Clinics with Mission of Mercy

The clinics with the Mission of Mercy medical team went very well. The team consisted of 2 doctors, 3 nurses, a paramedic, and 3 other non-medical people, who ran the pharmacy. We saw over 1500 people in 5 days. Everyone had an opportunity to pray with someone before they left. There were many testimonies of salvation, and spiritual encouragement over the 5 days. Many people also went for HIV testing and counseling.

We saw many difficult situations, and were able to help with most of them. One lady that we saw was 11 months pregnant, and could not be induced, because she didn’t have R250 ($32), for the medication for induction. The team gave her the money to go to the hospital to be induced.

There was an 11 year old girl at one of the clinics that had been raped. Her father brought her to be seen by the doctors. She had been living with her mother up until about a month ago, when she was taken to live with her father. He said that she won’t talk to him about what happened, all she does is cry. When we asked her what happened and when, she said that the last time it happened was about a month ago. She said that she feels safe now that she is living with her father. She wouldn’t tell us who raped her, only that it happened while she was living with her mother. She didn’t want to be examined by a man, but when we told her that the teacher and I would be with her, she finally agreed. Dr. Beyda was so kind to her and explained exactly what he was going to do, and that he was so sorry that this terrible thing happened to her. When we tried to examine her, we could only get her legs a few inches apart. We had to do the best we could not to traumatize her anymore than she already was. On examination, we discovered that she had a discharge and a large wart growing between her labia, which is very painful. Dr. Beyda decided to treat her for all STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases), which included an intramuscular injection, along with several oral antibiotics.

After the exam, we called in one of our missionaries, who was doing spiritual counseling to help us talk to her and pray with her. Jacci was definitely led by the Lord, and talked and prayed with her for a long time. The little girl was crying, I was crying, Jacci was crying and our interpreter (one of our teachers) was crying. The girl accepted Christ into her heart, and when we were finished, she was hugging us. In the beginning, she would stiffened when we tried to hug her. Her facial expression changed and you could see that she was different than she was before.

We saw her a week later, and she looked like a different child. The withdrawn, unhappy countenance was replaced by a smile and she was hugging us willingly. I’m sure that she still has a long way to go both emotionally and physically, but praise the Lord, she is on the right path!

Thanks Sabine for the pictures!