When I met Paul, Jean-Pierre, he looked in pretty bad shape - he could barely walk beyond a shuffle and needed his mom and friend to help get him in the door of the TB clinic.
Prudence had me call Dr. Hall (a retired OMS missionary doctor, who's been back to help for a week and a half). Dr. Hall examined him and once he was done told me it was my turn - I listened to his lung sounds - horrible scraping/scratching - lung sounds are NOT supposed to sound like that. His stomach was tight due to liver enlargement. His feet were swollen, and he was anemic. Though Dr. Hall told me he had seen conjunctiva as white as my (snow white) skirt!
Dr. Hall sat back in the chair - looking at Prudence he said gravely - "He may not live through this." He and Prudence explained to the mother that her eighteen year old son was very sick - that he NEEDED to take the medication we were giving him and she needed to feed him multiple small meals throughout the day.
Fast-forward to today - January 20th.
Dr. Hall is consulting another patient and has me come in to listen to breath-sounds - "Listen, poke, and prod as much as you can - to learn as much as you can," he tells me. In the course of our conversation he laments the fact that a lot of times when treating a patient they never come back - the one he was consulting had been to the clinic back in '96 or '97 been treated for 6-8 months and hadn't been seen or heard from since! "Like the boy we saw last week," he says, "we may never know what happened to him." Nodding I agreed before returning to work with Prudence in her TB office.
I'd only just come back when Jean-Pierre's mother arrived and said he was MUCH better! I ran back to tell Dr. Hall - he came within a few minutes and when I saw Jean-Pierre I could hardly believe it was him - though still sick - he LOOKED so much better - the listlessness was gone from his body and he looked bright and interested in what was going on around him.
We were all very happy to see him looking so well. Though his lung sounds were still horrible to listen to, they were improved. At the end of the appointment, Prudence asked the mother if she was a Christian? Upon hearing the affirmative she asked where she went to church? The Baptist church in Plain du Nord was the reply. Then Prudence asked Jean-Pierre, are you a Christian? Hanging his head he said No...but then said - "I would like to become one now." Prudence motioned ME to pray with him! ME?!? I needed a little bit of coaching but she was confident I could do it in Creole as he spoke no English. I knelt beside his chair and told him to repeat after me - stumbling along a little in Creole I led him in a simple prayer of acknowledging his sin and asking Jesus to save him. To come into his heart and his life and to change him. That he was putting his confidence in Jesus. Thanking the Lord for all that He has done and will do - in His precious name. Amen!!!!
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| Just after 10:00 am Jean-Pierre passed from death into LIFE! |
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Prudence spoke with him a little after this and we got a picture together. Prudence took one of us sitting as we'd prayed and one standing up in front of the exam table - as we stood there Jean-Pierre slipped his hand into mine and I squeezed joyfully! Prudence gave them some instructions on what further medicine and treatment he needed.
Me? I was overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving! This is the first person I have ever led to the Lord! :D I could NOT stop smiling - I called my Mom - but she was away from her desk - so got a hold of my Dad instead and couldn't hold back the emotion - I just started crying! I woke Erika up in Washington state at 7:00am to tell her the news. Her groggy 'Hello' changed to a voice of Praise when she learned the reason of my call!
Prudence talked to me afterwards and said, "Yes, this is the first thing you do for the Lord in Haiti! The nursing it is second."
All throughout the day I've been telling people that I am very happy because there was a patient that got saved today! Everyone from other missionaries, to our Cook - who'd seen him waiting for meds on the 18th, to fellow coworkers and friends at the Clinic.
God is so good - I wanted to let you join with the angels in rejoicing over this one that became a child of God today.
