K
Squad is heading into month eight. Four of our teams are in Tanzania, while two are back in Kenya. Sofia is one of those teams.
Fanatic is the other. We’re back in Eldoret, where we spent the
month of January, and we’ll be staying again with Patrick and Emmy.
As far as I know, this is the first time a World Race team has
returned to a location where they had started ministry before. We
get the chance to see how Patrick’s church plant has grown since we
left at the end of January. We also have the luxury of knowing our
contact, knowing our town, and knowing our environment before getting
to the city.
Squad is heading into month eight. Four of our teams are in Tanzania, while two are back in Kenya. Sofia is one of those teams.
Fanatic is the other. We’re back in Eldoret, where we spent the
month of January, and we’ll be staying again with Patrick and Emmy.
As far as I know, this is the first time a World Race team has
returned to a location where they had started ministry before. We
get the chance to see how Patrick’s church plant has grown since we
left at the end of January. We also have the luxury of knowing our
contact, knowing our town, and knowing our environment before getting
to the city.
Last
Thursday, while still in Soroti, we went to a hospital to encourage
and pray for the patients. Grant, April, Julia, and I went to the
children’s ward, while Mike, Denise, Dez, and Joe went to the
maternity ward. That day was one of the hardest days of the Race for
me.
Thursday, while still in Soroti, we went to a hospital to encourage
and pray for the patients. Grant, April, Julia, and I went to the
children’s ward, while Mike, Denise, Dez, and Joe went to the
maternity ward. That day was one of the hardest days of the Race for
me.
We
walked into the children’s ward, which was one large room littered
with beds, in the midst of cries and wails from the little bodies on
the bare mattresses. Several of the youngest children had IVs
attached to their heads, and others had bags of blood feeding into
their arms. The first few children we prayed for had malaria and
chicken pox, and were sleeping in their mothers’ arms in beds right
next to each other. Grant took the lead and started praying for the
one closest to us, but when he finished, and it was my turn, my voice
tightened up. I was able to get through without losing my composure,
but once we went to the next set of beds, tears welled up behind my
eyes.
walked into the children’s ward, which was one large room littered
with beds, in the midst of cries and wails from the little bodies on
the bare mattresses. Several of the youngest children had IVs
attached to their heads, and others had bags of blood feeding into
their arms. The first few children we prayed for had malaria and
chicken pox, and were sleeping in their mothers’ arms in beds right
next to each other. Grant took the lead and started praying for the
one closest to us, but when he finished, and it was my turn, my voice
tightened up. I was able to get through without losing my composure,
but once we went to the next set of beds, tears welled up behind my
eyes.
Her
name was Rose. She had been in the hospital for eight days. She had
sores in her abdomen, but the doctors hadn’t arrived at a definite
diagnosis. Her belly was swollen, and because the illness had taken
her appetite and her ability to stand, her arms and legs had
atrophied to skin and bones. Her face was distorted and swollen, and
she was lying on the cement floor of the room because the heat from
the window next to her bed was uncomfortable.
name was Rose. She had been in the hospital for eight days. She had
sores in her abdomen, but the doctors hadn’t arrived at a definite
diagnosis. Her belly was swollen, and because the illness had taken
her appetite and her ability to stand, her arms and legs had
atrophied to skin and bones. Her face was distorted and swollen, and
she was lying on the cement floor of the room because the heat from
the window next to her bed was uncomfortable.
Julia
knelt down next to her almost immediately, and we prayed. As soon as
we finished, she let out a cry that broke my resolve to keep it
together. I cried. Julia was crying. I went to Julia’s other side,
and we continued praying. Pastor Jane kept moving with Grant, who
told us we could stay with Rose. And stay we did.
knelt down next to her almost immediately, and we prayed. As soon as
we finished, she let out a cry that broke my resolve to keep it
together. I cried. Julia was crying. I went to Julia’s other side,
and we continued praying. Pastor Jane kept moving with Grant, who
told us we could stay with Rose. And stay we did.
For
over an hour, we watched over Rose. We held her hands and prayed.
About thirty minutes into our watch, she rolled over and grasped my
ankle, burying her face into my foot and wailing.
over an hour, we watched over Rose. We held her hands and prayed.
About thirty minutes into our watch, she rolled over and grasped my
ankle, burying her face into my foot and wailing.
There
is very little that is more heartbreaking than witnessing a child in
so much agony, but not knowing how to help.
is very little that is more heartbreaking than witnessing a child in
so much agony, but not knowing how to help.
We
kept fighting, kept praying, kept hoping that God would hear us and
touch little Rose. About ten minutes before we had to leave, Rose’s
mother lifted her onto the mattress and covered her with a blanket.
Julia held her hands, stroking them softly and speaking gently to
her. The language barrier didn’t matter. As a last resort, because
I didn’t know what else to do, I asked God for peace. Peace over
Rose’s body, peace over her mother’s mind, peace over that bed.
Julia did the same. And Rose fell asleep.
kept fighting, kept praying, kept hoping that God would hear us and
touch little Rose. About ten minutes before we had to leave, Rose’s
mother lifted her onto the mattress and covered her with a blanket.
Julia held her hands, stroking them softly and speaking gently to
her. The language barrier didn’t matter. As a last resort, because
I didn’t know what else to do, I asked God for peace. Peace over
Rose’s body, peace over her mother’s mind, peace over that bed.
Julia did the same. And Rose fell asleep.
When
you’ve heard stories from other teams of God making the lame to walk,
the deaf to hear, and the blind to see (all things that happened with
Oasis and Phoenix), and you don’t see healing happening in the most
innocent of bodies, discouragement is quick to find you. I’d be
lying if I said that I totally one-hundred-percent expected God to
heal Rose while we were there. That’s just my nature. But I didn’t
think it was impossible.
you’ve heard stories from other teams of God making the lame to walk,
the deaf to hear, and the blind to see (all things that happened with
Oasis and Phoenix), and you don’t see healing happening in the most
innocent of bodies, discouragement is quick to find you. I’d be
lying if I said that I totally one-hundred-percent expected God to
heal Rose while we were there. That’s just my nature. But I didn’t
think it was impossible.
I
believe that God heals. Just not necessarily when we want him to.
believe that God heals. Just not necessarily when we want him to.
This
month back in Eldoret will be Sofia’s last month together before
going to Thailand, where all six of us will be in different locations
around the country. Then we meet back up together for the final two months of the Race. It’s going by almost too fast.
month back in Eldoret will be Sofia’s last month together before
going to Thailand, where all six of us will be in different locations
around the country. Then we meet back up together for the final two months of the Race. It’s going by almost too fast.
