“Be happy with those who are happy…” Romans 12:15

Lydia is a young woman we saw at our clinic in Mansansa. She came to the clinic for treatment of a severe burn on her leg. She was burned when she fell into a fire during a seizure. We treated the burn, but she also had a life-threatening abscess on her cheek which she didn’t even mention. She was brought to Dr. Jeanette, and as is her manner, she calmly and efficiently made an incision and drained and treated the abscess. Dr. Jeanette returned twice during her time here to follow-up and continue treatment. Today, Foster and I made the journey to Mansansa in search of Lydia. We went into the village following our usual path – a long, narrow, winding, dirt trail. As we neared the marshy area where the water pools, we saw several small children standing in the tall grass, buck naked, bathing. They stopped for a moment to smile and wave to us as we passed over the bridge. As we drove on we came to the first homes in the village. Mansansa is possibly the poorest community we visit, but the people are rich in spirit and we always receive a warm welcome. Foster greeted some men standing nearby, asking if they knew Lydia. They said yes, and then a long discussion ensued as they tried to explain how to find her home. One of the men offered to be our guide, fearing we might get lost as it is quite a distance. As we drove out of Mansansa and back to the highway, I wondered about the man in the back seat. He was larger than most of the men we meet here, he was silent, and was carrying an ax and a sack full of something with the top twisted shut and a bit of something red on the outside of the bag which looked a lot like blood. I think he had a dead chicken in the sack. But I didn’t want to ask, afraid he might show me. Foster headed down the highway to the main entrance for the next village which is Baluba. But the man said, “No, not here.” We drove a little further, turning down a dirt road with a sign pointing to Baluba Primary School. This road was very wide and in good condition, by comparison to most. I asked if Lydia lived in Baluba, and was told no – just so far back into Mansansa that this is the way to go. First we passed a heavily forested area, thick with trees and brush. Then we passed an area which had been cleared to accommodate high tension wires. Our guide pointed to the wires on a small hill and the school tucked just below the foot of the hill. Following the clearing was more bush area, where we occasionally saw a foot path along the side of the road which disappeared into the tall grass, but we never saw a house. After several miles we turned – “just this way”. The road was more like the usual roads found in the villages. It was much narrower, full of deep ruts, craters and rocks. After some time, we turned again. This time the road appeared to be more of a foot path, looking as though it had been quite some time since a car had traveled on it. The path was extremely narrow, and the tall grass on either side gently brushed along the sides of the car as we passed through. We drove, and we drove. Finally I could see a small clearing ahead, and that is where the road ended. We had reached a small cluster of homes, one of which was Lydia’s. She was standing outside in front of the cooking hut. I barely recognized her; she looked so different from when I last saw her at the clinic. The swollen cheek was no more, and the dark, sullen look, and the pain in her eyes were gone. She was beaming! The biggest smile I’ve seen yet, and she came running to greet us. She was laughing as she took my hand in hers and held it tightly. She was surprised, and she was so, so happy to see us. My heart filled to overflowing. She showed me her cheek right away, and all that remains is a tiny little scar where the incision was made. Great work Jeanette! Lydia is feeling fine, pain free and she showed me that her burn is healing nicely too, but still needs some more time. We met her mother and other family members, who greeted us warmly. And her mother thanked us for taking care of Lydia and coming back to see her again. When I asked if I could take a picture, Lydia quickly ran inside to change her clothes, and the other women smoothed and straightened their clothes and the mother put on her headdress – all to look their best. Two of the little ones ran to get the other youngsters from another house. They all came running to the small cooking hut where we were gathered, anxious to be photographed. All except one. She came running as fast as she could… until she saw my white face. She stopped dead in her tracks, let out a cry, and quickly retreated to the house! What a wonderful day! What a wonderful, joyous blessing!