My pastor posted on social media, “I pray you get 7 miracles within the next 7 days!” I replied that I had 7 people I want to give these miracles to.
My heart is breaking as I learn of the hopeless conditions in a refugee camp in Africa. I know one young man there who wants to share his stories with the world and is looking to me to be his writing mentor. I was not sure he would live long enough to do this.
His reality:
The company laptop he used to write his stories was stolen. He tries to write stories on his cell phone and enormous work has simply disappeared from the phone as it failed to save with the sketchy internet and limited data he has.
He lives in a hut with a dirt floor, no shelter from rain, no electricity, heat or plumbing.
The food the UN provides to refugees is expired and maize has holes in it and the beans are riddled with weevil bugs and the oil is rancid. There is no clean water. The death rate in the camps is very high and heartbreaking.
While he has a phone, he must be exceedingly frugal with the internet service he has to buy. He can check email but he cannot watch a video as it would take too much data. He must stand on a hill outside the camp in order to get marginal internet service.
He is in great pain with stomach ulcers. He has no funds for medical care. In the last three months he lost 24 pounds and his 6 foot frame only weighs 108 pounds/49 KG now. His daily diet of beans aggravates the pain but not eating also brings pain.
Renting a room in a semi-civilized city would cost $26-39 per month. He could get a job that pays $60 per month. This would not leave enough for food and transport. So he remains 19 years in exile in the camp.
He used to charge his phone and laptop in the health center but they changed their policy and now he has nowhere to charge the devices that let him reach civilization. Charging stations cost .39 to charge a phone. He does not have even this small amount.
The city closest to the camp is 50 KM/31 miles away and travel is on rutted dirt roads.
He was successful in applying for research work which pays $250 for 25 days of work. He would spend the majority of it on one semester of a four-semester diploma program but what he wants is an intense six-semester bachelor degree program but he cannot afford but one semester of a diploma program. He would work 5 days per week in his job and then try to find a ride to the city Friday afternoon and stay there Saturday and Sunday for school and then return back to the camp on Monday morning.
He desires to marry and knows the woman he wants as his wife. She is still in his homeland of South Sudan. The dowry he must pay is 50 head of cattle. He has no money for food or education or internet and the enormity of this dowry is an amount that brings hopelessness. He knows he will lose the woman he loves to the one that can procure the cattle. Her family is worse off in his homeland than he is in this camp.
I learned of his health crisis only after months of hearing his stories. My prayers are BOLD for him. Those seven miracles my pastor proclaimed all went to my friend Gor Buor who writes as M. Jilang.
Seven Miracles
Miracle #1 – Gor Buor got the courage to reach across the world to ask me to mentor him in his writing. Because he is an associate of Jerry, my African son, I accepted his request.
Miracle #2 – I shared TKM techniques he can do with just his hands on the body that redirect energy pathways and release the energy congestion that leads to disease. There is a sequence that can stop bleeding. He is doing that as well to help the ulcers.
Miracle #3 – Miraculous provision replaced the stolen computer so he can again write his stories.
Miracle #4 – I shared my videos of how to make a water purification system. He at least has access to rock, gravel, sand and charcoal.
Miracle #5 – I decided to use some of my tithe funds to help this boy. I sent funds that will give him enough internet to be able to watch the video I sent on how to make a water filtration system. He can also watch videos to help him with his language skills.
Miracle #6 – He is boiling his water and in conjunction with TKM he is starting to feel a bit better.
Miracle #7 – He made it to the city and was able to purchase a bottle of Ivermectin. After two days of taking it, his pain went away and he is able to think clearly for the first time in months. He has reported that after five days of Ivermectin, he has gained 6 pounds and is amazed at the clarity of his mind and what it feels like to be out of the pain he has suffered for years.
The Back Story
Five years ago a missionary friend returned from Uganda to tell our church of their work. He said God surprised him with the refugees. He visited a refugee camp and observed untold suffering informing us these people were dying of curable diseases and all they wanted was for someone to listen to their stories.
He then asked us to close our eyes and he said, “raise your hand if you want God to use you in a mighty way.” I raised both hands and then tears poured from my eyes. I told God I had a lot of what nobody wanted. I want to listen to the stories of others and give a voice to the voiceless. I know TKM, a simple technique which only requires two hands to bring the body into homeostasis and can miraculously stop bleeding and open congested energy pathways in the body that are responsible for disease. I study obscure things about living without electricity.
Six weeks later Jerry, who later became family to me, reached out with a writing assignment. Five years later, Gor Buor reached out to me with another sort of writing assignment. They ask for nothing and they complain about nothing as well. It took a lot of prodding to learn the desperation of their lives.
Why Africa?
Many people do not understand my relationship with the people of Africa. I have actually been shunned, judged and unfriended for befriending my African brothers and sisters. When you ask God to use you in a mighty way, you answer the call no matter where it takes you. God takes the tiny bit I have and multiplies and magnifies it for His glory. My simple skills that people shake their heads at in America are life saving in a refugee camp in Africa.
So, if you want God to use you in a mighty way, raise your hand.
Polly Riddell writing as G. Polly Jordan is being used by God in a mighty way. She listens to stories, shares life-saving health techniques and is a voice for the refugee in exile.
She says with a sly smile, “I serve the God who owns all the cattle on a thousand hills.” Let’s see what happens.