Health Check

A Map of Southern Africa

Ben hasn’t been feeling great lately. In fact, he’s been feeling pretty lousy for several months. His stomach hurts and he’s often too tired to even take a walk. We’re concerned enough that we flew to South Africa to have him seen by a doctor. She ran some tests and, after some time, got to the bottom of it. 

It seems Ben’s liver has been reacting poorly to the antimalarial we take each day. The doctor feels sure that taking him off the medication will improve his symptoms and save his liver from any long-term damage. In fact, while we were there and taking a break from our regimen, Ben seemed to feel better. It’s good to have such an easy fix. The problem now is obviously how to keep him from getting malaria. We have discovered a homeopathic spray that a few families we know recommend. We see it as our best option and have ordered some from a local supplier. If you happened to read our Facebook posts about Jonah’s bout with malaria, you’ll understand why this is a serious concern, and we appreciate your prayers that the spray will work.

The rest of us also had some routine blood tests while we were in South Africa. Andy would be proud to tell you that his results were perfect. He’s asked me if this means I’ll stop telling him what he should and should not eat. Um, no, I’m your mom. However, it does mean we’re thankful that all is well with him. 

John and I are different stories. We both need surgery. It’s not all bad news, though. We had both been having some problems. He has been inordinately tired, so it was actually a relief to discover that he has a thyroid problem that can be fixed with surgery. Mine is a more delicate issue to discuss, but I will tell you that once I have my surgery, I should be feeling much better than I have in a long time. 

Thank you for your support and thank you for your prayers. We look forward to feeling better and having more energy soon. In the meantime, please keep up with us on Facebook, Instagram, and DonorSee. Beautiful things are happening in the lives of our friends in the village and we love reporting what God is doing.

The kids greeting us in the village at the site of their new school.

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/ You can find our DonorSee videos at this link: DonorSee