"You have been a best friend here"

I have been seeing an older gentleman in the hospital.  He had a pretty extensive orthopedic surgery after a femur fracture (femur fractures here are like the common cold at home) , but it was time for him to start moving around.  I went in the first day and he tried and tried and tried to get me to come back tomorrow.  After he realized I was more stubborn than he was, he relented and we got him up and took a few steps with a walker.  He was talking and talking the whole time in his tribal language.  The other guys in the ward were laughing and the nurse helping me just rolled his eyes.  I imagine I didn't want whatever he was saying to be translated.  After a labored short walk, he made it back to bed and I got him settled.  He grabbed my hand and said "Asante san."  That one, I have learned - thank you very much!  I smiled and said I would see him tomorrow.  

The next 2 days were pretty similar to the first, only we walked just a bit further.  However, on the next day, I was walking to his ward and found him sitting outside on a bench (the wards are separate buildings and patients often sit outside to bask in the sun and get their vitamin D, so they tell me).  He looked up and grinned.  He said he had walked all the way out here and wanted me to come and find him there.  The next day I found him walking all the way around the building.  Keep in mind, these are major orthopedic surgeries, and the most pain medication these patients are on is just a bit better than Motrin or Advil we get over the counter. 

A few days later, I went by just to check on him.  He told me he had walked all around the hospital looking for me the day before to show me how good he was doing and that he gets to go home soon.  This past week, one of the other patient’s in the ward saw me and told me that Peter wanted me to come by and see him.  I found him outside in the sunshine, and to greet me, he stood up without the walker and shook my hand.  My eyes welled with tears as I celebrated with him – less than 3 weeks after a femur fracture and surgery and here he was.  Amazing.  He thanked me and told me I had been a best friend to him here at Tenwek.  He also shared that he is going to be baptized this month when he gets home.  He has been going to a Catholic church from what I could gather, but sounds like God has moved in his time here at Tenwek.  My heart was so full!  To God be all the glory for how He has healed this man.