THE MEDICAL FUND

In 2012 because of your generosity we were able to hold a 3-day medical clinic in Kadawa. Approximately 800 people were helped from Kadawa and other communities; there were several lives saved - literally!  Out of that initial event a medical fund has been established. Periodically we are able to deposit funds into that account for ongoing needs.  Violet Odindo, who with her husband Hesbone oversees Restoration Community Church in Kadawa and the daughter churches, administers the fund for us.  She is able to determine first-hand the needs for application of the fund and organizes the required treatments.  She is dedicated and committed to the lives of the members of the church and tirelessly ministers to their needs, spirit, soul and body. We want to give you a current update on recent use of that fund.

Mariko's Surgery and Recovery

We reported that thanks to your support our medical fund was able to pay for Mariko's prostate cancer surgery.  It took a long time for it to happen, for his situation was difficult and there was no hospital that would do it.  A few weeks ago he finally had the operation.  Unfortunately, complications set in that required extra measures and a longer stay in the hospital.  This caused the procedure to cost much more than it would have.  The procedure was expensive by Kenyan standards - over $600 (£400).  Can anyone imagine such surgery costing that much in the US or UK?  

Mariko in his finest at church for the occasion!

He came to church three weeks ago to tell everyone of his surgery and gave praise to God for it, and for his healing.  He is an older, well respected gentleman  who contributes a great deal of time and effort to the operation of the church.  They were happy to hear his encouraging story.

Recently we went to his home to interview him personally to ask him to tell us his story in his own words.

Mariko at home!

While trying to find a hospital that would do his surgery he grew steadily worse.  He was finally to the place where whenever he tried to pass his urine the pain was so bad that he would cry.  Ultimately he was in nearly continual severe pain . After tests at two local hospitals and a long search, Violet  found a hospital at some distance from Kisumu that would take care of him. He was admitted and the surgery done, but somehow the drain that was inserted in him malfunctioned and the blood and fluids backed up. It wasn't realized until his stomach was distended. Apparently he was in serious trouble and in danger of dying. His wife, who was able to stay there with him, called Violet & Hesbone and they traveled to pray with her and Mariko.   He told us that the doctors said that they knew he was a Godly man of prayer and that he couldn't die - God wouldn't let him. He required further surgery and other procedures to drain him and cleanse his system of the toxic fluids. As a result he had an extended hospital stay and the healing process was uncharacteristically longer.  He told us a lot of things about "pipes" going in and coming out of him and two tins of blood being drained (that would be 4.5 kilograms - 10 U.S. pints) and 130 liters of "water" being "piped" in to wash him out.  Some of you who have a medical background can probably read between the lines here and sort out the technicalities of what happened to Mariko and the procedures taken. All of this information was from an old man with little education or experience outside of his locality, and translated from Dholuo to English by a young Luo man.  Sometimes things get lost in the translation.  But we wanted to pass it on to you in his words (more or less).



He is looking very well and has recovered nearly entirely.  By profession he is a well digger. He literally sits on the ground and digs a well around himself by hand.  But doctors have told him he can't do that any more.  So he is trying to find a new means of making a living.  (He's pretty old, but determined to work.)  

He asked us more than once to please give his thanks to the persons who made it possible for him to have the surgery.  We can surely attest to the gratefulness of this old gentleman! So, dear friends, thank you, thank you, thank you from Mariko!

And let us say this: Mariko would have perished of prostate cancer, most likely in agony, had it not been for the availability of the hospital fund you have made possible.

Mildred's Illness and Recovery
The same day we visited Mariko we visited his neighbour (that's a relative term in the village) Mildred who also received treatment recently through the medical fund.  On a Friday She began to have a headache on the right side of her forehead. It persisted all one day.  The next day her forehead began to swell and the headache persisted.   She went to a clinic in the village.  They gave her some over-the-counter pain-relief medication.  She took them for a day or two, without any effect.

 By Sunday the the swelling (blisters) increased, the headache was worse and her eye became swollen shut.  She went back to the clinic, who gave her some other local medication. She took it according to instructions, but by Monday the headache was extreme and her eye protruding.  On Tuesday Mildred called Violet to ask if she could help her. Violet arranged for Mildred to go to a hospital in Kisumu, where she was diagnosed with herpes zoster (shingles).  She was given strong antibiotics.  Further medication was prescribed and purchased by Violet.  Mildred is still taking meds, but is nearly at the end of the course.  She has been making a gradual recovery; the blisters are gone and the swelling is gone.  She has occasional, slight headaches and still doesn't see clearly out of the right eye, but we are told that these will clear up.


MANY, MANY, BOUNTIFUL BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL!

OUR FIRST DAYS IN KISUMU/KADAWA

DROUGHT AND FAMINE

There has been a real lack of rain and as a result many crops have failed, which means famine will follow, along with a major rise in the cost of the food that the villagers eat; such as, maize, beans, kale and rice.

WHAT ABOUT THE WIDOWS' FARM?

Johnfred (the overseer) and Charles (one of the farm hands) told us that we will have a "bumper crop" of maize this season.  (What?!!)  The mango trees bore fruit before the drought set and there was an abundance of mangoes to give the widows. Of course, due to the drip irrigation from our well the vegetable patch has done fine. Peter and Charles report some of the sweet potatoes were the size of their heads. WOW!! (Sorry no photos - Johnfred's camera broke.)

Peter next to one of the large ones!

The bananas have done exceedingly well also; Peter and Charles have been in competition to see whose section looks the best!  Even the youngest ones are bearing. New rice beds have been added and all of the new seedlings are thriving. We haven't been able to figure that out yet, because we can't water them from the well - not enough water for that!  

SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS!

Look at those wonderful storm clouds!!

In the vill-age, it is said that when a visitor comes and it rains they are bringing a blessing! We have heard that since we started coming in 2006.  Well, on Wednesday night we decided to go to the farm on Thursday to check things out and that night there was a major downpour and it rained sporadically after that into Thursday.  When we arrived Charles and Peter came running to us (and we to them) greeting each other and they overwhelmed with joy saying we had brought the blessing with us!  

The maize is indeed spectacular.  It exceeds that of our neighbours' in colour and height.

 Of course, we fertilize and perhaps they don't.  But some of the stalks actually have THREE ears, and many have two.  We are stunned and amazed (amaized?) at God's blessings on this little patch of land.  Additionally, Johnfred had another 1/2 acre plowed and put maize in there.  

NEXT NEWSLETTER

We will try to keep them shorter and more frequent so that you don't have so much to consume with all the other information and social media in today's society.

Please continue to pray for us and the projects here in Kadawa and the surrounding area!

BLESSINGS, GRACE, PEACE and REST!!!