About a month and a half ago a distraught mother came up to our team leader’s compound asking for help. Her 9 - 10 year-old son had been sleeping and accidentally rolled into the fire. David and one of our nurses took the medical kit and followed the woman home. They found his injuries to be severe and advised the mother to take him to the Chakadum hospital. They made a hammock-like stretcher, attached it to poles, and two men and the boy’s mom carried him the 8 hours down to the valley.
We thought the matter resolved until three weeks ago. The boy’s mother came again to the compound. She explained that they had stayed in Chukadum three weeks and had received no medicine, barely any help at all and had returned. She complained that her son had a fever and pleaded again for help -- could we come? This is when I was introduced to little Lino and became involved in his recovery.
Lino
Lino is one of the bravest and sweetest boys I have ever had the privilege to serve. God made it clear to me as I walked down the path to see him that first time, that this was not just going to be a one time social visit, that I had a role in this boy’s life if I was up to the challenge. Although difficult and time consuming, I am so glad that I decided to join God in his invitation. Lino has wiggled his way into my heart.
Lino needs daily care and our team has taken him up as part of our ministry. I invite you to join this ministry also through your prayers. They are very much needed. In many ways this is out of our league. I am not a nurse, nor have I ever been tempted by that profession, and yet I am treating a boy with large 3rd degree burns on both his legs. The burn located on one side of his right leg, takes up the majority of his upper thigh. On his left leg the burn includes under his knee, which is extremely painful when stretched. We did find him with fever because his wounds were infected.
Shawn and Carly live the closest to him, and have taken the major duty of cleaning and bandaging his wounds daily. Tianne and I live a mile away and have been sharing the responsibility of delivering antibiotics every morning and evening, as well as doing leg stretches.
The majority of time we find him alone in the dark hut. His mom needs to be working in the field and sometimes is not back by in the evening because of the drinking parties the Didinga are known for. His grandmother and younger brother are usually in the compound, but they are as neglected as he is. His grandmother is the skinniest Didinga I have seen here. You can see all of her ribs. I have never met his father. This is his third wife and she has little importance. We have been bringing him a hardboiled egg each time we give medicine because he isn’t fed much and the antibiotics are strong on an empty stomach. It is a sad situation, but also what an opportunity. If any family needs the love of God shown to them, it’s this family.
Equally sad is the following incident:
At the beginning we, through a translator, prayed for Lino and explained to Lino that he could call on God any time the pain was bad or he was scared. At this point the fever was bad and we didn’t know how it would go. We told the mother about our God who heals and she responded nearly under her breath, “ I don’t know if your God will help him.”
We further explained to his mom all the help that we were going to provide, including the physical therapy. We told her that his legs are tucked in and stiff because he hasn’t been using them. We explained that if he had any chance of walking again we would have to start stretching his legs. We would do this little by little and it would take many months to straighten them out and many more before he could stand on them. Unfortunately, the first week we began this treatment, the grandmother took it upon herself to straighten his legs, and while the mom was in the fields, tied the boy down and stretched them all the way out. I can’t even imagine the pain Lino endured. We came that evening and found him with braces forcing his legs to be straight and the burn under his knee was ripped open and bleeding so hard we had trouble stopping it.
I came home that evening crying. It was too much for my heart to bear. We have been attending to him now for four weeks. They are beginning to trust us more with the treatment and have not been consulting the witchdoctor as much as in the beginning. Lino enjoys our visits and tries to be brave. He is an amazing boy. Please pray for us, and Lino.