Lydia

I thought I would tell you about this amazing story Ben and I were apart of recently. The woman in this picture brought her young boy, Majeed, into the hospital because he was unresponsive and limp. We later found that he had meningococcal meningitis. He was admitted to my ward about two weeks ago, and I was very unsure if he would survive. Earlier this week, we started seeing some improvement. He finally could sit up, and was able to eat small amounts of porage. He started responding when you called his name and even began squeezing my hand when I held it every day on rounds.

His mother called me to his bedside one afternoon and said she wanted to accept Jesus and become a Christian, because she knew God was watching over her son. Ben was fortunately with me, and together we prayed, as the nurse translated English into her tribal language. After our prayer, she asked for a new name. Ben and I looked at each other and were confused. The nurse then explained that when a person becomes a Christian, they are given a new name. I decided to give her the name, Lydia, the name of my younger sister, as she is one of the most godly women I know. I wrote out her new name on a piece of torn off notebook paper and she smiled, delighted. As my nurse Mary said that morning, the angels were singing in heaven.

Abraham (on the left), is Majeed's brother. He is at the bedside all day and night to help his brother. Abraham has been going to his local village church with Majeed, and both of the brothers are Christians. Now their whole family will attend church together.