Our guard and his wife have many kids. I delivered their beautiful twins in the field behind our house several years ago. We have loved them over the years and they have been great neighbors, filling the area around our house with children’s laughter and activity. Isaac protects us well from the ever-present threat of theft all around us in this remarkably impoverished and largely godless culture. Several of our robberies have been at the hands of their wonderful kids – smile – they are part of their culture.
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One of their kids, 16yo Sebastião, who is a friend to many in our missionary community, became very ill a few weeks ago with persistent vomiting and abdominal pain. We suspected abdominal tuberculosis (TB), as Sebastião’s mother and father have both overcome TB in the last couple years. But Sebastião was worse. He could tolerate nothing orally for nearly three weeks and, in shock, hovered at death’s door many times. We instructed the family to give him nothing by mouth (to “rest” his intestines to allow irritation/inflammation to diminish), but they doubted our instruction and daily slipped him food, which he promptly vomited. One night recently, Sebastião’s extended family kidnapped him from our hospital and took him, barely conscious, on the back of a motorbike, to the shaman of their own village, where he was given injections, enemas and “broth” of “all-natural” potions and “prayed over”. Our friends, Marijn and Noortje drove to the village to bring him back. That night Sebastião’s glucose bottomed and he would have died (had Marijn and Noortje not rescued him from the village) but for the glucose-containing IV solution we were able to give him to keep him alive.
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We have questioned our original diagnosis and must consider alternative diagnoses, such as an aggressive lymphoma common here (Burkitt), almost always deadly here, and it still could be, but we have remained with our plan to aggressively treat TB. I awoke one night wondering if marked edema in his abdomen (the kind that causes sponge-like swelling in feet in those with poor circulation, different than free fluid in the abdomen) might be causing his intestinal blockage. We began medication to increase his urine output, a risky treatment for someone in a prolonged state of shock from too little liquid intake. He tolerated the treatment well, began urinating large amounts of liquid, and the swelling in his abdomen diminished.
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Essentially, it appears that Sebastião had a prolonged bowel obstruction, likely from TB (or another cause) causing severe lymph node enlargement in his abdomen, which obstructed lymph flow, which caused severe edema in his intestinal walls, which swelled to the point of complete obstruction. The obstruction appears to have cleared and his intestines are finally active again after more than three weeks of paralysis. In the last few days Sebastião has improved and yesterday seemed to be no longer life-and-death critical. His recovery remains unknown but, as with every arrival to Cavango, we will do all we are able to care for Sebastião and his family in every way possible…
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There are many parts to the story. Many prayed and cared for Sebastião and his whole family, at his bedside and around the world, in so many varied ways. The treatment from the shaman resulted in liver damage and jaundice, Sebastião’s eyes bright yellow the day after the shaman’s “cure-all treatment”. We hope this damage will be transient, though we care for many as they die in our hospital from liver failure after visiting a shaman. The family and many others have witnessed two very different manners of “care”. Sebastião’s outcome remains unknown but the impact of his witnessed care will surely ripple in those with eyes to see.
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Teresa is an adorable six-year-old and part of a beautiful family who we have come to know well. She arrived in a coma and remained the same for over a week. Her little 4yo sister survived serious TB last year, enduring several chest tubes over two months and is now healthy. We treated the likely causes of Teresa’s illness, principally cerebral malaria combined with TB meningitis. She had many days of persistent seizures, was in a coma for six days, longer than most who fully recover from these illnesses, and lost all function of her right arm and leg. But she awoke and has steadily improved over the past week. She is now seizure-free, walking, talking and eating on her own. She ran up to me in the hall today and gave me a hug with a huge smile! It looks like she will likely recover.
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I awoke one night and wrote the following (to myself):
Because of our King’s example before us and surrendered to our King’s Spirit within us….
Rejoicing, we will serve; weeping, we will serve.
Encouraged, we will serve; discouraged, we will serve.
Rested, we will serve; exhausted, we will serve.
Some will be grateful, we will serve; some will be ungrateful, we will serve.
Some will join us, we will serve; some will reject us, we will serve.
Some will help us, we will serve; some will oppose and burden us, we will serve.
Some will be transformed and/or healed, we will serve; some will die, we will serve.
We will not quit, regardless of support, opposition, or outcome; we will serve…
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These two may survive, but we prayed and cared equally for several others last week – beautiful and loved – who did not. “Some will be healed, we will serve. Some will die, we will serve. Rejoicing, we will serve; weeping, we will serve.”
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Jesus, still lead on, Till our rest be won!
And although the way be cheerless, We will follow, calm and fearless;
Guide us by Thy hand To our Fatherland.
If the way be drear, If the foe be near, Let not faithless fears o’ertake us,
Let not faith and hope forsake us, For, through many a foe, To our home we go! When we seek relief From a long-felt grief When oppressed by new temptations, Lord, increase and perfect patience;
Show us that bright shore Where we weep no more!
Jesus, still lead on, Till our rest be won!
Heavenly Leader, still direct us, Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand In our Fatherland! – Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. 1760s
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The life of the man who wrote the above is a worthy study and meditation. He was transformed initially while gazing at an ancient painting by Domenico Fetti, entitled, “Ecce Homo” (the words spoken by Pilate, “Behold the Man”), which had inscribed beneath it, “This have I done for you. What will you do for Me?” Nikolaus began a large, global mission movement to the New World and many of the missionaries in this movement became slaves in the slave trade to reach those enslaved…
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The following is an personal alteration of a quote from John Wesley:
Serve all those you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
As long as ever you can.
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We are thoroughly enjoying the presence of a beautiful group of men from around the US, several who have been here multiple times, beginning construction of a desperately-needed additional inpatient ward. It is going up beautifully and the presence of these men is edifying all who come in contact with them, including us. The tireless effort, smiles and encouragement they bring are life-giving. See “Photos.” “Encouraged, we will serve…”
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We had a three day visit recently from Paul Hockersmith, leader of one of our most faithful and supportive organizations, AGA. He brought the new national leaders of the denomination which owns the land on which we live/work (UIEA). This church denomination has been largely indifferent to our work over the years, but the new national leader, Pr Lorenzo, voiced animated enthusiastic appreciation for our work and, especially, for those we serve. His spirit, attitude and “servant-leadership” approach may bring a new season of cooperation to our work in Cavango. “Some will join us, we will serve; some will reject us, we will serve. Some will help us, we will serve; some will oppose and burden us, we will serve…”
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About three years ago, we trained our local pastor to pray for our patients and instructed him on personal, individual, caring, touching prayer. He and his wife enthusiastically and tirelessly embraced this ministry and devoted four hours most days to visiting each patient and asking our Father to touch them, encourage them, reveal Himself to them… They logged their patient encounters and recently gave me their log book. They individually prayed for over 19,000 patients and family members, for any/all of their concerns, over the past three years! Only our Father knows the impact of this simple endeavor of seeking His help, as He instructed us to do. “Some will join and help us; we will serve.”
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We need others who will do the same… someone who will come to Cavango and care, who will serve and pray. You?
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As Jesus did every day of his life…
He calls those with ears to hear (“This have I done for you.”) to give our lives away for the benefit of another. We have each been honored with complete freedom by our Father in how/where and, to whom, we give away our lives and who might benefit…
There are literally millions of ways we can do this every day, in our family, in our neighborhood, in our work place, in Cavango and the rest of the world – in every interaction – for those with eyes to see…
Will you ask our Father today how and, to whom, you might give your effort, care, resources, life? This giving ourselves away for the benefit of another is kingdom “love” and it is the divine purpose for our each and every breath in this world… where… so many continue to rebel against the Creator/Lover of their souls.
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We have eternity to worship in the light; today we have a short time to partner with Him in the darkness to bring His light to those who yet do not see…
“We will not quit, regardless of support, opposition, or outcome; we will serve.
The Kubackis in Angola 