We
asked them specifically in a group of a dozen or so who has had or had an
immediate family member struggle with malaria…they just laughed as each of them
put their hand up immediately…it is the #1 taker of life in sub-Saharan Africa
and obviously a huge concern for those who live in this part of the world…
And
then we visited some families who lived in rural homes, where you felt like you
were in the Africa you grew up thinking about…and unfortunately these were
families that had been touched deeply by malaria…one father and mother told us
their story of how their 15 month old little boy named Alex suddenly spiked a
fever and because they live about a 10 mile walk from the nearest health clinic
it was a huge undertaking to get their child to receive medical care…and as a
flood of a river they needed to cross delayed them, it was too late to get the
medications to save their child. As they
ended talking to us with telling us that he had passed away from a mosquito
bite, we couldn’t talk as we sat in the dirt outside their hut. Finally Catherine told them how sorry we were
and I asked if we could pray for them, a prayer for comfort only our God can
somehow provide…
I
then asked if the rest of the their six children now had bed nets to sleep
under, treated bed nets that can prevent this disease from entering a child’s
body…and when they replied that they now had one, it wasn’t the answer we
wanted to hear…and in that moment we knew exactly why we are already planning
our Night of Nets events this fall at CU as a soccer community…and why we
believe especially after this trip that we will and must do far more than we
have done before to provide nets for families like the one we met in the name
of our Jesus who loves to bring healing…we know first-hand now why prevention
of malaria is so, so important…and why we believe God has laid this vision on
our hearts and now has put it right in front of our eyes to see how we can
partner with our friends at World Vision to change the lives of thousands of
families…
You
can check out our website from last year at www.cunightofnets.com
We
enjoyed a great Zambian meal at our authentic guest lodge in Lusaka…and
tomorrow we head south to Livingstone to do some of the remarkable sightseeing
we have the privilege of doing in this country!
We
are on the home stretch…and already we are awaiting our chance to share our
stories with you when we return…
For
all the Zambia team,
CHIP
1 comment:
You are right - we must do more for families like Alex's. Count us in!
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