Every Wednesday night, we tag along
with Abusa (Pastor) Ganizani to his ministry at Chickhwawa District Hospital. I
really enjoy this weekly ministry because it’s one time a week I know I am
making a difference. For two short hours, we get to show God’s love, bring
smiles to faces, make the sick dance, and make a light a little brighter where
it’s been oh-so-dark. Just how dark is Chikhwawa Hospital? Let me describe it
for you.
When you first walk in the main
entrance, you see the central nurse and doctors station. This is just a cement counter with piles of
cluttered papers here and there threatening to bury the staff under its weight.
One of the many problems at Chikhwawa Hospital is a lack of help. There are
only two nurses and one doctor on duty. How are they able to take care of the
100+ patients, you ask? Well, every
patient must bring a companion (wife, husband, grandparent, friend, sister,
brother, etc) whose role it is to take care of them. They must cook for them,
bathe them, make them comfortable, and tend to their every need.
The hospital is divided into seven
wards: Men’s Ward, Men’s Surgical, Women’s Ward, Pregnant Ladies, Nursery,
Children and Tuberculosis Ward. Come along with, and I’ll show you a few of the
wards first-hand. Of course I don’t have any pictures, so I will try to paint
them with my words.
Men’s Surgical Ward
When I first visited the Men’s Surgical Ward, I was
really scared to enter because,
honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe huge wounds and cut-off limbs?
Men just out of surgery? Blood? But there isn’t any of that. The worst I’ve seen
are metal bars through legs. They attach a weight to the leg to make sure the
bones grow properly. One time while we were there, there was this old, skinny
man lying in his bed who caught my eye. While we were singing worship songs, he
kept moving towards the edge of his bed. He couldn’t sit up, but I just felt like he
wanted to stand and praise the Lord. And just as the song was getting to the
most joyful part, he stood up! He was weak and wobbly, and all of us feared he would fall with
every step he took. His struggling steps turned into a joyful dance while Abusa
Ganizani played his guitar. As we left that ward, the man’s wife pushed her way
through the crowded corridor and tugged at Ganizani’s arm. “My husband hasn’t
walked in weeks!” What a miracle! God is truly amazing.
Pregnant Women’s Ward
My favorite part of the night is the Pregnant Women’s
Ward. We visit them in a little dark courtyard where they spend most of their
labor time. From afar, I
see them relaxed and lounging on the ground (well, I’m not sure how relaxed
they are in labor, but they seem calm enough). But once they spot us with
Ganizani and his guitar, they come alive and pop up like a whack-a-mole. They
are ready to dance! Ganizani strums a special song just for them that gets them clapping,
spinning, and best of all…bouncing up and down! These ladies are nine months
pregnant and they are jumping, singing, clapping, and dancing! Nothing can stop
them from praising the Lord…and hopefully giving birth soon.
Children’s
Ward
Last
but not least, we wind our way through a maze of pathways outside until we end
up at the Children’s Ward. This room is bigger than any of the other wards, but
definitely NOT big enough to sleep 100 children. Sometimes when there is an
overload, they are forced to sleep on the ground. The ages in here range anywhere
from newborn to 12 years old. I love going into this ward because no matter
what condition the child is in, it’s easy and fun to get them to smile. Recently,
I stood next to a newborn baby hooked up to oxygen. He was just lying on the
bed, lifeless. I wanted to cuddle the baby so he could feel God’s love and know
that everything was going to be O.K. That was a picture I will never forget.
That same night, a small child, maybe 2 or 3 years old, was lying on his back. Both
feet were wrapped and lifted up to a metal bar where his legs just hung
straight up and down. I didn’t understand it. My dad explained that this style
of treatment was something you would see
in the 1950's or earlier. Possibly even Civil War era.
Some
people think our weekly visit is a blessing for the patients at Chikhwawa
District Hospital. But for me, it’s just the opposite. When I am there, I feel
God’s presence. When I get home, I realize the blessing was a gift for me. Something
about the patients and their families impact me. In every ward, they are dealing
with AIDS, malaria, T.B., burns, broken bodies, and always death. Really, they
have no reason for joy. But when I see them light up to sing, dance, pray, and
smile, I am forever changed. Their joyfulness and hopefulness are lessons that I
carry with me every day.
