Second Chance #2
In the fall of 2011, I had two teams of short term volunteers work
with me among the Ilkongeri Maasai of the Kajiado District of Kenya.
They hailed from TX and TN.
The leader of the
Baptist work in that area was a man named Onesimus Muindi. His wife's
name was Mary. They were both very
hospitable folks and very committed to seeing that all the Maassi homes of their area received a Gospel witness.
hospitable folks and very committed to seeing that all the Maassi homes of their area received a Gospel witness.
Now there were so many folks involved
that I had to ask them to pay to rent several four wheeled drive vans.
The area's roads were primarily more like goat paths, and there were
many river crossings to be traversed.
One day a
van got stuck in one of the crossings and we all had to bail out and
search for stones to put under the back right tire.
My hand was just next to Onesimus' when he suddenly jerked it up and
said " I have been bitten!" Sure enough, as we looked at the spot we
realized he had been bitten by a snake.
We frantically looked around for the snake because we knew that the type of antivenom one is given depends upon the type of toxin involved, I.e. neurotoxin or hemotoxin. However we did not find a snake.
We frantically looked around for the snake because we knew that the type of antivenom one is given depends upon the type of toxin involved, I.e. neurotoxin or hemotoxin. However we did not find a snake.
When I
finally got Onesimus to the ER of the Nairobi Hospital ( long story with
lots of details),
we learned from the attending physician that there is a type of antivenom which can possibly neutralize both types of venom, BUT its potency is such that it might kill you. Onesimus was feeling so badly that he opted for the powerful medicine. When I visited him the next day, he seemed to have recovered well.
we learned from the attending physician that there is a type of antivenom which can possibly neutralize both types of venom, BUT its potency is such that it might kill you. Onesimus was feeling so badly that he opted for the powerful medicine. When I visited him the next day, he seemed to have recovered well.
.
Onesimus died about 9 months later. Whether his cause of death was in
any way related to the snake bite and antivenom event remains unknown to
me.
What I do know is this; our hands were literally back to back when he was bitten.
I have had a lot of time to think about Onesimus and the pivotal
role he played in the Kingdom advance that took place among his Maasai
neighbors. He was a kind hearted and Gospel centered brother. It was his
persistence in asking me and the leadership of the Kaputei Baptist
Association to join hands with him which led to the big work done there
over a 3 year period.
He was bitten and I was
spared. To this day I have felt that the whole thing represents a type
of second chance in my life. That is to say I am very aware my life was
spared for Kingdom purposes and that I need to use every day I am
granted on this earth to point people to the Gospel of Jesus the
Messiah.
If any of you in Beaumont or
Knoxville have a picture of Onesimus in digital form you can send to me
so that it can be added to this post please do so. I am sure I have at
least one at home but I am not there. Thanks.
Send to my Gmail address: drc11292@gmail.com
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