Achia Update

Many of you have been praying for Achia, so I wanted to give you an update.  We have joy and sorrow with Achia and her family. We continue to help with food and other needs each week.  This is one of the first families here that truly has nothing.  We wrestle with how to give without fear, yet without creating a mess.  Karlie, our teacher, has a heart for the disabled and has fallen in love with Achia.  Karlie goes almost every day to visit Achia.  She holds her, works with her muscles, and interacts with the family.  She always comes home ready to bath after Achia hugs on her with all her dirt, drool, and whatever she may have eaten when she was there.  But Achia is irresistible when she reaches out to you longing to be held. 

We are excited that Achia has gained weight and can even crawl and walk a few steps when you hold her hands!  I will never stop being amazed by what love and food can do.  We are thankful to see her usually bathed and the family holding her more and even showing love by interacting at times.

We see a new hope on the mother’s face.  The family seems to be grateful.  They even gave a chicken as a gift – a way to thank us even in their poverty!  They have come to church several Sundays.  Both Dad and Mom carry all three little ones.  I am excited each time they come knowing they are hearing from God and our church can get to know them too.  Since Karlie, our girls, or someone from our family visits almost everyday, many of our neighbors and church friends ask about it or have even come along.  Charles and Josh shared Jesus the other day with Achia’s Dad Opio.  He said they once believed but backslid.  They encouraged him to come back to Jesus.  Pray with us that they do – soon! 

We still grieve and wrestle with the hard stuff.  Achia still lays in the dirt, alone, too much.  Her guts don’t seem to be right and she is often very gasy and uncomfortable.  The other day Karlie came home in tears realizing the dysfunction in the family and how Achia suffers because of it.  The mother was gone for days, we are told they drink sometimes, fighting, poverty…the result is always the innocent suffer.  It is painful to see.  Who will rescue and care for Achia who can do nothing for herself?  Hard, hard stuff to deal with.

Last week we took Pastor Charles, Achia, and Opio (her father) to the eye hospital (3 hours away) we were recommended to take her to.  Our family had to go on to Kampala for a meeting, but Charles stayed with Opio and Achia for four days at the hospital.  They put Achia out to examine her eyes and did other tests.  It seems her brain does not receive the signal from the eyes and she is blind.  This was most likely caused from the cerebral malaria.  They do want the parents to do exercises with Achia with a light to see if they can get the brain to work with the eyes again.  We were thankful Charles took the time with Opio to teach them how to love Achia better.  Even the doctors and nurses encouraged Opio to hold her more.  Charles also went further with Opio spiritually knowing Achia’s abandonment is a spiritual stronghold in the family.

So please continue to pray!  I want to take Achia next week to a good doctor in town to get a good exam and tests done to know more about Achia’s health.  I want to know if there is more we can do.  Pray for Achia’s parents to come to Christ and be freed from the bondage they are in.  Pray as they know Jesus love they learn to love Achia better.  Pray for Achia to know her Heavenly Father’s love and comfort and healing.  We all love Achia, but it is hard to know what to do, it is tiring, discouraging yet worth it.  We know God is the answer.  His love, His power, His plan,,,for His glory.