“The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine…” Proverbs 4:18

Friedah's light shines brighter each and every day. I truly believe she is an angel on earth, sent by God to look after the Kasongo Community. Today we went to Kasongo to help Friedah with recasting Violet and Peter's club feet. But she wasn't there. So we called someone in the community, and very soon she came running down the dusty path. She said she was attending to a young woman who had given birth yesterday and was experiencing difficulty, and would we please come right away. As we drove down the bumpy path she explained that there had been twins, but one had died. They thought he died probably two weeks earlier, but had remained in the womb. The other baby boy had initially had difficulty nursing, but that seemed to be resolved today. The mother, Bridget, was having severe abdominal pain, bleeding and some other problems. And now we were at their home. We entered a tiny, dark space. Once our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we could see we were standing in a well-kept living area. There were bits of lace hanging from the stone walls, and a small rug in the doorway. There were a few plastic cups hanging near the window, and a somewhat battered chair in the corner. We were asked to pass through a sheet which covered the doorway to the bedroom. There was a small bucket of charcoal burning in the center of the small room, a few hooks with clothes on them, and a mattress on the floor with a young woman sitting on it, and an elderly woman cradling a tiny baby wrapped in shetanges and a crocheted blanket. Friedah introduced us to Bridget in Bemba, and we began the discussion of the situation and the need for her to see a doctor. Bridget refused transport to the hospital, just wanting us to give her medicine. We explained we are not doctors or nurses and we didn't have the medicine to give to her, and that she needed to be seen by a doctor. She refused. The more Friedah spoke, the more emphatically Bridget shook her head no. And so we had to leave, fearing the worst for Bridget. We told her we would be happy to transport her if she changed her mind. So, we had to leave her, and went back to cast Violet and Peter. The castings went well, and both children are now smiling when they see us. Peter even offered to share his lollipop with Ron! But, as usual, Violet appeared without her crutches, or the plastic leg braces Dr. Steve had fitted her with. So, Friedah announced that Violet would be spending days in her care, only returning home to her mother to sleep. This way, Friedah said she could better care for her and ensure she is wearing the braces and using the crutches. If you will recall, Friedah already cares for six orphaned children. Friedah's love, and her capacity to share it are endless. We talked a great deal about Bridget and her reluctance to seek medical care, and Friedah agreed to continue checking on her and talking with her. There were also several people in the village with severe wounds Friedah wanted to tend to, so we returned later in the afternoon with antibiotic ointment and other supplies after our other appointments. One of our meetings was with the Ndola Rotary, and there we spoke with Dr. Faschi, and explained the situation. He explained the proper procedure - take Bridget to the nearest government clinic and they would give a letter of referral to take her to Ndola Central Hospital because they would not have the facilities to help her. When we returned to Kasongo, Friedah was waiting for us. She said she had a serious talk with Bridget, but the deciding factor was Bridget's uncle. In Zambian culture, the uncle is in charge. Friedah spoke with the uncle, and he told Bridget she was going with us to see a doctor. We drove the aunt, Bridget and the new baby, and Friedah first to Twapia to the government clinic where they confirmed Bridget has a serious infection; and then to the hospital. This was when I had my best, most selfish moments of the day - when I was able to hold this beautiful one day old baby boy (not yet named). But the hospital is so different than anything I have ever seen. My heart ached, wishing there was somewhere else we could take them. The wheelchair Bridget was in didn't have footrests, it had a piece of rope tied across the bottom that she tried to balance her feet on, but they still scraped across the floor. We saw another wheechair fashioned from a white plastic stackable lawn chair. The hallways were dark and didn't look especially clean. But the nursing staff was very attentive, all appearing in bright white starched uniforms, and very professional. There was a sheet on the bed which didn't quite cover the whole bed. One of the nurses brought in a blanket for Bridget. The baby stays with mom since she is nursing. Bridget had carried in some torn shetanges to use as diapers for the baby. There is no food for patients at the hospital, and by now it was nearly 7pm. We found a kiosk open in front of the hospital, and bought some food, juice and water. We drove Friedah and the aunt back to Kasongo, and gave them kwacha to take public transportation to the hospital, and Friedah will call us. In fact, Friedah did call us. She borrowed someone's phone just to make sure we got home safely. This is how Friedah's light shines so brightly - she never stops caring for her neighbors and friends. There is never the slightest hesitation on her part. She never had a second thought about coming with Bridget - her only thought was to care for Bridget and her baby. And this is how God blessed our lives today.
Today was the last day of school at George for this term. Next term begins September 3rd, and Ms. Masumba said the children didn't want school to end. They are loving their new desks and chairs so much, they said they didn't want to miss a whole month!
Sorry there was not a blog entry for yesterday, but power was out here. We got home yesterday at 6pm, and the power was out at 6:15. The worst part is that when the power is out, there is no water either. So, no bath last night. Being clean is all relative - we brushed the dust off, and all was well! A good part of yesterday was spent driving to and from Garneton, emptying the container. Let's pack lighter weight boxes next time! We also had our first experience shopping in the local market, purchasing kapenta, beans and ground nuts to deliver to our precious little Annie today.
Signing off for now. It's after midnight, and our days begin early. Missing you all, but loving it here.