Day 8: Miracles
This was an incredible day….probably one of the most incredible days of our lives. We all said afterwards…..how often to all these things happen in one day in a life.
We started out the day with a split group again. 2 clinics, 2 teams, 2 districts of the city. At the stadium it was apparent that the word got out for the clinic. There were probably 200+ already in line.
It was a crazy day from the get go. We started flying through guests…who were mainly there for glasses. The system was down by this time. Volunteers, interpreters, and med people are all loving working together…and have built great friendships. There was one incredible story that has to be told…it was miraculous.
The dream center team was working with street kids…and as they were closing up…there was a kid who showed up looking horribly sick in the mouth (swollen mouth with infection). Dental was not at the dream center, because Dr. Chris was stationed at the stadium. Becky took one look at the kid and said he needed to be transported to the Stadium with the team of doctors who were moving from dream center to stadium.
When he showed up at the stadium he was feverish and in bad shape. Dr. Pam was working with him and had the dentist see him. After an x-ray it the dentist realized what the boy was facing. The infection through the tooth was less than a week away from reaching the brain and most likely killing him. The dentist pulled the tooth and we pumped him full of amoxycilin. He took a nap on a mat the rest of the day. Then Gary and Linda drove the boy to his mom’s small closet of a home. The mom was rejoicing and singing to Jesus who had healed her boy…..she had lost another child before to tooth infection. We have a strong feeling that God worked a miracle that day…and that He has incredible plans for the life of the boy.
Wow…that was just one guest among the more than 400 we saw that day between the two clinics.
Then the Kigali Hope Festival (Andrew Palau, musicians, and more) began at the stadium….right where we are doing clinic…amazing. It was incredible. There were probably close to 50,000 people there…it was so neat to see such a big crowd of Africans (because they actually have rythym compared to the thousands of white people in portland last year for City Fest 
We were all backstage right up front…it was a blast. Nicole C. Mullen was the headliner. The crowd loves her. We all rocked out. Then after she got off stage she met one of our volunteers who told her about Nadine. Nadine is an interpreter who has been working with us for the past three days. She was paralyzed 6 years ago in a car accident. She is Rwandan….and I’ve learned so much from her…about the horrible things a paralytic goes through in Rwanda. Anyhow, Nicole C. Mullen is her favorite…so we took her with us backstage. One of our volunteers asked Nicole if she would come meet Nadine. She was more than willing. It was awesome….Nadine gave her a big hug and we got tons of great pictures. It really was a highlite for all of us.
Anyhow…this was our day…..more than 13 hours. Where else can you serve in a clinic see more than 400 people, see God’s hand save the life of a boy, and then go to a huge festival with 50,000 Rwandans, and see Nicole C. Mullen make a good hearted person know she is special. Wow
July 18, 2009
Wow - tears of joy fills my eyes as I read this blog. God is doing some amazing things and how blessed you all must be to witness it first hand! I trust and pray that God is doing a mighty work in each one of you! We all miss you and will continue to pray for the remainder of your trip and flight home! Thanks for sharing!
July 18, 2009
Wow, I can hardly read this through my tears, but what an amazing story but even more amazing that you can share this with all of us thousands of miles away. Though we can’t be there with you, your stories and pictures are making it more real to us than we could ever dream. Yes, I’ll repeat it again, only thing missing is the sounds and smells, but having been given the opportunity of serving in similar places in the world, I have those memories and the reality of the magnitude of your service is with me. I will continue to pray for safety, health and especially strength for each and every day remaining in this minstry for all of you. Blessings and hugs to you all.
July 18, 2009
Helen Keller once said “Sad that people who can see usually fail to see the miracles around them” She went on to explain that though she was blind she could see miracles each day through the smells, touch, and sounds all around her. She marveled at how much more she would see if her eyes worked. Scripture tells us that God’s creation is crying out claiming there is a God. I think Helen had it right - we do fail to see the miracles around us but not because they don’t exist. What a priviledge you have to truly see miracles presented by those who sense God’s presence in a way most of us will never feel His awesome touch. Though you bring a valuable skill it means little compared to what you are doing - being faithful at the only “work of God” that is required. (John 6: 28-29).