Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Mzati Banda Update 26 March, 2014

Mzati was brought to the ABC Clinic for his stitches on his head to be removed, but the others were not yet ready.

However, he was very weak and did not look well, he was tested and found to have 4+ Malaria. This is very bad. He has had to stay at the ABC Clinic to receive the Malaria treatment.

Please continue to pray for healing for his body and grace for his sufferings and grace and comfort for his family.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Update on Mzati Banda

(I could not log in to our blog site yesterday to give an update)

On Thursday morning after Chapel, we took some teachers and students over to the Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) to visit Mzati. He was in on of the "paying" rooms ward. (All treatment and medicine at KCH is "free" except for a few fee paying rooms. The room he was in was similar to one at the ward at our clinic on the mission compound.) He had finished his blood transfusion around 3 AM that morning.

When we saw him around 9:15 AM and his spirits were quite high. (He said that he gave the thieves a 4 out of 5 for their performance. That's Mzati!) He also looked a lot better than I was expecting him to. When we were there, we were told that he still needed two more units of blood. I am unsure of whether this happened our not. (Side note: One of the blessings of this time has been our Upper School Science teacher, Gail Guidice. Gail knows a lot of Chichewa and was appointed a co-guardian for Mzati by his grandparents. It is scary to think what would have happened to him, if she was not there advocated for him and making sure that he was tended to!) They ran out of blood at the hospital but the blood bank was next door. I know that Gail went there to try to work something out, just not sure if it ever happened.

Mzati was discharged, again thanks to some serious advocacy and intervention by Gail, around 2 PM yesterday afternoon. He will go back for a check up on Tuesday.

Please continue to give thanks that God spared his life! Also, continue to pray for his brothers, Limbikani is a Senior this year and Shingi a Third grader, and for their mother who is out of the country currently. They live with their grandparents and their dad is not in the picture. These are three great boys! Pray for spiritual comfort and growth for them during this time.

A number of people have responded with inquiries about assisting financially. I do not believe there is any need for this, but thank you so much! The community here has been very supportive and encouraging.

I will update again after his check up on Tuesday, unless there is someing to report before then.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Please Pray for 9th Grade Student Attacked by Thieves

Dear Family and Friends,

Please pray for Mzati Banda. Scharlie taught him the two previous years and he is a fantastic kid. He lives about 5-7 minute walk from the ABC Mission campus in the same "neighborhood" as we do here. (This is also indicative of the mood of the country as we are in the "hunger times" and moving towards the elections in May.) As the email closes with, give thanks to God that he is still alive! It could easily have been otherwise. Also pray for a full recovery.

Hey all,
 
Not sure if you've heard by now, but Mzati Banda in 9th grade was attacked by robbers this evening as he was walking home from school.  Two guys assaulted him with pangas and dealt him some pretty serious blows.  He has two large gashes on his head, two on his shoulder, and one on his elbow: all requiring stitches.  Thankfully he was just near his house and was able to get inside for help soon after.  He lost a lot of blood, and was taken to The Clinic, a private clinic near Lilongwe Hotel.  He got stitched up and will be receiving IV fluids, pain meds, and antibiotics through the night there.  In the morning he'll go to KCH for x-rays on his skull and shoulder (the two deepest wounds).  I was there with Todd, Steve and Marion, Caleb and Sam and Mzati's grandmother.  Limbi and his grandfather were arriving as we left at about 9pm.  While we were there he was talkative and joking a bit.  He looked drowsy and a bit glazed, but actually was doing pretty well. 
 
Please be in prayer for him and his brothers and his family.  He was starting to really feel the pain when we were leaving, and large cuts mean susceptibility to infection.  Pray that his wounds don't involve any fractures or permanent injuries.
 
Also, praise God that it was not more serious.  He could have easily been killed by these guys wielding pangas, or been knocked unconscious and bled out on the road.
 
I'm sure we'll get an update some time tomorrow morning, but please be in prayer for him.  Thanks