A Bittersweet Decision

When I arrived last Friday one of the first things I was told was that Juma P had moved home. Juma has been suffering from many illnesses since moving in with us 2 years ago. He has dealt with everything from diarrhea for weeks at a time to seizures. While Juma has been living with us, we have also been helping out Juma’s family and our goal has always been to return him to his home, as he has a very loving affectionate mother.

It sounds like his mom wanted to bring him home to see just how he was doing. So that she could monitor his seizures first hand. After one week at home, she came back to us saying that Juma wanted to come back and live with us again.

Sigh. It things like this that make this job so hard.

I can’t say enough about how great Cifa, Juma’s mom, is. You can tell she cares for him so much. It’s beyond obvious that she wants what is best for him. The only problem is that she doesn’t really have the means to support all of her children and with Juma’s health needs he needs better nutrition and such. But at the same time she is his mother. In that sense she and her family can provide Juma with so much more than we can… I don’t even know how to explain but it’s that weird glue that holds a family together.

Julie, Adriano and I talk all this out and come to the conclusion that it is best for Juma to stay at home with his family. But we will increase the amount of food we give his family each month. We will add more protein, fruits and vegetables. We will also continue to help with his medical expenses. I also brought some children’s vitamins from the states for Juma, so we will be giving those to Cifa weekly for Juma. Finally one of the things that God has really laid on my heart is finding ways to allow widows to support their families on their own.

I’ve always known Cifa would be the first person I would help. I can’t explain how God has soften a corner of my heart for Juma, Cifa and the rest of their family. When I think of what I will be doing in Mozambique it’s their faces that pop into my head. When I come to Mozambique, even though Cifa and I only speak a few of the same words in Portuguese (as her main language is Macua, a local tribal language). I’m always so excited to see her and let her know that I care for her and think of her often.

If you could all be praying for Cifa, Juma and myself in this transition I would really appreciate it. Specifically for Juma’s health, that he would be freed from his seizures and his body would be restored to full health. For Cifa that she would lead her family and be wise with what she has. For all of us that we would be able to encourage each other during this time and do what is best for Juma.

One last thing I forgot to mention. During the meeting with Cifa and Juma we were talking about his age. I was told when I met him that he was 7 and so now about 8, remember he is the size of a 4 year old. Well in this meeting his mom said, “When he came to live here he was 8, so he must be 10 now.” I thought it was crazy that he was 8, but to find out he is 10… what? I’m speechless.