Tragedies Draw Us Together

Misheki

Odalia is one of our veteran teachers, a single mother who teaches Civics and is the staff leader for our chapel services. She has two children, a girl (7) named Jeni and a boy (3) named Misheki. Misheki is all boy, riding a stick as if a horse, although I’m sure he’s never seen a real horse or knows about stick horses. He enjoys chasing chickens, goats and even 2000 pound bulls that graze around the houses at times. Frankly, he is mischievous...but we love him. He reminds us so much of our boys when they were young.

Odalia and Jeni

Odalia and Misheki

When we returned in September, we found that Jeni was to move to Mbeya town to live with her grandmother and attend pre-school. The closest school for her here in the village would have been a very long walk for a little girl, not to mention the danger of walking our rocky roads.

We were in our home one late afternoon when we heard terrible wailing and screaming coming from the home of the women teachers next door. We assumed that they had brought a demon-oppressed student there for ministry, and we joined in prayer from our house. We soon realized, however, that it was Odalia who was crying as if her heart had been ripped from her. Our immediate thought was that something had happened to one of the children.

After a prayer for wisdom in responding to whatever we would find, we left the house to go to her, only to find that she and a large group of teachers and students were leaving the house and heading for the public road. Joining the group, we heard two recurring Swahili words in the midst of the wailing that we understood: the names Misheki and God (Mungu). It did not take long to put the story together. Odalia and Misheki had been visiting Mr. Sifaeli’s home across the road. Upon leaving, Misheki had run ahead of his mother and started across the road in the path of a truck coming down the hill. We found out later that it had been a glancing blow somehow and that most of Misheki’s injuries were from hitting the road rather than the impact with the truck. The driver of the truck gathered him up and rushed him to the dispensary in Iyula-A, a 10-15 minute drive away. Odalia and other teachers crowded into another truck. We were assured that Misheki was still alive when he was picked up off the road.

Throughout the evening we received messages via the Headmaster. First was the report that Misheki had been transferred to the Mbozi Hospital two hours away and that there was no sign of concussion to the brain.

Later reports assured us that there were no broken bones and that most of the injuries were scrapes to his head and face. It was a couple of weeks before we began to get reports that he and his mother may be coming home soon.

Misheli, under foot - literally!

We are rejoicing at this time in being able to report the complete recovery of our campus’ little toddler, Misheki. Once again, he is dragging behind him plastic bottles tied on a twine, throwing rocks at the chickens and goats, begging candy off of Babu, and wanting to help him carry water to the house . . . but actually just getting under foot.

Life is back to normal.

Love from our home to yours,

Gary and Joanne Grenell