Thursday, May 24th:
Well the team very excitedly headed off on safari today. It was a joy to see them so excited and so happy that they are able to go see God’s beauty of Africa. Julius, my Tanzanian Assistant, is there safari driver. He is an awesome guide, so I know they will have a great time. Just talked to Julius and the team just finished their devotion and headed off to bed and they had a great day.
Well Mark and I worked at the hospital and it proved to be a day with many challenges. My heart goes out to these people. You don’t how many patients we have seen that have lived with old fractures, deformities, broken bones with open wounds and could not get help because they had no money. It just tears at my heart.
Mark had a very challenging surgery but he remained patient and continued to teach the residents and did an awesome job. I so appreciate his patience, kindness, and his the wonderful teaching he does to the doctors and residents. They are all learning so much.
After surgery we were called over to clinic to see some more patients. You will not believe the sad case that we saw. I know this will keep me awake tonight because I am mad and sad. This 37 year old male came to the hospital we were working at. He was in another hospital and had been laying in bed fro 5 months with these awful fractures and they had done nothing. His femur was broken badly and the muscles were starting to contract in one leg and then in the other leg he had an open fracture with the bone was coming through the skin and a lot of open skin area that was going to require grafting. This patient should have been transferred to a hospital that could have treated his injuries, now because it has been so long, he may loose his legs. He had run away from his family and they did not know where he was for 10 years, thus some friend were helping take care him and helping to financially support him. But they were getting ready to run away and not help any more because they could not afford to help any more. Now they located his brother a couple of days ago and he is faced with this tragedy and to financially try to help him. I felt so bad for him because he was crying and we tried to talk to him and comfort him.
I have prayed and tried to wrap my head around all of this and i can’t. I finally have had to turn it over to God that he will have the right answers and help this young man. He is going to need many surgeries and the outcome may not be good. We did not have the equipment we needed to help him so encouraged the family to take him to another hospital that could hopefully help him and it may be too late.
We see and hear so many case like this, and it is just so sad. With the help of all you kind donors I have helped as many as I can financially, and we are paying for a lot of medical care and surgery. But it is never enough!! It brings me tears!!
As Mark and I talked about, it is very difficult to see these patients and we want to help them all, but they come to us so late that many times we can’t help them. Yet I have to focus on the many people that we have helped and that is many.
Please continue to pray for the team and that God gives us guidance and strength. Also I ask that all you pray and thank
God for all that you have been blessed with, because many times we don’t realize how lucky we are until you witness the poverty we see here. Yet they sing with so much love and praise to God and continue to be such happy people. I am humbled by this.
Sending a lot of love and hugs to my family and friends. Also asking that all of you say some special prayers for a close family friend named Ted and his family.
God bless,
Mama Gayle
