January 2013 EOM
Chaka chatsopano!
God has brought
LMC safely to this New Year. Thank you
to all who sent us personal Christmas (and birthday) greetings and gifts. It was truly overwhelming. For several weeks, every time we opened the
mailbox, we were greeted with a stack of cards.
This New Year has
already seen an increase in the number of patients at our clinics. The rainy season is fully upon us, and that
means more malaria, more colds, and more respiratory illnesses. This month, clinic saw its first cholera
patient in over two years. Any patients
with cholera are directed to a government facility for treatment because the
illness is so contagious. We pray this
was an isolated case.
Although the
number of cases of malaria has greatly increased this last month, we have
well-stocked shelves in our pharmacy and feel prepared to treat the
patients. We are thankful for the timely
and abundant deliveries of malaria test kits and medication from USAID.
We hear of the
frigid weather the Midwest has been experiencing lately and are grateful for
the warmth here. This month, though, we
had Malawi’s version of a snow day. It
had rained all night in the area around Suzi, which made the roads very
slippery. There is a stretch of road
that comes to a peak in the middle and slopes severely on the sides. We all stepped out of the ambulance so the
driver could traverse the road. As we
watched, the ambulance slid toward the ditch, nearly tipping over. Though we were not actually stuck, the driver
was concerned that any movement would cause the ambulance to slide completely
into the ditch or to tip over. The men
were able to get some leverage under the tires, and our driver backed the
ambulance out of the tough spot. There
was really no way forward.
Plan B was to back track and take another route. However, that route had a narrow bridge
without any guardrails, and we were told that there was water flowing over the
bridge. The only safe plan seemed to be
to return home for the day and pray for better roads next time. I felt sad for all those people who would not
be helped by us this week, but it is not smart to endanger our own lives in the
process of helping them.
On the evening of
the 10th of January, we received a phone call from our
gardener. His wife was in labor, and
they needed a ride to the hospital. It
was truly a dark and stormy night. In
the two hours we were gone from home, we picked up the Chirwas, drove them to
the hospital, learned that Mrs. Chirwa had delivered a healthy baby girl, then
we dropped Mr. Chirwa at home again. If
we had not been available to them, they would have ridden bicycle through the
pouring rain. It is doubtful Mrs. Chirwa
would have been at the hospital in time to deliver. We are thankful mom and baby Tiwonge are
doing well.
The Malawi Kwacha
continues the slide it began about six months ago. This really helps our budget because the US
dollar goes farther, but it is really affecting the Malawians. The cost of living is going up across the board,
but wages are not increasing accordingly.
We pray that the economy levels off soon and brings some stability into
the country.
We appreciate all
your prayers and support for us and for our patients in the villages. May God continue to bless the work of
Lutheran Mobile Clinic in Malawi throughout this New Year!
Your sister in Christ,
Maria Reese
Rejoice in the Lord
always. I will say it again: Rejoice! …Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians
4: 4,6-7
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