Update on Matoch’s Surgery

Update on Matoch’s Surgery

 

March 03, 2010

Sabet has asked for prayer for a 13 year old boy, also shot in the same incident last Saturday.  He came to us on Sunday and we took him to Wau.  He is doing well,  he was X-rayed, they have seen the bullets in his stomach and buttock.  He needs surgery for the removal of the bullets. They can do this operation in Wau but the problem is blood donation and cost.   Sabet is asking people to pray for the surgery to be successful, for a blood donor to be found and for the  money to pay for it.

 

 

 
Also, one of our pastors, Daniel  Machar, lost some members of his family and his house was burned in Ciuebet during these cattle raids.  They are also missing some family members, so he called Sabet and asked us to pray.
 
Lastly, Matoch went into surgery very late and so we did not get an update from the surgeon before he had to go into another surgery.  They were operating  a total of six hours.  Thank you for praying and we will send another update tomorrow once we have more information.
 
If you are led to assist with the expenses of Matoch’s surgery and recovery please click here to give online or mail a donation to our support address below. Many thanks to everyone who has prayed

 

Pray for Matoch’s Surgery

Pray for Matoch’s Surgery! March 2 2010

We have been given some estimates for the total cost of evacuation, surgery, and care in Nairobi to be around $7,000. We thank the Lord for providing a way to get Matoch here and we are confident He will provide the funds to cover it all.  We have roughly 50% so far for what will be needed, if you are led to assist please click here to give online or mail a donation to our support address. Many thanks to everyone who has prayed and donated so far.

 

Matoch is in the pediatric ward at Kijabe Mission Hospital in Kenya, and is doing as well as can be expected. Sunday night the doctors took him to the OR in order to look at the wound and make a surgery plan. They found a lot of debris, sepsis and confirmed his cheekbone was shattered. They cleaned the wound and treated the infection. Monday afternoon they did the same thing. Today they will just change the dressing and then tomorrow morning (Wednesday) at 11am (12 midnight in CA) they will perform the surgery. The doctors will use skin from his forehead to reconstruct half of his nose and pull up skin from his chin and neck to close his cheek. Two and a half weeks later he’ll have another small surgery to complete the procedure. The doctors are optimistic he’ll be able to go home three weeks from now, barring any unforeseen complications. Matoch continues to be brave and strong. For a boy who has never been outside the village, all the new experiences and trauma he has endured must be overwhelming. 
 

 

 

 

 

Matoch Arrived in Kenya!

We Arrived With Matoch! February 28, 2010

 
Your response to my prayer request has been so touching and encouraging.  I’m now in Nairobi and the Lord has faithfully opened doors and put together a team to help us in this crisis.  The process through immigration in Kenya went very smoothly and Matoch traveled quite well.  His mother Achol, is escorting him and neither have been out of a village so it has been interesting.  She filled her water bottle from a rain puddle while I was talking to the immigration officer!!  I know this new culture and journey is going to be difficult for them and ask you to pray for protection on their heart and minds.  Samaritan’s Purse logistician in Loki helped us through the process and was waiting when we arrived.  AIM AIR allowed the plane to go all the way to Nairobi even though it was only scheduled to Loki (about half way).  AIM also contacted a doctor at Kijabe mission hospital and they have a team on standby to receive Matoch and do surgery.  Another AIM pilot helped get me a Dinka translator who also was waiting in Nairobi when we arrived.  Stacie has escorted everyone to Kijabe, and will keep me posted. 
 
Last night when I emailed I was tired and couldn’t think straight about where to send donations etc.  We appreciate your willingness to help financially with this sudden need.  We expect the total costs to run into thousands of dollars.  As I get more information I will let you know how much the evacuation and surgery will cost.  We are not concerned as we know our Lord has a plan in providing for it all.  So please pray and if you are led to help out financially then please click here to go to our donate page on our website or you can mail a check to our PO Box 51253, Colorado Springs, CO 80949 and mark the memo Matoch Surgery. 
 
Again, continue to pray for the safety of the Tonj area, they are expecting an attack in response this raid.  We heard others were wounded in the same raid, including children but have not been brought.  Possibly afraid to come out of the bush and especially towards the area where the attackers are from.  Sabet, the Losee’s and some of our Kenya and Uganda medical staff are there.  They feel very safe in the compound but ask for prayer for peace for the area and for the people

More Dead and Wounded….Please Keep Praying.

Hand Grenade Kills More Children!
 
Continue to Pray…
 

 

 

Right after sending the last update, Sabet called to say the remaining victims finally came to the clinic.  The story of what happened yesterday is now unfolding and it appears a hand grenade was actually thrown into the camp as well as shots being fired.  Many people were killed and even more are still out there injured.  Photo 1, 2 and 3 shows Machar Chol, around 1 year.  He was shot in the back, which also injured part of the face.  His mother and sister were both killed.  Three other of his siblings were shot or wounded from the blast (photo 4).  Our medical team and other staff are working around the clock, please pray for them and for Sabet, for their strength and safety. 
 
Pray for Stacie, she slept at the hospital last night as they were contemplating possibly doing Matoch’s surgery right away.  I know she must now be exhausted having little sleep in the past 48 hours. 
 
My kids are doing OK with all the sudden rush and change,  They continue to amaze me and have been such troopers through this.  They understand why we left and have peace. 

 

 
In Christ, 

 

Suzy Kuj

We Have Been Evacuated!

 

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Shot in the Face!
 
Please Pray…
 

 

  
 
Right now I feel completely sad.   We need your prayers, especially for a small boy called Matoch who we are medi-vacing to Kenya.  I’m not sure my words can really convey what has happened in the last 9 hours but I’ll do my best to explain it from the beginning.  Last weeks cattle raids appeared to die down over the last week but this morning a terrible thing happened.  Some raiders from the Tonj side went to the other side and surrounded their cattle camp, opening fire in the early hours of the morning.  Sleeping in that cattle camp were women and children.  Two children and one lady were instantly killed and others were hit with bullets.    This happened about thirty miles from Tonj.  The first we realized the cattle raids were still an issue was when a crowd came with a seven year old boy who had been shot in the face with a bullet.  Our medical staff called me to the clinic to pray for him and I wasn’t even sure I could stand to look but I knew I needed to go.  As they peeled the bandage from his face I held back the tears not wanting him to be more scared than he already was.  The entire right cheek from below his eye to his nose and down to his mouth was missing.  How can man be so evil??  I prayed and told him he was so brave and everything would be ok.   This  sweet boy just looked helplessly and frightened at me as I tried to keep his eyes on me and not on the nurse as she cleaned and bandaged the wound.  HE was so brave, no tears.  I just held his hand wondering how we would ever help him. Immediately we knew we were faced with a dilemma.  This boy can not receive the care he needs anywhere in Sudan.  Sabet agreed and I begun the process of trying to fly him to Kenya for surgery.  Who will go with him?  How do we get there?  How much will it all cost?  So many things buzzed around in my mind but I just knew I needed to help him.  What if it was my Hannah lying there, I would move mountains to get her help.  No door appeared to open as I made several calls so I sat and asked the Lord to guide me in helping this boy.  Right away the phone rang and it was AIM AIR (missionary pilots), they had a flight landing in 10 minutes just south of us.  I asked them to send it and we begun the frantic rush to get paperwork ready as the boy and his mother have no passports or birth certificates.  We wrote several letters, got all the stamps from the government and I asked Stacie (been here 4 months) to escort them to Nairobi.  Ten minutes before the flight was landing in Tonj, Sabet asked me to pray about going with her and taking the kids out.  The retaliation for this raid  is not going to be pretty and Tonj is now a target.  So I agreed to go out with the kids.  Not an easy decision with 10 minutes to pack for 4 people (including home school).  But we managed and made it to the airstrip.  Because of time we are now overnighting in Akot, Sudan at a medical hospital before proceeding to Kenya tomorrow.  We need prayers for favor with the Kenya immigration for easy entry for this precious boy and his mother.  We also need a way to get him to Kijabe mission hospital (one hour drive from Nairobi) and we pray there is a surgeon there that can help us.  I have no idea how this all will work out and what it will cost but we need your prayers please for wisdom and provision.  If you would like to help with the financial cost, please email me.   Please pray for these people and the deep hatred they have for each other, that God would intervene and help them see the light.  Pray for protection for my husband Sabet, our staff and our compound.  We are so thankful we are in this together.  Thank you for taking a moment to pray.  I’ll keep you updated.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

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