Today was one of those days.
I was at the slum today at the school. I noticed a commotion at the widow and saw people examining a little girl's leg. The sight of her leg made my stomach turn. There was a gaping open wound about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Some of her flesh was coming out of the wound and it looked like to had been run through a meat grinder. Closer to her foot there were also large scrapes and sores. All of the wounds looked infected. The gaping wound had white infectious fluid coming out of it and it appeared to be infected on down deeper into her body as well. The lower part of her leg and foot were so swollen that the skin was noticeably tight and she could barely move her foot and toes. The wounds were dirty. Flies swarmed around and landed in her open wounds. She was in obvious pain as she limped from her home to the school.
The little girl's name is Nanti* and she is six years old. Apparently last week she had been in an accident and her leg had been caught in a bicycle wheel. As far as I know she did not receive any medical treatment. She needed stitches--I'd say about 10 of them. She needed her older sister and mother to be told how to tend to her wound so it wouldn't get infected. She needed clean bandages, antibiotic cream, antiseptic wash, and medical tape. She didn't have or get any of these things.
This is the reality of the slum.
I put on gloves and got out the first aid kit. I racked my brain on what to do to make this sweet little girl better. Julie and I both donned our nursing caps and discussed the best options. I cleaned the wound the best I could. Julie held her hand and whispered comforting words to her as I poured antiseptic wash into her wounds--a liquid that cleans and helps heal, but hurts and stings almost unbearably. I applied antibotic cream and we stuck the bandages to her. Bless Nanti's heart, she was so strong. She winced and grimaced, but never cried out as I poked at her wound and wiped stinging liquid on it.
Julie prayed aloud and I prayed in my heart and we pleaded with G0d for a miracle. We asked Him to supernaturally heal her leg. We asked Him to take her pain away. We asked Him to use Nanti's healing for His glory in showing the people in this slum who He really is. Julie told her we were praying to JC and that He would hear and He would answer. She spoke to those who had gathered around us and told them to pray to JC as well.
Nanti hobbled back to her house.
I walked back to the school attempting to hold back tears.
This is the reality of the serving in the slum.
Medically, I knew it wasn't enough. I only have basic first aid training and the blessing of having a nurse as a mother. The extent of my medical knowledge is limited. However, I knew what we did for her wasn't going to heal Nanti's leg. She needs a doctor. She probably needs to have warm compresses on the wound for the infection to start to drain out so that she swelling goes down. She needs her bandages changed several times a day. She needs antibiotic cream and fresh gauze and tape applied. She may need even more than that.
But, Nanti isn't going to get that. She lives in and plays in the dirt. There are no clean cloths to do warm compresses. The water they would use is dirty. It could be explained to first boil the cloths in water, then boil more water, let it cool to warm, and then hold the cloth on the wound for several minutes. Would the family do it though? Several times a day? Making sure things were clean? Would they, if told, keep the wound covered? If so, with what? Something clean? How do you insure what needs to happen actually happens?
This is the reality of life in the slum.
Nanti's only hope is JC.
The slums only hope is JC.
THIS IS THE REALITY OF THE SLUM.
Nanti was sick a couple weeks ago and we prayed for her, gave her some medicine, and now she is completely healed. JC healed her, but the truth of that may not be evident to her and her family.
This time, there is no medicine. Without a miracle, the worst could happen. It could continue to become infected and the infection could spread throughout her body...something like the gangrene of the Civil War era. Only JC can heal her body. If it is going to happen, He is going to have to do it.
THIS IS THE REALITY!!
As I rode home in the taxi, I realized that I must really believe that JC can and will heal her--for His glory, for His renown, for His revelation of Truth in this slum. Regardless of what it may medically look like, He can heal her. He can do it without all the things that I think are "medically" needed. He healed the leaper, He healed the blind, He healed the sick, He healed the paralytic, He raised the dead--and He did it all with His infinate power.
THIS IS THE REALITY OF JC!!
That is my prayer--that JC would heal her leg and that there would be no question as to where the power came from. It isn't from medicine--it is from the only real, only true, most high G0d.
Will you please also pray for a miracle with me? Ask that Nanti would be healed, but that her leg being healed would not be the end. Ask that her healing would spur on a spiritual healing of the hearts and souls of people in this slum. Ask that the reality of the people in the slum would change because JC gave them hope, peace, and new life.
Only JC can change the reality!
*Name changed
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