Gangrene Usually Spreads

Mama Zuena's left index finger had turned a terrible crusty black. When she arrived at the Mamas meeting the week before I went to Dar es Salaam, Zuena, who has diabetes, showed us the horrendous looking finger, which had somehow become infected. When I asked her if she had been to the hospital, she replied she hadn't got the money. Clearly, she needed to go... and soon! As a group, the mamas gave her the small sum of money to go and see a doctor. And we prayed for her. I urged her to go straight away to the hospital. At the time, I thought she didn't realise the seriousness of the situation to do anything about it, but now loooking back, I think she was quite simply afraid and didn't know how she could do anything about it. 

When we came together again a few days later on Saturday, Zuena's finger looked terrible. It looked to me like gangrene would cause her to lose it. It was sickening. Zuena had been to the hospital, but the injections she needed cost 50,000 Tanzanian shillings each. She would need at least 150,000 shillings!

Feeling terribly sick just looking at her finger, and realising the seriousness of her situation, I just held her hand and prayed. All the mamas prayed for her and for the healing of her finger. She was able to take a loan from the group of 150,000 shillings and again I urged her as strongly as I could to go quickly back to the hospital. I phoned her when I was in Dar es Salaam, worried that she might be afraid to go to the hospital. She assured me she would go.

The Mamas Group met again this past Wednesday and Zuena came in with a smile on her face! I looked at her finger, with layers of crusty blackened skin coming off. She told us that the doctor had been completely amazed and surprised when he saw her again! He did not understand how the gangrene had not spread up her hand and arm! Gangrene usually spreads. She told us the doctor had thought she might not only lose her finger, but her hand and even, as she pointed on herself, as far up to her shoulder! Yet it had reversed! Zuena knew then that she, like many others, could well have lost her arm, possibly even her life, if she had left it longer. She told us she knew it was because of our prayers to God that the gangrene hadn't spread. And she said how very thankful to God she was!

We all thanked God! She has been able to get the injections she needs thus far, but we continue to pray that her finger would heal completely.

It is so great to spread good news about what God is doing!

 Zuena next to me with her little daughter, Mariam