"I Tell You Rick"!

Bringing a patient to the clinic at Um Tagouk...

“Rick, I’d like you to consider going to Liberia or Uganda”. Africa, I thought. Let me pray about that. I remember the challenge from Ron Hays as if it was yesterday. To be honest, Africa had never been a place that I’d given much thought to. Not that I had anything against Africa, rather, several places had always been on my radar, and Africa was not one of them. As far as praying about this trip, honestly, I don’t recall putting much energy into it. Another week would pass in October of 2004 and Ron called again, this time he said, “I’d like you to consider the Sudan as well”. I’m not sure what changed in my perspective, but for some reason the Sudan, and West Darfur in particular, just seemed to resonate within me.

Karen and I began to support, then, Northwest Medical Teams (today Medical Teams International) in 1985 after the earthquake in Mexico City. Then in 2001, I had the privilege to meet Ron and become a contributor toward the work of NWM Teams EMS program, teaching First Responder and EMT courses around the world. During the five years between 2002 and 2007 I was privileged to be part of three such teams. Though each one brought significant satisfaction and educated countless men and women in developing countries, still, that experience to West Darfur, has always had the greatest impact into my life.

When I hung up the phone that afternoon, I looked over to Karen and mentioned Ron’s other challenge. This time, we both began to pray. Should I go, and if I go, I would love to have a mentor, or connection with someone that would be significant. Why the second prayer, I’m not sure. Yet these were my, they were our prayers. Within two days I called Ron back and said that I would be honored to go to the Sudan and began preparations. Who would be the answer to the second prayer? Or, would the second prayer even be answered? Perhaps I would never know.

The day after Thanksgiving I would begin the journey which required three days before actually arriving into the capital city of El Geneina (Al Junaynah) in West Darfur. My teammate for the trip was a pediatric nurse from the Seattle area. Carol and I would meet in Chicago and then continue through both London and Ammon, Jordan prior to arriving in Khartoum, the Capital of Sudan. A two-day stay was required in order to obtain our credentials which gave permission to travel about the country.

Prayer with James & Asabi in El Genenia

Our compound, in the capital city of more than 200,000 people, was a collaboration of teams providing efforts toward better water, agriculture, well-child care and our medical component. I was shown to my home for the next month and introduced to my roommates, Kenyon, James Sakuka and Dr. Asabi Pierre Misambo from the Congo.

The four teams of the DRC (Darfur Relief Collaboration) were assigned to work in three different communities, though our medical team only worked in the two of Sanidadi and Um Tagouk out of respect of the Red Crescent who was providing medical coverage for the community of Aserni.

Upon our arrival and ready to work, our DRC teams were immediately placed on “stand down” due to some heightened security risk in the direction of our travel. Those two to three days were anything but useless. First, we were able to do some inventory and organization of our medical supplies. Second I was able to give some instruction to Dr. Asabi in regards to two Microsoft Office programs of ‘Word’ and ‘Excel’. What had become almost second nature to me, was all but foreign to Asabi. I was frequently brought to smiles watching the excitement that he was experiencing over these new tools. Later, when Asabi made his way to the States, he would often introduce me as, “This is my brother Rick. He taught me computer”! And I chuckle to myself, “Here I am teaching a surgeon. Seriously?!”

Last, but far from least was the building of relationships. As is often the case, meeting people along the way and upon your arrival most often overshadow the actual object of the mission/operation. Learning the struggle and journey, of which had been so etched into Asabi’s recent years … It was like listening to the life of Corrie ten Boom herself. In the mist of the story, his excitement of how God provided through circumstance after circumstance, brought little sadness, rather it brought great glory to our God. In the process of telling his story, Asabi would often pause … look at me … and say, “I tell you Rick!” He would continue to weave his story from one adventure to another and again he would pause, look up to me and say, “I tell you Rick!”

After dinner in 2011, Santa Ana

Finally arriving in the field, we were able to attend to hundreds of needs both in Sanidadi and Um Tagouk, where we would set up our remote compound. The nights would be full of West Darfurian food, of course rest, but again of most interest were the continued conversations. During one of these nights, Asabi, telling of the wonder of our Creator/Redeemer, he looked up to me once again and said, “I tell you Rick!” Then in quizzical fashion, he looked in the opposite direction and again back towards me and said, “Rick, I tell you a lot … don’t I?” Smiling I responded, “Yes, my brother, yes you do!”

As I’m completing this blog, one in which I’ve thought of writing multiple times over the years, emotion and tears well up in me. Today, August 22, 2019 … nearly fifteen years from our first encounter, my dear brother in Christ … Dr. Asabi Pierre Misambo … has become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America.

Our first meeting with Lydia & family, July 2018

So, I repeat, “Who would be the answer to the second prayer? Or, would the second prayer even be answered?” Oh, it has most definitely been answered. Answered in such a way, that only You Father could have designed. You, who provided the ability of a young David to pursue over the giant. In the same way You have allowed Asabi and family to have your provision all these years in the mist of their giants. You, our Father, who protected Daniel in the mist of the lions’ den. You have protected my brother until this day. You, who inspired the Apostle Paul to write to the Romans, “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing the suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character produces hope. And hope DOES NOT disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 ESV

And another fifteen years from now, "I tell you Asabi" if the Lord wills, and we are found living upon this earth … that same hope ... that very same hope shall be ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen! ... Amen!

The second song, Agnus Dei by MWS needs to be added to this blog. Asabi, James and I sung it one morning just prior to 5am prayers begun. During breakfast that morning one of the staff  commented how much they enjoyed hearing worship to our Creator/Redeemer ... the Lamb of God. Yes, 'Worthy Is The Lamb'!