Around 7 pm our Senior Nurse/midwife Margaret was called to the clinic  by one of  our community health workers (CHW).  He told  her that there was a woman in labor, the patient is one of our ANC (ante natal clinic)  mothers and has been coming faithfully to all her ANC appointments. 

After an assesment all was good but labor was progressing slowly.   The staff admitted her for observation and prayed for her labor to progress naturally.   After 2 hours she had not progressed, the heart rate of the baby was fast so labor was induced and she delivered  a baby boy.  He was so weak and lifeless Dr. Dennis was called immediately and started to resuscitate while others were praying.  The child eventually started crying weakly and God  answered our prayer quickly as he was soon crying strongly and he became pink and the heart rate was good.

Upon examination Margaret noticed that both legs turned inwards,  the baby had club foot (talipes).  This condition (see photo) is common and can be treated but needs medical attention to avoid the child growing up and walking on his ankles.  Possibly surgery would also be needed but in Sudan even these simple procedures are not available, so please pray for this family to find the help they need.  Pray for the mother and child as they return home, there is a lot of witchcraft in the villages and the child could be subjected to rituals to remove the evil spirit causing this deformity.  It is highly unlikely the family will want to spend the money and time to help this child.  We are praying for his protection, this is the hardest part of letting the patients go.  We have literally handed her over to the ONE and only living God that can intervene and bring hope to a seemingly hopeless situation.

An adult male patient was brought to our clinic on tonight around 11.00 pm.  Majuok was working in his garden around 6 pm when a certain man came from nowhere and attacked him.  He pierced him with a spear on his right arm when Majuok tried to protect himself.

Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

This is a verse that has really ministered to me the last few days as I have struggled with my emotions, thoughts and feelings towards the perpetrator of an unthinkable crime.  I have disciplined myself to surrender my thoughts and feelings to Jesus and allow Him to fill my cup back up to a place where I can be effective for the Kingdom.  Even after 12 years of serving the people here in Sudan nothing has prepared me for the turmoil I feel inside towards this wrongdoing.

It happened on Saturday evening when a young girl aged only 7 years was left to care for her younger siblings in her mud hut home.  

When the mother returned she could not find the girl who has hearing and speech impediments.  But soon they heard the sobbing coming from the long grass near the home.  The girl was found lying in a pool of blood.  The initial reaction was to assume some kind of animal attack but the other children kept telling that it was a man.  Our doctors were able to confirm the worst fears, it was in fact a rape.

So many thoughts have crossed my mind but mostly as a mother I feel sick and helpless in my faith.  Our senior clinical officer called me early Sunday morning to come and counsel/pray for the family and child.  Lord you will need to take over this one as I have no idea what to say or how to encourage them.

Faith comes from hearing and so I read my bible and prayed before going over to the clinic for increased faith to believe in all of God’s promises.    So many people were there with this family.  I managed to get mum, dad and child alone.  As the Lord led we wept, prayed and read the bible together.  What started as blaming each other, anger and revenge turned into a time of sorrow and mourning.  They were now in a place of being able to turn their attention on the child and not the criminal, whose identity was unknown.  We prayed for the Lord to bring him to justice and before we had finished praying we found the man had been identified and ran away.  We are praising God for this as it is now only a matter of time before he is caught.

Would you please pray for this family, for their hearts to turn to God, to find forgiveness and to allow the authorities to represent them.  Revenge killing is normal for much less crimes than this, which is uncommon in this culture.

Pray for this young girl, that God would heal her tiny body and guard her from any infection, disease or long term damage.  Pray she would be freed and not haunted mentally from this trauma. 

I plan to visit the family home later this week, pray for me as I have struggled myself and need wisdom and love for all involved.  Sabet is still in the USA so I could use some encouragement.

Psalm 145:3 was given to me by my Heavenly Father “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and His greatness is unsearchable.”

Thanks for praying with us through this difficult time.

Suzy Kuj

Reaching South Sudan for Christ
In Deed and Truth Ministries
www.indeedandtruth.org

Very exciting!!  Yes the morning after the cataract surgery we got to be a part of the patients having their bandages removed and eyes retested.  What an amzing sense of joy and thanksgiving as these people regained their sight.  Some jumped up running and throwing down their trusty cane.  Hallelujah – we give you Jesus all honor and praise.