital, a family member has to go with them to help with their care…i.e. bathing, assistance to the bathroom, eating etc.  The family member has to provide their own food by cooking it.  This was the third patient we had hospitalized to date, but this Friday was to be no exception.        This Friday we had planned on taking Rona, one of our workers to Zimba because she has a very hard and suspicious mass in her breast and before Dr Emmett left Zimba to return to the States we wanted a consultation. Right before getting ready to leave the clinic a 36 week pregnant female came in saying she was having labor pains.  She stated her “water started coming out the day before yesterday.” This lady was one of our antepartal patients that Sal had been following and as of yet was unable to get her to consent to an HIV test.  It is part of the antepartal care for all women to have an HIV test….if positive, there are steps to take during labor and following delivery. They give the mother a cocktail of medication within two hours of delivery and then the baby is treated afterwards also with a certain protocol.   For some reason, this woman now consented to be tested and was found positive. Her obstetrical history showed 4 pregnancies but no living children, Upon exam, no contractions were felt but with the HIV positive result and no cocktail available yet at our clinic, the loss of some amniotic fluid two days earlier and her OB history, we felt as a high risk patient she should deliver in a hospital……and since we were already going to Zimba we decided to take her along for Dr. Emmett to see.  He could also do a C-section if necessary.  Well, convincing her was not as easy….she was terrified that her husband would find out about the HIV test.  He had forbid her to have the test….hmmm, I wonder why???  But our responsibility was to operate in the best interest of our patient’s health and the health of her baby.  After much assurance of confidentiality, we headed for Zimba….OB kit in the car just in case.  Well, they admitted our pregnant patient with the same concerns that we had….and Rona (with the breast mass) needs surgery.  Dr Emmett said “you got it in time” and it turns out the next team of doctors from the States arrive on Dec 31^st and includes a general surgeon.  Hallelujah God!  We are returning to Zimba again this Friday with a couple TB patients and hopefully we will be bringing Tito and his dad back to their village.  We will also check up on our pregnant patient…she was full of emotion when we were with her in the maternity dept and wouldn’t let us pray with her.  She told us,” You can just leave now.”

 

The monies for all these patients; blood tests, OPD registrations, hospital bills, transport and monies for the family to purchase food to make while caring for their loved one has all come out of the ministry monthly budget so far. We are trusting God to provide all that we need to walk out what He shows us.

 

Showing the love of Jesus is proving to be effective in changing hearts. People are saying, “If you can do this, then I can......”  People have opened up their homes to strangers, women have made meals for people who stayed at the clinic, other patients have offered to drive their bicycle to other villages to let the family know that someone was admitted to the hospital, the lady at the hospital registration desk doesn’t always charge us the registration fees, people are asking us “why you are doing what you are doing?... and “who are you?” and “what are you?” ….hopefully we are indeed making a difference.

 

Saturday was a “Happy Birthday Jesus” party at the Children’s Home on the farm…a birthday cake, assorted goodies made by JoAnne and a present given to each child!!  Each child’s present was an outfit for church the next day.  Christmas carols were sung and pictures taken.  The kids all were very excited and sang happy birthday to Jesus. While the birthday party was going on, people met in the church to finish cleaning the benches and sweep, mop and polish the floor.  They even decided to do a little decorating!!! 

 

The Christmas service was 31/2 hours long and then they celebrated with a meal of goat, rice and shema as they continued singing.   It was a memorable day!

 

 

 

 

                                  "Happy Birthday Jesus!!!!!"

December 22, 2005

 

 

Just when I thought there would be no presents this Christmas…..I was given two gifts I will never forget!         

 

 

First, do you remember Susan?  She was our first HIV patient that was dying in her hut after giving birth to twin boys a month prior.  Joanne took the babies into the orphanage and agreed to keep them for six months.  Sal went to Susan’s hut and transported her to the clinic after JoAnne notified him of her condition. She stayed with us for four days while we treated her with prayer, IV fluids, IV antibiotics, oral rehydration solution (ORS) and eventually HEPS (a High Energy Protein Supplement.)  On the day of discharge, we wheeled her over to the church on the farm in a wheelchair accompanied by her mother and brother for Sunday service.  During special requests and prayer time, we took her to the front of the church and had some of the elders of the church pray and anoint her with oil. Approximately a week later we again went to her village and transported her to Livingstone Hospital for bloodwork and the government program for free Antiretroviral (ARV) medications.  That was two weeks ago….today was her review at Livingstone, so Sal went first thing this morning to pick her up.  When she arrived on the farm, she gave us a present.  It was a hand carved dish in the shape of a fish with a matching lid.  When I opened the lid, inside were two notes. I want to share them with all of you....

 

 

22th Dec 2005

 

To Dr. Sal Marini

 

 

 

            I am here Susan wanting to thank Dr. Marini and his wife for the effort they have shown me during my sickness.  I had no money to use for the hospital, even my family had no money. But God used Dr. Marini and his wife to help to get treatment.  And I am able to testify to the people what God has done to me.  Because I didn’t know that by this time I am able to be alive.  But God himself knows why he didn’t allow me not to die.  Theirs something God wants me to do before I leave this earth.  I am still continue to thank them for the wonderful things they have done to me, as the bible says we need to give thanks to him for his wonderful things. Psalms 118:1 and psalm 136:1.  Dr. Marini and your wife let God continue to bless you and use you, because we have seen your work.  You come here in Zambia to help people both physically and spiritual.

 

 

 

                                                Yours

 

                                                Susan Munsanje

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20^th Dec 2005

 

 

 

To Dr. Sal Marini,

 

 

 

            I am here the Moono family wishes to sincerely thank Dr. Sal Marini and his wife for his spiritual and material support rendered to Susan during her sickness.  Your invaluable support lightened our burden.  Continue with the same spirit the way you have shown to Susan.  May the Lord bless you all.

 

 

 

                                                            Yours

 

                                                            Jennipher Munsanje

 

                                                            the young sister to Susan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

Secondly, do you remember Allister, the woman in labor whose hut we went to on the back of the farm in order to transport her to the clinic to deliver her baby? This was the first baby delivered in the clinic…a healthy 7 pound baby girl?  Well, I would like you to meet two week old little “Renee.”   When Allister and her baby went home the day after she was born she was Baby Kapenbwa.  Allister said “her dad will tell the name.” Mom brought her to the clinic to be seen today and when we asked her the baby’s name she said “Renee…after you.”  Tears immediately came to my eyes….What an honor…I am very humbled.  Most of the people here have a hard time just trying to say my name because of the “R” sound, so I was very surprised!

 

 

Sal and I are not here to receive any pats on the back or to think that anything we do here is in any way because of us.  What we do here is all directed by God and covered in prayer by all of you.  So all the glory goes to God….we are humbled to just be His vessels.

 

 

As I am writing this update, the mission of Sons of Thunder is being brought to mind…..

 

 

 

“Our mission is to care for the needs of Africa, physically and spiritually, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

I hope we are doing that God.....

 

 

 

 

                                      Little "Renee"

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

 

Today Mike and Linda left to return stateside for a month leaving Sal, Terry, JoAnne and I a list of assignments to handle while they are gone. I have the pool to take care of…funny, I told my kids I didn’t want a pool in our Maryland yard because it would be too much work and I would get stuck doing it all!  Well, I guess you have to watch what you say, because here I am for the next month taking care of an inground pool!! J   My answer is still NO, kids!!!

 

Christmas is fast approaching but it’s quite a different feeling without snow and below zero weather.  I did put up a small wire tree with lights and handmade ornaments and ribbon and a nativity set that I brought from the US, but it’s just not the same.  The Zambians obviously don’t celebrate with all the commercialism…no Santa, no gifts, no decorations etc.  They do have a church service, sometimes all night long and a Christmas meal afterwards of shema, goat and rape. Sometimes they do special songs or skits for Christmas, but JoAnne said last year they didn’t even sing any Christmas songs.  So we will see what this Christmas holds...in any case the celebration of the birth of Jesus will take place in our hearts and our home.

 

 It has rained over 10 inches already…. Another Bible revelation about the early and latter rains!  Things are green. wet and muddy most of the time.  We had a missionary night last night….my cooking has improved or should I say my improvising is getting better!  Beef stir fry with teriyaki sauce and rice and death by chocolate were my contributions.  I didn’t bring home too many leftovers….good sign.  We had a very nice evening with a Christmas devotional, prayer and then singing Christmas songs.  Two of the women had composed a song about Africa…it was all about bugs and very funny but so true.  It was good to know bugs are found in the homes in town too!!!

 

Well, we have had a barrage of HIV positive patients and many people coming in for the test, relieved when they are negative.  Sal said he can only do what he knows to do…what God is putting in front of him,  So, we have loaded up the vehicle two weeks in a row now to take these village people without resources or transport to Livingstone Hospital for bloodwork and clinic visits to get free ARV therapy(HIV meds). Our total HIV patient population includes 8 adults and the 10 children at Sons of Thunder’s Children’s Home. We are seeing 1 positive patient in every 3 tested.  For a village person to get medical help after we have seen and tested them for free, involves approximately 4 trips into the hospital at a cost of 16,000 kwatcha per day for transport, 10,000 kwatcha for registration to be seen in the Outpatient Department, 56,000 kwatcha for required bloodwork …all to get on the government program. Total cost would be 120,000 kwatcha or $30.00 US.  Now I know that doesn’t seem like much to all of you, but for a village person it could be an entire month’s salary IF the person had a job which most do not. Most villagers are farmers living in huts and eating off the land…..it reminds me of Indians in teepees or the Israelites in tents.   This HIV plague is enormous, most due to multiple wives or sexual immorality or positive pregnant women giving birth to positive babies.  It feels like a big Pandora box that we are just peeking into.  The pregnant woman in the office two days ago tested negative, but her husband had syphilis and was HIV positive.  You do the math…what a mess to have to get them both in a room and give them the news!  God’s plan and direction are very much coveted.  Without Him and changed hearts, there is no hope.  We have been told that we are providing the people hope, so as we are showing the love of Jesus, I’m looking for and expecting God to do great things. 

 

We are becoming well known at the lab, registration desk, cashier’s office Outpatient Department and Pharmacy at Livingstone Hospital.  People don’t know what to make of us….we don’t go away and just keep on coming back with more people to help.  Everyone wants a job with us…the lab techs have all asked us if we are hiring.  One of the lab techs has contacts for sales and is going to look for and put together pricing for a working lab.  We have already made our own lab requisitions cutting out one of the steps in the process and may soon draw our own patient blood samples at the clinic on the farm on Tuesday mornings and then drive the specimens into the lab the same day. That would eliminate another step for the patients.  They would only have to travel in on Thursdays with us to be seen at the Outpatient clinic after we pick up their respective lab results.  It still would cost us 66,000 kwatcha per patient but would bypass a lot of wait time and eliminate one day in town with patients.

 

We were supposed to have a meeting this week with an HIV specialist from the University of Maryland working here in Zambia, but unfortunately it has not occurred and we haven’t been able to reach him by phone for the last three days.  Please pray whatever God is up to that no plan of His can be thwarted. 

 

Here at the church on the farm, Sal has been asked by Mike to “run the church” until a new Pastor is found.  So far he has met twice with the church board, helped set up a church budget, required applications for positions such as Sunday School teachers, Praise Team and Choir, has purchased and distributed both English and Tonga Bibles, has preached his first sermon, is going to teach the next 6 weeks of Sunday School on authority, and is praying about train the trainer sessions in January for all the selected Sunday School teachers in order to prepare them to teach the curriculum “Building on Firm Foundations” for both adults and children starting in February.  Yes I’m talking about Sal!!!!  God can do and is doing marvelous things here in Zambia!!!!

 

So you ask what am I doing?….oh I’m right at Sal’s side most of the time in the midst of it all….bush trips, home visits, HIV patient transports, overnight patients in the clinic, delivering babies, most of the wound care…etc.  I also find myself doing a lot of writing.  Besides the updates, newsletters and most of the e-mails, I have also made the lab requisitions and have started writing procedures for a lab manual.  Thoughts of protocols and other necessary forms are stirring in my brain waiting for the time to sit and type.  In my morning Scripture reading, Jeremiah 30:2 said…”Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.”  There have been a number of you that have encouraged me with similar words recently….O Lord, what are you saying?

Thursday, December 08, 2005

 

Thursday is our day off! Clinic is closed on Thursdays and it is the day we go into town and try to get all our weekly errands done.  Then we usually eat out at a restaurant in town before coming back to the farm.  This day off just needs to be shared……

 

It all started at 7:30 this morning when Sal left in the vehicle to pick up Susan at her village.  You see we had taken her into Livingstone Hospital on Tuesday to get her started on the free government program for HIV meds.  After registering at the Outpatient Department of the hospital and walking over to the clinic building for her to be seen, we found out she still needed bloodwork.  We walked back up to the hospital up the steps to the lab on the second floor only to find out they do these blood tests on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons only. I pleaded our case to the lab manager and he agreed to draw Susan’s blood.  He told us we could pick up the results on Thursday.  So our intention today was to pick up Susan’s results and take her to be started on her Antiretroviral drugs.  Sounds easy, right?  Ah, but you forget this is Africa….

 

When Sal showed up at the farm, Susan’s partner and brother were both with her.   Susan’s partner also tested positive for HIV, but does not qualify for the program because he is not sick enough right now.  We decided he probably should be logged into their system for monitoring, so we agreed to take him in to be seen also.  Michael and his mother were also waiting at the farm for a ride into Livingstone to the hospital.  Michael is one of the babies with Cerebral Palsy who goes in for physical therapy once a week.

 

We had planned also to talk with the physical therapist about a clinic patient with half a foot who needs an elevator shoe made.  The man who made the shoes in Livingstone died before this patient was able to have his shoe made and he did not know where else to go….so he came to see us.  So Sal, Susan, her partner Christopher, her brother Franksen, Miriam (Michael’s mom), Michael, Howard (who just asked for a ride to town) and I set out for a quick trip to Livingstone. That was at 9:15…..at 2:00 we were taking Susan back home having completed the entire hospital agenda.  Michael had therapy; Susan’s lab results were retrieved and she was started on a 2 week course of ARV therapy (HIV meds) after being seen in the clinic; Christopher was entered into the system and ordered an antibiotic that the hospital didn’t have (but we did) and the request for a specially made shoe was left to discuss with the occupational therapist when he returned back to work from a holiday. 

 

After everyone was dropped off, Sal and I decided to go back into town to finish the errands and have dinner.  The time was 2:30.  At 3:00, having just reached town, we received a phone call telling us that one of our OB patients (Alister) was in labor and her husband had come to the farm to get us.  So we immediately turned the car around and drove back to the farm.  We stopped at the clinic to pick up the packed medical bag and Alister’s husband Graham and headed off to his hut in the bush.  Home visits are such an adventure….traveling alone is not for the weak of heart.  Even though this couple live on the farm, we still drove through uncharted territory driving around the lake made from the recent rains, through mud and heavy brush, and over roads with craters as potholes.  We had to stop at one point and walk crossing railroad tracks to get to their hut.  Alister was indeed in labor having contractions she said every 20 minutes lasting about a minute.  Graham had told us she had been in labor 2 hours.  Her water had broke but only trickling, so Sal thought it best to take her back to the clinic to deliver the baby.

 

No way was I driving….so there I was in the back seat with Alister bouncing all around the back as Sal hurried over the rough terrain thinking he was in the States with lights and sirens.  No she did not deliver in the car….I was praying!!!  Once made comfortable in the bed, she was examined at 6cm dilated, contractions coming every three minutes and lasting 50 seconds.  Fetal Heart Rate was 120 and strong.  It was now 4:30.  At about 5:43, without one sound…only a wince on her face, Alister began to push.  Sal, gloved up and ready began to deliver….only it was not a head…..it was a little butt presenting first!!!!   The baby proceeded to be delivered…butt, legs, arms, then head.  Praise the Lord for the little miracle!!!  A baby girl!!!!  Mom and baby are doing well….Baby weighed 7 pounds, color good, eyes bright, sucking well.  Mom and baby are staying overnight at the clinic for closer observation and will return home in the morning after being cleared for discharge. A female friend is staying with her and another woman came to visit bringing shema to eat..  Where is dad you ask?…..back at the hut with the other two children!!  He declined coming to the clinic…he looked scared when we asked. J Zambian men are not anywhere around when a woman is giving birth!

 

After getting everyone settled, Sal and I returned home at 8:30….never did get dinner!!

 

Some things are worth missing meals for…