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The Gift That Keeps Us Living
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THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON LIVING
I had just finished teaching in the Bible College one Monday night when I got news that there was a request for me to go to our Mission Church that is located in the mountains. I was tired from the weekend of preaching and the ministry but I felt the need to go and visit.
Early Tuesday, I set out for the mountains and promised Miss Debbie that I would try to get home early. I finished my work in the church, talked with some of the tribes men, and received some gifts from the tribal people which was banana, and fresh octopus.
As I was preparing to leave, they brought a tribal man and his little girl to my jeep and asked if I could help them get to the hospital. I looked at the child and I could tell that she was suffering from high fever and lung congestion. Her name was “Lorena“, a native girl 3 years old. We put Lorena in the jeep and her daddy came with us to the hospital.
After arriving at the hospital, we found out that the man had no money and no way of getting any. At our hospitals here in the Philippines, you pay first then get the services. We paid to have child’s blood exam (which is 2 dollars US dollars) and the doctor admitted the child right away. They found out that Lorena had two-kinds of Malaria, Pneumonia, a Kidney Infection and was highly Anemic. I purchased some prescriptions that had been prescribed and prayed over the child, left and went home to gather some food and bed mats for the child’s bed. Our hospital does not furnish that either.
The next morning, I went to the hospital to take food to the daddy when I learned that Lorena had gotten worse. Her condition had gotten worse because of the kind of Malaria that she had contacted. I asked one of the nurses if she was going to make it and the nurse dropped her head and said, if she does not get any “fresh blood today, she will die”. They said that her daddy could not donate because he had the malaria in his blood stream too. I asked what kind of blood and where do you get it? She said that it had to be “Special“, it had to be “Fresh Blood”.
I went to the city Red Cross Center and handed them the request. The lady looked at me and said we have no “fresh blood” of this kind. I asked “what kind does she need?” They said that she needed “B-type Fresh Blood”. I looked at the nurse and said, I have “B” blood, take mine and give to her. She looked at me and said “will you give your blood for this tribal kid?” It seems that we still have a culture problem with putting people into classes and it shocked her that I, an American would give my blood to a “tribal kid”.
When she asked me that question, something surged in my soul. Tears began to swell up into my eyes and I just could not hold it back. Later the nurse began to draw the blood from my arm and noticed the tears in my eyes. She stopped and asked if I was all right? I said “You see, I too was a sick child with many sin sick diseases. Death was on the way and my daddy could not save me because he also was a sinner. I needed a “special kind of blood”. I needed “fresh blood from the spotless Lamb of God” and the transfusion was made. His blood saved my soul, healed my disease and gave me a new life. The Bible says “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”. That means it is still fresh on the mind of God and it is still cleansing!! Hallelujah!
I delivered that blood to the hospital and held that little child in my arms the rest of the evening. The transfusion was made and immediately she began to recover. She stayed one week in the hospital and was ready to go back to her tribe.
I took Lorena and her daddy back to the mountains on the following Tuesday. We went up the mountain trail until I got almost to her house. We stopped at the Church where they removed their belongings out of the jeep. Lorena’s mother came and hugged her along with the rest of the family. As the daddy began to walk away, little Lorena came up to me, reached out to me with her little hand and said “Salamat Po” which simply means Thank You.
I only wished that my arms could reach 10 thousand miles across that ocean into America, and personally shake each one of your hands and say “Thank You, Thank You, and Thank You! That little girl is alive, her mom and daddy are saved, and the family has a good Bible Preaching Church to go to, all because of You! Without you there would be no Children hearing the Gospel, Churches going up, and Souls Saved by the Blood of Jesus. We say Thank-You in this Holiday Season. Pray for the Philippines!
THE DIX FAMILY