A Brief Encounter

Tonight I want to write about one of our residents and her child. I wish to share what God has taught me in the last 5 days. He has taught me how simple it is to show His Love and words are not always necessary (which those of you who know me...know that is a huge feat). Of course I will change the names.

Sometime in the 6 years I have been coming to Ntuzuma, I met this girl, I will call her Miss S. She was the niece of one of caregivers and the cousin of a family we have helped with several orphans over the last few years. I didn't remember meeting til we got the call from her cousin that told us she had lost a baby and was very sick. We went to the house she stayed in and she was on a mattress on the floor of a tin attachement to the house. As is tradition she sat on a straw mat, with a candle burning on a saucer at the end of the mat and baby clothes folded. I believe she had lost a son about 3 weeks prior. Not only was she sick but heartsick as nobody was helping her bury the baby. No money and some family issues. We were called to see if we could help. We prayed with her and later I put out a plea and many of you gave and we were able to have a funeral for her child. While we were at the cementary I saw her other child, a spitting image of her mom a little girl 3-4 , I will call her Star. They were so grateful to get the baby buried and at the funeral a drunk man went to hug the little girl Star, (I think he was the father of the baby) and she fell down.

A few weeks later she was admitted to Ukukhanya Life Care Centre and brought her 4 year old Star as there was no place she was comfortable to keep her. They have been with us now a couple of weeks. Miss S. is 26, as a child she was abandoned in the township by her grandma and an auntie went looking for her and brought her home. So she was an abandoned child (I learned this over the weekend). Poor girl she had tremors so bad, she would sweat and her arms just trembled as well as her hands and even her head a bit. Friday we took her her to the hospital, I was driving the loaner car, she was in the back seat along with another resident waiting for the caregiver. Suddenly she says Gogo, I am going to throw up, we opened the door and called for a bucket. Bless her heart....we took her straight away with a caregiver to say with her.

She sat in casualty (ER) from noon til l0:00 pm when we left knowing she'd be admitted. What a night. She lay on a gurney with a drip, no pillow, a sheet, and oxygen mask. To her right about l8 inches away was an older lady who had abcesses on her leg open to the bone about 5 open wounds that stunk so bad. On the gurney on her left was another young lady who had several siezures while we were sitting there. The room was Chaos. People patiently and some not so patiently waiting for a decision. Usually it is a 3 hour wait from when they draw the blood, minimum. I arrived at 5:00 and the caregiver and I stayed on til 10:00. But what I observed in those 5 hours was amazing.

First of all you must understand that most of our patients dread going to this hospital, most have lost a loved one there and all fear theywill die if they go there. Miss S. did not want us to leave. So we waited til we were sure they were going to admit her (as it is risky to drive in and out of the township at the end of the month when everyone gets paid and drinking, and well....when you are white. So we waited.

A nurse made her way by each bed, and the old lady next to us who had been rubbing her leg and moaning in pain, there was an exchange in zulu and I asked my caregiver what happened... she said, the nurse told her "she'd be the last one they would help". Soon I went to her and asked if I could pray for her... she said yes and showed me her legs and then she cried. She just needed someone to care. Later she was struggling with a pillow to put against the wall so she could sit back, I went and helped her and felt the Lord say, these little acts of kindness are "compassion" you are putting yourself in their pain and feel what they are feeling. We asked the Lord to help them notice her and give her something for her pain. Sure enough in about an hour that very same nurse came and took her and bandaged her leg and gave her a pain shot.

The other lady had a spinal tap, now I don't know if they give something for pain in the states, but here she put her legs through the rail that wouldn't go down and bent over it. The dr comes with a cart and says she has to put a needle in her back. this moves the gurney closer to our girl (who is afraid to be there ) we are sitting accross from the beds in chairs. It is a huge open room we all see everything. The Doctor wipes a spot and jabs in a needle.... the girl screams, the worst scream I have ever heard, and begins to cry, the Dr takes samples of fluid I think... it lasts forever and I think....how painful it must be and how rough the Drs. are. My poor Miss S. the lady screaming inches from her face. The Dr. pulls out the needle and then the girl faints and begins to seize. The Dr. turns and walks away. Soon a nurse comes back as the lady has passed out now over the rail, and my caregiver and the nurse lay her in the gurney and she seizes several more time in the next few hours. I am sitting there thinking....is this what is coming to America? Will our government medical care be this way so insensitive, so rough, so limited? Nothing for pain, hours of waiting, and staff that are over worked and over whelmed. All I can say is God help us. But for me .....as we left that night, Do unto others as you want done unto yourselves." Simple.... just put yourself in their place.

Saturday I was afraid there would be no family, so went to see Miss S. again. Her cousins (who they call sisters) were there, Just looking at her and saying she'd be alright. I had stopped and gotten some amahewo a drink they like when they are so sick and berry energade, ice cold, the only think I could drink with the measles. She was in the ward, with her IV and I asked is she wanted the juice she said yes (I wonder if they had given her anything to drink as she can't lift with her arm tremoring. I lifter her little shaking head and gave held the bottle of juice to her mouth. It has a sippy thing so it is like drinking a bottle sort of. She drank and drank, when I pulled it down, she smiled, her teeth all red from the juice and she smiled and said "that is nice", I gave her more, and soon she had drank half the bottle. She was enjoying it!!!! A simple thing. Then as I was talking to her I said do you think you can drink it all, and she smiled and laugh as I couldn't leave her til the whole thing was gone. She enjoyed it so much. "I was thirsty and you gave me drink"

Monday I went again, it was right after visiting hours and I brought her more to drink, she drank about half. I asked her if they had told her what she had, she said "my funeral". Then this morning I got the word as I drove in to work that she had passed away. Thankfully we had talked about Jesus and she assured me she knew Him so I know she was in eternity.

26 and her life is over here on earth. Friday night when I asked who should care for her child if anything happened she said "you Gogo". Monday night as I went to leave little Star was trying to climb in my car, I asked Zipho what she was saying (another orphan boy living with us 9), he said she wants to come home with you, we all do....Oh my aching heart. And now this morning I have to tell this sweet little baby who waves to me when I drive in....that her momma isn't coming back. For her in about 6 weeks her family is all gone. Prince and I prayed and then Hillary and I spoke with her, I would say things and Hillary would ask her, but first she explained heaven to her an what had happened. We don't know how much she comprehended. She let me hold her on my lap for a long time and layed her head on my shoulder. And later she took crayons and made pictures for us while I worked she sat on the floor and drew pictures.
Oh my heart! I have never had to do anything like this before. And the sad thing...nobody has asked about her yet. I know tonight that "Jesus Loves the little children, ALL the children of the world" I pray she is resting in His Love tonight.

I know I don't preach a huge sermon to millions, or have crusades or healing services, nor have I seen mighty miracles performed, but I just want you to know that in those moments of bringing a smile to someone dying because you gave them a drink, or holding a child who is sad and lonely, or giving a pencil to an orphan who is writing with a 1/2 inch piece of pencil in school. Or transport someone to the Dr who can barely wallk, a smile, a prayer, and a kind word are pretty mighty in the bringing of His Kingdom and it is something we can all do.

I can't help but remembering my first trip to S. Africa preparing to go to my first township, and feeling some fear for seeing orphans and sick children and knowing there are many more capable people and fancy ministries that are so organized and efficient, and saying "what am I doing here? Africa is already responding"> And He told me the same face I see in the US with AIDS is the same face I'll see here. It is the face of fear, shame and hopelessness .....all over the world the face of AIDS will be the same, but as "the church", we have the Answer....Jesus, A loving personal relationship with the One whose perfect love casts out fear, He is hope,and He covered our shame. That is what the difference will be. I pray His Kingdom Come!