Dear friends,
This Shabbat a young Arabic couple came to visit us in our home in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. Bundled in the mother's arms was their first tiny baby, a girl named Iman ("Faith," which we had given as the middle name of OUR first baby girl 17 years ago). They had just returned from the Wolfson Medical Center in Israel, where Iman underwent heart surgery.
I read through Iman's discharge report, and learned that when she first arrived at the Israeli hospital she had a temperature of 40 degrees (over 103 Fahrenheit) and bilateral pneumonia. A few days later, the report continued, Iman developed difficulty breathing and respiratory acidosis, and had to go on a mechanical ventilator in the pediatric ICU. Only 16 days after her admission was she well enough to go in for surgery.
I was struck by the implication of what I was reading: this little one quite possibly would have died if she had waited even a day or two more before going to Israel. Perhaps I felt it especially because Iman was born just two days before our own precious new baby, Zechariah. Our hearts were filled with thanksgiving to see these new parents walking out of our home with the life of their child restored to them.
How blessed we are to participate in these outbreaks of God's grace! Just a few hours ago came a fax from a Professor Belhassen at the Tel Aviv Medical Center. He is a specialist who has just performed heart-saving radiofrequency treatment of a rare rhythm disorder for a 13-year-old boy named Mohammed, whose family lives crowded into a humble asbestos-roofed home in the Rafah refugee camp. "I think we did a good job with the young boy," wrote the Israeli professor. God willing, it means new life for Mohammed, a gentle spirit who has several times come to play with our son Josh.
Please pray with us that more and more of God's character, and the mercy we have found in His Son, will be displayed across the barriers in this part of the world. Twelve more Gaza Strip children are scheduled for open-heart surgery in Israel in the next six weeks. We are also praying and working to open the way for children to come for treatment across the Egyptian border, which lies just 100 yards from our home.
In our great Redeemer,
Jonathan Miles
Coordinator
Light to the Nations
POB 46
Ashkelon 78100
Israel
Tel. 050-402535
Fax 07-2131095
e-mail: lttn@netvision.net.il
Non-profit organization no. 58 025 750 9.
