This past week it was my privilege to conduct a gospel meeting in Streetsboro, Ohio. Attendance during the week was good, and Steve Chapman and I had the opportunity to visit with several people in their homes. We believe much good was accomplished for the Lord's cause.
One highlight for me was to visit with Dayton Hickerson. Brother Hickerson works for General Motors and lives in Ravenna, Ohio. He and his good wife have reared six children, the youngest now is attending Ohio Valley College. The reason I enjoyed our visit so much was our discussion of the nearly two years he and his family spent in Africa working with the Chimalla Mission Hospital. About ten years ago Dayton took a two year leave of absence from General Motors to work in the mission fields of Africa. He had some interesting stories to tell.
What are the six things you would consider wants in your life? Six things you would like to have, they might make life easier, but you consider them luxuries? For the Africans around the hospital they are as follows: 1 Sugar. 2. Tea, for when they have sugar they will drink tea. 3. Clothing, they can not grow clothing. 4. A flashlight. 5. A bicycle. 6. A portable radio. How many of these made your list? Do we even begin to appreciate the extent of our material blessings in this country? Tea? Sugar? Clothing?! How thankful are we for our material blessings, really? How much do we appreciate them, really?
One other story of Africa really hit home. In one of the villages where they would meet with the church for worship was a young family with a small child. On one of their visits to the village the child was sick. The Hickersons asked if they were going to go to the hospital. "No, we have no way there." Dayton and his wife offered to stop on the way back through to give them a ride. When they stopped back the family said they could not afford to pay for the visit and medicine. "Do not worry, we will take care of it" was the reply of brother and sister Hickerson. They took the mother and child to the hospital where the child was treated for pneumonia and sent home the next day. The bill came to 20 shellings, about one U.S. dollar. A child's life was nearly lost over the excessive cost of health care, ONE DOLLAR. They were so poor that one dollar was not available. Yet we in America complain about the cost of our care, compared with our disposable income.
The next time you pause to give thanks before a meal, of pray to tell God how grateful you are for your blessings, remember life near the Chimalla Mission Hospital.
Denton