Miracle at Easter

I love Easter! At home I love the fresh crisp air, snow melting, trees budding, and new life. Although this Easter was different in season, it was still special to celebrate it in Africa. We had a Good Friday morning service remembering Christ's death, stations of the cross, and a bonfire at the beach on Friday night followed by watching 'The Passion of the Christ'. Easter Sunday morning we had a sunrise service out on the deck, a celebration service, and a service on the ward. It's great to have our translators lead the service on the ward - drumming, dancing, and singing. I love it how it can be so loud yet some of the kids still sleep through it. It's great to see the patients come alive with African worship.

Isaiah 53:5 'But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.'

Easter Sunday night we had one of our palliative cancer patients, who has been with us for approximately a month pass away. I had the opportunity to care for him a number of times, thus getting to know him a bit. He was a homeless man, and his family refused to take and care for him even though he was on his deathbed. He was struggling with many things in his life from his past one day opening up and sobbing on my shoulder, saying God's grace was sufficient for us but not for him and for the things he's done. We (through the translator) were able to pray with him and remind him of 2 Corinthians 12:9 'But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.' Our prayer is that he will have found peace before his death. A local pastor came to take him body to bury him and Mercy Ships covered the expenses for the funeral. So sad to see him die without any family, but we tried our best to help him to die with his pain controled, with comfort and dignity.

Two nights after that we had a little malnourished cleft lip/palate baby who wasn't doing so well. He had been experiencing difficulty breathing and was placed on CPAP during the evening but was not doing well. His breathing was fast, labored, & he was using all her chest muscles to breath. His oxygen saturation was dipping between 70-80%, his heart rate was 250-280. The anesthetist was called and the decision was made to intubate the patient. Meds were drawn up and ready to be given when our surgeon (Dr Gary) stopped and said they should pray for the patient. After he finished praying the baby's oxygen saturation went up, heart rate went down, respiratory rate went down and they didn't need to intubate. They actually even took the baby off CPAP and just put him on blow by oxygen. He is still doing well - praise God! Nothing can be explained/rationalized medically by this, it was a miracle.