Dear friends,
How thankful I am as I write to you! First of all for the life of Rowa,
a one-month-old baby girl from the city of Salt, northwest of Amman, Jordan.
Rowa was hospitalized three days after birth, blue and gasping. Doctors found on echocardiogram a severe coarctation (narrowing) of her aorta. Immediate surgery was indicated, but instead Rowa was sent home on medication and told to come back in two or three months. The reason, according to one doctor, was that her father's medical insurance did not cover congenital defects. If done in Jordan the surgery would cost at least $2500, while the annual per capita income in Jordan is something like $1700.
A relative contacted a children's fund, which passed word on to us. I
went to the family's home in Salt with Elia, a volunteer relief worker
from Holland, to tell them that doctors in Israel were willing to help
Rowa free of charge. The father said they were willing to go, until a
few days later when I phoned to say they'd have to go to the Israeli embassy
in Amman for visas. Within five minutes he called back to say they'd changed
their mind.
Another visit to S alt followed, where I showed the anxious mother pictures
of other Arab mothers and their babies from Gaza and the West Bank who
had gone to Israel for heart surgeries. Together we phoned one family
from Gaza so that the parents could be reassured that they would be well
taken care of in Israel. Finally, after I promised to go to the Israeli
embassy on their behalf, the family agreed once again to send Rowa.
A visit to the Israeli embassy in Amman is indeed a formidable experience.
Armored personnel carriers block the streets leading to the building (probably
in the wake of recent demonstrations and riots) and a small army of Jordanian
Bedouin soldiers surround the embassy. I heard one of them chatting happily
in Hebrew with an Israeli security guard, ending with "baruch haShem"
("praise the name of God"). When I commented on this, he said
that to know the language of the enemy was like a weapon in his hand.
"Yes," I replied, "but if you get to know your enemy he
might become your friend." Yitzhak, the Israeli consul, called me
that evening to say I could pick up an emergency visa for Rowa, her mother,
and grandfather, and he waived the normal fees.
Next the father went to the police to get a permit for leaving Jordan.
He called soon after to once again say they'd decided not to make the
trip, but would wait a month or two for Rowa's return visit to the hospital
in Jordan. By now I felt there was little else I could say. All explanations
had been exhausted. I simply asked the family to go with me the next day
to do a new echocardiogram for Rowa, so we would know if she had time
to wait.
The cardiologist the next day found that Rowa had extremely high blood
pressure, and as a result weakening of her left ventricle was taking place.
"Here, we would operate tomorrow," he said. Suddenly the family
was ready to move, and early the next morning they boarded the Amman-Tel
Aviv express bus together with Elia. They arrived Tuesday afternoon at
the Wolfson Medical Center, and Wednesday Rowa was catheterized. Dr. Tamir,
the Israeli cardiologist, found that there was barely any circulatory
communication between the upper and lower parts of Rowa's little body.
"The littlest thing could have pushed her over the edge and she would
deteriorate rapidly."
What if we had waited one or two months? "She certainly would have
died."
This morning Rowa underwent emergency surgery, and she is now recovering
in the pediatric ICU. Dr. Gilad reports the surgery was successful and
Rowa is doing well, although still intubated and in serious condition.
See Continuation of Rowa's Story
*********
I'm also thankful that our family is back together again, shown here outside
the beautiful home God has provided for us in Amman. With lots of packing
and transportation help from friends in Jerusalem, Michelle and our children
Rebekah, Josh, Elly, Benny, and Zach arrived yesterday, which also happened
to be our twentieth wedding anniversary. We had a celebration dinner last
night at a spectacular outdoor restaurant near our home, seated next to
lighted fountains and under pillars which look to be ancient remains of
a church or temple. Only missing is our oldest daughter, Renanah, who
is with my parents in Colorado, and now weighing her university plans.
We're looking forward to good things here in Amman; the joy of seeing
little Rowa's life saved is alone well worth the cost of our unexpected
departure from Jerusalem.
Meanwhile Philip and Martha Berg, together with their three young sons
Asher, Adam, and Nathaniel, have agreed to come and join us, working from
our center on Prophets St. in Jerusalem. Philip worked for many years
as the campus manager of Jerusalem University College on Mount Zion. We're
praying they'll be joined by other volunteers, and that even as a new
channel of healing may be opening between Israel and Jordan, the existing
work in Gaza and the West Bank will continue and be strengthened. I've
written to the Interior Ministry that our family's center of life will
be outside of Israel for the next year, as they requested, but asking
for permission to make short visits on a tourist visa to continue coordination
of our work.
Financial help for heart surgeries and related expenses should continue
to be sent to our Jerusalem office at Shevet Achim, POB 32296, Jerusalem
91000, Israel. It is still best to write checks to "Light to the
Nations" until our name change to Shevet Achim is approved by the
government. Our new personal Miles family address is POB 3442, Amman 11821,
Jordan.
We're experiencing the truth of Jesus' words, that "all these things
shall be added unto you." We will continue to believe Him, whether
we experience blessing or adversity.
Yours faithfully for His sake,
Jonathan Miles
Coordinator
Shevet Achim/Light to the Nations
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
in unity! Psalm 133
