Wins are wins and I'll take them

I’ve been back in Togo for 6 weeks…..after a stent in the US to see family and refresh a bit, I am back for a few months.

Some things I have been trying to focus on at home and now back in Togo is learning to abide in Christ. I read a great book while at home called Humble Roots. I highly recommend it. This is a quote from there that has really stuck with me: "Your heavenly father knows what you need. He knows your heart is troubled. He also knows better than you do, that all these things are beyond you. And so, this is what you must do, all that you must do: you must seek Him and let Him take care of the rest.”

I am trying to solidify in my sinful mind that even when things are hard and the answers are not what I want, think, or expect that He is in control, knows me, cares for me, and is there if only I would go to Him. Here are some verses that have been helping me along the way: 

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.” Nahum 1:7

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”   1 Peter 1: 6 – 7

“…Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith…..And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5: 8b, 9a, 10

I share these in a hope that they may be an encouragement to some of you as well.

I returned at the height of rainy season which brings daily storms and cooler weather but also loads of malaria. I don’t think I have ever experienced a disease that just steals children from this world as quickly and relentlessly as malaria. It is merciless in its attack and despite our best efforts and great medications, we see way too many succumb to it.

I think I forget a little, when I am away, just how much heartache we have with death here. How many times a day or week I will sit with a mom that just lost her child and try in some way to comfort her.

It is easy here to be beaten down by the heartache…..by the death. But, sometimes we get a win. I want to share just a couple of the “wins” I have seen since my return.

Just a couple of days after I got back, a young woman was brought in with a snake bite. These are fairly common here and the venom causes the bitten extremity to swell. That is the outward signs anyway. Inwardly, though, the venom spread and prevents the blood from clotting. It is common to get bleeding throughout the body: abdomen, head, etc and this can wreak havoc and lead to death. The effects of the venom progress the longer the person waits after the bite before being treated.

This patient came in 5 days after she was bitten. She was completely unresponsive on her arrival. I immediately started the antivenin but the destruction was already severe and she was anemic, requiring transfusion.  Several hours after her arrival, I was called to see her and was barely breathing. I feared she was in flash pulmonary edema either from the whole blood she was receiving or from the effects of her envenomation.  She received some meds and was placed on a non-rebreather but I talked with her brother and told him I did not know if she would live. She had a bad night for sure but the next morning she was so much more comfortable and actually opened her eyes for the first time. She continued to improve dramatically over the next couple of days and went home recovered.

My next story is an ongoing prayer request…….we have a new preemie in our hospital that is right at 2 weeks old. He was born emergently by C-section after his mom had a placental abruption at 30 weeks.  He was born weighing 1.27kg (just over 2.5 pounds). To say his first 24 hours of life were rough is an understatement. I was the physician on the day he made his arrival and I ended up resuscitating him for several hours because his effort of breathing was not sustaining him. Two times, during his first 24 hours, he was handed over to his parents for them to say “goodbye” because there was nothing else we could do for him. Both times he got better by being held by his Dad. I am not one to throw out the word miracle haphazardly but truly I have no other explanation for him living. I told the Dad that God was doing something here and we would continue to pray and trust and see what would happen. Well, this child is progressing well for a preemie, however, he is still very tenuous given his size. Pleas pray for him and for us as we make medical decisions for him. Pray especially for his parents, who are very strict Muslims, that they may encounter Jesus during this time of trial. Pray for us as we interact with them every day that we would find ways to show Jesus to them as well.