Dear Cherished Interested’s, August 29th, 2023
It is almost noon on a Tuesday. While our house is being cleaned we can hear
the voices of many singing children from a nearby Secondary School close by us
here on the Mountain. It is cloudy and
sound is staying close to the surface of the mountain to spill softly into our
open doors and windows.
Praise music from the mouths of children woven into
birdsong. As healing as nature
itself. Each voice is an eternity of
stories in the making. So much to pray
for. So beautiful to pray for. To be prayed into, unknown by those voices
and their families, times, and places.
Do we believe that our prayer is heard? Do we believe that our prayer is
valuable? It is. Even the prayers that slip out through The
Spirits groaning for us, unnoticed by us.
To perceive beauty we may need to already have the gift of beauty within
to touch its reflection in the world around us.
Please trust that The Spirit houses its perfect character
within each of us who cherish the beauty of creation and her occupants. The Spirit challenging and growing us
stronger in our shared bodily housing as we appreciate more than malign, as we
revere more than resign, as we eagerly anticipate our next moment more than
worry and fear what comes from living in this creation so very dear.
-----------------------------------------
Yesterday, I was frustrated.
A dearest precious one who is mothering the children and grandchildren
of her deceased sister jumped in the truck Saturday and together we finally went
and found wood so I can build a staircase up to the floor beneath the metal
roof of the house we are in.
We also bought a bed for another woman wonder working under
the caring gaze of that dearest precious one.
Both the boards and bed parts got tied onto/into the stupid little
truck. The bed lets yet another mother,
and solution for other women and children, now find rest nearby her overfull
home of living responsibilities. It is
in use.
It was sunny and dry, yesterday was my chance to get going
on that staircase. My layout lines were
wrong. I needed an eraser. I have purchased many and yet none were
anywhere in the house. Every tool, every
carefully picked and watched over, while being planed and edged, board had to
be put away. I had to drive off the
mountain to find a pencil eraser.
I found pencil erasers and got three good sized ones for
about 40 cents. While off the mountain,
I can get three whole cooked chickens for five bucks each. Hilda has been sick so, that’s what I
did. We had chicken soup last night for
three people and have plenty still for multiple meals this week.
----------------------------------------
On the way back up the hill, after getting erasers and
chickens, I sucked it up and said thank you for taking away all the erasers and
making me remember that I am not here to get comfortable doing what I already
know how to. I resolved further to try
to write about Hilda’s illness and some head-shaking awesome discovery only
made visible by our need in her regard.
Yes, Hilda has been sick.
Very sick. Missing Sunday worship
and Sunday school multiple weeks. Only
this morning has the smile truly returned to her. That after putting on her shoes and marching
up out of the hole, the house is in, to test and see that her breathing is
returning, her cardiovascular response to physical exercise and stress is no
longer severely debilitating.
Last week I took Hilda into town two days in a row for
clinic and hospital visitation required by her failing health. I shared every medical test and each visit
with our adult children and asked them to pray.
They and those nearby us had their prayers heard and answered.
The mother of three, yet another woman of this mountain, and
the next mountain over having been born of that tribe, who cleans and washes
for us, came sick to her duties today. So
Hilda has been nursing the diligent one while that diligent one is cleaning and
washing our clothes. No, we would not
take her work from her now. Her efforts
for us lets her keep those three children in school. Her efforts for us, even when sick or beaten
badly, keep her strong in her self-reliance and reliance on God who supports
her through some terrible things.
This house she cleans, these dirty clothes, are not just
work to overcome but are markers of a safe place she comes to twice a week to
earn her children’s futures. We did not
understand that we would be used in this way.
We can still learn. We are
trusted now by many precious ones to see, to listen, to learn, and to
appreciate.
-----------------------------------------
Where we live the precious ones we serve are mostly diligent
women, mostly Christian of one flavor or another. But, not all are impoverished yet diligent
women.
Friday is the weekly Islamic day of prayer. I was in town a rare second day, without
Hilda, hoping she would rest. Around
helping my young Confirmation student gather things for boarding school, I went
to our Islamic pharmacist to hopefully collect any medications. Medications required after testing and the prior
day’s consultation with the recommended young Islamic physician we had been
immediately sent to on Thursday.
Instead of any medications I was instructed to get Hilda a
chest x-ray ASAP. Blood testing showed
high levels of inflammation markers.
That and symptomology demanded expeditiousness in further testing.
Thankfully gathering for boarding school was done for the
day and we very nearly flew back to Mulala.
We being my Confirmation student, a young married head-man in training,
whose Uncle’s funeral I attended seated next to his father and for whom I have
become a trusted one who helps and gets helped without any money changing
hands. If I try to pay for his time I
get told no. And me driving.
The same dearest precious one who is mothering the children
and grandchildren of her deceased sister, was contacted immediately to find us
a place to get Hilda’s chest x-ray. By
the time we had collected Hilda we had a place back in town for that
x-ray. We dropped off the student with
his things and took off heading back into town at the posted speed limit, I
usually go 10 under the limit.
Traffic police waved me over but after a few tense seconds
of me demanding that I get my sick wife to the hospital for an x-ray and
pointing to her in the back seat, they relented and waved us on. It seemed like a long time but probably less
than an hour later we had the x-ray and were on the way to that young
Physician’s office from the day before yet again.
Remember that this was Friday. Islamic day of prayer.
Also this is not North America and we are free to share
x-ray images and test results by phone message with anyone. No signed paperwork needed. We are still adults here where self-care is
king and necessary as physicians are too few.
We get to the young Islamic Physician’s office and receive a
text that he will be on his way to join us soon. After joining us at his office he looks at
Hilda’s x-ray and asks her about it.
This young Islamic man has already clued in that Hilda has a lot good
going on even when sick. She points and
explains that there is no sign of infection and that the x-ray is clear.
This young physician agrees.
Then we hear the rest of the story..
Mohamad, our pharmacist, who took his training in the U.K.
and chose to return to serve among the poor in TZ and who I have been trusted
to listen to and care about since his father’s death this year. This young physician who took his training in
the United Arab Emirates yet returned to serve in poor TZ.
They both chose to be available to guide me before, then
went to prayer.
They then gathered other older Islamic physician specialists
at the Mosque immediately after prayer to discuss Hilda, her test results and
plan further testing and treatment.
Somehow no cost to us for this kindness is expected.
The fact that we have done what we believe have been told to
do by scripture and the person of our Lord and Savior. The fact that we sold home and came, even
after the death of both my contacts here, to try to serve has permeated the
overtaxed and overworked Islamic medical professional community here.
They too have chosen to take possession of us as their own just
like these precious impoverished diligent women of the mountain.
Do you believe that our prayer is heard? Do you precious ones believe that our prayer
is valuable? It is. Even the prayers that slip out through The
Spirits groaning for us, unnoticed by us.
To perceive beauty we may need to already have the gift of beauty within
to touch its reflection in the world around us.
Please trust that The Spirit houses its perfect character
within each of us who cherish the beauty of creation and her occupants. The Spirit challenging and growing us
stronger in our shared bodily housing as we appreciate more than malign, as we
revere more than resign, as we eagerly anticipate our next moment more than
worry and fear what comes from living in this creation so very dear.
-----------------------------------------
August 25th is another step towards Theological
training here. August 25th came
and went with a bounce back into the governmental process yet again.. Word is that the University is ready for any
final steps but the government needs something more. Pray please..
---------------------------------------
Yes please …
Relationships here on the ground in addition to my
imperfections and mistakes are being used to try to drive us away from our
striving. Each day is a sincere
struggle. Hopefully that means we’re on
the right track. Please pray for those
around us. Please pray for the local
faces which fearlessly now smile and greet us as we walk.
Please keep crumpling us up and throwing us at God. That is where we need to be. God will sort us out.
One day at a time.
Just like how you each live. Just
one day at a time.
Thank you, each of you.
-------------------------------------------------------
What to Pray for:
Our armed forces families, our leadership, our people, whole
world round, all of Gods kids -
All the tough and blessing expressed above –
The love of folks –
Whatever is on your hearts and minds for us –
For our children and grand-children who miss us..
For Makumira Secondary School looking to share stories and
partner in some way with a foreign school, Great leaders, teachers, students,
programs, strong backs, minds, and hearts –
For our health to stay ahead of whatever is before us –
For those who have braved the donate button to discover
Kajun Crofton, our daughter who helps getting each one of your donations to us and
every blogpost to where you can read it -
For each and every one of you –
Each and every one of your prayers, your precious
conversations with God –
Prayers, Your Prayer, Even your groaning prayers makes all
the difference..
Vern W
May life be as Music to your Heart – May Music be as Heart to your Life –
May Heart be as Life to your Music
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