The Fight for Life #2

The Fight for Life Continues #2

Written May 8th 2008

Yohana here. It is my turn to write. My brother Benjamin, he is too weak to let you know how we are doing. It has been a real struggle for Benja these last days. There seems to be a continual fight between life and death over his body. At times you can see this very fight take place as you look into his face. Death is more real than life. Our new mom is the best, she continues to give us everything, she never sleeps it seems. My brother often sleeps on her chest to receive life from her warmth and heart beat.

This last Sunday it looked like death was winning the fight over Benja but my new dad sent out texts to others by phone to pray for life. Dad said that as they prayed together as a family and spoke the word life over Benja that you could see life come back into his face.

Our doctor friend Claire comes to see us every few days and she says that I am doing very good considering the circumstances, she even said that I have put on weight 200 grams, yippee! But Benjamin is struggling to put on weight but he has not lost any so this she said is a good sign.

I have a new big brother and three new sisters, their home schooling has been a bit out of schedule since my brother and I showed up. But mom says they are learning more than school could teach them since they are working with us. They all take shifts throughout the day and night. My tall dad is my real hero; he keeps it all going somehow. Thank you for your prayers and I ask that you continue; death’s spirit still lingers around our room, we do not have the energy to say no to it, all we have is you and others who will stand in the gap for us.

Greetings once again from the author. As I continue to take milk over to the boys twice a day at times I sense the pressure on the Lloyd-Jones family. I try to not just bring the milk but also to bring a smile and a spark of joy to the family. Their long days and nights are not easy and when death seems to have the upper hand at times of course the stress and emotional levels are at their highest.

There have been a few families and individuals that have gathered around these twins to give a hand in what way they can. Jette is still giving milk a few times a day as I have become the honored milk man.

Here in Tanzania, statistically, infant mortality is 70.46 per 1000 live births, this is how many will die before 1 year of age. In the US it is 6.3 per 1000. Malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and AIDS are common causes of death. These complexities come from deep within cultural ideas, worldviews, values systems, and also the real fact that most people live on less than a dollar a day. They simply can’t afford medicine or hospital, so people just hope for the best. This for many is their only answer. Death is just accepted here, it is quite common place among families. The deceptions that are in their world-views have left its curse and scars on the whole society.

As a missionary, it is very difficult not only to understand the world-view here, but then how does one have a long lasting positive influence on this culture? How does one change a world-view? Truly it is only by “all” of Jesus, not just salvation.

Please continue to stand with us all in prayer for Benjamin and Yohana and also for the missionaries who are serving the African people.

Lyle