Medical Clinic

Witch Doctor

Baby Anyar photo

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

Photo with Nurse Photo with Doctor

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Guaria Village Praise Report

Guaria village has a population of about 496 people. One of our Bible School Trainees planted a church in Guaria village. The Gauria people love God so very much and they usually meet for fellowships every Saturday in the evening and they have invited us to come. They also have Sunday services. Albino (Compound Manager) has gone to the Saturday evening service a couple of times along with Pastor Joe and Peter Malok (Community Health worker) and some of our Pastors from the Bible School.

The major challenge they had was the lack of clean water for drinking. They requested our Ministry to drill a borehole for them if possible.  One interesting thing about this village is that they have unity or a oneness. They all joined hands; Pastors, chiefs, elders, men, women and youth and sent to our ministry a proposal that stated that they are in need of a borehole. Our partners, Aid Sudan, sent a group on Saturday morning to Guaria village to drill a borehole. Every member in Guaria along with the women and children were there together to see what was going on in their village. These people are so very excited because they are looking forward to having a borehole which will give them clean water for drinking and will help prevent many of the common diseases such as diarrhea.

Because of this borehole and the availability of water, they will now be able to implement projects such as green vegetable planting and mango planting. This will result in the growth of Guaria and the other surrounding villages.

They thank God above all for remembering them, and they also thank Aid Sudan, our Ministry IDAT and our supporters and all those who participated.

“So that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” – Isaiah 41:20

Guaria Village

Medical Clinic

Please Pray For Patients Wounded in Cattle Raid

Bandaging a Patient's LegHoly Spirit we invite you to come and intercede on our behalf and stir hearts to pray for our clinic staff, survivors and families of those who died.

Yesterday five patients were brought to the clinic that had been shot and wounded in a cattle raiding in Agulget Village. One was wounded on his neck, one on his leg, one on the foot, one on the hand while the fifth one had a wound on the back. This is the second case of cattle raiding so far this New Year. Already so many people have been killed and many wounded.

Two of the wounded patients were rushed to Wau hospital late yesterday while three of them are still here in our clinic. We still don’t know how many were wounded because we only received these 5 and only one person was reported dead. All of our medical staff was in the clinic trying to help where they could. Our pastors also came to pray for the patients and to encourage them.

Yesterday we also had an adult patient brought to our clinic, Makor Kuch, who had been operated on a few days ago in Rumbek Hospital. He had returned to Tonj and yesterday when a fight broke out in the neighborhood, he was kicked hard on the operated area. He was wounded again on his lower abdomen and on his back. The doctors admitted him in our clinic and he is being kept in the observation room to be reviewed.

Please pray for God to intervene and stop this senseless cattle raiding. Please pray also for those wounded to be healed. Please pray for our medical staff that God would give them grace and strength. The surgeries are still going on with Dr. Stick and we are receiving emergencies almost every day.

We pray for a few days of calm and rest for our medical staff.

“You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.” – Psalm 10:17-18

Newsletters

February 2012 Newsletter

Surgeries for Tonj!

Dr. Stick with the Kujs and Losees
Hannah, Suzy, Sabet, Nancy Losee, Agum, Joe Losee, Jed, Dr. Stick

What joy to have a General Surgeon with us in Tonj. Dr. Stick arrived mid-January from USA and will be with us for three months. He is greatly needed in so many ways but as this is a new area of medical care for us as well as the community we are taking things slowly. The main focus for surgeries will be hernias and people are coming for miles to book an appointment with him. Dr. Stick arrived with much needed skills in this remote place that has little technology to offer him yet he just has a heart to serve the Lord. He is a pleasure to meet, a blessing to be around, humble and open to what the Lord wants to do through him. We can testify and relate to his passion for missions and for the work God has put in his heart, using his professional skill to share Jesus’ love with those who are the least privileged in this world. We are excited to report the testimonies back to you all over the next few months. So far he has managed 10 surgeries with 100% success. As the patients are ministered to, pray they would understand God’s love, grace and forgiveness. We are very happy to see the hope in people who have been restored and the future in their eyes now looks brighter. The town is at ease more than ever because of these surgeries. And so are we, as we have the realhope and now the opportunity to present it to these patients knowing it will bring long-lasting change and make a real difference in their lives if they choose Jesus as their Savior.

Dr. Stick and the IDAT Medical Team in Surgery
Dr. Stick and IDAT medical team performing a hernia surgery

As with the cataract surgeries in September we have partnered with the government hospital which is not being used to its full capabilities and we are using their operating room to perform the surgeries. We have added some local staff to help with translation and other minor duties that will hopefully help free up our regular medical team who are being stretched to help cover the afternoon surgeries as well as our normal clinic program and outreaches. We ask you to pray for them over this next few months as their workload is heavier than normal. It is our biggest challenge not being able to find medically trained Sudanese staff and the cost of bringing sufficient Kenyan medical staff, flying them in and out and providing accommodation and board is very high. Pray for Sudanese that were displaced during the war to return to their home country. Many were able to train and acquire medical skills overseas. We are praying for medically trained Sudanese to return to their home as missionaries.

“The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” – Isaiah 29:19

Aid Sudan!

Aid Sudan is a Christian ministry that is partnering with In Deed and Truth to bring a radio ministry to our area. This month they began work on erecting the tower on our compound. Their vision is to plant radio towers across Southern Sudan to broadcast the gospel message in local dialogs. We are very excited for this opportunity to have the Message of Hope aired through a satellite feed in local dialogues of Dinka, Jurchol and Bongo. We are estimating more than 45,000 people will be able to hear and listen throughout 3 different states, Warrap, Lake and Western Bahr El Ghazal. It will also be a great tool to bring health and hygiene awareness and education.

Prayer Requests

  • For our staff and missionaries as they serve the Lord selflessly. That in the midst of the busyness they can enter into HIS presence and experience the peace of the Lord.
  • For the Losee’s as they continue to teach the pastors in the final year of school.
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Baby needs prayer

Yesterday in the evening a certain lady brought her child to our clinic. Malek Malok one month and a half was left in the house when a goat came in and stepped at the right side of his head. The temporal bone depressed or sucked  inside but the baby was breastfeeding well and no prior loss of consciousness when he was brought to the clinic. When the temporal bone is depressed (pressed  in)it  can cause pressure in the brain and cause neurological dysfunction, thus causing bleeding. The Doctor said it was a miracle for that child to be alive. We prayed together with the mother and she said that she has a reason to praise God for her child being alive.

Please pray for this child because there is a possibility for him to have a deformity. Operating on the child also is risking. The best thing we can do is to put him in the hands of God and to trust Him for His mighty work upon that baby’s head.

News From The Field