A Jon Post
I was going to write about having a mission team here with us and the activities we’ve been doing. But Thursday something happened that I haven’t been able to get off my heart or out of my memory.
Carrying Tomé on a Good Day
Tomé, dear sweet Tomé, had his last 5-day chemo treatment this last week. He has been here at the hospital for a year and a half now, getting this 5-day chemo every 3 weeks, for 84 weeks. Every vein in his hand, wrist, forearm and upper arm, even in both feet, has been used many, many times. Like any other chemo course, by day 4 his body was haggard and broken by the poison dripping into it.
He had been receiving his treatment into his left foot for the first three days of treatment. One of the side effects of his treatment is that he has to urinate often and painfully. With a chemo drip in your foot, walking to a bathroom 30 yards away is not an easy task.
By this day, his foot had become swollen and painful and the chemo was no longer flowing into his shrunken vein. The nurses needed to move the needle.
Countless times they poked him, wrists, arms, even in his head… finally they found a vein in his other foot.
He was crying uncontrollably when I found him in the treatment room, gauze taped to his head, arms and left foot to cover oozing needle marks. The nurse told him he was done and could go back to his room.
So I carried him.
Crying in my arms, his weak grasp wrapped around me for balance, we made it back to his bed. At 11-years-old he’s just old enough to be ashamed of his tears when he’s in pain. This day he didn’t even make an attempt to stop them. He just leaned against me and wept softly at the pain of his final treatment.
Mustering courage he told me he had to go to the bathroom.
So I carried him.
I don’t consider myself a strong guy, but there was little that would have unsteadied my step or shaken my grip around his frail body as I made my way down that hallway to the bathroom, opened the door to the dirty stall, and knelt with him to get him close enough to the toilet.
Painful moments later, we were making our way back to his bed. I laid him down as gently as I could and covered him in his little blanket. There he lay, quivering in pain, wishing and waiting just to make it through the next day and a half.
Alice and Paula (another dear lady who comes to bless the children there), brought some milk, cookies and candy to try to help get his mind off of the pain he was in.
He closed his eyes, grimaced and tightly gripped my hand and Alice’s hand as a nurse pushed a shot into his IV in his foot.
There I sat. I knew Tomé had no words or strength to look to the Lord or ask Him to come sit in bed with him. I knew Tomé didn’t know how to approach the Lord or come before Jesus on his own.
I poured out my heart to Jesus Christ, praying desperate prayers from desperate lips. No crowd around me or Tomé could keep me from carrying this suffering boy and laying him before Jesus’ feet.
So I carried him.
Jon & Layne you always move me to tears when you write because I’m not sure you understand how sweet you are with those who are sick and those who are dying. How you see them! Oh, how you see past the tumors, past the illness, to the person. . .God has given you such an eyesight, how I praise him for this. May you continue to have the eyes of Christ as you spend time ministering. I felt as if I was there watching you carry Tome, Jon, and I felt a young girl’s head on my hands and saw her bright smile, Layne. Thank you both so much for answering this call on your lives to serve.
I am a sobbing mess now. As a mother, I cannot thank you enough for doing what that little boy’s own mother is unable to do for him right now. Thank you for carrying him, Jon, and for carrying all of the other sick and weary. I pray for you and your beautiful family and look forward to your posts each week. You are His hands and feet… So noble, loving and selfless.
That one made me cry for sure. What a blessing you both (and Anaya) are to the patients. Thank you for sharing that story and continuing to be faithful.
Thank you, Jon, for this tender story. Thank you for what you are pouring into my kids right now.
Sitting here crying and searching for words that just won’t come. Praying that Jesus will continue to carry you, Layne, and Anaya as you act as His arms around those precious ones He loves so much.
aRGH!!!!!!!!!! i hate cancer. and i heard tonight on the radio, a believer said that if God doesnt want us to have cancer, he doesnt let us get it or he heals. thats so hard to hold in the midst of hearing more about tome.
and.
HALLElujah- what a wonder ful thing, to be Gods hands and feet literally.
My tears joined all the tears others have shed as they read this report – as you carried Tome – as Jesus carries you and Layne each time you enter that oncology ward – as we stand before His cross and weep for the pain He bore for us you stand in that ward and help bear the pain of all those children, men and women. We weep for Tome and thank the Lord for you and Layne – for all those who serve Him so faithfully. Someday there will be no more tears, no more pain – only rejoicing with Jesus in Glory!!
Thanks Jon.
When I read your writings of those you attend I first am saddened, but then I picture those who are the frailest tiredest sickest those too weak to whisper — **BURSTING**– into heaven into His light, robust healed and giggling as only happy children do when they are loved. We don’t need to ask why they have to go. We know that they are with Jesus and will be there with smiles waiting for us. No more suffering or pain but in a glorius place, our Father’s house. God bless you all for every comfort you give to them as they journey toward His kingdom. Love Jonna
Oh Tome’. How we love you. We miss you, our dear friend. By now you are hopefully recovering from the past ugly, painful week. I wish Pai de Jon and I could come over and play soccer or make paper airplanes with you.
I picture you going home to your family after so many long months away from them. Will it be soon? I’m glad you are finished with those terrible days of chemo, and I will be praying for your joy and fullness of health and life.
But someone in Maputo will miss you terrible, just as we do here. We will always be thankful for the friend you have been to Jon and Layne. You are loved so very much!
Jon – you made me cry with this story, so much suffering in the world, we’re so bless here. we will pray for Tome to heal and go home. God bless you guys!
Jon — there are no words to express how touching this “story” is.. You made me feel as if I knew Tome and felt his pain. I could see his eyes looking at you and knowing that you are God’s sent; a blessing in the midst of so much suffering. And that you are, a blessing to those who are suffering, to your family and to anyone that has ever met you. I felt ashamed of the silly un-meaningful worries we carry in our daily life. We are slaves to the material and comfort of the modern world; whereas you and Layne are free and living your lives to its fullest. Please keep us crying and never stop moving us.
Tome will be in our prayers. God bless your amazing family and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help…
The many words that have been sent your way are our thoughts also! We want to say THANK YOU also. Aunt Joan & Uncle Don
God, PLEASE let Tome be done with suffering. I pray for restored health for him. We are so selfish with the things we worry about in life. Thank God you aren’t selfish with your time Jon, I know Tome is grateful.
This is so precious Jon. It makes me cry and I don’t really know how to describe how sad it seems that Tome is having to go through that. But I am so thankful that you and Layne are there and that you are demonstrating His hands and feet and mostly His heart to him and to others. Bless you and thank you so much for sharing this. Aunt Cathy
Oh,Jon, There really are no words but in our flesh we desperately want to convey to you our gratitude, to Tome’ , our pain in hearing of his suffering. So…..we pray , we pray to that God of ALL that Jon himself reminded us can do all, be all and make beautiful ALL.