Saturday, January 12, 2008

The Story of Fred...

I want to tell you a story today..a story of a man named Fred. Funny that though he was only a part of our lives for about 4 weeks, I can still see his face. We were trying to start a church in our small village, and every week we had a few stragglers that we had never seen before, who usually came because they wanted something. Fred was one of those. After church one day, he introduced himself and told us he had been coughing up blood. He said that he went to the local clinic and they told him his "blood was bad." They gave him a few pills that didn't help. Blu offered to drive him about 45 miles away to an American clinic that is set up by John Hopkins out in the bush. We didn't ever do this for anybody else, but Blu just felt he needed to do it. They kept Fred for a few days and did lots of tests (we assumed it was TB) but they came back negative, and they basically told him there was nothing they could do. Fred returned home and we promised to pray for him.

We didn't hear anything for a couple of weeks, when Fred just showed up at our hut one day. He was so excited because he said he was doing better. His friends had told him that what ailed him was not a physical problem, but a spiritual problem, and he needed to visit the witch doctor to take care of it. The witch doctor told him that he had been "cursed" and that someone had placed hair and fingernails in his chest (causing the coughing and blood). He then unbuttoned his shirt, and Blu was shocked to see an actual hole in his chest. The witch doctor had cut a hole and "removed" these fingernails and hair. Fred was now feeling better. Blu tried to make him understand that only prayer and Jesus Christ could heal him, not a witch doctor. Fred seemed remorselful for going to the witch doctor, but you could tell he was happy to be feeling better.

We soon left for South Africa to have our baby. When we returned 1 month later, Fred had died. Fred left behind a wife, who is blind, and a sweet little boy.

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Please pray for the people still living in darkness in Africa.

5 comments:

Brandi said...

These are the real stories of the bush. . .I saw just the surface and those faces brought me to tears. .this is what it's really about. Loving, Serving and Introducing Jesus. Thank you for your willingness to go! I can't wait to hear more stories and pray for the "Freds" in your life soon.

Love you,
Bran

Julie Redman said...

what a story! i just talked with someone from liberia today that had his own stories to share with me. I too, am so grateful for the servant hearts of people willing to go and show the love of Jesus. Thank you!
Julie

missy said...

What a sad, sad story. I'm so glad there are people like you who are willing to go preach the truth to them. Thanks for doing what you do. I promise to be a faithful prayer partner and help financially whenever I can.
Love, Missy

A Family said...

Darn it Darbi, you can't go telling a story with a sad ending! I was so happy that Fred was feeling better and then crushed at the ending and a blind wife, you can't make this stuff up!! Ugh. Oh well, I'll still return because I do love your stories, especially the ones with happy endings.

Chris

Anonymous said...

This story made me tear up! The thought that their hope, and sometimes our too...hugh? is placed in something and/or someone other than Christ! We're 'comfortable' here and we are told of Jesus all our lives...it's easy to forget those that are in total darkness....but for those who go.....bless you!!