I was sick.
Didn’t know how, didn’t know why, but I was sick. We didn’t know where to go or if they could even do the tests needed to diagnose me. After a few calls, we took a walk.
We walked 20 minutes into town and arrived at the Bismillah Medical Clinic. It was the size of my grandmother’s house and clean. Sold.
I met Florence, the head nurse, and she took me to see the doctor, saying “You are welcome” over and over. I saw Dr. Martin and he prescribed tests. I went to see the lab tech Richard and he administered them. Then nurse Dyna gave me my shots and Miriam gave me my meds.
But that’s not where it ended.
When I was there, I began to feel something in my heart that moved to love these people. It jumped when I shook Florence’s hand, and it laughed when Dyna told jokes. It felt comforted when Dr. Martin told me I was going to be fine, and it saw Miriam and told me to pay special attention to her. And as I left, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay and minister there, just by praying, talking, joking and holding hands. At the time, ministry there was impossible. It wasn’t part of our host’s program and there was no time in the schedule to fit it in. I questioned God – “Why would you set my heart on loving these people if I’m not able to visit them?”
And then, Kyle got sick the next day, and I accompanied him to the clinic. I saw Florence and Dyna and Richard and Miriam and Dr. Martin. And then KC got sick. And then Tara got sick. And then Brittany got sick. And then Cherise got sick. And for 9 days, I went to that clinic. I accompanied my friends to get treated, but it was more than that. I went to see my friends. And the more I came to see them, the more my heart grew to want to serve them and to know them.
Recently, our ministry schedule hit the fan. It wasn’t right, and we knew it, but felt powerless to change it. Then, God brought the rain. And He told me to go to the clinic, that He would give me time to go. And so KC and I went.
We went to pray. And then one of the nurses grabbed my arm and literally drug me around to the patients so we could pray for them if they wanted it. And we prayed over the doctors and the lab techs and even the accountant.
When we were finished, I asked Florence if we could come back. She said, “Yes! Of course! Even seven times a day!”
I smiled. God made a way. It wasn’t expected or even hoped for, but He was faithful. Amen.
