Good

     The book of Romans says, "all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)  This is a true word from the Word of God and God's Word never changes, never wavers, never doesn't mean what it says.  I believe that. I really do; and I will always believe it. Its just that some days I have to remind myself that I may not always be able to discern the good that God intends to work in any given circumstances.


    There is a sea/rail container sitting in the Port of Mombassa, Kenya containing approximately $25 million dollars worth of medicines. It has food supplements, anti-malarial drugs, diabetes treatments, blood pressure control medicines. It was donated through the International Children's Fund and holds as many as 400,000 individual treatments. It is also being held hostage by a bevy of bureaucrats and government agencies who are trying to collect as many bogus fees and taxes as they can before releasing it. 


     In the meantime, a little girl at the Immanuel Christian School for the Deaf died this week because of the lack of adequate medical treatment.  Over and over again this pattern repeats itself in a culture of corruption which persists throughout the region.  Pleas go out all over the world for help.  "Help us! Help us! Our children are dying!"  Yet, when help comes it is bled dry by one crooked official after another as greed and corruption continue to reward each other. This is the second tragic death at the school in the last year or so that could have been averted with relative ease, except that nothing is ever easy in this part of the world.  


     Work will continue on Tuesday to gain the release of the container full of medicines that could possibly have saved the life of a little girl. The agencies appointed to look our for her interests are focused upon lining their own pockets while she lay in a rural clinic; inadequately staffed and under supplied, dying.  In the meantime, the grieving at Immanuel continues this week before her burial on Monday.  


     I am not angry tonight. I was. I was angry at the whole situation. I am sad. I have been profoundly sad ever since an international telephone call informed me of the unnecessary  death of an innocent child.  I am sad because I am helpless to do anything about it, and if another child gets sick tomorrow - I will be just as helpless then as now.  I have a profound sense of failure, searching for some answer that will tell me what we could have done differently. 


     What I can do is to continue to pray.  I am praying and have contacted friends all over the world to join me in pray to overcome this situation - to release those medicines.  I can continue to work advocating for those who are powerless and to speak for those who have no voice to speak for themselves.  As for the "good" that God is working or will work in this circumstance; I'll have to leave that up to Him. However, I want you to know that God will do a good work in this circumstance.  Joseph told his brothers, "What you meant for evil, God meant for good."  Generations were preserved because of the "evil" that Joseph's brothers intended.  I believe that generations of Deaf children will be blessed by God out of this "evil."


      In the meantime, would you pray for the family of this dear little girl? I don't even know her name, but her anonymity only underscores the needs we are trying to address.  God knows her by name, and marks her passing with us.  Right now, in the shadow of this terrible moment for her family, our problems in Nairobi seem to pale; for the moment.  Yet, we must renew our efforts with faith and purpose so that more will not die while simple solutions lie within reach.  


May the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and mind.