Some days I wonder what it is I do. What do I really do here? It seems I do a lot of driving of people to the clinics and hospitals and grocery shopping. Doesn't that seem ordinary? We take food to our orphans and help others in need.
We aren't building a hospice yet, no funding and waiting on the land.
We don't have a big workforce as we don't have stipends for the caregivers yet.
But today.....I was reminded of why I do this and why I am here.
A Gogo( grandma, I think she is almost 60 (so no pension yet), I met her last fall when Brooke and I were here, I went to a house accross the street from our offices. Actually a l room shack behind a house. One of my office workers and I went over as we were told we might need to tranport a woman to the hospital. There we found a very sick, actually delireous woman in her 30's she was the mother of 5 children one only 6 weeks old. We took her to the hospital and she died shortly after that.
When I got back this week the Gogo (who we think drinks alot) arrived with a small baby, the 6 week old was now 5.5 months old (now 6mo). His name translated Is History. he had diareahha and was loosing weight. We took him to the clinic and they tested him foro HIV took a few weeks, and then we took him to the hospital so he could get tested for TB (we get the results for that on the 30th.) It turns out Gogo has 2 of the five children the younger two. the oldest boy had a different dad so he went to that family to live, the other 4 from the same dad who took the older two, but couldn't handle the babies. Here is this Gogo, living in a community that isn't hers, she acutally moved back with the two to get treatment etc. and help from us.
The baby History didn't have the right formula, and the clinic who usually gives it to them was out. So we got medicine and food. And of course prayed Life and Health over him.
Today the Gogo came in again, she had the two year old (two in June) granddaughter and the baby with her, she cried as they were out of food, we had a donation so gave her some of that and some of ours. Then I drove her to the clinic as History and his sister (a doll) both had coughs.
Now going to the clinic isn't easy as it is not in a good area and I need to take one of the guys with me so Welcome came, Jozien who was helping that day, and Fundi who interprets and waits with the Gogo's at the clinic for us sometimes. Today we all went. Our friend Dr. Meryl let Gogo and I in with the two kids. History had bad cough, pnuemonia but did not need to be hospitalized and a skin rash that she said wass fungal. So she gave medicines, his sister just had a cold.
Then Gogo and Fundi went to get the sister tested and History's results.........they came back and what we all suspected was upon us. History was positive. Dr. Meryl had to draw blood to send off for his CD4 count. Gogo and I held this little 4kg boy down (that is about 9 lbs I think). Seriously ....I held his hand she held arm as Dr. Meryl tried to draw blood from that little arm. Of course he wailed and wiggled and she couldn't get enough blood out of his little arm. So she had to go into his groin, which was so red with rash, and she had a hard time entering because of a swollen gland down there, now I held his foot still and he still could wiggle his leg. Anyhow she got enough and as Gogo held the cloth on his leg to stop the bleeding....she cried. I just stood silently by her...rubbing her arm....we assured her we would help them, and we left. It was a long drive home, as we all were grieving the idea of how sick this sweet little fighter was.
Gogo was very overwhelmed and later we sat in the office I held History, Jozien the girl and Hillary got Gogo a "cool drink of water" I was reminded again of the simple acts the Lord asks us to perform to our neighbors.
Please join us as we pray for Gogo, Baby History, and his sister Danna. It really seems more than she can handle.We prayed again before she left. We will try and be here however we can
to help her.
Thanks for praying and remember sometimes standing by someone hurting and saying nothing, just being there is what He counts as great!
We aren't building a hospice yet, no funding and waiting on the land.
We don't have a big workforce as we don't have stipends for the caregivers yet.
But today.....I was reminded of why I do this and why I am here.
A Gogo( grandma, I think she is almost 60 (so no pension yet), I met her last fall when Brooke and I were here, I went to a house accross the street from our offices. Actually a l room shack behind a house. One of my office workers and I went over as we were told we might need to tranport a woman to the hospital. There we found a very sick, actually delireous woman in her 30's she was the mother of 5 children one only 6 weeks old. We took her to the hospital and she died shortly after that.
When I got back this week the Gogo (who we think drinks alot) arrived with a small baby, the 6 week old was now 5.5 months old (now 6mo). His name translated Is History. he had diareahha and was loosing weight. We took him to the clinic and they tested him foro HIV took a few weeks, and then we took him to the hospital so he could get tested for TB (we get the results for that on the 30th.) It turns out Gogo has 2 of the five children the younger two. the oldest boy had a different dad so he went to that family to live, the other 4 from the same dad who took the older two, but couldn't handle the babies. Here is this Gogo, living in a community that isn't hers, she acutally moved back with the two to get treatment etc. and help from us.
The baby History didn't have the right formula, and the clinic who usually gives it to them was out. So we got medicine and food. And of course prayed Life and Health over him.
Today the Gogo came in again, she had the two year old (two in June) granddaughter and the baby with her, she cried as they were out of food, we had a donation so gave her some of that and some of ours. Then I drove her to the clinic as History and his sister (a doll) both had coughs.
Now going to the clinic isn't easy as it is not in a good area and I need to take one of the guys with me so Welcome came, Jozien who was helping that day, and Fundi who interprets and waits with the Gogo's at the clinic for us sometimes. Today we all went. Our friend Dr. Meryl let Gogo and I in with the two kids. History had bad cough, pnuemonia but did not need to be hospitalized and a skin rash that she said wass fungal. So she gave medicines, his sister just had a cold.
Then Gogo and Fundi went to get the sister tested and History's results.........they came back and what we all suspected was upon us. History was positive. Dr. Meryl had to draw blood to send off for his CD4 count. Gogo and I held this little 4kg boy down (that is about 9 lbs I think). Seriously ....I held his hand she held arm as Dr. Meryl tried to draw blood from that little arm. Of course he wailed and wiggled and she couldn't get enough blood out of his little arm. So she had to go into his groin, which was so red with rash, and she had a hard time entering because of a swollen gland down there, now I held his foot still and he still could wiggle his leg. Anyhow she got enough and as Gogo held the cloth on his leg to stop the bleeding....she cried. I just stood silently by her...rubbing her arm....we assured her we would help them, and we left. It was a long drive home, as we all were grieving the idea of how sick this sweet little fighter was.
Gogo was very overwhelmed and later we sat in the office I held History, Jozien the girl and Hillary got Gogo a "cool drink of water" I was reminded again of the simple acts the Lord asks us to perform to our neighbors.
Please join us as we pray for Gogo, Baby History, and his sister Danna. It really seems more than she can handle.We prayed again before she left. We will try and be here however we can
to help her.
Thanks for praying and remember sometimes standing by someone hurting and saying nothing, just being there is what He counts as great!
1 comment:
Dear Penny, I met Cindy Rehg this past Good Friday. She talked to us for a long time...we cried of course and prayed. I've been reading your blog this morning. There is so much I could say, but all I will say today is that there are now many more people here praying for you and all you and your folks are doing there. Today I am praying for strength for you...encouragement too...we won't forget. As sister in Christ, Robyn
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