Sunday, May 10th (What a day it has been!)
Well I was up early having breakfast at 6 am and then Julius picked me up for church @ 630 am. I attended church with Julius. I always enjoy worshipping with my friends at this church. One of the elders was up giving a sermon and all of a sudden he stopped talking and then was turning pale, so I knew that he was in trouble. I headed to the front of the church as some men jumped up and helped him before he passed out. We took him outside where we got him some fresh air and he was profusely sweating and was cold and clammy. I then took his pulse and it was quit rapid. Luckily he spoke English and i started asking him if he was a diabetic or had any health problems. We then got him seated in the church office. He then told us that he had been fasting for 3 days and praying. I told them we needed to get some water and glucose into him so a man ran to get some. After a while he started feeling better. He then told me that he was diagnosed with typhoid a couple of weeks ago and had been on medication so thought it was a combination between that and the fasting. I sat with him until he was feeling well and then his wife took him home. I then returned to the church service. Afterwards everyone was greeting and thanking me. Never a dull moment in Africa.
Then after church Julius invited me to his home for breakfast and so I could greet the rest of his family. They are so friendly and such nice people. We then called Julius aunt and then we traveled the home of a special little girl called Lightness. The medical team went and saw her in January and she stoled our hearts. Lightness is now 17 years old. She is the youngest child of a family of 4 children. When she was around 3 years old, the mom reported that she started to fall all the time. They brought her to the doctor and they just watched her. She progressively started to have paralysis starting in the lower limbs. She has had 2 surgeries and when we saw her in January we took pictures of her CT scans and X-rays and I sent them to the neurosurgeon who is coming this May. He and a group of physicians reviewed the reports and it is so sad but they said she had a malignant spinal and brain tumor and surgery would not help her. The paralysis will keep going up.
Her name Lightness reflects her beautiful personality. We went to see her today and I brought a new wheelchair for her which tilts so that she does not fall out of her chair. We put her in the chair and and showed the mother and sister how to use the wheelchair. We then took her outside so she could see and smell the fresh air. She was so happy and so was her family. So the wheelchair brought her some joy. This wheelchair was donated by Cheryl and Sarah Kanoy and I am sorry I don't remember the church that Cheryl's husband is a pastor at. Thanks so very much to all who is responsible because some joy was brought to this young girl and hopefully can make her remaining day here on earth some happy days. Please pray for her and her family. When the neurosurgeon comes, we will go and visit her again so he can examine her. Then I have asked for the parents to be present so the doctor can talk to them about her prognosis. I ask for you prayers because this is not going to be easy.
