HOW MUCH DAMAGE.....?

How much damage can one thorn do? Well, I guess it all depends on how long one ignores it, or how long one receives poor treatment or no treatment at all. A woman from Chad, our neighboring country to the east, was recently in the hospital. Danny met her, her husband and young child in the prosthetic department where she was being fitted for a new prosthetic limb that would attach above the knee.

While we don’t have all the details, it seems that TEN YEARS AGO a thorn entered her foot. Obviously, the treatment was inappropriate and after suffering chronic pain and infection for many years, they decided to seek help in our hospital. Apparently, they waited until the foot and leg below the knee were too infected to be saved. While this is a sad story indeed, and one that most in the west cannot fathom coming to pass in their own lives, there are some bright points in it. To begin with, she received competent, compassionate medical care by the OR team who were able to remove the lower portion of her leg successfully, thereby saving her life. Not only was she spared the chronic pain and risk of further complications, she was able to be fitted with a very well-made artificial limb which will allow her to continue her daily routine and life with dignity.

Perhaps more importantly, and our prayer, is that the family would have experienced something of the love and compassion of Christ during their stay here. Many from Chad are watching the Jesus film in their language, and our prayer is that they will comprehend the truth and the gift that Christ offers. They are very thankful when we pray with them in Jesus’ name and welcome it.

We want to thank many of you who support this work with your prayers and giving. These stories of hope are possible because people are willing to pray and give.

The obvious question that many of you are probably asking is “why did she wait so long to seek medical treatment?” The answer is probably a combination of factors. Perhaps there is not a medical facility close to where she lives making it difficult to get competent treatment in a timely manner. She may have sought treatment from a traditional healer using traditional medicine, often complicating the problem. Or, perhaps they postponed treatment simply hoping for the best. Many here do not understand God’s sovereignty although they use the expression, “whatever God wills.” Instead of understanding that God is one of love and compassion, they view Him as rather indifferent and their view is a fatalistic one. This presents us with challenges when trying to share that He genuinely does care about them and all areas of their life. While they have many (99) names for God, love is not one of them.

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What did they tell them?

When we first arrived in November, our long term team went away to another village for a week long retreat and strategy session. We stayed at a mission station in a small village in the mountains about an hour’s drive from here that has had a presence there for many years and even runs a medical clinic. This means that the locals there have had a fair amount of exposure to the nasaras (white people) for quite some time.

We’d driven by these mountains many times before in years past, and from the highway it always looked like they were uninhabited. We were surprised to see this one full of people. Late one afternoon we took a walk through the village and several small children began walking with us chattering and playing along the way. Eventually, all but two of them (two girls ages 6 and 7) stopped walking with us. These two reminded me of Chip and Dale the cartoon chipmunks and kept speaking to us in French, laughing, and holding my hand, one on each side. This went on for quite some distance, but then as we walked past one girl’s hut, one of the adults said something in their local language that caused the girls’ laughter to cease. They let go of my hands and dashed in the direction from which we had just come.

We laughed among ourselves as we wondered what they were told that made them suddenly change their demeanor and direction. We figured it was something like, “the white people are taking you home to eat you for supper”. We got a chuckle out of it, but we honestly have heard parents in our village (where we can understand the language) say things like this. Hmm, sounds sort of like the stories my dad told me about the captain coming to put me off the boat if I slurped my soup at the table….

Longtermers at retreat in the village of Godigong

Harmatan

The staple food source in this area is the dry season millet known as yellow millet. If all the conditions are right, then the usual result is a strong harvest that will provide most folks with plenty of food that will last most of a year.

However, sometimes conditions are not always as they should be. For example, if the rains are insufficient to moisten the ground enough, then the harvest will be diminished. Another condition that must exist is cooler whether and a lot of relief from the blazing sun. In early December the ideal condition is a heavy “fog” called Harmatan and the accompanying cooler temperatures. Harmatan has the appearance of thick fog and is usually accompanied by much cooler temperatures. Harmatan is formed as the cold north winds blow across the Sahara Desert stirring up and picking up very fine dust particles and blowing them our way. The pictures here are intended to give you some idea of the difference. Both pictures were taken facing the same direction towards the mountains.

This was taken in November before Harmatan began. The mountains are clearly visible.

This was taken after a brief period of Harmatan. Where did the mountains go?

Unfortunately, this year it has been quite hot and we’ve seen very little of this “protective” fog. This condition has almost ruined the current millet crop. Most are expecting a very low yield, if any at all. Grain is already expensive and a failed crop in February 2009 would only intensify the situation. In addition, many farmers have gone into debt to have the money to plant their crop. The current situation is a stark reminder of how vulnerable the average person is to things beyond their control, such as weather patterns, etc. and they have no savings account or emergency fund to help cope with this sort of basic need. Given such vulnerabilities, some turn to the “magic” arts for relief from their fears. Our prayer is that they would instead turn to the Lord of creation who desires to be their sustenance.

“Find rest, O my soul in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Ps 62:5-6