The room buzzed with exhaustion and anticipation as the entire team gathered in the Hope Center’s dining room long after the orphans were asleep. Everyone was tired, but no one was in any hurry to go to bed. Besides, there wasn’t much night left for sleep, after the drive from the airport and two hours spent examining the children. It seemed like the perfect time to worship.
One of the young Californians strummed his guitar, and the team sang Great is Thy Faithfulness. They were all suffused with God’s faithfulness for their own lives, for the team the Lord had put together, but mainly for the six young lives that would forever be transformed as they grew from shame to wholeness, from lame to healed.
A cool, refreshing breeze drifted through the room, making the candles flicker.
Collectively, they decided tonight was the ideal time to take communion. It had been Buck’s idea, and Maggie loved it. Of everyone, Buck was the most undone when they examined each of the children; the big man was a puddle of tears by the end of the evening. Nick asked Buck to sit with him and Tod when they had a chance to reexamine the children’s feet and give them an overall medical assessment to make sure they were healthy and ready for anesthesia. Buck had to leave the room several times to regain his composure, especially when Isabella shuffled in. Buck understood perhaps more than anyone what it meant to get your life back.
The adventurous young Californians were happy to make the mountainous trek to retrieve Isabella and her family, and her parents were pleasantly surprised to see them return so soon.
Isabella’s father bonded instantly with Buck when he learned the big man was a soldier who gave his legs and almost his life for his country. Isabella’s father fought in the Guatemalan conflict as a young man and lost countless friends; he understood the cost of war.
That night in the dining room, Maggie held a small loaf of bread. “Just like on that night before Jesus gave His life for us, He sat with his disciples and took bread and broke it, saying ‘This is my body that is given for you. Take it in remembrance of me.’ ” She split the loaf in two and passed the halves around the room; everyone broke off a small piece and ate it.
Then Maggie held a carafe of wine and said, “Then He took a cup of wine and said, ‘Drink this. This is my blood which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sin.’ ” She poured the wine into small Dixie cups and passed them around.
Holding her cup in front of her, she prayed, “Blessed are you that show mercy, for mercy will be given to you. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for giving your life for us. For giving your life for the children, that they would find redemption. Now Lord, I pray your protection over them. I pray that you guide everyone’s hands and thoughts and minds tomorrow as you, Lord, bring healing to these children. Give everyone here the rest they so desperately need tonight. Thank you Lord for covering us with your blood of mercy and grace over these next three days, as you do every day of our lives. Amen.”
A resounding “Amen” issued from the team, and everyone drank from their communion cups.
Nick realized it had been almost twenty years since he had taken communion and then only when he was home visiting his parents at Christmas. He had to admit this was different. He even found himself praying. “God, help me,” he’d said and believed he meant it.
Tod put his arm around Nick’s shoulders. “Man, thank you so much for asking me down here. Kim and the girls may never want to leave.” He pointed over his shoulder to where his girls were huddled close to Carmen, the local anesthesiologist, already practicing their Spanish.
Nick shook his head with wonder. “Tod, I just don’t know what I would have done. You have no idea how grateful I am for you. When all these kids started coming in with clubfeet, it was like I lost confidence in myself as a surgeon. I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced that in my life.”
“I’m not going to lie to you,” Tod laughed, “my knees are shaking. I work on kiddos day in and day out, but we hardly see clubfeet like this any more. I’ve been reading like crazy the last few days to figure out how to do this. I thought before we go to bed, me and you could review the anatomy and our exposure for tomorrow.”
“That would be great.”
“I’m still awful nervous about Isabella,” Tod said. “We know we’re going to have to be real careful not to overstretch her vessels or nerves. Her feet won’t survive an insult like that.”
“Agreed.”
“This is what I’m thinking. Let’s start with that three-year-old boy with the one side clubfoot. We can do that one together. I’ll show you the approach and how to isolate out the neurovascular bundle, what ligaments to cut, the tendons to lengthen, and then how to pin it in place. It’s too easy to either undercorrect or overcorrect these darn little feet.”
“That sounds great.”
“Then we’ll do the other three-year-old with the bilateral clubfeet. I’ll do one side, and you do the other.”
Nick grimaced.
Tod hooted. “You know, the ol’ see one, do one, teach one. You’ll be the local expert when we’re done.”
Nick wasn’t sure.
“We’ll do one step at a time. Together. I figure we could get two kids done tomorrow and three on Thursday, and when we’re really feeling confident, we can tackle Isabella on Friday.”
“That sounds good,” Nick nodded. “I’m just not sure I’m ever going to feel confident.”
“You know, that’s when God meets us the most, when we are at the end of ourselves.” Tod squeezed Nick’s shoulder. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I brought you something.” He reached for his backpack, pulled out a wooden box just right for holding small pencils, and gave it to Nick. “I figured you didn’t have a pair of these with you.”
Nick opened the box. Inside was a pair of brand new loupes, surgical magnifying glasses. “Oh my gosh, Tod,” he exclaimed.
“You have a pair of these?”
“I don’t. In my world of fixing big bones, all we need is a splash shield. We don’t fix anything small enough to use them.”
Tod slapped him on the back. “Welcome to the microscopic world. The nerves and vessels are going to be tiny. These should help you stay out of trouble.”
“I’m not sure what to say.” Nick knew the special glasses cost a couple thousand dollars.
Tod slapped his thigh. “There you go. I’ve made famous trauma surgeon Nick Hart speechless twice in one week. Payment enough.”