Highlights of Africa - Part XIV

The last full day we would have in Congo we spent touring the facilities that ATC supports. These include a church, a hospital, a feeding center and farm, a school at an orphanage, and a site where ATC hopes to build a women’s shelter for many of those women we met a few days before.

At the hospital we met with the chief doctor, an incredible Christian man who also serves as a pastor at a local church, preaching the Word of God every Sunday. He has 12 doctors that work for him and he graciously took the time to meet with us in his office, giving us statistics and answering all our questions.

I was especially impressed to hear him say that he believes in treating the whole woman. Most of his patients are women and children – mostly rape victims. In addition to the medical services, he feeds them, prays with them, encourages them to find Hope in Christ, and brings in women from outside to help teach them skills they can use to earn an income once they’re released from the hospital.

He pointed out one on whom he had already conducted six surgeries over a three year period, and gave us such statistics as the age range of his patients: from 2 to 85; the number of patients he expects the hospital will treat this year: 4,000; and how it is impossible to estimate the number of women who die out in the bush because they cannot get to the hospital.

He emotionally recalled the story of one woman who was so savagely raped with a bayonet that she begged for him not to perform any surgery on her, but to let her die.

He took us on a tour of the hospital, showing us first the post-op room. It looked like a M*A*S*H unit with all the cots lined up in rows and IV bags hanging at each bedside. One of our team members asked if one of the patients was getting a blood transfusion. No, he was told, that was a urine bag, draining the blood.

But the most amazing thing happened when we entered the room. The impact this man has on his patients is evident. When he explained to his patients who we were and why we were there, those who were physically able began singing a praise song!

Every one of us was in shock. These are women who have been through hell. And they greeted us with praise songs! I was not the only one who struggled to grasp the scene as we lived through those moments.

Our senior pastor in the group led us in prayer for these women, and we all left that room a little different than when we entered.

Next on the tour was ‘pre-op’, which was actually just an open area under a roof, with picnic tables and scores of women – probably 1,000 or so – sewing, knitting, or doing something to keep them busy until they could have surgery. Again, our chief doctor announced us as visitors and the reason for our visit and allowed us to pray with this group of women. And again, they sang for us a beautiful praise song, a song of Hope and faith in the promises of Jesus.

Before we left, we noticed an older woman holding a small child, a little girl. She was 2. And yes, she was a patient there.

Our team was so struck with the sickening feeling of the knowledge of what has been done to this precious little one, and many on the team broke down and then were silent and withdrawn for awhile.