Monday saw about 40 patients from 9 to 12 then scrubbed a hernia with Michael. It was an inginal hernia in the right groin the hernia sac was freed up quite easily and the vas and its vessels that come up from the scrotum through the inginal canal and into the abdominal cavity were isolated quite easily. If you do not isolate them and you cut as we often do you cut off blood supply to the testes and the testicle dies and the patient gets upset .We then had to work quite hard on freeing the hernia sac from the hernia walls so we could return sac and bowel back into the abdominal cavity. It was fun. Around supper time a vehicle with two gunshot victims were brought in I believe some Tonj police were trying to stop two drunk soldiers from fighting and bullets were fired one into the upper abdomen of a young man his stomach was lying outside his belly . The other had a in out wound to the upper leg which fractured his femur (the big bone in upper leg)He was given dressing and I splinted the upper leg  There is talk of him going to the village surgeon(witch doctor) but he is still here. The other patient with stomach outside abdomen was transferred to Wau. We are still not  quite ready to open abdomen in which we have no idea what we will find. We need suction and electrocautery and a little more experience with anesthesia . It all will come in God’s timing. #1rule in medicine is do no harm. We just trust God to guide us. I still think it is amazing how God got Mike and I here. I knew 20-30 years ago him and I would be in Africa together someday. God is amazing.

Friday nite I subbed for a tired midwife. Delivered a baby the head went right into the bulging amniotic sack and I believe it made for a nice controlled delivery. everyone did fine. Saturday morning a real sick 3 month old came in Dennis our IV starting champion got an IV going and we gave fluids and meds to stop the convulsions.  We started antibiotics and anti malarial meds and prayed.  The child was sick for over one week with care by the village witch doctor and only when the infant was at death’s doorstep did it come to the clinic.  Another seizure and aspiration into the lungs ended hope of a recover.  I always say we need 12 hours to turn things around and we only got 6 hours. It is always sad but we can only do so much. During that time interval I pulled a tooth of a 15 y/o girl it was a tough pull because the crown of the tooth was very decayed and the roots were very strong. I have pulled about 40 teeth now.  Michael Stick the surgeon from Madison continues to be a great asset to us here. He cannot believe all the hernias here and he is enjoying doing the surgery thing even when I assist him. I am starting to understand this hernia thing.  – Tom

Feb 28th started out much as any other day.I was taking care of people who came in for dressing changes and just before lunch, Dennis, one of the medical staff asked if I would take over caring for a 5 month old baby that needed to be watched closely. Baby Anyar, had been very dehydrated and was in shock initially suffering from possible pneumonia and amebic dysentry. I gave some IV medications and kept an eye on him out on the back porch. After I had seen all my patients for dressings I went out with the translator to ask a few questions of the mother. There was a man sitting there also who I asked if I could pray for the baby. They said yes, and I did. The uncle asked if I prayed because the child  was suffering? I said yes, that’s partly the reason, but that we all needed prayer and pointed to each of us.

I went to lunch and do some other things but felt drawn back to them. I asked Isaac who is a translator and A Community Health Worker if he had time to translate for me. He was happy to help. We started a conversation that lasted quite a while. Apparently the child had been sick for about 10 days. They had gone to another clinic quite some distance away and were given medicines. After 3 days the medicine did not seem to have made any difference. A family member said if it hasn’t helped then they should go to the witch doctor.

I know that all of you reading this in various parts of the world, outside of Africa, think this is very strange. For those who have many questions about this I would love to talk with you some time face to face about it. Let me just say, it is very, very real. They ended up going to two witch doctors. The first one asked to be paid 50 Sudanese pounds. This is a huge amount for most people. This witch doctor said the baby had gases in it’s belly, and rubbed oil all over him to remove the gases! It didn’t help. The 2nd witch doctor wanted a bull, goat and chicken for payment. This was a big problem because when the mother of the child got married her uncle was supposed to pay with a bull, goat and chicken but never did. The witch doctor stated the baby won’t get well without the payment. Fortunately I  asked them if they knew God to whom I had prayed earlier. They did not know about God at all. We talked about God, his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It was a long conversation that I can’t go into details but it was very obvious that God had set this appointment for us to meet together this day.

In the end the brother and sister prayed with us to ask God’s forgiveness for their wrong doings, accepting that Jesus paid the price for their sins and invited Him into their lives. I explained that this was a free gift, no money, no bulls, goats or chickens for their healing.

They will never again go to, or trust in the witch doctor.The power of the witch doctor pales in comparison to the power of the One who made heaven and earth and rules over all his creation.

“There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be  said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘see what God has done!'” – Numbers 23:23