Rescue the Perishing

Ministering the Gospel in Medical Emergencies

Chilling screams suddenly awoke me in the night. Although I couldn’t make out the words, I could hear the frightened voices of nearby children and the clamor of many neighbors gathering. In the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, violence is frequently the solution to conflict, and I immediately knew we had an emergency coming to our clinic.

Sarli

Jon and his wife, Sarli, had recently returned to our area after living for many years in the capital city. Several of their children had preceded them to the village and for many months had been lovingly cared for by a Christian couple in our church. The wife, Ambai, often taught the children Bible lessons and faithfully brought them to Sunday school. When Jon and Sarli returned, it was evident that they had many sinful habits and were apathetic toward spiritual things.

That evening, Sarli had confronted Jon regarding his infidelity. In a drunken rage, he brutally attacked her with a machete. Alarmed neighbors carried her to the clinic while her children clung to her. This was a horrific sight—one of the worst cases that my coworker and I had ever dealt with. Our emotions about this inhumane act would have to be dealt with later. Our focus was to save Sarli’s life as she was bleeding heavily from multiple wounds.