Day 7 - Tuesday (Wheels Elburgon 2016)
In the afternoon Gunn and John accompanied Pastor Davis in his car to a remote village Mariashoni 12 kms away high up in the forest hills as it was difficult for the disabled people to make the journey to Elburgon. The wheelchairs and walking aids needed were loaded onto a truck which came with us. The road in places was deeply rutted and potholed so progress was slow.
Our first visit was to see a 4 year old boy who had hydrocephalus (water on the brain), he had a very large head small for his age and was paralysed. We walked a quarter of a mile through a field with sheep and donkeys, over a fence to the house made of mud and sticks – it measured about 12’ by 10’. The entrance was through a doorway bur there were no windows. A family of five lived here – there were some cooking facilities otherwise only some rugs and one stool. The family would sleep on the floor. The little boy lay on the floor and could not go outdoors. As we arrived a girl of about 3 screamed and ran away – it was the first time she had seen white people.
As Gunn chose a wheelchair and adjusted it we were surrounded by the local people. The little boy can now sit in his wheelchair, go outside the house and watch other children play. The family were so pleased as the “Prophet” had been unable to heal him but God had performed a miracle through a wheelchair and given the boy a new life.
As we moved on to the local church the rain started followed by thunder and lightning. We were greeted by many parents and children, some of whom had never seen a white person before and wanted to shake our hands or just touch us. The church was no bigger than a small chapel, made of wood with a sandstone floor. Gunn worked tirelessly in cramped and dark conditions with interested onlookers peering in. Wheelchairs were given to two boys and crutches were given to a couple of others.
When we finished there was no truck to take back the wheelchairs that were not used. As we left in the car with Pastor Davis the village give us a good send off. A young man hailed the car as he wanted a lift to Elburgon – he turned out to be God’s angel. The road was wet and deteriorated quickly. The car started to skid on the mud as though it was ice so we drove at a snail’s pace to avoid going into the ditches on the sides of the road. We then encountered several abandoned lorries that had skidded off the road making passing them extremely difficult. Our angel was able to get out of the car to guide Pastor Davis on the best route to avoid deep puddles and ditches. There were moments when we thought we might be spending the night in the car – we prayed hard.
Two hours later we arrived back safely. The rest of the evening the team were guests with Pastor Davis, Ruth his wife and their children for a delightful meal at his home. Gifts were exchanged at the end – Jill and Gunn each receiving a beautifully made bead and bamboo bag.