We just got back from Nanjuni. The family of the church member that died was very happy with the gift of corn and money. The man was a middle aged man with no health problems. Steve asked them what happened to cause him to die. They said that it was because of a snake bite. He and a friend of his were at the river fishing. They use wicker fish baskets to catch fish. The fish basket had fish inside of it. His friend put his hand into the basket and something bit him; his hand was bleeding. Then the man that died put his hand in the basket and he too was bitten; when he pulled out his hand he saw that it was bleeding like a snake had bitten him but he did not think that it was a snake because it was not painful. They had a machete and used it to kill the fish. They never saw the snake. The next day his friend went to someone in the village that has a shocking instrument and had the place he was bitten shocked. The guy that died waited 3 days before he did anything about his snake bite. After 3 days he was not feeling so fine and decided it must have been a snake that bit him so he had his hand shocked. He did not get any better and could not sleep and was having terrible stomach pains so he went to the clinic and they gave him an injection of some sort ;not ASV (anti-snake venom medicine). He did not get any better so he went to some sort of traditionalist / healer and stayed for several days. He kept getting worse. He then went to the hospital in Saboba and they gave him some ASV but he did not stay there very long probably because he ran out of money. When these cases are left several days it takes lots and lots of ASV to save the person. He then went back to the traditionalist / healer where he died. This has been going on for 3 weeks. Steve explained the importance of getting treatment immediately for any snake bite. Such a sad useless waste!
This morning we realized that Dauda the mason did not install all the razor wire hangers. There was an area at the side of the property where the tall wall meets the shorter wall that Red had attached something to keep people from climbing over. We asked Nazo why they had not done that portion and he said that the masons had asked about it and he was supposed to check with us but he forgot to ask us what we wanted to do about that portion of the wall. Well needless to say Dauda and one of his helpers had to come out this morning and finish hanging them. I think it is really finished this time.
We were short-handed in the Child Center. Zorash called and said she needed the day off. She is supposed to come tomorrow and make up her day. Amama was also out. She had to take off 2 days to help with the “Outdooring” (sort of like a baby shower) for her rival’s new baby. Amama’s husband now has 3 wives and 6 children but the wives are not finished having children. Really!
Please keep us and the work in your prayers.
In His Service,
Steve and Kandie
