Simba

Around the age of two, male lions are kicked out of their pride.  These male lions roam alone, or with other male family members, until they find another pride to challenge. The roaming male lion must fight the male lion of the pride, often fighting to death.  Whoever wins the fight gets the pride.  If a male lion takes over another lion's pride, this male lion will kill off every cub in the pride since they are not biologically related, and then start building his own family with the pride.  "The Lion King," taught us all about the circle of life and gave us humans a glimpse of what life is like for other species.

Meet Simba! Ironically, Simba was a young boy who found himself in much of a similar situation of that of a lion pride.

The hospital chaplain,
Farai and his wife and son

Simba was born HIV positive (as many of the children in Zimbabwe are) and was suffering from Tuberculosis, along with severe malnutrition.  He was one of the sickest patients that had been at the hospital in a very long time.  With the hospital's proper care and nutrition, Simba regained strength and everyone rejoiced when he finally had enough strength to sit up on the side of the bed!  This sweet boy made a lot of improvements during his few weeks at the hospital.  He was a joy to everyone and although he was the sickest patient, he was also easily the smiliest patient at Nhowe.  

It was a shock that no family came to visit him during his few week stay at the hospital.  The hospital chaplain, Farai, showed some concern about this, especially since Simba was very malnourished.  Farai, along with Carl from our mission team, were able to visit Simba at his home after he left the hospital.  What they found there was that Simba's father wasn't around anymore and Simba's mother had remarried another man.  She and his step-father had two other children together.

Simba at home a few days after getting released from the hospital.  He was still so weak and obviously not getting the care or nutrition he needed to survive.

    While Simba was just skin and bones, his half-brothers were plump little healthy boys.  Similar to the lion prides, it was quite obvious that Simba's step-father did not want this stepchild in his home (his pride).

Simba and is family outside their house

  Aside from the medicine side of Nhowe, the hospital also serves as a spiritual oasis and God-centered community.  The employees start each day at the hospital with a devotional. Patients are continually taught the Good News through their care.  For some, this is the first they have ever heard of Jesus!  In a place like Zimbabwe, one of the poorest countries in the world, God is really truly their only hope.  Farai works not only with the patients, but with the patients' families, teaching them and showing them how to live a christian life.  Unfortunately, for Simba and his family, this instruction came a little late.  Just two days ago, about two months after we first met Simba, we received word that Simba had died of malnutrition.

Maida had tears as I revealed the news to her, "But he was better!  He got well!  Why didn't he live?"  It's a mystery to us all how anyone could starve their own child to death.  It's heart-wrenching to think about what Simba went through in his short life as he sat literally starving to death, watching his family eat.  It is a blessing, though, that he spent some of his last few weeks of life at the Brian Lemons Memorial Hospital where he heard the Good News, where he was prayed for, where he was loved, where he was fed, and where first saw Jesus through the medical staff caring for him.

Simba won't be our only loss as we continue our work in Zimabawe in May, but his loss will serve as a reminder to us how precious one life is and how important it is to spread Jesus' love through all walks of life.