I know that I am woefully behind in blogging compared to last month, but who’s comparing? Earlier this month I had the privilege of going on a medical evangelistic outreach in the bush to the village of Manko in the Akwaya region. The week that we’ve been home has absolutely flown by with little time for reflection. And such a trip deserves reflection. How can I adequately describe for you the multitude of ways in which we saw God work and answer prayer? My words and descriptions, I know, will pale in comparison to the power and beauty of God’s work this week.
We had a huge team of about 35 head out to the bush with us; most of us and our supplies had to be flown in via two small planes. God graciously provided safety for every landing and take-off. I was able to head up the pharmacy department this week. No, I have never done anything of the sort, but I had a lot of fun. I had great helpers in the pharmacy. B always jumped in where needed. Throughout the week, she could be seen counting meds, giving injections, cleaning out ears, and even consulting when needed. Gerry was another great encouragement. He came with the team from the States. He’s in his late 60s and has two artificial hips, but he jumped in where he could and helped out. He had a wonderful heart for the people. It was very special to see him lead the village chief and the second-in-command to Christ. Of course, we couldn’t do much without our translators. The people in the village spoke Pidgin, and my Pidgin skills are very limited. The Needham girls stepped in where needed in the translating department; we couldn’t have done it without them!
I also gave “eye exams” to those who said they needed eyeglasses. At the beginning of the week, I had high expectations of how an eye checkup would go. The patient would stand 20 feet away from the eye chart and read it for me. I know it sounds simple, but that scenario never worked out quite right. I ended up creating my own method which consisted of me asking, “Look outside. Can you see the trees? Can you see the leaves?” If the patient responded yes, I replied that he didn’t need glasses. If the patient responded no, I gave him a pair of glasses to try on to see if that helped his vision or not. I know; my method is so very high-tech. It may not be surprising that I didn’t sell many glasses for distance. I did, however, sell a number of reading glasses. At the end of the week, we were having a prayer meeting in which we were to pray specifically for the individuals we were able to witness to. Honestly, I didn’t have many opportunities because I was always working in the pharmacy. And then, I realized that I enabled about a dozen people to read. Each individual that received medicine or a pair of glasses from the clinic also received a copy of the Word of God. I pray that God uses those glasses as a tool for his glory.
I think the biggest lesson God brought back to my mind this past week is that his timing and his plan are perfect. All throughout the past semester, we (the missionaries in Foumban) have diligently been praying that God would provide another teacher for this semester when the Loeschers would return. Carol worked hard on her end in the States to try to recruit a teacher. But, it seemed like all leads fell through. While we were in the bush last week, I started planning in my mind how my schedule would have to change to accommodate extra students (the Loeschers) with only two teachers. I figured I would probably have to start teaching the Barilla children earlier so that I could get to the schoolhouse earlier to have more time to work with the other students. Then, on Friday, one of the girls from the team from the States came up to me and said, “So, I’m thinking about staying to help you teach.” I had not shared that need with anyone, so I just stared at her and said, “Really!?” Apparently, Tia had asked Ellen if there were any way she could come back to help in the ministry. Ellen suddenly remembered our need for a teacher and mentioned it to her. Tia flew out of the bush on Friday to call home and talk things over with her parents. The team was leaving early Monday morning, so a lot of details had to come together in just a few days. Once again, I see how God knows exactly what we need before we need it. When I thought we were past hope of getting a teacher, he provided one already in Cameroon.
God worked in great ways in the bush. He strengthened my weak faith. He answered prayers. He healed and protected. He saved many from the bondage of sin. God is so good!
