Hope For The
In the midst of the joy and celebrations that fill the month of December at Hope For The Island, came a stark reminder of the suffering that continues around us.
Two weeks ago an elderly woman came to our Medical Mission Clinic with a 14 year old boy named Mark Anthony. His parents died when he was 1 month old. They died with the same disease that he now carries. Schistosomiasis is a horrible disease that comes from parasites that enter through the skin
. These parasites lay eggs in the body that eventually ravage the internal organs causing a painful death. Our village has the highest rate of people infected with this disease throughout the entire region. From the moment we set eyes on this frail child our hearts swelled with love and compassion for him. We knew God was giving us His heart for this precious boy and that we would play an integral part in his life. We arranged for his first treatment and prayed for him. It amazed us that he weighed only 40 lbs which is the weight of my 4 year old son Brison.
A few days later HIF staff visited Mark Anthony on his birthday. We were able to help make his day special with balloons and gifts. The best gift he received that day was the gift of eternal life! Four others also prayed with our staff and gave their hearts to Jesus!! Praise the Lord!!!
As I have been praying about what we can do to help Mark Anthony, I got my answer this morning. As I sat across from him I was overwhelmed with a love for him that brought me to tears. The strong emotion that God placed in my heart confirmed what I needed to do. Tomorrow morning at 4am I will be traveling to another island to seek further medical assistance for him. Looking at his obvious condition there seems to be no hope at all for this boy. I am asking you to join me in this step of faith and believe God to intervene on Mark Anthony’s behalf. I don’t really know what lies ahead or the expenses that may arise, but I do know that this is God’s leading and that He is in control!!
