I apologize for the lack of blogs these past few weeks. I cannot say that I have been very busy, but it is the lack of busyness that has prevented me from blogging.
This month we are in Mwanza, Tanzania; Our final African country on this trip. For all of you who don’t know, next we have Nepal and then India.
This month has been very refreshing and relaxing for me. Our ministry each day is only about two hours, which leaves the rest of the day free. I have been able to spend time journaling, processing, and remembering the things that God has done on my trip so far.
It has been rewarding to think back and challenging to think forward. But God is giving me peace about my next steps and showing me how to trust Him.
One thing that has impacted me so far this month is when we visited the local hospital. I did not know what to expect; I have learned not to expect much when it comes to health services provided overseas.
We were divided into groups of two and one translator. The first room I came to was lined with about twelve hospital beds. There were tons of people in the room, most of them being family members of the ill. I quickly found out that most of the patients in this room suffered from malaria. However, I realized that hardly any of them held any signs of being treated. There were a few that had IVs in their hands or an empty IV bag overhead, but nothing else. I did not see any nurses or doctors. The room was full of flies and the heat was tangible. There were no fans and the beds looked like they hadn’t been cleaned in weeks.
I almost wondered why people would even check into a hospital if it meant that they would simply lie in a bed and hope for their body to magically get better.
The next day we visited the hospital again. This time we visited the pediatrics ward. The first room I went in had two babies that were badly malnourished and anemic. Also in the room was a young child with the measles. I never have seen the measles before and it shocked me. The child was covered from head to toes with black dots and she looked like she was in extreme pain. We were told not to come close or even touch the child’s bed. So we prayed from afar for God’s healing.
The next two rooms were filled with children suffering from malaria, diarrhea, and stomach pains. After finishing our rounds, we waited on the other groups to finish. While waiting I peeked my head into another room filled with children and saw several toddlers with burn wounds. Turns out their mothers had not been watching while they touched the fire, put their hand in boiling water, or dump boiling water on themselves. All of the burns had been accidents, easily prevented if their mother had been watching them.
One of my teammates came out of that room infuriated at the mothers. However, I was infuriated because their wounds had yet to be treated or bandaged. They were simply open bleeding wounds. Not to mention the highly contagious child with measles was sleeping only three doors down!
I realized how truly blessed I was. I had a highly capable hospital or even clinic at home that would thoroughly treat me. I had a mother and family that would take care of me and make sure I was not harmed. I have the finances to pay for medical treatment.
I have learned that on this trip there will be times when you feel inadequate. There are times when you see the children living in the garbage dumps, or the prostitutes working in the bars, or people dying from curable diseases, but you can’t do anything. Sometimes the needs and problems are too great for one person. So you stare into the eyes of a dying child or the face of the poverty-stricken family and ask God why?
Why do these people suffer while I have all the comforts in the world? Why do these people struggle while I float along in life without a scratch?
Why does He allow me to see the broken, if I have no way of fixing them?
I don’t have the answers or resources to change the world. But I can change one person’s life at a time. Sometimes it is hard to tell someone that you don’t have money or food to give him or her but you have Jesus. But the truth is Jesus is the most vital thing missing in their life.
And I know that God allows me to see the broken of this world, so that my heart would break for what breaks His. I know that God has given me privileges in life and allowed me to grow up in America so that I could do something to change the world, even if it is one person at a time.
Photo Credit: Justin Marshall
