bobjots : redux

I just received this in the e-mail and felt it ought to be shared ..

Berdoalah Untuk Bayi Elijah Samuel

Ingin saya meminta budi baik anda untuk berdoa bagi bayi Elijah Samuel. Bayi Elijah Samuel telah dimasukkan ke dalam hospital dan ini bukanlah kali pertama. Bayi Elijah Samuel menghidap jangkitan paru-paru di mana adanya cecair di dalam paruparunya.

Bayi ini pernah dimasukkan ke dalam wad hospital berkali-kali berikutan dengan masalah kesihatannya. Kini beliau dimasukkan di Hospital Bentong untuk mendapatkan rawatan selanjutnya.

Berdoa juga untuk penjaga bayi ini iaitu Pastor Edwin dan Pastor Edayu agar mereka bersabar dalam menempuhi saat-saat ini. Berdoa juga agar mereka akan tabah dan terus menguatkan iman mereka kepada Allah. Berdoalah juga agar Tuhan akan memudahkan segala pekerjaan mereka termasuklah bantuan kewangan, bantuan insan dan sebagainya.

Latabelakang Elijah Samuel

Sewaktu bayi ini ditemui, beliau berada dalam keadaan yang amat menyedihkan. Bayi ini tidak diberikan penjagaan serta makanan yang sepatutnya diberikan. Ibunya pula tidak menghiraukan dan menghilangkan dirinya. Dari gambar ini, bayi ini begitu kurus sehingga dapat melihat tulangnyai. Najis-najis juga tidak dibersihkan.

Tuhan tahu tanggisan bayi kecil ini dan Tuhanlah yang membawa para jemaat dari gereja City Discipleship Presbyterian (CDPC) dan SEMOA untuk menyalurkan bantuan insan kepada bayi ini. Kerana Tuhanlah bayi ini dapat diberikan penjagaan yang sempurna oleh penjaganya iaitu Pastor Edwin dan Pastor Edayu.

Tuhanlah yang memudahkan segala usaha membawa keluar bayi ini sehinggalah bayi ini ditempatkan dalam jagaan oleh pasangan yang perihatin iaitu Pastor Edwin dan Pastor Edayu.

Bayi Elijah diberikan jagaan serta kasih sayang yang cukup oleh penjaganya. Mereka yang berperihatin pula memberikan segala bantuan termasuklah susu ibu. Sokongan moral dan doa menjadi dorongan kepada penjaga ini untuk terus berharap kepada Tuhan agar memudahkan segala pekerjaan mereka dan membesarkan bayi ini walaupun bayi ini bukan anak kandung mereka sendiri.

Bayi Elijah dimasukkan ke dalam hospital berkali-kali kerana menghidapi jangkitan paru-paru. Sehingga artikel ini ditulis, berita yang diterima ialah paru-parunya mengandungi lebihan kahak. Ini menyusahkan pernafasan dan bacteria-bakteria yang terkandung dalam kahak-kahak itu akan menyerang paru-paru bayi Elijah Samuel.

Doktor-doktor juga mengatakan bayi Elijah mungkin tidak dapat diselamatkan tetapi dengan berkat doa serta kuasa Tuhan, bayi ini disembuhkan.

Saya berasa sedih kerana bayi ini diwadkan dalam hospital. Saya percaya mereka yang kenal bayi ini juga berasa sedih mendengar berita ini. Malah penjaga bayi ini pun rasa letih dan sedih melihat keadaan bayi dan masuk keluar hospital. Tetapi yang nyata kasih sayang mereka kepada bayi ini seakan-akan seperti kasih seorang ibu bapa kepada anaknya sendiri. Yang nyata ialah Allah tetap berkuasa penuh dalam sejarah hidup manusia. Dan kita tetap berharap penuh kepadaNya.

Yang pastinya Tuhan telah memudahkan usaha-usaha untuk membawa keluar bayi Elijah sampailah ke pekan sehingga diberikan rawatan dari hospital. Walaupun doktor-doktor tidak begitu yakin dapat menyembuhkan bayi Elijah namun dengan kuasa Tuhan bayi ini diselamatkan. Tuhan mahukan kita perihatin kepada mereka yang susah, sakit dan diabaikan.

Kepada Pastor Edwin dan Pastor Edayu, kami akan tetap mengingati kamu berdua serta bayi Elijah dalam doa kami. Tabahkanlah diri anda dan terus berharap kepada Tuhan.

Amin.

A quick and dirty translation of the above appeal in English follows:

Pray for Baby Elijah Samuel

I would like to appeal for your prayers for baby Elijah Samuel. Baby Elijah was recently admitted to the hospital due to a lung condition whereby excess fluids accumulate within the lungs. Sadly, this isn’t the first time baby Elijah has been admitted for the same condition.

The baby has been admitted many times to the hospital due to health complications and is currently in the Bentong Hospital for further treatment.

Pray also for the baby’s guardians, Pastor Edwin and Pastor Edayu that they will remain calm in these trying circumstances. Pray that they remain strong and that their faith in God will be reinforced. Pray also that God will continue to provide for their needs; whether financially, in terms of manpower; etc; so as to make the task of caring for those who have no one else a bit easier.

Baby Elijah’s Background

When baby Elijah was found, he was in a pitiful state. He had not been given sufficient care nor food and the mother had neglected the baby and eventually disappeared. From the photograph on the right, you can see the baby was in an emaciated state and was covered with his own soil.

God heard the baby’s cries and brought the child to the attention of the congregations of City Discipleship Presbyterian Church and SEMOA (Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia). By God’s provision, adequate care and shelter was provided for baby Elijah in the form of his guardians, Pastor Edwin and Pastor Edayu. It was also by God’s grace that the process of putting the baby under the legal custody of Pastor Edwin and Pastor Edayu was facilitated with relative ease.

Baby Elijah was given loving care by his guardians and many others helped by providing for the baby’s needs including the provision of breast milk. It is with this support as well as the moral and prayer support that has sustained the baby’s guardians and kept them trusting in God to provide for the care of the baby even though he wasn’t their own flesh and blood.

Baby Elijah has been warded in hospital many times due to a chronic lung infection. At the time of writing, I have received news that the diagnosis is that there is excessive mucous and phlegm in the baby’s lungs. This makes breathing difficult and acts as a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that are currently attacking the baby’s lungs.

Doctors have previously said that the baby could not survive but by the grace and power of God, the baby has defied the odds.

I feel saddened by baby Elijah’s admission into hospital again this time. I believe that many who know about the baby would also be saddened. Both the guardians are also very saddened and exhausted by the constant trips in and out of the hospital. Nonetheless, their genuine love for this baby is obvious for all to see.

We believe that God is in control of human history and we continue to place our full trust in Him. We have seen how He has provided for the care of baby Elijah and facilitated the provision of medical treatment for the baby. We have also seen how baby Elijah was snatched out of Death’s grip even though the doctors have been generally pessimistic.

God wants us to care for those who are underprivileged, the sick, the neglected.

To Pastor Edwin and Pastor Edayu,

We will continue to remember the both of you as well as baby Elijah in our prayers. Remain strong and continue to trust in God.

Amen.

Here’s some background information that I’ve been able to gather ..

Rumah Sembahyang SEMOA or SEMOA Prayer House is an indigenous Christian congregation comprised of people from the Orang Asli Temuan tribe. They operate a boarding house for children attending school in the village of Kampung Sang Lee near Raub, Pahang. The Star published a special report on the educational needs of the Orang Asli community (including a brief write up on SEMOA) earlier this year that has more background information.

The Orang Asli remain one of the poorest groups in Malaysia with more than 70% living below the poverty line. Considering how artificial our poverty line already is, the figures are quite staggering.

If you’d like to offer some help, get in touch with me and I’ll try to point you in the right direction.