Thornleigh Seventh-day Adventist Church (Sydney, Australia)

Home > Online Magazine > Online Magazine: Edition 2 - December 2004 / January 2005 > Cerebral Malaria

Cerebral Malaria

by Wes Guy

by Wes Guy

Title      Cerebral Malaria  

Theme         God's Care

It was the year 1924 at the mission station, Bunama, on Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea. The missionary and his wife were experiencing some major health problems with babies and small children. The missionaries had had no medical training but relied on some medical books which they had studied.

The babies and young children had symptoms which they could not understand.

Unfortunately some of the babies died while they were doing all in their power to help relieve their suffering.

One of the native boys who was helping came up to the missionary and said, "Tonugana, we think that your young son has caught the disease." The missionaries tried bathing their young son in hot then cold water alternately. But nothing seemed to work.

In the meantime the natives had gathered all the mission staff and others and told the missionary that they would be praying in the church for a boat to arrive at Bunama to take the young child to Samarai, where the hospital was. He also told the missionary that while they were praying two men would be sent up to the look[-out to look for the boat. The people prayed all that day, and, just as the sun was setting a shout was heard from the look-out, "A ship, we see a ship coming,"

The young lad, 20 months old, was taken to the hospital at Samarai where he was diagnosed with cerebral malaria. He returned several weeks later completely cured and is now typing this story.

The sequel to this story is -Several days before the boy's sickness the President of the local region, at a place called Dobu, many hours sailing from Bunama, felt that he had to send his boat to Bunama. Without delay he did so. Thus saving me from certain death.

Another wonderful thing about this story is the great faith of the natives who, not only had prayed for a boat to come but had sent two boys to the look-out to watch for the boat.

Isaiah 65:24  that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Matthew 26:41  Watch and pray . . .

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