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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