Saturday, February 18, 2012
Riziki and Sara update
Riziki and Sara went home last night. When Riziki's mother saw her alive and healthy, still with her child, she said, "my daughter has been saved from death." Then, she gave her heart to Jesus.
Introductions - Riziki and Sara
I (Nick) apologize for not updating sooner, but there have been a lot of new developments here in Tanzania and we are now finally getting a regular schedule. Therefore, a regular schedule results in a regular posting! Anyway, this coming series I have titled "Introductions". This past 4 weeks I have met a series of people that have been marked by God in a real and imprinting kind of way and I would like to introduce you to them.
This is Riziki. She is 15 years old and has a two week old baby. She hasn't been married yet which is strange for the Maasai. I assume probably her father and the father of a neigbor suitor haven't arrived at a brideprice yet. Of course, that doesn't keep Riziki from gettting pregnant at 15 years old. Her Maasai name is Seketer, but now that she has become a Christian she recently changed her name to Riziki. Riziki is the word that they use in Tanzania when they are praying the Lord's prayer, "Give us this day our daily Riziki" Essentially, it means provision.
On Monday this week, Heidi had some time to go out to a Boma and visit some women that had recently given birth and she found herself at Riziki's house. When she arrived, Riziki and her baby looked bad. There really isn't any better way to put it. This 2 week old baby, Sara, wasn't moving. She couldn't have been more than 3 pounds. She wasn't eating, crying, opening her eyes. And there was a big sore inside of her mouth that was preventing her from breastfeeding. Riziki on the other hand had a weak look to her and a similar sore on her mouth. Since syphilis is a common ailment here, it looked like a firm diagnosis and given the potential for the baby to have contracted it in childbirth or breastfeeding, it seemed like an important thing to take care of right away.
Heidi came back to the base and I drove our new minivan, just imported from Japan, out to the middle of maasailand to pick them up and take them to the hospital.
We arrived at her boma and found her father there. As we presented to him the importance of sending his daughter and two week old granddaughter to the hospital, he was more concerned about the cost and the length of time they would be gone. After much deliberation, he conceded that he would allow us to take them to the hospital, but if the bill came out to more than 6 dollars, he wanted them returned because he had no money to pay any more than that. (later I came to find out that this was one of the richest men in the area with over 1,000 head of goat and hundreds of cattle) Or, of course, we could pay if we wanted. :)
Of course, then, we picked them up and rushed them to the hospital as it was nearing 9:00pm.
We got to the hospital and checked them in and right away the nurses informed us they would have to stay the night. The mom was extremely anemic as she lost lots of blood during childbirth, and the baby had a high fever and needed to be looked after. We said our goodbyes and were on our way out when the head nurse stopped us and asked us what they would eat? I looked at her and said, "well, whatever you have for them I'm sure they will appreciate." Silly me...hospitals don't provide food, or drinking water, or bedgowns, or plates and utensils, or anything. At one point, they even sent us to a nearby pharmacy because they didn't have the medication she needed. So out we went in the middle of the night to look for an open restaraunt that might have something we could take back for them to eat.
When we came back, the two week old, 3 pound baby was so small and weak that they couldn't get an IV into her because her baby veins were continually collapsing and it was all I could do not to jump over the counter, take that huge needle from the nurse and defend that baby with my life. Of course she was only doing her job, but it was heartbreaking. Finally the night was over and we went home to get some rest before we returned in the morning, but before we left, I noticed a black piece of cloth tied around Riziki's neck and another tightly around her arm. I still know so little about Maasai culture, so I left it alone.
When we came back the next day, this poor 15 year old girl was ready to go home with her baby. She had never been in a car before, let alone to the middle of a bustling city like Arusha and she was terrified. The nurse came back with all of the bloodwork and informed us there were several diagnosese and they would need to stay 3 days in the hospital, fed every day, and some kind of provision made for a change or washing of clothes. We were far past the 6 dollars now...
Every day I came, I brought food, soap for washing, clothes for the baby, tea and drinking water and, most importantly, some words from the Lord and prayer. I sat down with Riziki and talked to her about Jesus and how good he is to take care of us when we need Him the most.
At the end of the 2nd day, before I left, this little girl, so young and already a mother, looked up at me and said, "nafikiri mimi sihitaji kuvaa vitu nyeusi hivi bado. ( I don't think I need to wear these black things anymore)" The black cloth around her neck and arm were given to her a few days before we found her. The old man who knows about the spirits came by her boma and tied those around her to let everyone know when they see her that she is nearing death and to prepare themselves. She looked up at me from her hospital bed, next to her baby that was now eating well, awake and alert, without any prodding or convincing, and asked me if I could help her take them off. She didn't see any need for them.
I sat down and started untying the cloth and stopped, realizing there was no need for me to have any respect for a black death band binding the hand and kneck of this daughter of a living God. Instead, I took out my pocket knife my sister gave me for Christmas and cut her loose, the whole time praying a prayer of praise to a living God that actually does talk to his sons and daughters, new and old. I sat there on that hospital bed giving thanks to a gracious God that works through every situation, good and bad. I left, got into my car and wept in the quietness of the presence of the Lord after proclaiming the Provision of healing that God brought to a girl named "Providence"...Riziki.
This is Riziki. She is 15 years old and has a two week old baby. She hasn't been married yet which is strange for the Maasai. I assume probably her father and the father of a neigbor suitor haven't arrived at a brideprice yet. Of course, that doesn't keep Riziki from gettting pregnant at 15 years old. Her Maasai name is Seketer, but now that she has become a Christian she recently changed her name to Riziki. Riziki is the word that they use in Tanzania when they are praying the Lord's prayer, "Give us this day our daily Riziki" Essentially, it means provision.
On Monday this week, Heidi had some time to go out to a Boma and visit some women that had recently given birth and she found herself at Riziki's house. When she arrived, Riziki and her baby looked bad. There really isn't any better way to put it. This 2 week old baby, Sara, wasn't moving. She couldn't have been more than 3 pounds. She wasn't eating, crying, opening her eyes. And there was a big sore inside of her mouth that was preventing her from breastfeeding. Riziki on the other hand had a weak look to her and a similar sore on her mouth. Since syphilis is a common ailment here, it looked like a firm diagnosis and given the potential for the baby to have contracted it in childbirth or breastfeeding, it seemed like an important thing to take care of right away.
Heidi came back to the base and I drove our new minivan, just imported from Japan, out to the middle of maasailand to pick them up and take them to the hospital.
We arrived at her boma and found her father there. As we presented to him the importance of sending his daughter and two week old granddaughter to the hospital, he was more concerned about the cost and the length of time they would be gone. After much deliberation, he conceded that he would allow us to take them to the hospital, but if the bill came out to more than 6 dollars, he wanted them returned because he had no money to pay any more than that. (later I came to find out that this was one of the richest men in the area with over 1,000 head of goat and hundreds of cattle) Or, of course, we could pay if we wanted. :)
Of course, then, we picked them up and rushed them to the hospital as it was nearing 9:00pm.
When we came back, the two week old, 3 pound baby was so small and weak that they couldn't get an IV into her because her baby veins were continually collapsing and it was all I could do not to jump over the counter, take that huge needle from the nurse and defend that baby with my life. Of course she was only doing her job, but it was heartbreaking. Finally the night was over and we went home to get some rest before we returned in the morning, but before we left, I noticed a black piece of cloth tied around Riziki's neck and another tightly around her arm. I still know so little about Maasai culture, so I left it alone.
When we came back the next day, this poor 15 year old girl was ready to go home with her baby. She had never been in a car before, let alone to the middle of a bustling city like Arusha and she was terrified. The nurse came back with all of the bloodwork and informed us there were several diagnosese and they would need to stay 3 days in the hospital, fed every day, and some kind of provision made for a change or washing of clothes. We were far past the 6 dollars now...
Every day I came, I brought food, soap for washing, clothes for the baby, tea and drinking water and, most importantly, some words from the Lord and prayer. I sat down with Riziki and talked to her about Jesus and how good he is to take care of us when we need Him the most.
At the end of the 2nd day, before I left, this little girl, so young and already a mother, looked up at me and said, "nafikiri mimi sihitaji kuvaa vitu nyeusi hivi bado. ( I don't think I need to wear these black things anymore)" The black cloth around her neck and arm were given to her a few days before we found her. The old man who knows about the spirits came by her boma and tied those around her to let everyone know when they see her that she is nearing death and to prepare themselves. She looked up at me from her hospital bed, next to her baby that was now eating well, awake and alert, without any prodding or convincing, and asked me if I could help her take them off. She didn't see any need for them.
I sat down and started untying the cloth and stopped, realizing there was no need for me to have any respect for a black death band binding the hand and kneck of this daughter of a living God. Instead, I took out my pocket knife my sister gave me for Christmas and cut her loose, the whole time praying a prayer of praise to a living God that actually does talk to his sons and daughters, new and old. I sat there on that hospital bed giving thanks to a gracious God that works through every situation, good and bad. I left, got into my car and wept in the quietness of the presence of the Lord after proclaiming the Provision of healing that God brought to a girl named "Providence"...Riziki.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Promise
First of all we just wanted to say we are so sorry for not updating our blog sooner. We have heard a lot of you say you would love to hear what is going on and I am sorry we haven’t taken the time to update it. This past month has been full of amazing things God has done here in Tanzania and in our lives. It has been a refining last month as well. In this past month Nick went on outreach to Singida to join the rest of his team in the work God was doing there, the Holy Spirit moved and 8 people met their Savior, I met another family from Canada and Hannah and Hailey had their first “playtime” with kids speaking their same language, my parents returned to Tanzania and celebrated a late Christmas with us, we received our car, went through a month of a lack of water coming into the base, Nick along with 31 other students received their DTS certificate of completion, we took a trip to the coast for some good family R&R and just last week we became official staff at YWAM Arusha! . We would love to expand on those things but I really just feel like the Lord is speaking to me to proclaim the promise He has fulfilled in my life.
Are there times in your life where you feel God has put something on your heart; a passion for something but you feel as if He put it there and then never did anything with it? A promise not yet fulfilled? 7 ½ years ago Nick and I stood at the altar and made a covenant to stand together in life, to walk hand in hand and serve the Lord faithfully with our lives. To go wherever He is leading us to go. At our wedding we had 2 songs played. When planning the wedding these two songs were thought out by the two of us for a long time. We didn’t want to play just any song but we wanted the song to be a proclamation to the Lord. Something we would hold to in our marriage throughout our lives. One was talking about going to the nations and that being the cry of our heart. The other one is called “eagles wings”. It says:
“Here I am waiting, abide in me I pray. Here I am longing for you. Hide me in your love bring me to my knees. May I know Jesus more and more.
Come live in me all my life take over. Come breathe in me and I will rise on eagles wings”
Whenever I hear that song my heart longs to sit and be with Jesus. To join in the song He is already singing over my life. The song always reminds me of the promise, the passion God put in my husband and my heart to serve him overseas. To take over all my life and take us where He wants us. These past 7 years of marriage have been amazing. There have been so many amazing opportunities to join in the work God is doing in America, to be missionaries to our home land. I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything but there was still a longing in my heart to see that promise He had given us carried out. I knew He had placed it in our hearts. All of this is brought up because last Monday at the weekly devotions at the YWAM base they sand “Eagles Wings”. Out of all the songs they sing, mostly Swahili, for some reason this song was on the list and it moved me to tears. We have been here 5 ½ months and to be honest the transition here with a family has been a lot tougher than we expected, but when I heard this song it brought back the passion and the promise He put in my heart at 16 and in Nick and my heart 7 years ago . I was living in the promise all along but now I feel like that longing has been fulfilled and is being replaced by a new passion, a new vision for ministry here in Tanzania. 7 years later we are here!! No more saying someday. No more wondering what/where God is taking us in this promise. I know that with Jesus creating new passions in our hearts we will start to experience the “when” questions again but as of now I sit in His peace, here in Tanzania with my family of four after waiting 13 years I feel as if I am sitting in the middle of the rainbow of God’s promise, experiencing his faithfulness daily. Thank you Jesus for meeting our needs, for listening to our hearts and for giving us the opportunity to know you and your heart and join in the work you are doing. Help us to constantly be reminded of how faithful you are. Thank you Jesus for letting us be part of your plan. Thank you for what YOU are doing here in Tanzania and everywhere else around the world. Thank you
Please be praying for us this coming week. Nick has the opportunity to teach in the DTS at the Kilimanjaro YWAM base. We are excited about the 5 days we will be away and it is such an important time of growth for the students. We know God will move there and teach them using Nick as his vessel.
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