It's Relationships

Malawi – 2009

It’s Relationships: May 20, 2009 I joined eight other Presbyterians to visit and work with Barbara Nagy in Nhkoma, Malawi. This was my second trip to Nhkoma and was excited and pleased to meet friends I had been with and worked with in Nhkoma. Some I recognized and others recognized me, either way the relationships were strengthened. I was strengthened by the long distance relationship and common bond to help others.

Dr. Barbara Nagy is a PCUSA Missionary as a pediatrician at Nhkoma Hospital. She has been there for over five years. She has three beautiful daughters, Melia, Anna and Happiness. Barbara is the main reason for this visit. It is to be with her and her family and help out in a small way to make her ministry successful.

Our team of Presbyterians has been visiting Barbara for five years. The visit was coordinated by Grace Boyer with Western NC Presbytery. Grace was also one of the team members. She provided spiritual depth and leadership to the group. Other members of the group were Tom Kilgore, Teresa Locke, Tommy Burleson, Alice Salthouse, Hong Byun, Hisup Byun and Jonathan Axtell. Tom, Teresa, Tommy and I had been before and were able to assist and share with Alice, Hong, Hisup and Jonathan our experiences and experiences in Nkhoma.

We worked on various task at the Hospital, Barbara’s home and at a village clinic. The work was meaningful but the thing that struck me was that it is not the work but the relationships. To illustrate, we were painting beds one day. I was over painting away, seeing how fast I could paint. On another bed was Kuchpala and Greento. Kuchpala is the hospital maintenance man. Greento is the hospital painter. They were painting but they were talking and visiting the whole time. Then two other men came over and sat next to the bed and joined the conversation. They did not even help paint. I finished painting my before they were even half way done, then I started another. The day of painting continued this way for the day. It hit me at the end of the day, I missed a great opportunity. I missed strengthening my relationship with these men and sharing Christ love with each other that day. It is the relationships and not the task or the things of life. Thankfully, I was able to go to a village clinic with Kuchpala and Greento in the back of a pick up truck and paint a house for the clinic medical director. I was able to share time with them, share a meal, share family stories, and share the love of Christ with each other and with those around us. I thank God for this experience and enlightenment.

Hong and Hisup are from Texas and originally from Korea. They were a joy to be with. They brought song sheets and great voices. We sang most every night after our devotions. They share a special singing of “In The Garden” at the dedication gifts that were brought to the new school. They had such love in their voices as the children played in the background and all were happy to share with others. Hong and Hisup were troopers in leading the climb up Mt. Nhkoma. One of the more special times was learning of the struggle Hong had as a child in Korea after the Korean War with his mother. He saw the children and mothers around the Hospital Guest House where he and others were painting. He remembered sleeping on the ground and little to eat, just like those around him now at the Guest House.

Jonathan also helped with the Guest House, where he met Grace. Grace was one of the guest. She and four or five others would share the one 10’ x 10’ room with out any furniture. Their belongings were simple and few. Each guest is there to care for a person in the hospital. They need to provide food, medicine and needs for the patients. This was Jonathan’s first visit and was eager to learn and absorb. He was our group photographer and helped compile our 4000+ pictures. I enjoyed his excitement and continued connection with this family back home. He was so excited about collecting coins for his children and having clothes made for them.

This was Jonathan’s first visit. It was also Alice’s first visit. Alice had a special mission for this trip. A week before we were to go she was asked to go to Kalamazoo Michigan and learn how to install, run and operate new lab equipment for analyzing blood. Barbara said this lab analysis will save many a lives due to unknown causes of illnesses. Alice was apprehensive and excited about setting up the new equipment. She quickly got the equipment set up and running and working with Femka and Edmond. Femka and Edmond would operate the equipment after we left. They both came to our home and sang and prayed with us. Christ hand working through these works of setting up lab equipment. Alice had also adventure of trading and buying a drum and other items. She and Teresa traded on the street of Lilongwe for a drum the scene was crazy and as the continued to negotiate more vendors surrounded them. Finally Teresa set a deal and the drums were bought. Later Alice negotiated her shoes, bag and other items for vendor wares. Life in the Malawian shopping experience.

Teresa has been to Malawi several years and loved during her exercises with Alice in the morning and I think evening also. Teresa has a special gift for the children and had brought beautiful pictures of children to be hung in the children’s ward. Barbara wanted to give examples of children who are alive and well, so many of the children die from malaria, HIV and poor health. Teresa and Tom were our group leaders.

Tom, like Teresa has been there several years. Tom’s gift is painting and has painted murals and the hospital mission statement in many places. This year he helped paint the guest house with the same love and detail he had done the other painting. Tom appeared to be especially excited about the school and supplies we brought. The teachers and students were so excited about the supplies: books, puzzles, pads, learning tools and dress up clothes. Suffer the little children unto me.

The children in Ministry of Hope are all HIV orphans. We stopped and visited and held the babies. I got to spend some time with Chisomo. He is a baby boy about a year old. His birthday is 5/27/08. We told no stories or shared family history. We just shared time together holding and being in the sun. Thank God for the simple pleasures of life. I was also able to visit with Edina Nlahoma and Felesta Harry who are responsible for patient intake. Last visit in 2007, I worked with them doing intake, which I do here in the Free Clinic. This year I brought them a blood pressure cuff and taught them how to use it and set a limit for very sick patients. Later on in my visit Mrs. Harry was working in the laundry and I visited and laughed with her.

Everyone knows Tommy. Tommy is very tall in height and very deep in spirit. He shares his story through life in the NC Mountains, basketball and a life committed to Christ. Tommy has a gift of electrical repair and did a number of repair items in the hospital. Tommy is always the one who the vendors see and he easily shares with them. When we were at the wood vendors, we were set to go and one vendor was pushing an item for he to buy. Eventually, Tommy said yes to the item. It was a word caring of Noah’s ark with all the animals two by two. Then Tommy gets in the van and we pull away. The says, “I really wanted the Nativity scene.” We all laugh and make the new parts for the animals to make the Nativity scene come alive for him.

We had a wonderful trip and experienced the love of Christ through many like: Matrin the cook and housekeeper, Beria, Matrin’s sister and Barbara’s cook, Benson our driver, Rehiner the medical director, the school teachers, the doctor and nurse who came and taught us songs and played the drums, worship in Nkhoma Presbyterian Church, hospital Chaplin and his wife, Philip and his son Happy who made the drums and shields I bought, and Mr. Mkukumira the Mvera clinic medical director.

The most significant relationship was with Barbara and her family. She is in the middle of caring for a community with little supplies and means to care for them. She is adopting Happiness and having to deal with the arduous process of village culture and adoption bureaucracy. I was able to stay with Barbara, Anna and Happy for several days. It was pure joy to see a loving family, time of prayer and devotion and caring for one another. What a blessing to be invited into someone’s home. I will treasure my times there and being a part of this family. I makes me reflect on my own family and the need to be with each one of them. God gave us family as our core support group. God bless our father and have me be the best father possible to my children.

It is the relationships. It is not the doing or the things we have it is the time and love we share with each other. I am grateful for the support and prayers for this trip and appreciate the growth in focus on God’s love verses our material worldly items. God be the Glory, Amen.