April 25, 2008 Friday

Dr. Lynn:

I am reporting from the medical/pharmacy team after an exhausting clinic in Baluba, a Congolese refugee camp in Zambia. At dinner tonight, we realized that these are the people that we came to Africa to serve. They needed us and the need was desperate which made most of us pensive, reflective, sad, stunned, and impotent.

The clinic started with two terribly ill babies who needed to be immediately hospitalized. Peter was 14 months but weighed around 12 pounds with an HIV positive mom. He was terribly underweight, with pneumonia, and had desperate wide eyes in his frail face that remained fixed on his mother’s face. He tested HIV positive. Although we transferred him to the hospital, we do not expect him to live very long. We also admitted another baby to the hospital who was malnourished, dehydrated, and floppy, suffering from diarrhea and unable to eat in four days. At the same time, we had two very ill 6 and 8 year olds lying on the floor on plastic very ill with malaria. We tried to rehydrate them and give them comfort and the $10.00 of medication that they couldn’t afford. Others were brought to us at the beginning of clinic who couldn’t stand or sit in the sun anymore because they were so ill.

Baluba had very ill people and the whole community seemed desperate for care. We worked continuously for hours without looking up but the need and the crowd was incessant. It was with great heartbreak that we had to leave the community before all were seen because it was too dark to see them (no electricity) or do a physical exam, or fill a script.

At the same time, Dr. Jim was off with two children with club feet from Kasongo taking them to Lusaka for evaluation by CARE for reconstruction. They were successfully admitted to the program with the first of their operations in Zambia to begin 5/24/08! That was a high as OMNI has followed these children for 2-3 years (Violet and Peter).

Lots of malaria in this community today. Even more prevalent than the physical illness was the desperation that seemed apparent. We are happy to be some bearers of hope and reflections of God’s love.


Pastor Sherman:

Peter is a day old. As Dr. Lynn said above, he was born about 14 months ago. But he is a day old in the Kingdom of God. Peter’s mom is a Christian (a Baptist), and upon learning that both she and her child were HIV positive, and knowing, as any dying person knows, how ill they both were she asked that Peter be baptized. So with a specimen cup and water from the wound care station I declared to Peter (and his mom) the promise articulated so well by the Apostle Paul, “Peter, today you are joined with Christ in his death, so that forever you will be joined with him in the life of the resurrection.” Then in the name of the Triune God I washed Peter clean of his sin, and with oil blessed for this very moment, sealed the promise of God for his life. Today Peter is a new born, a brother in Christ, and one who I will meet again in the resurrection. God bless you Peter. God keep you Peter. “God, now it is up to you to keep your promises to Peter.” Thanks be to God, who hears our prayers and does not forget his own.

We promised Peter’s mom that we would pray daily for him. Tonight, as we sat for supper we offered that prayer. I would ask that you, who are reading this blog, if you feel a connection to this brother in Christ, and to his very ill mother, would you pray for him/them also? Pray also for his three year old sister. She tested negative for HIV, but within the year, dare I say month, she will be an orphan, without mother or brother. Pray for her as well as she carries the pain of that family loss.

In addition to the medical clinic we also held a bean clinic at Baluba. As the team’s spiritual director I am somewhat of a “floater” when it comes to duties. I volunteered for the bean clinic. These have been known to be a bit chaotic, even dangerous. I was partnered with three local women, volunteers for the health department, they do home health care visits in the community. We were inside a small room, the women were great (in truth they did not need me, as was later proved.) We had not announced the availability of beans, so no one brought containers. When the first villager arrived to receive beans we had nothing to put them in (we had not brought bags -- oops). One of the women working on this station had a number of small plastic bags with her, she donated them to the cause. Perfect, they held exactly two cups of beans. It worked great, but we soon ran out. I asked where she had gotten them, and she said a little shop in the village.

I admit it, I broke about a dozen team rules, but I walked into the village, with a 10 year old guide, and a following of small children. I didn’t tell any of the team members where I was going (that’s the big rule I broke), and I am sorry for that. I wish I had told someone so he/she might feel compelled to accompany me for safety sake. Then they too would have had this wonderful experience of walking through a refugee camp guided by a child. We passed children tending the goats (at least that is what I think was happening). We passed a woman doing the laundry – three basins on the ground in front of her “hut”, one with soapy water, and two it seemed for rinsing. We passed the elderly, the young and the curious. We arrived at the village general store. What a store. I think Target and Wal-Mart should consult with this owner about how to maximize floor space for product. This small hut was filled with so much that it was impossible to take everything in. Fabric hung from the rafters, bowls of dried minnows lined one wall. Small plastic bags (the very bags I was after) filled with corn meal, and other products I couldn’t identify. There was even a small box of candies.

I asked for bags, and he showed me the two sizes that he had. I told him I needed the larger bag (filled it is about the size of a pound of coffee from you favorite coffee shop.) “How much?” I asked. (His English was limited), “300 for 10.” Was his reply. That is 300 Kwatcha for ten small bags. Now here is a traveler’s dilemma. Am I supposed to barter with him, or just accept his price? Let’s see, the Kwatcha yesterday was 3,450 for $1.00, which makes his asking price about 9/10th of a cent apiece. For giving away our beans I could live with that. I sealed the bargain, “100 for 3,000.” “Yes”, he said, and began to count them out in groups of ten. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 … you get the idea. Now this is interesting. For the first 3 piles he counted out 10 bags, and put them in an eleventh bag – kind of like a Zambian baker’s dozen. Then he realized the bonus he was giving me and began to count, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, (pause, thoughtful furrowing of the brow) 7, 8, 9, 10,” putting the counted bags inside the last bag. In the end, I got 100 bags for my Kwatcha.

Although he is running a shop in the middle of a Congolese refugee camp, where the poverty is beyond description, I imagine that this business man would be successful wherever he was. Successful, and from my experience honest.

This was a long day. When I returned we quickly went about filling bags of beans. Soon I was called away (for Peter’s baptism), and when I passed by our triage station saw that Amy was alone in that important task. I went to the bean station and told the women than I would be next door helping with triage until Dr. Jim returned (he never did – I didn’t realize that he had gone to Lusaka) and I never saw the bean operation again. The three women did a marvelous job.

The rest of the day, until literally the bus was packed and ready to go, I triaged villagers. I wish I could have each of you looking over my shoulder, and experiencing the incredible experience of talking with these people one on one about their lives and concerns. The focus is largely upon health, but I learned that a simple honest comment could open a wonderful moment of human connection. “You have beautiful children, they must make you proud.” “What an interesting name, does it mean something special in your language?” Simple questions, but the connection they establish closes the imagined distance between this pastor from the United States and this refugee from the Congo. We are all made in God’s own image. You can see it in the smiles.

The leader of these mission trips, Karen, has said time and again that it is dangerous for us to be in these villages after dark. This is another of those rules I was so freely breaking today. I just could not tell families who had waited patiently all day that there was no time to see them. So I kept triaging, until finally there was only a mother with a sick child on her back left. Thankfully Dr. Lynn came over, and was able to offer them good council, and give the mother a bottle of infant rehydration fluid before we were pulled back to the bus and headed out of Baluba. (Thank you Dr. Lynn!)

Before I end tonight’s entry let me mention the two very skilled photographers we have on this trip. Misty is a professional from San Francisco, who connected with the team late. Kevin is a videographer from Michigan. Someday (when we all get back to the States) we will be able to post some of their work. I know you will be moved by their images.

But what is most impressive is how they have moved beyond those designated roles and pitched in where needed. Wound Care has called on them the most. Today Jon, who is in charge of testing, and assists with Wound Care, had to leave for a luncheon with the Ndola Rotary (June also attended). The Rotary International has been a very generous supporter of the OMNI Children’s Village, so it is important that relationships be maintained and strengthened with the local Rotary chapter. In Jon’s absence Kevin put down his camera and took over testing station, and dressed wounds (as both he and Misty have done since day one). From the triage station I sent Kevin a family of three siblings. The oldest brother was twelve. Their dad was working in the fields, (it is the harvest season here) and the mom was away at a market. These three children came, told of symptoms that suggested malaria. I felt funny asking them if they wanted to be tested for malaria (no parental consent after all) and finally the older brother said “Yes” he and his brother and sister would like to be tested. Kevin tested them. Positive for malaria with all three. He sent them to the pharmacy for medication, and when he noticed that adults and older children were elbowing them out of the way, constantly pushing them to the back of the line (yes, “sinful and unclean” is as true for the poor of Zambia as it is for the rich of US America) Kevin went to their aid, walked them to the front of the line, and saw that they received the medication and vitamins they needed. We didn’t get a picture of that, because the picture takers were the image of the day. The videos and photos we will not see are well paid for by the care Kevin and Misty have given to the people we came to serve. The Lord Himself will say this to them one day, “Well done good and faithful servant!”

I will likely say this every night I write on this blog, but it is a privilege to be here with this group of caring people. Thank you too, for all of the support you have given OMNI.

Tomorrow our day starts at 6:00 A.M., so it is off for some rest, and a glad spirit knowing that while we sleep under African skies, you in the US will be telling God not to forget us, or the people of the Zambian bush. Thank you.