I have to confess something. I am envious of our oldest boys. They are voracious readers. They can sit for hours and just devour book after book, as if they have nothing else to do! I love to read. I have very little time to read. I am thankful for books that I do finish, and that come into my life and change who I am or how I see things. That is just what happened as I finished reading Miracle at Tenwek this past week. It is the story of Dr. Ernie Steury, the first missionary doctor at Tenwek Hospital. He and his wife, Sue, embodied the call we all have to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). They pressed on through all kinds of circumstances, and it seemed that their primary mission always was to see each person before them, not to think of themselves as better or more privileged in any way, but to humbly serve the people in their path, and ultimately to share the hope of Jesus Christ. Ernie, of course, did that mainly through medicine. He was the only doctor at Tenwek for over 10 years. Treating and performing surgery on hundreds of thousands of the Kipsigis people in that area of Kenya. They came to endearingly refer to him as “Mosonik,” which was his Kipsigis name. Some people would come from many miles away, even spending the night on the lawn of Tenwek, just to see Mosonik and have hope of being healed of whatever ailment they were suffering from. The hospital ran at almost 200% capacity at times, with patient “beds” being set up on the floors and all around. Ernie would just kneel down and assess his patients on the floor if he needed to. There was such a great need there. Ernie was clearly a gifted doctor, but he never let people think that he was the one with the power to heal. He was always pointing to the Lord as the true Healer. He would pray and share the gospel over and over with his patients. Countless people’s lives have been forever changed by this man. His legacy is amazing.
One thing that really hit me was to see the simple obedience of the Steury’s, and as a result, the subsequent blessings that Lord bestowed on their lives. I am not talking about money or power, prestige, or even health. I’m talking about mostly intangible blessings. One example was the many medical miracles he was able to witness–the times of seeming “coincidence” where God truly provided exactly what they needed when they needed it, in order to heal someone. He also recieved the joy of knowing many he treated and witnessed to had come to Christ and were leading a life of following the Lord, and of knowing that all of his children are walking closely with the Lord. After many years of being the “lone” doctor at Tenwek, Ernie and Sue also ended up being blessed to be surrounded by many treasured friends and family in Christ there, and to see an amazing hospital be built up at Tenwek to serve the Kenyan people.
One year ago, I had only known that Tenwek was a mission hospital in rural Africa, and I was sort of fighting with God that he may want us to go there one day. I know now that Tenwek is nothing short of a miracle of the Lord. He set his hand of blessing upon that place. It has grown into one of the leading missions hospitals in Africa. That never seemed to be Ernie Steury’s dream, or even an idea of his at first. He definitely never took the credit for himself. He was just a humble servant, remaining faithful and continuing to take one step after the other following where the Lord led, living out the gospel wherever he was.
I want to take a few things away from this book:
1. Stay faithful. The Lord will always be there to help us no matter what challenges we may face. (So simple, yet so profound)
2. Integrity, gentleness and humility are things to strive for.
3. Treat the heart that is before you. Whether in medicine, or as a mom, or just in life in general, I want to see the one who is before me. Wherever I am. To be a servant of the Lord is to truly ask, not “What can this person do for me?” But instead, “How does God want me to help this person?”
I am thankful for the Steury’s and their legacy at Tenwek. I know there is a lot we have to learn as we journey there in just one month from now. I am thankful for the privilege to take even a small part in the great things God is doing there.
