The great Healer

The health check is already done. All children were examined by a docter. Most children are growing well and are looking healthy. The weight gain is very visible with most children, some children even gained 2.5 kilograms in half a year. It is a blessing that all those children have a sponsor.

There are also children with special needs. One boy needed to go to the hospital directly, because of a fever and a low hemaglobin level. He had to stay there, to be observed. After a couple of days, he went home again. He received some iron medication and has to eat nutricients with a lot of iron in them.

There were more children who had to visit a doctor in the hospital. I asked one of the doctors I know from the hospital which time is the best to visit the hospital: thursday morning at 7.30 AM. That will be an early trip! At 6 AM I am leaving home and at 6.40, I am picking up the children with their mothers and one of our teachers. The youngest child, 5-month-old Steven, has a caugh, which does not sound good. He is not breathing right and he is crying. Visiting a doctor soon is urgent for him. The Bible vers of the day arrives in my e-mail box. Before I drive to the hospital, I read the text, from Mark 6:56:  And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole. Such a great verse from the Bible, especially this morning! I am praying silently for the children, and especially for Steven. I ask the Lord to touch him, so that he will be fine.

Steven is still crying. Not so loud, he does not have the strength. His mother tries to feed him some milk, but his nose is so full, he cannot drink. He is not breathing right. We hurry to the hospital. At 7.20 AM, we arrive at the hospital and we enter the waiting room. No doctor is visible. I am texting the doctor that we are present. She texted back: I am in a meeting, I cannot come. I will try to find a doctor that can help you. I text her back: Please do. One of the children is very ill, he needs help soon. We wait for another 15 minutes, but it feels like ages. An assistent is coming. We are first clearning up the area, and then we will have a look at the children, she says. I sigh. Steven fell asleep finally. I am checking his breath regularly. Finally, the staff is done with the cleaning and they start weighing all the children. Quickly after this, they see that Steven is not doing right and he is brought to another room. His saturation is checked: too low. He receives extra oxygen. A little bit of blood is taken to be examined. And then the waiting starts again. We are waiting for the doctor. The peopel that helped us, are still in training, so they have to wait for the doctor for his decision on the matter.

Steven's mother looks sad. I can understand her. Seeing your child this ill, is zo terrible. The other children that we brought, are still waiting for a doctor. An hour is nothing. Finally, the 'real' doctors are there. Steven has to stay in the hospital and is brought to a ward for very ill children. The other children are send to other wards, were they will be seen by another doctor. The teacher is going with them. I stay with Steven and his mother. After an hour, things are still the same. I ask when Steven will be brought to the other ward. That can take a while, the doctor says, because we wait for some more children that need to go there, and then we take them there togehter. So we understand that we will have to wait some more, because there are 'only' two children yet. After a while, I receive a phone call from the teacher that the other children are finished. We decide that I will go home with the children and that she will stay with Steven's mother. In the mean time, I will pick up Steven's grandmother, so that she can stay in the hospital to cook for the family (as usual in Malawi, you do not receive food in the hospital). There we go again, back to Kwanjana. The mothers are very happy with the help they received from the hospital. They thank me and go home. I picked up Steven's grandmother and we went back to the hospital. Amost arrived, I receive a phone call from the teachter that Steven went to the children's ward finally. I drive that way and I wait outside for the teacher, so she can show me where he lies. My head is full of memories while standing there. It is the same ward were Blessings laid, who died here. I see the barn in my mind, where they put his body on a blanket. Two stones were put in front of the door to keep it closed. I feel sad. Blessings had too little oxygen as well. Then, I remember the Bible vers of this morning, and I am praying for Steven. And I also pray that the Lord may bless him. The teacher comes and takes us in. Nobody is allowed to come here, because of Covid-19, except for the mother. Also the grandmother cannot see her grandchild. We leave them with some money for food and the message that we will pray for them. I am driving home again. At 5 PM I am home again, were Constantine and the children are waiting for me. I tell them what happenend that day. Since that day, Eloïse prays for Steven everyday. One day he can do without the extra oxygen, the other day he needs some extra, and he also develops a fever. But after some days, we receive some good news: he has done without the extra oxygen for a whole day and he is doing fine.

A week later, I return to the hospital with children who have eyeproblems. They receive some medicine and should return to the hospital in a month. We visit Steven's mother. We hoped that he was allowed to go home today, but the doctor does not allow it. The doctor also says that Steven has bronchitis, that he is malnourished, that he had lack of oxygen during birth, causing him to not develop normally, and probably will never learn to walk. What a message!

It is 3 PM, I have to take the other children home. I am looking forward to just sitting on my sofa and to drink a large glass of water, while being with my husband and children. I am driving close to home when I am called. The boy that recently was taken to the hospital, became very weak. He fell and his legs hurt. I said that I was already on my way. When I arrived at the centre, he lies on a mattress. He feels very weak, he tells me. We leave for the hospital again. We pick up his mother and the teachers are joining us as well. I forget my sofa and the glass of water. This boy needs help right now. After a while, the doctor arrives and again, the level of hemoglobine is checked again. Still too low. The doctor sais that he needs to eat and drink well and he has to take his medicine, and then return in two weeks. We buy some food for him on our way home. Nighttime is falling, and driving in the dark is nog easy in Malawi. I call my husband that I am coming. At 6.30 PM I am home, and I sit on my sofa. The children come to hug me, they missed me. I am tired, but happy as well, that I could do something for those children today.

The next day, my phone rings. It's Steven's mother. He may go home! Constantine is picking them up to bring them home.

While I am writing this blog, he is sending a picture of Steven, his mother and his grandmother. They are home again. It's a real miracle. The great Healer made him whole again.

"And as many as touched him were made whole".

Tears fill my eyes. Thank you, Lord!