AN UPDATE FROM THE SAVUTOS - 7 JULY 2009
7 July 09
Dear Friends and Family,
“I found that there is an authentic biology of hope. Belief and expectation – the key elements of hope – can block pain by releasing the brain’s endorphins. During the course of an illness hope can be imagined as a domino effect, a chain reaction in which each link makes improvement more likely.” Dr. Jerome Groopman
Friday our third mission work team left and our next team does not arrive until next Saturday, 11 July. We had a wonderful time with this team, as always. They were from Oregon and Idaho. The team leaders, Sue Owen and Jim Monroe, have been to MMH 3 other times but all their team were new. Though the teams make so much difference to our hospital, Wendy, a team member’s niece made such an impact on our staff. Isabela is 7 years old and lives in the small town of Kuna near Boise, Idaho. When her great aunt was going to Kenya, Isabela Longoria wanted to do something for the children there. With her grandmother’s help, she decided to make cookies once a week and sell them to help the children of Kenya. She called her cookies, Kookies for Kenya. Once a week she set up her little stand and with ample chocolate chip cookies, four of which were packaged in a plastic bag, she gave them to all who wanted them for whatever the person wanted to give. This went on for a couple of weeks and then a TV station in Boise heard about her Kookies for Kenya and sent out a team to interview her. She was able to share about her faith, her desire to help the children of Kenya who were starving, and many other things only a 7 year old could say on TV. Wendy brought $1800 with her from Isabella and those Kookies! Amazing what one person, whether young or old, can do for others when they want to. Thanks so much Isabella, not only have your helped AIDS Orphan’s to eat and go to school, you have paid for the hospital bill of some of our poorest, starving children and all of us, all of us at the hospital and their families and all those who heard about your story are thankful and inspired by your faith, your hope and your love. Obviously faith, hope, love + one person = a miracle!
The Oregon, Idaho Work Team The AIDS Orphan Family receiving the key for their house from Sue
The house for an AIDS Orphan’s family that the Oregon - Idaho team built was for a family we know. How wondrous it is to see families that are so desperate receive help from our work teams. Beatrice, the mother of 5 children and grandmother of one, has been in our program since 2002. When her husband died, his brothers took Beatrice’s land leaving them nothing but a very tiny shelter leaning dangerously and nearing collapse. She had no land to grow any food and she was desperate. First she and her family received food and then her children were put into school. Beatrice was desperate for a new home for her children but literally had no land to build a new home on. The Giving Hope worked with Beatrice and after months of struggling with the family, brother-in-laws, Chief, District Commissioner and Officer, they paid 10,000 Ksh and the local Government paid 7,000Ksh (a total of $226) and now Beatrice and her family own a tiny piece of land (about 30 feet by 40 feet) not enough for crops but for a house!
If you ever met Beatrice you would never forget her. She has a joy and a smile that makes your heart sing. Beatrice is HIV+ and is certainly living positively but she has a very unusual foot problem.
Beatrice’s feet The family's house before the one which was built last week
Though her feet look so painful that you almost can’t bear it, she never complains or looks like she is in pain. She is full of thanksgiving and if you had the remarkable experience of dancing for joy with her, you would wonder which side of heaven you were on. As Beatrice thanked the team for the unbelievable miracle of a home, there was hardly a dry eye in the group. We have so much to learn from the poor, the least, the sick and the forgotten.
On Tuesday of this past week, Linet came to Maua to visit us. Linet is the 24 year old whose husband cut off her arms, almost removed her right leg, and cut her 23 other times.
(If you are brand new to our email please go to http://sites.google.com/site/specialorg/savuto/february7 and read emails from March 21, 2009 and February 7, 2009).
Linet came to show us her prosthetics which she received a couple months ago. Linet, more than anyone in our lives, allow us to see Jesus. She is always an inspiration and we praise God for her and our relationship with her.
Though she was doing remarkably well with the prosthetics (washing clothes, showering, putting on her own clothes, answering and talking on the mobile phone) since all the training she received on them was how to open the hook with her back muscles, she was having some problems. Bill called Claudia Freund, a German mission partner who is an occupational therapist, and Linet and Claudia spent several hours together.
Claudia's
help was such a gift to Linet. More than anything, I think Claudia helped Linet realize that what will help the most is practice. When Linet left, she was so happy and anxious to work with her new tools and practice, practice and practice. We are grateful to the support of many of you that allowed her to receive the prosthetics. Please pray now she can find some kind of work that would allow her to be independent.
Linet eating with her new fork Linet and her smile, joy & thanksgiving
We are prayerful we will see her again before she leaves. Claudia is willing to work with her as often as she come and we are always uplifted and grateful to God for any moment with Linet.
To our great sorrow the number of babies and children admitted to our Pediatric ward with starvation or protein starvation is increasing. Douglas is 6 years old and was admitted with Kwashiorkor, protein starvation, weighing 15 Kg. (33 pounds). He was in such critical shape on admission no one thought he would make it through the night. However, Douglas is a fighter and this is his 10th day. When he does go home and he and his family will be part of our emergency feeding program which pays for his hospital bill and provides food for the entire family until food prices go down and rain comes in his area.
6 year old Douglas
A week ago a mother, Nina, was admitted to the medical ward with AIDS. She is improving though very ill. Two days later Nina’s mother brought her 1 month old to the hospital for admission. The baby weighs 1.6 Kg. (3.5 pounds) She was admitted with febrile convulsions and malaria. She too is doing better. When I asked her grandmother what her name was, she responded, no name, not until she lives longer!
Nina waving to you as I said you would pray for her Nina’s one month old daughter
There is so much joy and so much sorrow in Maua as in your town/city. Isabela found a way to help those with and those without resources. Please ask God how you can do the same!
To God be the glory,
Jerri & Bill Savuto
savuto@maf.or.ke
Maua Methodist Hospital
Box 63, Maua 60600
Igembe, Kenya
“It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.” Mary O'Connor