Our personal lives have recently been interrupted by some significant medical issues. Over the years as a practicing physician I am used to getting calls at all hours of the day and night. When the phone rings in the middle of the night, it is rarely good news. The other night I was awakened by a call from South Africa at 2:30 AM. My first thought—Is our son okay? He is busy traveling in Mozambique and was out on the ocean fishing. Kabelo, who was the one calling me, is usually pretty good about remembering the time difference, so my first question to him was, “Is everything okay?” He let me know that our farm manager’s wife, had just died. This was news we had been expecting as she has been unresponsive for several days from a perforated ulcer. She was in her 70s and had just buried her second son six months previously. The stress of this loss is the likely explanation for the ulcer.

He also let me know that a new container of food packets had just arrived in port, but that the health department was refusing to release the container. Current expiration stickers were covering up old expiration dates and they were suspicious that we had just put new dates on old bags of rice. In reality what had happened was that Meals from the Heartland had used old bags, but the rice was fresh. For a while it was looking like we might have to pay a fine to get the container released, but after some effective negotiation by Kabelo the container was released. We will get an affidavit from MFTH and Convoy of Hope testifying that the new date is a legitimate expiration date.

Personally Beth and I have been experiencing some health issues. Beth fell down our basement stairs at home which resulted in a concussion and fracture of her 7th cervical vertebrae. For a while in the ER, I was concerned that she may have had some damage to her spinal cord, but it became apparent after a few hours that she will be fine. She will just have to wear a rigid cervical collar for six to eight weeks. Unfortunately, she will not be able to drive with the collar on. Praise the Lord that she is alive and has no paralysis!

The other medical issue that we are dealing with this week is that I will be having shoulder replacement surgery. Hopefully, this will go as well for me as it did a year ago when I had my other shoulder replaced. My surgeon came into the exam room and told me that he had good news for me. I said, “That is great, what is it?” He replied, “You only have two shoulders.” It will be nice to get this behind me and get on with whatever is next.

In just two weeks we have our annual spring gala where a good share of our funds for the year are raised. Our staff has been busy getting ready for that and we are anticipating our best gala ever. The quality of our staff in the US and in South Africa amazes me. They always do a wonderful job!

Beth is planning on going back to South Africa mid-May with an all-women’s team from St. Francis and then a Days for Girls team in June. I am planning on going to Toronto to the International Rotary Convention in June and then head back to Africa after that.

A final thought to ponder: At the end of the day, it is in the interruptions where real ministry occurs. I like to plan my days and nights to accommodate these interruptions.