We received word yesterday afternoon that two of the children in our orphanage have contracted cholera. But Edner, our Orphanage Director, acted quickly. The two children were taken to a hospital some distance away where they received treatment and are now recovering.
Cholera causes severe diarrhea, which leads to dehydration. If fluids are not replaced quickly, this can lead to death. We thank God for protecting these children, for giving Edner the wisdom to respond quickly, for seeing them safely to the hospital, and for using the treatment to combat this infection.
We also thank God for protecting Pastor Diogene yesterday!
When Diogene first heard that the children in the orphanage were sick, he decided to make the four-to-five hour trip from Port-au-Prince to Tricotte to make certain that the children were receiving proper treatment and to help transport them to the hospital if necessary. So Diogene, a driver, and two helpers left Port-au-Prince and drove north. About an hour out of the city, Diogene used his cell phone to call Bernie to apprise him of the situation. In the middle of their conversation, Bernie heard sudden crashing and banging of metal and glass, and then the phone went dead.
Bernie quickly called back and soon was able to reestablish a connection. A young boy had stepped into the road in front of the pickup. The driver swerved and missed the boy but lost control of the vehicle, which went into a ditch and rolled over three times! The Haitians who had witnessed the wreck told Diogene they were certain that everyone in the pickup was dead. But not only did all four survive, they were virtually unscathed. It was truly a miracle.
Finally, we are grateful to God that Glenn has a firm diagnosis and has begun treatment for peritoneal tuberculosis, an uncommon disease that has infected his intestinal lining. The treatment lasts six months, but the long-term prognosis is good, and we are looking forward to the day when Glenn will return to Haiti with us.
Incidentally, Glenn’s doctor does not believe Glenn contracted this disease in Haiti, but rather on a trip to India a few years ago.
Serving the Lord together,
Bernie, Sheryl & Philip Bovenkamp
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