how to save a life

Earlier this week we traveled just a few short miles to a nearby lake and met some fisherman. I’ve seen the Deadliest Catch on the Discovery channel a few times so I just assumed all fisherman were like those guys. They rode on a big boat with big rubber boots, burley beards, and British accents. The fishermen we met were different. They didn’t have beards or even boats. They had handmade canoes with paddles. Authentic paddles, like the ones you see in museums. They travel through about 15 miles of marsh just to get to the lake hoping to get a good catch of fish. We were able to wander through the marshes and found some kids who gave us coconuts. Greeting us with open arms, I was surprised at their generosity towards such a foreign and mysterious white boy from North Carolina…

The clinic is always filled with unexpected adventures and amazing things. All night and this morning it rained angry on the tin roof, so we didn’t expect a huge turn out at the clinic. Many patients can travel far distances and usually by foot, so rain just tends to slow things. I spent most of the early morning thinking about home which lead to a discussion about how Chick-Fil-A gets their peach milkshakes to taste so peachy. After that concluded all of a sudden a man suffering from severe Malaria rushed in. His family immediately found him a bed and got our attention. The clinic doctor, John along with Matt, gathered quickly, tending to his needs and after I pricked his finger and 90% plasma came out, both determined he needed to get to the hospital ASAP. Looking back I am glad we spent the past few days outfitting the ambulance and increasing its functionality because this validated our sometimes frustrating efforts and would prove to be very useful. After about a 25 minute excursion Matt and I, with David and Laura arrived at the hospital and immediately his demeanor improved. After losing the girl a few days ago, we were all extremely excited to win one. Today, we saved a life.

I’ve never constructed a building before, but when I was a kid I loved Legos. I realized today that it’s not all that different (but less colorful). Some Legos are big and some are small. Today we played with the big Legos, and as you can see we hoisted them on the roof of the maternity ward. Biceps and headbands out in full effect. We still need to buy iron sheets to cover the roof and likely won’t have all of the finances to do so however we are moving forward and stepping out in faith, believing for God to provide. Please help us purchase more Legos. If you have any interest in giving, please email me at scottseibold@gmail.com.

David and I are also working on some photo projects with some of the children. Still in development on it but great things are coming.


Scott

Thursday July 9, 2009 3:34pm