By Pastor Heidi McGinness

Pastor Heidi prayed with Akol before the journey to Kenya that saved his life! CSI  

Akol had no crutches, only a simple staff to support his weight as he hopped on one leg towards me. His broad smile could not conceal the pain that throbbed through his severely swollen left leg.

He and his family live in the remote countryside of Sudan, a place where the government long ago closed all hospitals and severely restricted the work of international medical organizations.
Any doctors and nurses practicing medicine in the bush were fair game for the militias, just like the hungry and hurting southern Sudanese.

But thanks to the partnership of friends like you, Christian Solidarity International defied the Islamic dictatorship of Khartoum and helped Dr. Luka establish a small clinic.

Akol’s father carried his injured son to the clinic, a full day’s walk from his home.

The 11-year-old’s broken leg had festered so badly that chronic infection had now moved into the bone. Sadly, Dr. Luka could not treat Akol’s terrible wound.

The boy would need a trip to Kenya, to a real hospital, for x-rays and immediate treatment. But for all that his family could afford, it might as well have been a trip to the moon.

I laid hands on Akol and prayed with him, and I also prayed that we could find a way to get him to Kenya for the treatment that could save his life. When I left Akol, I made two promises. I would pray for his leg to be healed by the Lord every day while I was away. And to seal the prayer, I promised that I would return with a soccer ball. John Eibner and I left the area before the outcome in Akol’s case was clear, but the little boy had great faith that he would be healed and able to rejoin the other boys in their games of soccer. I returned home to Denver and prayed every day that this wonderful little boy would be healed. Then the miracle happened. With the help of our Sudanese CSI team, travel to Kenya was arranged. Akol and his mother would even be able to stay in the home of the mother of one of our Christian Solidarity team members!

Today, Akol has received his life-saving treatment and surgery to save his leg. He has returned to his poor but loving home in the bush and is attending a primitive, makeshift school near his village. He is now learning the three R’s and is becoming familiar with the Bible.

And because of the work of God, CSI, and you faithful supporters, I will fulfill another promise I had made to Akol that day in Sudan. I will be bringing a soccer ball on my return.