FEMA, Photos and Friendly Returns

September 19/06

The day started out as overcast, but we really couldn’t afford another rainout. We had promised the residents at the Mount Olive FEMA park that we were going to do free family photos, and we had already cancelled once due to sideways rain and severe lightening. But, the prayers of the righteous availed much and the weather cleared. We had a bright, sunny afternoon.

Dr. Cheri and Joseph were there, along with their crew from Healing Hands (mobile medical). Once we got the photo shoot set up (complete with country-style back drop, a wooden bench and glare-control side panels) we got out the basketballs, hula-hoops and kid’s activities. Kari Smith and I were very quickly schooled on the court by sixth-graders and retreated to bubble-blowing and baby holding. At one point during the festivities, Kari set her cell phone down on the table. When she went to pick it up it was gone. Rats!

We separated our volunteers into teams and went house to house (or rather trailer-to-trailer) letting people know that the doctor was in and the photographer was ready. Most of the kids had already headed over, but we did get to talk to a few adults. Other than a string of profanity from one disgruntled resident (not disgruntled with us so much as just disgruntled in general) it was a productive time. We saw Allen carrying his poodle. They were heading over for their family portrait. I told one woman about mobile medical and that we were doing photos. She waved a handful of multi-colored weave at me and said, “I’m fixin’ to get done right now”. I love ICU!

We walked back over by the photo shoot and watched kids posing and bowing up to the camera. Hulk Hogan would have been proud. Jenny was sitting at the picnic table talking to a neighbor. Other than some small scars she seems to have, at least outwardly, recovered from the brutal domestic attack she endured a few months earlier. I sat down with her and asked her how she’d been. She told me that her 2 year-old had just gotten out of the hospital. Apparently a couple of teenage boys from the park had held him down and forced him to inhale whatever drugs they had been doing. When he lost consciousness he was taken to the hospital and put on a respirator. He was in a coma for 2 days, but then he woke up. I watched him running around blowing bubbles and playing with his little friends. God is good.

Taneka and Jason were talking when she called me over. Jason is probably about ten and he’s in a wheelchair. He’s unable to go anywhere unless someone pushes him, so Taneka and Kari had been taking turns being his tour guide. I sat down on a cooler in front of him and said, “Hey Jason, what’s up?” He shrugged his shoulders and Taneka said, “Jason says he doesn’t know how to pray”. I asked him if he knew who Jesus was. He nodded firmly and said “God”. Rather than get into a theological debate I agreed. I then explained that prayer was like sending a letter; you just say whatever you want and then put a stamp on it by saying ‘In Jesus’ name’. I told Jason that by praying in Jesus’ name that sends the request right up to God. He seemed to understand. I asked Jason if he wanted us to pray with him and he said yes. I asked him what he wanted to pray for. He looked at me and said, “I want to walk”. I asked if he believed that God could do that and he said yes. Taneka and I laid hands on him and prayed for healing. He didn’t get out of his chair and walk, but I believe he will some day soon. I told him that I believed that God was going to strengthen his legs more every day and that one day he would just get up and walk. I told him that as soon as that happened I wanted him to run over and tell me. He smiled and said he would. A little while later I noticed a commotion on the basketball court. Kari had wheeled Jason over to shoot hoops with the other boys but the basket was too high for him. The players set down the ball and gathered around the pole. Three of them pulled the pole down until they had it low enough for Jason to shoot. His first shot missed but they handed him the ball again. They all cheered when he made his second shot. There were smiles all around. I later heard that Jason had never played basketball before. Maybe we got a little miracle after all.

Somebody hollered my name and I turned to see a man pointing at me. I had talked to him earlier and invited him to come and get a free medical check up and a picture with his family. He waved me over to his car so I grabbed Kari and headed his way. Joseph was kind enough to come and stand guard a few feet away, which is always comforting when dealing with a 300-pound man in fully tinted Chevy. He asked me if I remembered him and I said of course. He waved me closer to him and said, “I don’t want anybody to know what’s happening so just be cool.” I nodded and took another step toward him. He continued, “I don’t want nobody getting in trouble, but somebody tried to sell me a phone. They said it belonged to a doctor or something. I told him that these people was out here helping us, that we couldn’t be stealing from ‘em. Anyway, I got the phone back, but don’t let nobody know.” Just then a woman walked past the car and he pointed to a mark on his face and said, “like I was saying, I don’t know what it is but I think I need some medicine.” I looked him square in the eye and said, “That’s why I think you should let Dr. Cheri look at it.” The woman walked away so we returned to phone talk. He gave Kari her phone back and asked that we not say anything. She thanked him and carefully slid the phone into her pocket. As another passerby approached I said, “Come here early next time and then you’ll have time for the doctor to look at it.” He said okay, smiled at us and drove away. Did I mention that God is good?

Our volunteer photographer took over 40 pictures before we called it a wrap. Healing Hands was still there finishing up with patients when we pulled out of the gravel lot. It was a great day. Jason shot his first basket, dozens of families got their pictures taken, and Kari’s phone was safely returned. A good day indeed.

Thank you HPC. All glory to God.