February 13, 2018
I begin the day asking the Lord to take control. I submit my will to Him and know that whatever lies ahead He already knows and has provided for it. I take my usual run, reflecting on the passage I had just read in 2Timothy 4:16-18. Paul was so lonely – no man stood with him, but then he said, “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. “ Oh how sweet is that! God is enough! He is standing by me today too with love and strength for my day!
With a light heart I swing into the day of treating patients. There’s a lady with pneumonia, a boy with a fat tick deep in his ear, eye injury, urinary track infections, skin rashes, and several sick babies.
Now we are off to CooDooMai village. We have never made a medical trip to this village before because it seems to be out of our territory – too far away, but today we go because most, if not all the people have come to our clinic in the past and ask us repeatedly to visit them.
When we arrive we find out that the people have all gone to work on their rice gardens – to clear the land. We only visit one man who cannot work, TheyMoo, the one who broke his ankle and got the short leg cast, then went home and tore it off because he wanted to try the devil way. Now his ankle cannot bend, he cannot walk without a stick and a terrible limp. So sad to see such a young man, messed up for life because of the devil’s deceit! We prayed for the poor man in his house.
CooDooMai village
We decide we will go to BlaGlow next because it is still early and we have all our medical supplies with us. We are really covering the miles on the motorbike today! Halfway to BlaGlow, we stop abruptly. What are these fresh footprints in the dust?
Looks like a large elephant with a baby has just walked down this pathway ahead of us. Do we dare keep going? NO! That would be suicide. Some of these elephants really hate people and you have to drop your bike and run pell mell for your life. (We found out later that on that very night a man in CooDooMai village woke up hearing strange noises in the jungle and went out to see what it was. I don’t know how far away from his house he was, but the wild elephant charged him. The man fled to his house and just made it in through the door before the elephant got him)!
By now it is well past noon and it is too late to venture to yet another village, so homeward bound. The roads are dry, but the problem now is the thick dust! In some of the very steep places the dust can be 8 inches deep and is very difficult.
Jerry, beginning the steep dusty descent. He already wrecked before on the way up.
Keep to the left or you’ll never make it!
Arriving home we find out that several patients have been waiting, then more patients come. In-between I do garden work. BletJaw and Jerry build a gate at the end of our driveway because the old fence is sadly broken and the cows are getting in!
The sun is going down, as two men approach on a motorbike. They tell us that their brother, JaLa age 45, in NeLeeGwee village is very sick, not eating, stomach and chest pain, shortness of breath, and they seem to think he is going to be unconscious because at times he is confused and cannot think straight. He thinks he’s going to die. We better drive the truck because he may have to go straight to the hospital. We must go and see him even though it is a long and difficult drive and already so late! We prepare ourselves for a long tiring night!
When I examine this patient I am impressed that his problem is drugs. He has mainlined opium, (Heroin), three times a day for over 30 years, and to make matters worse he has just recently taken the mad horse medicine, which is a primitive – home made style of METH! People often take too much or take it with alcohol or opium and actually fry their brains. They either die, or are never the same again and act crazy the rest of their life! I wish to give him massive doses of activated charcoal, but I have none with me. The people want to go to the hospital in the morning. We tenderly teach JaLa and all the people who have gathered around, the dangers of smoking, drugs and alcohol. We tell them about the love of Jesus, and that He is the only One able to help them overcome these bad habits and we pray for JaLa and all the people. Because of our past Bible work in this village many people know some of the truths in the Bible.
The very next morning after a very short night sleep we make the long trip again to NeLeeGwee village. I have the unspeakable blessing and privilege to pray with all the people before we leave the village. I include the gospel story in my prayer and I have the distinct feeling of the Holy Spirit in the midst of us. As my heart is escalated to the heavenly courts in prayer, I get a sense of this little forgotten village tucked away far in the jungle, and all the people around me with their heads bowed, eyes closed and hands folded! They are not forgotten of God. Words cannot express the enormity of my heart-bursting gratefulness to God for putting me here where nobody has ever carried the good news of salvation before!
The nephew is helping JaLa into the truck
We now have the longest leg of our journey, passing the elephants unharmed, even though it was just a few hours before and a few footsteps away, that the man got chased into his house!
JaLa in Meta hospital with his wife EhLa
The hospital staff are usually not compassionate to the poor jungle people who are filthy and have abused opium, never-the-less every trip we make with the patients, binds them to our hearts and us to them. We have more opportunity to teach them about their health and to show them the wonderful Jesus in our actions, words, and prayers!
From Mrs. White’s pen:
“Come close to the great heart of pitying love, and let the current of that divine compassion flow from you into the hearts of others.” CCh 255.4