Oct 6 2019
When LOVE becomes HANDS AND FEET
To help support the Clinic - medical evangelism (read below about many ways you help make a difference) (to run a mobile clinic it is about $3000 per time- next mobile CLINIC Nov 8 2019
https://abwe.org/work/projects/william-lori-smith-medical-clinic
IMPORTANT NEED: Pray for Christmas youth camp meeting planned for the Bena churches (like last year) It will cost about $5000 to run it plus provide camp for youth to attend GBBC camp. We saw growth in all of our churches this year. Praying for MORE!
https://abwe.org/work/missionaries/william-lori-smith
This was a week of tears of joy.
Our precious Safa continues to flourish. He’s gained half his body weight again. From 2.3 to 3.6 kgs is truly a direct result of many praying for him.
Today Safa’s Mom Esta was able to join us at church. She left our clinic with a burden as reality of how close she had come to death and facing God with the complications of his delivery. She wanted to know how to be saved before she was discharged. I gave her a Bible and we went through verse by verse marking the “way of salvation “ clearly for her. She was not ready yet to make that decision. We prayed on!! We prayed and shared and demonstrated Christ the whole nine months we held her ASAPA. Now God has given us another link to this family with Tiny Safa.
Today she raised her hand at the invitation for salvation!!!! I had someone else counsel her so she would not feel “ obligated” just to make me happy. She finally CHOSE CHRIST!!!! Tears of joy!!!
Two precious baby boys were safely welcomed at our clinic this week. Tears of joy with each birth!!
God provided a desperately needed sterilizer AND suction machine!! Tears of joy!!
All the amazing gifts God provided in the container are now being utilized!!!! Tears of joy!!
Being able to see God give us opportunities to reach into lives and minister with compassion and love is just beyond awesome!!
But sometimes love is painful. It hurts to love.
A little boy named
Jacob was in our clinic on Tuesday. He has lived right next door in the village boarding our fence for nearly a year. We have no idea how old he is..... 5 maybe Six? He has been being abused physically nearly that whole time and I had no idea. He was being beaten and beaten , hiding out sleeping at the village cemetery or hidden among banana plants or under people’s houses only to be found and brought back to his uncles home for more beatings and abuse. When I saw him Tuesday he had been beaten nearly to death. Head to toe wounds and bruises. His back and legs and arms and scalp covered in scars from previous attacks. He was malnourished and broken physically bur the worse damage was. his heart being so fearful. His eyes were wide with terror like a cornered animal as I carefully examined him. My heart bleed. Aaron cried when he saw this precious boys bruised broken body.
We contacted Child Welfare and the police. Little Jacob was placed in our home as a safe house.
How do you begin to help a child so damaged. The physical issues were easy. I have drugs and dressings for all that. My concern was his heart. He was terrified.
So we became the hands and feet of love. We surrounded him in safe warm hugs. We filled his tummy with food and his heart with reassurance. He began to radiate love back. What a resilient kid!!
I am now “ mommy”. His little hand slips into mine the moment he is unsure. His flash of a cheeky smile explodes endearment in my heart. I love this broken but healing boy.
The police have tasked us with getting him to his biological mom. I know her from her young childhood through teen years. A sweet girl who I pray is now a loving mom to Jacop and his twin sister.
He wants to go to his mommy. I want to protect and love him forever😢.
Hands and feet of love must know when to hold and when to release. When to run to help and when to retreat.
His wounds are healing and his heart is so happy and relaxed now that it makes me cry just to watch his little boy antics around the house. Now my heart will break, but my prayers can hold him forever even though my arms must release our sweet boy. Pray with us for God to give him a happy home with his mommy again.
Pray for us to be faithful in our daily sacrifice if our hearts as we choose to love as we also live..... no retreats. No regrets. No retreats. Turning a blind eye and a cold heart would be easier,but they will know we are disciples as we LOVE!!
Bill , Lori. The boys and dad.
