Dr. Y's Clinic

Tom, Tim and Rob working at the AIDS clinic

For the last 2 days we have been working at Dr.Y's clinic cleaning rooms and preparing them to be painted and tiled. It may seem like a simple task, but when you realize how much dust gets into these rooms on a daily basis, you wonder how anything ever stays clean. I thought to myself: "How does anyone stick it out here if their motivation is not Christ?"

We have yet to hear the full story of Dr. Y* and his wife, but they have assured us they will tell us their whole story when we treat them to dinner at the end of the week. Dr. Y's wife, Susan, told us that her sister is caring for her children in London because it is too dangerous to have them in the CAR. She herself told us that she has narrowly escaped death here twice in the 10 years they have been in the CAR. Not only do her children live in London, ages 18, 16, and 8, but she has not seen them for three years. Who among us can imagine doing that? She says how hard it is here and even how boring it can be for her. And yet we do not know for sure what her motivation is.

We are hoping and praying that the Lord will give us opportunity to hear what it is for her. And if it is not Christ, we are praying that the Lord will give us a chance to share the reason for our hope and the motivation behind what we do. Please be praying for opportune times to discuss such important things with her.

Laura Gibson

*Blogger's note: We know that he got his medical training and worked in Russia for 20 years. He returned to the CAR with his wife, who is from Nigeria, to help and care for patients who are infected with the HIV/AIDS virus and now run a clinic in one of the most difficult places in the world to care for sick people.