The only explanation is a miracle.
On Friday nights I usually get to bed later because we have the missionary group vespers at the house that ends with the generator being turned off around 8ish. By the time I get back to my hut and all settled it it’s later than my normal 8:30pm bed time. This week it was even later because the big generator (that gives the house and hospital power) wasn’t on so we went longer than normal in worship. When I did get back to my hut I wanted to read a bit so I ended up in bed at 10:30pm, and as I went to bed I heard the generator on at the hospital and as I drifted off to sleep my thoughts were prayers being sent up to God for James and whoever else must have been working on the surgery.
Then the next thing I knew was I heard Liz calling to me and a bright light coming in my door. It was Liz dressed up in surgery gear coming to get me. They needed me to give blood to the woman who was in the surgery. I was up in a flash trying to find something to put on to go to the hospital in. It was about 12:30 am when Liz came and we were leaving my hut; Mature was at the door wondering what was going on, actually I think he was ready to beat whoever it was that had come running up to my hut with a big stick/machete. We start running off to the hospital and the entire time we are praying. I am praying so very hard for my veins to open up and for the blood to just flow. I am praying for a miracle so the needle doesn’t hurt like it did the last two times, so I don’t pass out, so I can actually give a bag of blood to help the person who so desperately needs its. The woman is bleeding everywhere, the blood, Liz said is all over everything, her feet, the floor, the woman herself. Her spleen needs to be taken out and they had to clean up her intestines, she’s in bad shape As we near the hospital I tell Liz that it is going to be a miracle from God if I can give a bag of blood.
We get into the bloc and I sit by the wall waiting for the current woman who is giving blood to finish. They had to stick her 6 times to get her veins. Anatole, the lab guy who is the best around at sticking people is massaging her arm to get the blood to flow into the bag. She looks a bit board and is very quite, they told me it’s the older sister of the woman in surgery. The whole time I’m praying. Please make the veins bigger, be with the surgeon, the nurses, the woman. I try and only pray I don't want to let my mind wander and to think about to the fear and pain of passing out again. Finally the older sister is finished giving blood and they clear off a spot on the transportation gurney for me to sit on just in case I pass out so I’ll be closer to lying down. I suggest that they try the other arm because the last two times the right arm was no good. They put the rubber band on and get out the fatty needle. I’m still praying. They stick, and instantly I know that it was a different, I can feel the warm blood flowing through the plastic tubing into the bag. Sarah even comments on how fast it’s coming out. I start giving praise to God. He gave the miracle we all asked for; He opened up the veins and let the blood flow. They finish with me and take the bag in to the woman. I stay seated and pray, sure my part of giving blood is done, but maybe I wasn’t called to give blood but to pray for this woman. So I pray. I have never really just sat somewhere pleading for the straight up life of someone. I claimed the hospital for God and asked that the blood He gave cover all of us and those who are helping her. After a little over an hour later they have closed her up and taken out her HUGE spleen, larger than a homemade loaf of bread. They still aren’t sure what is all going on inside her but they’ve done all they could for now so they take her to the bed, which they had to discharge someone to give her. All the beds in the hospital are full.
Liz and I head over to the American house at about 2-2:30am for food for me, a perk of donating blood, and a shower for her. As I sit in the darkness, my thoughts go to how great God is and how amazing tonight has been for me. I continue to pray for that woman and her healing. I make it to bed around 3:30 am because of all the adrenaline still going though me, but thinking God performed a miracle for me and that woman tonight.
It’s not the first time He’s given a gift of blood and it won’t be the last.
Then the next thing I knew was I heard Liz calling to me and a bright light coming in my door. It was Liz dressed up in surgery gear coming to get me. They needed me to give blood to the woman who was in the surgery. I was up in a flash trying to find something to put on to go to the hospital in. It was about 12:30 am when Liz came and we were leaving my hut; Mature was at the door wondering what was going on, actually I think he was ready to beat whoever it was that had come running up to my hut with a big stick/machete. We start running off to the hospital and the entire time we are praying. I am praying so very hard for my veins to open up and for the blood to just flow. I am praying for a miracle so the needle doesn’t hurt like it did the last two times, so I don’t pass out, so I can actually give a bag of blood to help the person who so desperately needs its. The woman is bleeding everywhere, the blood, Liz said is all over everything, her feet, the floor, the woman herself. Her spleen needs to be taken out and they had to clean up her intestines, she’s in bad shape As we near the hospital I tell Liz that it is going to be a miracle from God if I can give a bag of blood.
We get into the bloc and I sit by the wall waiting for the current woman who is giving blood to finish. They had to stick her 6 times to get her veins. Anatole, the lab guy who is the best around at sticking people is massaging her arm to get the blood to flow into the bag. She looks a bit board and is very quite, they told me it’s the older sister of the woman in surgery. The whole time I’m praying. Please make the veins bigger, be with the surgeon, the nurses, the woman. I try and only pray I don't want to let my mind wander and to think about to the fear and pain of passing out again. Finally the older sister is finished giving blood and they clear off a spot on the transportation gurney for me to sit on just in case I pass out so I’ll be closer to lying down. I suggest that they try the other arm because the last two times the right arm was no good. They put the rubber band on and get out the fatty needle. I’m still praying. They stick, and instantly I know that it was a different, I can feel the warm blood flowing through the plastic tubing into the bag. Sarah even comments on how fast it’s coming out. I start giving praise to God. He gave the miracle we all asked for; He opened up the veins and let the blood flow. They finish with me and take the bag in to the woman. I stay seated and pray, sure my part of giving blood is done, but maybe I wasn’t called to give blood but to pray for this woman. So I pray. I have never really just sat somewhere pleading for the straight up life of someone. I claimed the hospital for God and asked that the blood He gave cover all of us and those who are helping her. After a little over an hour later they have closed her up and taken out her HUGE spleen, larger than a homemade loaf of bread. They still aren’t sure what is all going on inside her but they’ve done all they could for now so they take her to the bed, which they had to discharge someone to give her. All the beds in the hospital are full.
Liz and I head over to the American house at about 2-2:30am for food for me, a perk of donating blood, and a shower for her. As I sit in the darkness, my thoughts go to how great God is and how amazing tonight has been for me. I continue to pray for that woman and her healing. I make it to bed around 3:30 am because of all the adrenaline still going though me, but thinking God performed a miracle for me and that woman tonight.
It’s not the first time He’s given a gift of blood and it won’t be the last.
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