by Laura Matheny, R.N. – HOH Medical Outreach Coordinator
In February, I had the privilege of leading a Hand of Hope medical missions team into Niger in Central West Africa. Niger is a place of great need, both spiritually and physically. Our medical/dental clinic was an incredible open door for the people to experience God’s love and hear the message of salvation. It was truly an honor to serve them.
The highlight of our trip was one of the last patients we saw. Her name was Fatisima. She was about 1 month old and weighed a little under 6 pounds.
This baby came to us very malnourished because her mother wasn't able to produce enough milk to feed the baby. In fact, this woman had lost 5 babies already due to the inability to provide enough milk for them. Fatisima was her sixth child, and was quickly heading down the same path. But her mother had heard about our clinic and came to us with hopes that we could help her.
Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about her milk supply...so we bought her a goat instead. There is a "goat milk" program in Niger that involves feeding malnourished children. It has had high success rates and so we asked the mother if she had a goat. She did not...and was not able to afford to buy one. So, for $60, we bought her a goat to take home with her and use the milk to feed her baby.
When we told her about the goat, she was so happy! Finally, she has hope that one of her children will live!
What a privilege it was to be a part of such an awesome act of love. While we were driving out of the clinic, our last sight was this mother and her child leaving with a goat...and a new hope for a better future.
Hand of Hope is the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Our goal is simply to help as many hurting people as we possibly can, to alleviate human suffering and to help Christians grow in their faith.
