Jamila and a VERY Dramatic Day in Nalerigu

If Nalerigu had a newspaper, THIS would have made the front page.

It seemed to be just a typical day in Nalerigu.  We were driving back to the compound with the girls after dropping off some things at the orphanage.  In my rearview mirror  I noticed Manassah waving his hands as he raced toward us on his bicycle.  I stopped to see what was going on and he said "Jamila's mom has taken her off the bus and won't let her go to Kumasi.  You must come now!"

Let me give you a brief introduction to Jamila.  She is a young girl about 10 or 12 years old who has a congenital heart defect.  Her grandmother, Azurah, sells fruit to us off of her head as she goes from door to door.  We know she is needy so we always try to support her business.  Thankfully we all love bananas!  We have known about Jamila through the Nyhuses.  (The Nyhuses have allowed God to invest themselves into the lives of so many people here in Nalerigu.)  She is one of 3 children born with heart defects that they have helped get specialized medical attention.  One child, Clement, had a serious heart defect repaired in Florida and is now in school and doing well.  Nuru had his heart defect repaired in Israel about the time we arrived in Ghana.

Jamila has not yet been evaluated by a cardiologist but this week was her chance.  Even from Missouri, Wendy Nyhus made all the arrangements for them to travel to Kumasi  by bus and see a pediatric cardiologist from America.  She would travel with Clement and his father who was going for a check-up and they were to meet up with Nuru's family in Kumasi.  But Jamila (and her mother) had other plans.

Now enter -- DRAMA!!  Back to Manassah urging "You must come now!"

We turned around and drove the short way toward the "station" where the buses arrive and depart.  When we arrived, we knew there must have been a scene.  A crowd had gathered and the drama was not over yet.  Apparently, Jamila's mother did not want her to go to Kumasi and had frightened Jamila.  Jamila had been taken off the bus and the bus left, along with their traveling companions who knew where they were going.  People were yelling at Jamila's mother that she must let her go and get this (potentially) once-in-a-lifetime heart evaluation.  Jamila was crying.  Her mother was crying.  The sun was beating down in equatorial degrees.  50-60 kids were crowded packed in around us radiating even more heat like little space heaters.  As Manassah attempted to call Clement's father, Baba, and discuss options, Cindy went to find some cold water for Jamila.  She had stormed off and was sitting over by a fence when Cindy returned -- but she did not want the water.  In fact she threw it across the path.

Azurah is in the middle by the narrow window with the green and pink head scarf.

In the meantime, Jamilah's mother gave in and left Jamila's bag with us and Azurah to go on to Kumasi.  The only thing, she had missed the bus by now.  We went to see if we could, by chance, get another bus and found one last bus that was going part of the way.  She could then catch another bus to go the rest of the way and still make the appointment the next day.  Azurah came and got on the bus (along with another grandbaby on her back that she was taking to its mother in Kumasi) but no Jamila.  We found her being escorted to the bus by a trusted family friend who was having success at encouraging Jamila that everything would be ok and that she would indeed NOT be KILLED like she had been told by her mother.  We realized as she was getting on the bus that the child did not even have any shoes.  Cindy and Natalie left and quickly returned with some new flip-flops that were delivered to Jamila.  Jamila politely threw the new shoes from the window of the bus, but the bus driver retrieved them and kept them to give them once they arrived at their destination and prepared to leave Nalerigu.

Cindy counseling with Jamila's mother.

We went around to Azurah's window and laid hands on her and the bus as Cindy voiced a prayer for protection and peace.  As the words of Cindy's prayer ascended,  Jamila's clothes began descending from the bus!  Yes, Jamila was still determined NOT to go to Kumasi and was throwing all her things out the window piece by piece.  Then she began trying to exit the bus again.  By now, the other passengers on the bus who had been patiently waiting to depart decided they would be delayed no longer and blocked the exit so Jamila could not leave.  Her mother proceeded to try to get her off the bus, grabbing Jamila's scattered clothes from the ground but the growing crowd would not allow it and escorted the mother away.  Cindy, with Manassah translating, tried to explain that this was only for Jamila's good and that she would not be harmed.  In fact, she was just going for evaluation and did not have to proceed with any treatment if she did not want it.  As she was counseling with the mother, Cindy realized that the bus driver had come over to the mother and was yelling something to her.  Manassah translated -- he said "He is giving her advice -- telling her she should let the child go."  Cindy said, "Tell him we don't need him to give advice right now.  We need him to drive the bus away -- NOW!"

The bus DID eventually leave and Jamila DID make it to see the cardiologist.  She did well and their were no further attempts to flee.  Clement's dad, Baba, said Jamila was even laughing once during the examination.  It was determined that she DOES need a heart valve replacement and the cardiologist is exploring options for her.

• Please pray for Jamila during this exciting, yet frightening, time that she will have peace. 
• Pray that, if it's God's will, she will be able to get the needed medical treatment and that God will be glorified through all the efforts.  
• Pray that Azurah, a new Christian, will learn to trust God more and more every day as He proves his faithfulness to His children.
• Pray for Jamila's mother -- who is not a Christian -- that as Christians allow themselves to be the hands and feet of Jesus, she will come to know the peace that comes from being a child of God.

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