Stroke

We have been sending e-mail updates on Steve's progress from his embolic stroke. This time we will update the blog so that everyone who wants to know is aware of what is happening.

Since 2005 Steve has had atrial fibrillation. It happens when he gets some MSG in his food, or when he is stressed. It used to happen every now and then for about 12 hrs, usually at night. Lately it has been worse, he cannot eat spices like curry or mustard and the arrhythmia has been lasting up to 48 hrs.


When we returned to the US in July we went to see a cardiologist in LaPorte who put Steve on more medication. Steve had a trip to Rwanda and Zambia planned in September for three weeks so an ablation was scheduled for October.


However, a few days into his trip Steve was at a board meeting three hours from the capital, Kigali. When he didn't show up at breakfast or the meeting at 8:30, Charles and others went to find him. They thought it very strange that he didn't answer the door and got management to open for them. They found Steve barely conscious, with paralysis on his right side and garbled speech. They took him to ER in this small town where it was confirmed it was a stroke. Needing to transport him to Kigali as quickly as possible, they looked into some military helicopters but they were all broken so he was taken by ambulance. From the Kigali hospital it was decided that he should be airlifted to Nairobi Hospital. This finally happened at 3 a.m.

In the meantime, I was at home on the 15th. I woke up around 5 and had the distinct impression that I should get my prayer journal out because God wanted to speak to me. I resisted at first because I was tired, but finally I did and was led to Phil 4:6-9 "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus ..."


In my spirit I heard the words "I have not created you with the capacity to worry, but to praise Me. Anxiety is poison to your soul. My directives are here - bring every little thing to Me in prayer and supplication and thank Me for them. Leave them with Me, don't take them back. My peace will fill you and guard your heart. Train yourself to dwell on the good, not the negative. This does not come naturally - you must train your mind to follow these paths. God will supply all your needs and the needs of those you are concerned about - not just physical needs of provision but all needs. Give [family members] to Me as well as Steve. Pray and intercede, giving thanks, and allow My peace to invade your life. I will work in their lives and answer prayers. Rest in Me."

Around 8 a.m. I received an e-mail from WR telling me about the stroke. Charles and other colleagues were so good to stay with Steve and Charles accompanied him on the flight to Nairobi. Naturally, I was upset about what was happening, but God's peace surrounded me and family members were with me. I decided to fly to Nairobi and with the excellent help of Steve's travel insurance, I was able to get a flight that same afternoon. My brother drove me to Chicago and off I went.

I was not able to connect to internet during the trip and when I arrived in Nairobi at midnight local time I was not sure if Steve had arrived or where he was. But I took a taxi to Nairobi Hospital and talked to a nurse who confirmed he was there. I could not see him until 6 a.m. but at least I knew he was stable and had eaten some meals. Through the night I prayed and rested on the prayers of many people who already knew the situation. The reunion at 6 was sweet but he was not speaking very much at all.


As I look back to Saturday I can see the progress and vast improvement he has made. He now walks unaided, he is getting the strength back in his right hand, he enjoys physical therapy and he is regaining his speech. Yesterday he started naming his siblings and their dates of birth, with some help. We are working on things that are embedded in his mind such as counting, alphabet, months of the year, family names, etc. In conversation he knows what he wants to say but it does not always come out clearly. I was also impressed when he went to the computer to find some documents. There is still frustration but it is remarkable that he can do as much as he can.

The view outside the window of his private room:

Walking the halls:

I have been staying at a guesthouse within walking distance of the hospital. They give amazingly large English breakfasts and the best tilapia I have ever eaten.


The best news is that we will be discharged on Saturday. We know there will be need for lots of patience as he regains his speech, but we are so thankful to God for the healing and grace He has given us and for the support of family and friends around the world praying for us. Charles and the Kenya WR staff have gone the second and third mile to accompany us and we will be forever grateful.

We ask God to give wisdom to our doctors in the U.S. as we continue down the path of correcting the arrhythmia which caused the blood clot and the stroke. We are thankful for good medical care both in Kenya and the U.S. and most of all for the Master Healer.

Nails and Grass

World over, people generally need to take care of their nails. Finger nails, toe nails all need care and cleaning from time to time.  Of course, there are the Nail Salons that have turned both finger and toe nails into both a business and fashion statement.  Between nails and hair, there is a salon on every block in Maputo.  

 

The last place we expected to find a neatly cleaned set of nails was in our refrigerator.  Yup, you heard that correctly, refrigerator.  Rachel bought a local chicken from a friend and for 10 Meticais, you could have it killed and cleaned, so wisely she did!  However, when the chicken arrived, it was VERY CLEAN, right down to the nails.  They were so clean and “cute” we had to laugh and thought you would like to see them.  J  

 

So I hope this does not stick in your mind next time you go to the nail salon. If you are wondering where the feet went, Rachel gave them away to someone who would enjoy them more than we would have.  (A happy ending.)

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When driving in a dry land like Zambia, often times we don't see much color.  However, there are moments when you come around a corner and you are surprised.  While driving through the bush, we came upon these grass seeds that were brilliant in the sunlight.  It was one of those times that you just had to stop and try to capture its exquisite beauty. 

 

Starting 2016 in Swaziland

This year we decided to discover more of Swaziland during our New Year's break. Our first stop was at Mabuda Farms which we love for its many trails to walk on and the peaceful quiet (interrupted occasionally by loud peacock calls).

 

I was intrigued by the face in the tree.

 

 

Steve is checking out the macadamias in the orchard. We did not stray far off the paths because of our previous encounters with ticks (which are very common in Swaziland and especially on farms) and African Tick Bite Fever. They say you are immune after getting it once and we hope this is true but we still took precautions.

 

Our next stop was in Ezulwini Valley where we stayed at a lodge right next to Execution Rock. The guidebook says: "The rock derives its name from the custom of a century ago, when wrong-doers accused of crimes such as witchcraft and murder were made to walk to the summit and plunge to their deaths. This venture inevitably required some assistance from the Swazi warriors on the ascent and understandably, a prod from a spear to facilitate the downward journey. Happily, this custom has been done away with!"

 

 

 

 

We heard about Mantenga Falls and wondered if there was any water flowing because of the severe drought in Swaziland and all of Southern Africa. When we found out that it still has water because of a dam upstream, we went on a hike. We rediscovered that signage is not a forte in Swaziland. One sign got us on our way but after that there were no more signs and we went in circles for awhile until we finally found the Cultural Center where the falls are located. Along the way we saw this sign:

 

 

Crocs are no joke, that's for sure and we were happy not to encounter any.

 

After hiking another km. or so we got to the falls. It is a beautiful scene!

 

 

 

 

 



Serving

Recently I had a dream that I remembered when I woke up (not usually the case.) We were at a funeral in the U.S., getting ready for a meal. I wanted to wash everyone's hands with a basin and pitcher as is done in Mozambique. The first row of people came up and washed, but the next few rows refused to come. They said their hands were clean or didn't say anything but just sat.

At first I was offended, then I said, "Oh well, I can't force them to accept the service" and I gave up.

 

Interpretation? Sometimes we serve with mixed motives and pride gets in the way. We want to be the givers to the "needy." We want to be needed. We feel superior to others. At times we want to force our service on people who don't need it - their hands are already clean. I have rejected hand washing at times because I just finished washing elsewhere. It's not personal rejection - I just don't need that service right at the moment.

I need to ask God what service is needed for specific people at a particular time. Then I must guard my heart and serve with pure motives and love for the people. When my desires line up with God's it will be a good thing for everyone and show God's love.


Our December Newsletter is now posted under "Newsletters" if you want details of what we've been up to the last few months.

Merry Christmas!

Chinhangane Village

It was a HOT week in early October (around 100 or above) but we still had good times with a team from Grand Rapids. The rains should be coming by now, but it looks like it may be another year of drought and heat. There is no food in the granaries, but people are now making money by rhino poaching as they are close to the Limpopo and Kruger Parks. They know they may not live long, but at least they will live well, so they continue the risky activities. The village leader is in jail in SA and some of the men have been killed. Massingir District where Chinhangane is located, seems to be a hub for this illegal activity.

 

Crocodiles are also a big threat. Last week a group from Chinhangane went to a nearby village to fish in the river. They dive and spear the fish, but this time a man was taken by a crocodile. They only found part of his body but got permission to catch the croc in a trap. They opened it up and found some other body parts. It makes one very willing to just view the river from farther back.

 

 
 
 

 

People’s lives are certainly not easy and comfortable in Chinhangane. This church from Michigan has provided a drip irrigation system for their agriculture field, a water system so they don’t have to get it from the river, and they have taught skills like knitting and sewing. They work with children and church leaders and others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They also showed them how to tell Bible stories in a way that helps non-literate people re-tell them and uses a lot of discussion – Simply the Story. There are only four churches in the village and three of them teach a mixture of Christianity and traditional religion/ancestor worship. There are plenty of challenges but we thank God for what has been accomplished.

This is one of the discipleship groups greeting us with songs and dancing.

The Big One that Didn't Get Away

While passing by a fresh water lake during our travels to Chokwe over the years, we have seen ladies selling freshly caught fish. So fresh that some of them were still wagging their tails, or so it appeared. Once we stopped with a friend who bought some that were still gasping for air, water actually, but they were quite small. Recently the fish have become larger due to improvements in the retention dam and the size of the lake. Having changed our diet to more fresh foods and natural oils, we found that fish in Maputo are quite expensive, so on a recent trip I stopped and bought some tilapia from the ladies. After some experimentation and a little learning on how to properly clean and cook these fish we decided to try it again. The tilapia were there and we bought some, but so was a much larger fish, for the same price, so I could not resist the opportunity to see what it would be like.

First off, it weighed a lot, was harder to de-scale as compared to tilapia and hard to handle. How to cut/filet such a thing? All I had was small, but good quality hunting knife that was really sharp. However, these was still a lot of meat left on the ribs, so we left half of the fish intact and baked it rib bones and all.

One piece made supper plus leftovers for quite a few future meals. After cleaning this one, the four tilapia were a cinch, but will make only 2-4 meals for the same purchase price.

Coconut Sagas

As some of you may recall, we helped start a cold pressed coconut oil business back in 2006 with a startup donation from some of our friends at Harvest Community Church. World Relief supported the idea and a WR manager (who was approaching retirement age and from that community) agreed to take the managing partnership role.

Producing liquid, white gold (from a tree no less)

Needless to say, it has been a live, learning curve in action from day one. I could go on, but needless to say, the first 7 years we lost money, maybe broke even the next and actually made a profit last year (if the books are to be believed, since they got done after the fact from a year’s worth of records). This alone is a series of sagas that could at times turn one prematurely gray!

So, we wrapped up production in December with my requesting they buy a few more coconuts at higher prices so that I can have some oil to sell in the off months. (Which they don’t. Prices were too high and they were too tired.) Then in early January, our manager says he and his wife have made a decision that he would retire this year and sell the factory. Wow, just like that, no discussion, questions or what do you think about this idea, Steve?

Well, we need a new manager and likely some new partners/investors in the mix if we want to move forward with production, growth and innovation. So, I share/shop the idea around to about six different parties that I know of who are either doing coconut oil, buying from us, selling oil, or want to sell it.

One comes back right away with, “Sure, I want to rent your factory for the next year and make oil. Here is my proposal.” Well, we had enough experience with this person to believe the offer was about 95% likely to fall flat before getting out the door, so I said, “Give us a written proposal, not just discussion” and that was just about the last of it, except a phone call to say, “No longer interested’ about 4 weeks later.

Another says, “Here is my idea/proposal, I bring you the coconuts (since I am starting similar operations across the street), you process and sell me your oil.” Our manager is convinced this is it, the answer to all his problems! Raw materials and export are covered, just run the factory. (I am not. What happens to our current customers who are depending on us for supply?)

Two more candidates who are actually working in the area with coconut products, have serious and real responses. Can we see your books and what would you charge for the company? Here’s the rub, no books since last year. How long to whip things into shape? Four weeks. That feels like a life time, even in the off season for a businessman. So, we wait. Once the books come out, we get verbal confidentiality agreements and share the data. How do they look? Not good, not terrible, so we have to think about selling this thing on its potential, not its actual profitability and return on investment, which is reasonable based on high demand from current customers, new people asking monthly and not being able to keep product in stock.

However, the price is just too high “for now.” We really need another year to make improvements, add capacity and build up revenues. What to do? Partnerships, alliances, new leadership, investments are all possible if we pursue and agree. So, we keep talking seriously to the two most likely candidates. One is like minded, business as ministry, the other community minded and profit driven.

New bombshell, the manager is selling his house and moving out of the community, even Mozambique. Wow, so much to not like about that unilateral decision. What to say or not say? We spend 2-3 days exploring options and talking about it. (I need to travel for two weeks now.) Ok, he will stick around until end of April. Lots of direction to pray for here. What is best for the company, him, us, the community, the business?

Talking to a close friend and advisor from our sending church, we ask these questions and receive the response, “You need to decide if the primary focus is ministry or business. I have seen each doing the other, but the primary focus must be agreed and done, or the other will interfere and create confusion.” True, we have seen that many times. Good food for thought. Primary goal has to be make a profit. Once this is sustainable, then as one producer said, the jobs will come (and so will opportunity for ministry.) The big outstanding question is now, how to structure the management, which partner to help us and who to hire for this year?

New bombshell (one that is easier to live with), the manager has decided not to leave Mozambique and wants to stay involved. Now the question is, how to move forward with the current limitations of present leadership? (So, my own advice comes back to remind me that, “If it were not challenging, it would not be called business!”) The saga continues……… (with hope).