(Photo: We didn't take many photos this week. Here's an older one of Hitswa with Grace in the background)
Peter’s tummy hasn’t been well. We’re still not exactly sure the cause. Last week I was beginning to suspect dairy when I realized I had just cooked a dairy heavy meal and that Peter was scarfing it down eagerly. We said a prayer that Peter would not throw up in the night. Our prayers were answered that night—he didn’t throw up, but he wasn’t happy. His stomach churned and he cried multiple times in the night.
So the next morning we found ourselves in the team car going across town for our weekly team meeting. Peter sat docilely on my lap when all of a sudden he started to vomit. It just kept coming—it was all over him and me. I tried to catch some of as it came and flick it out the window but I just managed to get the car door.
We pulled over near the port and opened the door in front of two old grandmothers. They gave cries of sympathy as I carried out Peter—covered head to toe in vomit. Suddenly there was Papa Hitswa. He grabbed Peter from me and began asking around for the nearest water pump. I followed behind carrying my sodden shawl as he hurried behind a couple buildings until we found the spicket. Papa Hitswa held crying Peter and gave his diagnoses while I stripped off Peter’s clothes and rinsed him off. Tom came with a towel in time for me to wrap Peter up and take the long walk back to the car. We gave our thanks to Papa Hitswa as we drove away, wondering to ourselves, “Why was he all the way on this side of town?”
Later around midday the meeting was over and we were being dropped off at our street. I planned to walk quickly home, eager to get out of the sun and get the kids down for naps. Plus Peter still smelled like sick and I hadn’t been able to change my clothes. The road was deserted except for a single pair, a mother and child. Why were they out in the heat of the day. They saw us and sat down on the road and waited for us to get close. It was Mama Hitswa and their youngest (18 month old little girl). The family is poor and the baby had been sick for a while. She told me the baby was still sick and she didn’t know what to do. I knew her history. She has lost two young children to illness. She handed us her lab tests and the prescription they couldn’t afford to fill. We looked at the French prescriptions and tried to decipher the medicines.
So we gave what we had to offer, a prayer prayed in the Savior’s name and a little money to help with the medical costs. She thanked us for the money and she smiled with the prayer. It was only as I was walking away that I remembered that it was her husband that had helped us with our sick child just a few hours before.
PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our visitors arrived safely yesterday with all their luggage! Thank you for praying. Htswa’s little sister seems to be doing better. I saw her running down the street yesterday. We are feeling less overwhelmed and have had some peaceful moments.
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Peter had a number of good days but threw up (a lot) last night. Sergio (teammate) is also sick and suspects worms. We’re thinking of de-worming as a whole family (something that we have been encouraged to do a couple times a year, but haven’t done). Pray that both Peter and Sergio would start to feel better. With our visitors, we are dedicating this week to prayer and having a special prayer time each day. Pray with us for the islands that light would shine in the darkness.
