From: Charles & Bev TruxtonDate: Fri, 23 Nov 2001 19:51:42 +0100 Subject: shermeen update Nov 21 **send replies to "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!" Ps 150:8 I'm writing this on the eve of American Thanksgiving and as I prepare to lead Praise and Worship for tommorrow's celebration with the other missionaries, I am struck by how much we have to Thank God for. Amen? AMEN! I'm writing this update earlier than usual (wed vs sat) because this weekend we will be heading to 'Yan Kuri', a safari/game park in Nigeria. You can pray that the baboons notorious for barging into our one star accomodation suite will not steal our stuff nor become too bothersome...THANKS! :0) I'm spending this week at the VVF ward and finding it very fulfilling. The wonder of surgery in literally changing a women's life and social status (from outcast to accepted)! Great to experience a 'wholistic' gospel in-action...dispensing hope and compassion. Helena and I are walking around with 'braids'...meaning that at the moment I have extensions and blonde streaks in my hair and it's all completely braided, yes, we look 'nigerian'..we'll see how long it'll last (maybe a week?), it's cool, I wish my hair could permantely stay that way. Praise God for two of our Sat Kids Club kids who accepted Christ a couple of weeks ago. Please continue to pray for Ibrahim, the Muslim burn/skin graph child and his family. He is doing well, his graph worked and he is walking now!!! Could you also pls pray for "Miracle", the lone surviving twin (26 wk premie) and his Mom too? THANKS! Thank you for all those who prayed and emailed following my 'traumatic' week. I would like to briefly explain: on the way back from Mangu's TB/Rehab/Leporsy Hospital on Fri we witnessed an accident, well, the immediate aftermath of it since Helena and I were sleeping when the actual accident happened. The child on a bike on the way to school was hit by a car at high speeds and flung to our side of the road and probably either was killed instantly or had severe head trauma. We wanted to stop to help but due to things being out of our control and the context of Nigerian police/corruption etc...we didn't/couldn't. Following that, upon coming back to Evangel, Dr. Kogo and I had to diagnose/counsel/break the news to a sobbing mother that her child was HIV positive and then tested her, who also was positive. Then I found out that Miracle, that twin, had to be transfused and wasn't doing well. We still had to teach CPR later that day. It was a difficult day. Today, I was part of and witnessed another accident, this time with Onisimus, one of our Sat Kids Club kids and son of one of the consultant physicians here. He saw me after school and joined me to cross the busy street outside the hospital. I dashed when I saw a break thinking he would follow, but he didn't. So I waited for him on the other side, only to see him be hit by a car, bounce off the car, fall onto the road and be helped up by by-standers 10 seconds later. I was shocked, speechless and terrified. Completely by God's great grace and mercy and protection, Onisimus was not seriously injured, in fact, he didn't even fracture, break or dislocate any bone or suffer any lacerations. NOthing, although I'm sure he's quite sore. I took him to the OPD (out patient dept) and checked him out...gosh, I was very shaken after this and had to spend a couple of hours just processing thru this and in prayer and praise that he was okay. God is soveign and He is in control and He is most dep the 'protector of our soul'. We walk and run and live and breathe for His purposes and thank Him for every living moment. love, Shermeen