FOOD ARRIVES FOR THRILLED HOSPITAL WORKERS IN ZIMBABWE

DOCTOR THANKS LEE'S SUMMIT COMMUNITY CHURCH FOR ITS GENEROSITY.

OCT. 13 , 2008

Thanks to gifts from Lee’s Summit Community Church and others, grain has arrived to feed the hungry workers of Sanyati Baptist Hospital in Zimbabwe. The hospital is where Dr. Mark Byler, of LSCC, serves on the frontlines of alleviating suffering in this impoverished country.

Mark appealed to his home church last month for a special gift to help buy grain for the hospital’s workers, who were suffering without enough food. Some relief organizations have helped provide food for the hospital’s patients, but none provide assistance to the employees.

Although the hospital’s workers are well-paid, the nation’s 11,000,000 percent inflation rate has eroded their buying power to the point where they cannot buy food for their families.

LSCC responded, donating more than $8,000 last month, which will provide food for employees for about six months. Because of this, the hospital's staff will be able to more effectively serve the region's patients.

Mark, who serves with his wife Angie and son Luke, reports that employees were elated as food began arriving. He encouraged them to thank his church, and more importantly, God.

Angie Byler shared this news about the food’s reception:

“One of the senior nurses stopped by our home a day or so later and began literally dancing and singing a song of thankfulness. She had been gone at the initial distribution but received her portion later. She shared some wonderful words with us that I need to pass on to you all. She said, ‘Not only has your church helped us survive, but I have learned some great lessons from this pouring out of kindness. First, if that church can help us, then what ought our churches do to help others? We need to reach out to help the others around us and I am telling this to everyone in my church and around. Second, we need to continue to be on our knees before God, telling of His love and provision. I was so blessed to be able to share food with a friend who stopped by. She was dancing around and praising God also. Please tell your church ‘Thank you!’ They have really encouraged us and built our faith.’”

Full letter from Mark and Angie Byler
Photo gallery of food distribution
Learn more about the situation in Zimbabwe and how to help

Letter from Angie Byler to LSCC

Friday, Oct. 10

The birds perch on the water spigot in my yard, waiting for that one drip to leak out so as to snatch it before it falls to the parched earth. The winds blow, but not a refreshing breeze, just swirling the loose dirt and sand from the ground.

People continue to work, coming and going, but often at a slower pace. The chopping of the ax to wood is a common alarm clock as families prepare for their breakfast fires, even if only to put on a can of water to boil for some weak tea.

Today is a little different. There is some hope and expectation around the mission compound. It’s nearly 9 a.m. and a small committee is gathered near the kitchen of Sanyati Baptist Hospital. Others are seen milling about with their burlap sacks tucked neatly under their arm. “The maize is coming – today.” The whispers are passed from person to person, unable to disguise the excitement and hope those words convey. It’s scheduled to arrive sometime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., (but there really are no schedules in Zimbabwe).

Every time I hear the rumble of a lorry (truck), I peak out the window in expectation also. So many things could go wrong and with no working phones, we may not really know. So we wait and pray. Most of the prayers have been already answered.

For months now, we have been made keenly aware of the hunger of the people around us. Physically, waistlines are shrinking (like many of us Americans try hard to obtain) but, it is a diet I would not recommend. Staple foods are difficult to find and expensive once they are found. Most of the working people can’t even afford the mealie meal to make Sadza (the main corn food product eaten daily) to feed their family on their monthly wages. Women carrying small, skinny babies on their backs come knocking at my door with baskets to sell in any attempt to earn money for food. The women of my prayer group shyly saunter back up to the porch after morning prayers, pleading that they are hungry and do not even have a cup of sugar in their homes to make porridge for their kids. The staff goes on a 3-day strike because of hunger.
Some employees state, “We just need some time off to try to find some food.”

There is some help now since the NGOs (nongovernment organizations) have been allowed once again to function, but the food donation is strictly for patients in the hospital, not the staff.

Thanks to the generous outpouring at Lee’s Summit Community Church, we were able to purchase six tons of maize to be distributed. Side note: The miracle of the money being donated was only half – finding that much maize to purchase in this country is a miracle in itself and took over a month and many contacts to accomplish.

It’s two o’clock now and as I gaze out towards the hospital once again, I see a long flatbed lorry backing up. “It’s here, it’s here.” Mark and I grab some cold water to take to the driver and head to the hospital. The crowd is already gathering. Everyone helps offload the 50 kg bags of maize, all 123 of them. Some are stacked for storage till the next monthly distribution, while the sacks with tears are getting ready to be given away immediately. Only after the loose kernels are swept up does the anticipation settle down.

Once all is offloaded, Mark informs the people of the source of the maize. He tells them that a need for food was made known to friends in our church in the States and out of their generosity and love the maize was purchased. “So you can thank them,” he said. “And, more importantly, you can thank GOD.” After the clapping and cheering, heads bowed for a prayer of thanksgiving to our Almighty, All Sufficient God.

Now it was time to fill the bags. Each employee is portioned 20 kilograms which are carefully measured out in one big bucket and two smaller water jugs. Nothing is to be wasted. Those kernels of corn are like gold.

The pieces which fell in the dirt were being panned out and sifted through by the young kids. The names of employees are called out alphabetically for them to step up and collect their “gold.” When they called out for Dr. Byler to receive his portion, we gently declined, offering my poor sadza making skills as an excuse. The people carried it off in wheelbarrows with their friends or on their heads in true African style. What a day of celebration for these families.

One of the senior nurses stopped by our home a day or so later and began literally dancing and singing a song of thankfulness. She had been gone at the initial distribution but received her portion later. She shared some wonderful words with us that I need to pass on to you all. She said, “Not only has your church helped us survive, but I have learned some great lessons from this pouring out of kindness. First, if that church can help us, then what ought our churches do to help others? We need to reach out to help the others around us and I am telling this to everyone in my church and around. Second, we need to continue to be on our knees before God, telling of His love and provision. I was so blessed to be able to share food with a friend who stopped by. She was dancing around and praising God also. Please tell your church ‘Thank you!’ They have really encouraged us and built our faith.”