PRAISING GOD
IN TRAGEDY
by Vera Lee
K elli S wick run s and p lays like any o th er norm al child. Gone is th e ter r ib le pain and th e dead flesh th a t once covered 60 percen t o f her little body. B u t n ever gone from th e m em ory o f her p aren ts, Joyce and Ronald Sw ick , is th a t ter r ib le day th a t began a n igh tm a re o f pain fo r little K elli and an gu ish fo r them — a day th a t began a period o f te stin g such a s th e Sw ick s had n ever experienced . S e rv in g in th e jun g le o f N ew Guinea a s B ib le tran sla to r s w ith W ycliffe, th e Sw ick s, five years ago, d idn ’t appear to be people who needed a lesson in fa ith . In order to tran sla te th e Gospel in to th e Chuave lan gu age th ey bat tled th e elem en ts th a t go w ith trib a l liv in g . T h ey lived in a bamboo house w ith few o f th e th in g s th a t m ake life ea sy or en joyab le. T h eir hand icap s w ere m any bu t th e s a t i s f a c t i o n in th e ir work w a s g r ea t. K elli, ju st tw o y ea r s old, w a s th e ir b righ t, fla sh ing bundle o f joy . And now w ith a n ew baby, little K en t, th ey tru ly praised God fo r H is b lessin g s. It w a s ju s t an ord inary day th a t it happened— th e accid en t th a t shook th e v ery founda tion o f th e ir fa ith . It w a s cu stom ary to boil th e ir w a te r over an ou tsid e fire and carry it in to th e house in large covered con tain ers. The house-
B y t h e t i m e M r s . S w i c k reached th e P a tro l S ta tion , K el li’s in ten se pain had been qu ieted w ith m orph ia and sh e had been wrapped in ste r ile bandages. The P a tro l Officer, n o t sk illed in a situ a tion so c ritica l, had called th e n ea r e st a i r s t r i p 25 m iles aw ay . F iv e h o u r s l a t e r M r . Sw ick and K elli reached th e hos p ital in Garoka. F o r th ree days M rs. Sw ick w a ited a t th e P a tro l S ta tion p ray in g fo r a ride to th e h o sp i tal. Sh e had no w ay o f kn ow in g how K elli w a s. On a r r iv in g a t th e hosp ital sh e learned K elli w a s in a critica l cond ition . The m orph ia had k ep t her from go in g in to shock bu t had affected her r e sp ira to ry sy stem . “It w a s tru ly a m iracle she w a s still a liv e ,” sa id M rs. Sw ick . A sp e c ia list w ith burn v ictim s du ring th e w a r w a s sta tion ed a t th e h o s p i t a l in Garoka. H e agreed to tak e K elli’s case. The Sw ick s believe s i n c e r e l y th a t th is w a s God’s hand o f p rov i dence. The Sw ick s w e r e n o t allow ed to v is it K elli a fte r th e first few tim e s. Th e sta ff agreed sh e be cam e too up set wh en th ey left. Th ey w e r e adv ised to return home and leave her to th e care o f th e hosp ital personnel. “O f course w e w an ted to do w h a t w a s b est fo r K elli,” said Mrs. Sw ick , “bu t it w a s ve ry THE KING'S BUSINESS
boys w e r e w arned rep ea ted ly to keep th e con ta in ers covered but on th is day som eone fo rgo t. The scream s th a t cam e to Mrs. Sw ick from th e k itch en w ere pain-filled, s p e l l i n g d i s a s t e r . D a sh in g in to th e room , sh e d is covered th a t K elli had fa llen in to th e con ta in er o f bo ilin g w ater. The scream s b rough t Mr. Sw ick and to g e th e r th ey quickly cu t off K elli’s cloth ing. W h ile a ttem p t in g to app ly burn o in tm en t, th ey realized sh e needed p ro fession a l care. W rapp ing her in a ste r ile sh eet and a b lanket to keep her from ch illing , Mr. Sw ick sta r ted off on th e run ca r ry in g th e scream in g c h i l d . The n ea r e st m ed ical aid w a s a P a tro l S ta tion , a good 45 m inu te w a lk through th e jung le. “ It w a s on ly because o f th e ex tra str en g th th e Lord g a v e m e th a t I w a s able to endure it ,” w as Mr. Sw ick ’s testim ony .
^
Ron and Joyce Swick with their chil dren, Kelli and Kent.
34
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker