Today felt almost like normal. It was much more like the mission trip days I'm used to from my past trips. We saw 147+ patients in about 10 hours of work. People were happy we were there and were asking us to come back again. They were loving and gracious, or shoving and jealous - but at least they wanted us there. What a difference a few miles make. The town today was much bigger than the village we were in yesterday. So I guess because it was big enough that not everyone was in everyone else's business that the town wasn't as controlled by the powerful few in the same way. Or maybe it was something else. Maybe it was just purely God's mercy on us knowing the last two days we had been through. By the end of the day we were physically and mentally drained, but not spiritually. It was a good day.
Not to say that all was roses. We saw an outlandish amount of people with sky high blood pressure - people that the docs would have escorted directly to the hospital had they been in the States. Sunni saw a woman who was 45 and had an abortion a few days ago. She was very sad about it, but had felt helpless to do anything else at the time after having 6 grown children and not having gotten pregnant for years. Sunni and Stephanie were able to pray with her and counsel her.
At the end of the day, Sunni and Johnny saw a 75 year old woman whose daughter had died 14 years ago. She was alone in the world and by the way she was grieving, you would have thought the daughter had just died yesterday. For 14 years, she had let her grief overwhelm to the point that she had had a stroke not long ago. Johnny said her grief really touched him - the fact that in the past 14 years she had not heard anyone tell her that God also lost his only child and that he knew her pain and was there for her. That in fact, a whole family of God was there for her. He did share that with her today, and hopefully she took it in.
We did see several Christians today - many who go to the local pastor's church in this town. This pastor has been working with us all week and he now has over 100 new contacts that he can connect with in the coming days from the seeds we planted today. There were also 6 people who received salvation, which I believe brings our known total to around 12-15. I'm never big with numbers because it's often hard to define a truly changed life in the few moments we spend with these precious people. I am trusting God to continue to move in lives and bring forth a harvest that these local pastors and church leaders are able to reap soon. I don't think I mentioned that in Sunday service a woman testified in church that she had come to a medical outreach through that church a couple of years ago and was witnessed to that day. Over the course of the next year God watered and cultivated that seed and she came to Christ. She's now a faithful member of church, but it took a whole year - long after the team of medical missionaries left - for God to complete the work that began that day. So, hope is in the air. I'm very happy about having come on this trip. It has been very different from all the other mission experiences I have had but it has been rewarding in its own way. I know I will not forget much of what happened this week for a long time.
We have one more day of ministry tomorrow. We'll be splitting up again so that Sunni and her team can do gynecology one place while the rest of us visit another spot. We expect tomorrow to be just as busy today, so we need strength for this final day with the teams split. I know God will give it.
Here are some scenes from the day:
these kids loved one another. They were either hugging or dancing a vast majority of their time in line.
Not to say that all was roses. We saw an outlandish amount of people with sky high blood pressure - people that the docs would have escorted directly to the hospital had they been in the States. Sunni saw a woman who was 45 and had an abortion a few days ago. She was very sad about it, but had felt helpless to do anything else at the time after having 6 grown children and not having gotten pregnant for years. Sunni and Stephanie were able to pray with her and counsel her.
At the end of the day, Sunni and Johnny saw a 75 year old woman whose daughter had died 14 years ago. She was alone in the world and by the way she was grieving, you would have thought the daughter had just died yesterday. For 14 years, she had let her grief overwhelm to the point that she had had a stroke not long ago. Johnny said her grief really touched him - the fact that in the past 14 years she had not heard anyone tell her that God also lost his only child and that he knew her pain and was there for her. That in fact, a whole family of God was there for her. He did share that with her today, and hopefully she took it in.
We did see several Christians today - many who go to the local pastor's church in this town. This pastor has been working with us all week and he now has over 100 new contacts that he can connect with in the coming days from the seeds we planted today. There were also 6 people who received salvation, which I believe brings our known total to around 12-15. I'm never big with numbers because it's often hard to define a truly changed life in the few moments we spend with these precious people. I am trusting God to continue to move in lives and bring forth a harvest that these local pastors and church leaders are able to reap soon. I don't think I mentioned that in Sunday service a woman testified in church that she had come to a medical outreach through that church a couple of years ago and was witnessed to that day. Over the course of the next year God watered and cultivated that seed and she came to Christ. She's now a faithful member of church, but it took a whole year - long after the team of medical missionaries left - for God to complete the work that began that day. So, hope is in the air. I'm very happy about having come on this trip. It has been very different from all the other mission experiences I have had but it has been rewarding in its own way. I know I will not forget much of what happened this week for a long time.
We have one more day of ministry tomorrow. We'll be splitting up again so that Sunni and her team can do gynecology one place while the rest of us visit another spot. We expect tomorrow to be just as busy today, so we need strength for this final day with the teams split. I know God will give it.
Here are some scenes from the day:
these kids loved one another. They were either hugging or dancing a vast majority of their time in line.
Brother Bullet, Vicky, and Lucian (translator and local pastor) with a patient in triage
One of our patients today
Alex (translator), John Mark, and Alise tie balloon shapes for the kids....yes, we saw many more kids and young people today, which was nice.
Stephanie and Sunni with a patient
Today's team in Pastor Peter's church, which was just down the road from the community building we served in today.
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2 comments:
I love you dad!!! Hope you have a safe trip home!!!
-Emmy
Tell Larry to make sure he checks his email. I sent him a picture tonight of Cary Evans. He shaved his hair into a Mohawk tonight @ church for a Youth event. I took a pic so Alyssa could see it before she comes home & is completely shocked. ha ha!
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