#130 Shanksteps (Shanks steps of Faith)
Today was Sabbath. I was able to “sleep in” till 6:30 when they called. Actually I woke up at 6. My body used to one time won’t let me really sleep in. I go in to see Nafissa. The woman who I talked about in #128. I had seen her during the night when she went unconscious after getting up to use the bathroom. I found out she was hypoglycemic with a glucose of 16 (normal >70) Now I find her conscious but breathing very rapidly and seemed to be doing worse. Her bleeding had stopped a few days ago, her nasal bleeding also. There was no more diarrhea. She was still anemic and had received 1.5 liters of blood since she came to the hospital, I believe a record for someone here. All three family members that were here, were willing to give. Her lungs sounded like she had pulmonary edema, her body puffy, as it has been for the past few days. The nurse had put her on oxygen until the power went out again. It flickered back on, so we restarted it. She was breathing bett
er with it. The nurse gave her medications and I went off to see other patients.
There was a question about a child with a hematocrit of 10% who they were not finding blood for and was unconscious, a woman who had a seizure at home and was now combative, and a 2 year old that had just arrived with anemia and a fever of 105.5 These were the beginning. I saw them and headed home for a bite to eat and planned on going to church.
After preparing, I left to go to church, only to be stopped by the guard, Allah-Hokki, telling me that they needed me at the hospital again.
I placed my Bible on the ER table and started examining a woman with severe epigastric pain. I saw a few on the wards that the nurse had questions about and did a lumbar puncture for meningitis on a 2 year old. I walked back to church just as everyone was leaving.
The afternoon I admitted a couple more. About 4PM I decided to go for a motorcycle ride. Audrey had a migraine so she stayed at home.
I ride out of the village. All is green as it is the rainy season. Millet stalks 9 feet high sway in the breeze. Bugs hit me in the face. Large cumulus clouds hang in the sky. I ride past three little boys, each pushing a bicycle tire with a stick. Little kids are sitting in the dirt pouring it on their legs. Mangy dogs, with flees and ribs showing, give me a sideways glance as they make sure they are out of the way. Men sit in groups under trees playing cards or speaking the latest gossip. I pass some women carrying wood on their heads, headed for home. Near the government protected forest, I see little thatch roofed shelters along the road with boys, a man, or woman sitting outside them. I stop beside one to ask why they sit there where no one is and where there is no village. The boys tell me that they are protecting their crops, across the road, from the baboons. They say the baboons especially like corn. I go on up through a shallow river bed and on to the
mountain with red dirt. I figure I have been gone long enough and need to get back to see if the hospital needs me. I am refreshed once again. I ride back past all the same things. Many people are in the same places. Life is slow and purposeful.
I stop my motorcycle outside the “urgence’ (ER) and immediately I hear wailing. It is coming from maternity. Nafissa! I cringe and walk to inside. Jonas confirms it was her. Also another 10 year old boy we had been treating for an arm infection, who has been getting better for the past week; went out side to use the latrine and he died as he walked. Crying could be heard from the adult ward as the woman with seizures and meningitis died. I go back to see the man who was breathing hard and we had put on oxygen. The power had just been cut off again for the third time today and he was breathing his last. No time to get my little generator out for the oxygen machine. Four deaths within an hour. We have sensed a spirit of death here before, and have had much prayer asking God to remove it. We ask God to guard the physical and spiritual entrances to the hospital with His guardian angels. Please pray with us that the devils power at the hospital be overthrown by Gods
power, and that whatever is allowing the devil freedom to work here be made null. Pray that my life and in the workers lives are put in harmony with Gods will that His power can be manifest through us and that we reflect His love to these people. We appreciate your prayers and letters. In His Service, Greg