I have taken a lot of very sad photos – especially of children – while following the doctors on rounds. However, I don’t post many of them because I don’t want this blog to be depressing – we want to focus on the hope that is being given here. Hope given by the dedicated hospital staff, the generous volunteers, and most of all Jesus Christ.
As sad as this photo looks, it is actually an ironically hopeful image. This boy had been in the hospital for several days. The morning I took this photo Heidi was discharging him as he was doing much better. However, he kept pouting, weeping, and wouldn’t look anyone in the eye. Heidi had the translator ask him over and over if he still had pain and if so, where? Finally, his father asked him and through a series of sobs he said in Mampruli “I just want to go home.”
Diagnosis: Severe case of home sickness
Prescription: Go home