And this is why I am forever asking you to pray with me

                Yesterday and today we held clinic at our main campus in Thozin. The medical people I mentioned last week are here for a few more days and we have been working away. Towards the end of the morning yesterday, one of our visiting practitioners brought me one of our preschoolers. The little guy had a grossly distended abdomen and was clearly in tremendous distress. I have seen worm infections and bloated, malnourished bellies down here before; this did not look like either of those things. The other practitioners and I were deeply concerned about the child and what may have been going on internally (medical friends- distended, firm abdomen, vomiting and almost nonexistent bowel sounds). It was the end of the school day and the boy's mama was on campus to pick him up. I talked to her, explained the seriousness of the situation and told her she needed to go to the local hospital immediately. After some discussion she reluctantly agreed to take him.

                Unconvinced that the child would get to a hospital in time, I talked with a pastor at our church yesterday afternoon, asking him to help me follow up and reinforce the seriousness of the situation with the mother. Apparently, he knows everybody in town, because within ten minutes the child’s father was at the clinic doorstep. I explained the situation to him, including how critical it was that the child go to the hospital quickly and he promised to get the child to the hospital as soon as he could.

                I spent much of yesterday evening alternately between praying for that little guy and worrying about him. The team we have down here this week and some friends in the States prayed as well. Honestly, I was less than optimistic that the family would have access to the care and treatment he needed, and that he would get it in time.

                Well, this morning I was proved delightfully, completely wrong. Sort of. The little boy was in school, laughing and playing and keeping food down. He has some seriously adorable dimples, when he’s not doubled over in pain! His mom had taken him to the hospital and he had gotten some prescriptions. Friends, that’s where the aforementioned “sort of” comes in- the prescriptions had not been filled. Although the boy saw a doctor last night, he had not yet received any treatment. Initially I started to think maybe I overreacted yesterday, but the other medical professionals agreed with me that there really was no medical reason for the boy to be doing so well today.

               I don’t say this lightly, but I really and truly believe it was the prayers that went up on his behalf. Glory to God the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever! So friends, when I ask you all to join me in prayer, know that I do not ask lightly, or as a cliché. We need you to join us in prayer down here, because when you join us, beautiful things happen. Thank you!