A Blessing Given, A Blessing Received

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.” James 2: 15-17

Last Friday, I was busy finishing the last of my breakfast and going through a mental checklist of what I needed for the day when my phone began to ring. Suddenly, I was in a mad dash around the house looking for my often-misplaced cell phone. I reached quickly for the phone and answered it. “Karo, Karo. I need help. I need help.” I stopped immediately, listened intently and said, “This is Kari. Who am I speaking to?” The panicked voice on the other end of the phone belonged to Agnes, a widow suffering from HIV and the latest opportunistic infection. In the calmest voice I could muster I asked, “Agnes, Agnes, what is happening?” “I am sick, Karo. I am not well. I can’t walk. I haven’t eaten since you fed me on Monday. I don’t know what to do. Please, Karo, can you help me? Please can you help me?” Her voice was rising to a terrified sob and she just continued to repeat her cries for help. Again I tried to keep my voice even, comforting and calming. I interrupted her, “Agnes, Agnes, I will help you. I will get money to you and I will send someone to go to the market to get food for you. I will help you. I will help you.” After getting some vague details about where she was staying, I set out to feed Agnes.

Yet somewhere deep inside me, I was scared to death, quite literally that this was the end for her. I have seen what AIDS can do. It is a monster of a disease. Its only aim is to destroy the one who carries it. It shows no mercy and gains strength as the one fighting it weakens. It robs you of your own dignity and steals your very ability to care for yourself. Its craving for death is insatiable. It is not easily intimidated and will stand its ground against even the fiercest attack. This monster is dangerous and will always be fatal. So, it is always with great respect for this horrific disease that I go armed with the only thing that can destroy it. This is a fight for God himself. Only he can battle this beast and win. So, I hold the hand of my father, the mighty warrior, and set out for battle.

I was quite far from Agnes when the call reached me and I knew that she needed help quickly, so I called Lisa, a young 20 something American girl, who had come to Africa to see what God was doing here. I had known her only a few days, but she was available and in the right area. I wanted to go myself, but my travel time would delay the help for Agnes, so I gave the blessing to someone else. This was hard, as I love Agnes and I wanted to see her for myself. I wanted to hold her. I have come to crave these kinds of adventures with God. The kind where God takes you into pain, into darkness and then suddenly shows his magnificent light. It is both humbling and empowering to love another person in the presence of Jesus himself. In those moments I long to become less, so he can become more. Even so God was going to send this young girl in my place.

I directed Lisa as best as I could by phone to Nakawa where the widow Rebecca lived. Rebecca would then help Lisa find the room where Agnes was waiting. Lisa wandered through the slums of Nakawa for some time asking each person if they knew the widow Rebecca. Finally, after about 20 minutes, an older man approached her and asked if she was looking for the widows. He then took her to see Widow Joyce. Joyce was overjoyed to see Lisa and invited her in for tea. As they drank tea, Lisa explained about Agnes’ frantic call. Joyce then stood, took Lisa by the hand and marched her straight to Widow Rebecca’s home.

Widow Rebecca had just finished washing her clothes and getting ready for the day. After hearing about Agnes’ frantic call for help, they set out to find her. Rebecca is terrified of riding motorcycles, so instead of taking a boda to Agnes’ home, they walked and walked and walked. Agnes lives on the top of a high hill just outside of Kampala. As they walked the long steep dusty road in the heat of the day, Rebecca told Lisa that she was unsure which path led to Agnes’ home. Lisa was close to frustration. It had taken two hours now to get to this place and now they had no idea how to find her.

In total desperation, they began to ask the men working in the rock quarry if they knew a widow named Agnes who had one daughter. Each person seemed to know a different Agnes, but not one knew the one they were looking for. Lisa was getting worried that they might never find her. Then a gentlemen driving one of the rock trucks overheard them speaking and told them that he was sure he knew where Agnes stayed. He took them down a path that lead to a small dilapidated home. As they approached the home, Agnes slowly stumbled forward and then collapsed into the dust. Lisa, Rebecca and the driver rushed to her side. Her skeletal frame seemed to have to no muscle to hold it up.

The driver picked her up in one swift motion and brought her into the house. Lisa came into the small house and watched as he put her sick frail body down on the mat. She began to thank Lisa over and over for coming to her rescue. Then she reached her shaky hand out and with great effort picked up a bar of soap. Agnes commented that Lisa’s feet were dirty. Then she asked for a basin of water and began to wash Lisa’s feet and shoes. Lisa tried over and over again to tell her to rest and not to bother with her feet, but Agnes remained determined to do what she could to love Lisa in the same way she felt loved by her. Lisa was overwhelmed by her act of love and in awe of how God can show up in the strangest places.

Rebecca took the money, went to the market and then spent the rest of the day cooking for Agnes. Rebecca helped her to the toilet, helped her eat and helped her get medicine for her aches and pains. Rebecca gave up working in the market. She gave up earning money for her own family in order to help her fellow widow. She has seen first hand what AIDS can do, so she stayed and prayed with this sick frail woman hoping that God would show up in the darkness.

Over the weekend, I had prayed for Agnes and sent messages of hope and encouragement to her. Then on Sunday night I received another call. It was Agnes, only this time her voice was calm. She simply said, “Thank you Karo. Thank you for loving me.”

Update on the widows:
I wanted so badly to upload a picture of Agnes, but the computer just wouldn't cooperate. Oh well! I have some good God sized news. Jane is still alive and God has brought another widow from another land to pay the money for Jane’s children to go to school. Her oldest daughter will be staying in a Cornerstone home and returning to school next quarter. Her son will be attending a day school near her home. This news is so recent I haven’t yet been able to break the news to Jane. I know she will be overjoyed! One of Rosemary’s daughters will be also going to a Cornerstone home and then back to school next quarter. Rosemary was overjoyed and immediately started praising Jesus. It was beautiful to watch. She still has sores all over her tongue from the diabetes and is in constant pain, but God is still standing beside her and so am I.

We are in the middle of looking at two pieces of land. I am hopeful that we will get the final okay to go survey the land this week. Keep praying!! Otherwise, I love the widows from one crisis to another! A good friend emailed and suggested starting an emergency fund for food, medicine and school fees. If you are interested in donating to something like this please contact Lisa Tschetter at lisatschetter@comcast.net Let’s see what God might do!!

My life:

I have had a strange week. I went from the depths to the heights and it has been an unsettling journey. On Sunday, I left the widows for a large house outside on Kampala, so that I could teach at the International School. It is an elite place where tuition is $15,000 a year. I am with the wealthiest families in a country where people are dying of hunger. Every part of me wants to leave this place, but I will keep my commitment. I will be back to Simon’s on Friday and I can’t wait!

Living in God’s great presence,
Kari