Jessie

This is Jessie and her baby Priscilla. Priscilla was a twin, but her sister died a couple of months ago from diarrhea. After Jessie told me that and we both paused—her to miss her baby and me to digest the matter-of-fact nature of a heart-wrenching story we often hear in this place—Jessie asked me to come with her to look at something. When we got to the other side of the house, she removed her head scarf to reveal what appeared to be mumps. Her neck was so swollen that the line from her ears to her shoulders was practically straight. When I asked her how long she had been like that, she said five years. Then I knew it wasn’t mumps. I asked her if she had been to any doctors. She had gone to the free hospital, but they said it was probably cancer and there was nothing they could do. They didn't run any tests. Then I understood why she didn’t take the baby to the hospital when she got sick. She didn’t expect them to do anything for her. 

I asked if I could take some photos to share with doctors I know. She said yes, and I told her I wanted at least one with her scarf on and Priscilla on her back that I could share with everyone else. She was happy to pose for me. 

The group that meets in the village has been taking a collection every Sunday for church expenses, one of which is medical care for the villagers. This week, we’ll be sending Jessie to a clinic where she can have a biopsy to find out why her glands are so swollen. She has three other children and is understandably concerned about their welfare, should something happen to her. We hope to receive good news from her biopsy but are very aware of the possibility that it may not be. Please pray with us that her condition will be treatable and that we will be able get her the help she needs.  

We meet people in dire need on a daily basis. Some are more open to our sharing their stories than others, but the number of people who don't have their basic needs met is staggering. One of our hopes is to open a small clinic where we can help meet the needs of the people in the village. Many times a basic health education is all that's needed, but other times it requires medical attention that, by our standards is cheap, but adds up person by person. Rather than settle for what we can do, we are asking God to do more than we can ask or imagine, and we know that will require resources. If you would like to contribute, any amount will help. We will be coming to the States soon, and we are looking for additional financial partners in this work. 

Please send financial gifts to Westworth Church of Christ, 5728 White Settlement Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76114, c/o Malawi Mission Work, or you can give with a click at http://www.westworthcoc.org/malawi-mission/ Thank you, and God bless.