Monkey Munchies

The story: We had just returned from a game drive at a nearby game reserve where we saw plenty of animals.  As we finished I was tipping the driver and Heather was walking with Karissa (our youngest) as the other two kids ran ahead to a nearby playground.  As I turned around I saw Makayla and Elijah already on the swings and a monkey trotting (do monkeys trot?) towards Makayla.  Initially I thought the monkey thought she had food and was going to beg for some.  However, when I saw it was going for her I was about 50 feet away and yelled "HEY, HEY!" to the monkey trying to distract it to no avail.  It ran up, grabbed her arm and bit her on the upper portion of her arm.  The bite punctured the skin in two places and could later clearly see a red imprint from where the monkey bit down.  The monkey, seeing me coming on fast, took off and I put myself between the monkey and the kids as Heather got them all away.  We yelled for some of the workers and they came and identified the monkey.  Apparently this reserve is a place where the also rehabilitate animals who have been injured or who have made bad pets.  The monkey that bit her was one they received was a bad pet and should have been in a cage.  A nearby doctor was called and came by to cleanse and check the bite.  Because she had already received some preventative Rabies shots, she only had to get two more shots because of the bite.  Makayla was incredibly brave and sweet during the whole process.  She said she was glad she was bit instead of the other kids because she did not think they could handle it as well being smaller.  (and I think she’s spot on).  Later than night, she was concerned that the monkey was going to be put in a cage and not be able to play out in the open.  What a tender and compassionate heart she has.  

As Heather and I debated on sharing this (we don’t want to scare anybody from coming to visit us!) we felt that if God could gain glory from it then we certainly wanted to share.  So, below are our reactions to this event from a mother’s and father’s perspective.

He Said/She said: (our personal reflections on our Monkey Munchies experience)

Heather

My heart stopped as I saw David start running and yelling towards Makayla.  I was trying to gather and process all of the information and realized that Makayla was in danger.  Elijah was on the swing just beside her. Once David got the monkey scared off, I called the children to run to me and ran to meet them.  Little Makayla was so upset of course, the bite was not too bad, but it hurt for sure.  I gathered my little chicks around me as David kept the monkey away until some of the game reserve employees came to help.  My mind raced as to what the implications of this were...beyond a scared hurt little girl.  Rabies was the first thing that popped into mind and it took my breath away.

It has almost been a week and all the details have been worked out.  Makayla has finished her additional treatments with no tears. The bite is not even visible except for little spots where the skin broke.  

Everything is ok and it could have been worse, but it still ripped my heart out.  Who wants their child hurt?  

Actually, the heart of the matter is that while she is my daughter, I do not possess her.  God has entrusted her care to us, but she belongs to Him.  In my morning devotions, I use Stomie Omartian’s book, “The Power of a Praying Parent” to guide some of my prayers for the children.  Each day she takes a topic to focus on.  That morning’s prayer was “Releasing My Child into God’s Hands”.  Seriously!  Can you believe it?  And even though I have prayed through this month long prayer guide since they were babies. That Monday morning, I hesitated.  I told the Lord how hard it was for me to do it. But through prayer and reading His word, His peace washed over me and I surrendered.  I am so grateful to God that this was part of my devotion that morning because it reminded me that He is trustworthy and He is in control.  His peace was fresh on my heart as we walked through this situation.  Makayla was dedicated to the Lord a long time ago, but it was so good to be reminded of that.

So from my mama’s heart, a very challenging and scary situation, proved to be a reminder.  I am reminded of the responsibility that is entrusted to us in caring for our little munchkins.  I am reminded that God is in control and sometimes He might allow things that I would not choose.  But, I am also reminded of how very present He is in our lives...in the lives of those who belong to Him.  He works through those difficult times to help us. He is “God with us”, even now.

Finally, I was thanking God over and over for the people praying for us. I was very sure that part of the reason things were going so well for us, that the bite was not worse where she would have to get stitches, the grace with which Makayla handled the situation, and the peace in midst of it all were a result of the many people lifting up our little family.  I praise God for the way He is working through our prayer partners!

His grace and peace to you, 

Heather

David

For some this only solidifies in your mind that we must be crazy to bring three young kids to Africa.  And honestly, from a parents perspective it certainly made me take some time for reflection.  Since we arrived here we have had a cobra in the laundry basket and our daughter was bit by a monkey.  Though the Dr. assured me this was the first time he treated anybody for a monkey bite in 30 years here, I’ll admit it jarred me a bit.  I was a journeyman here from 1998-2000 and  my first month on the field I was a passenger in a truck that flipped over, had food poisoning and was robbed.  But that happened to me, not my children!  It’s a whole new world when your child is the one getting hurt.  

As I look back on it, it wasn’t as big of a deal as it seemed to be at the time.  How many people get bit by dogs each year?  Different continent, different animal.  And, the wound wasn’t that deep.   But like I said above, it jarred me, after all, my precious little daughter was bit by a monkey.  She was doing nothing to incite the attack.  She had no food and wasn’t provoking the monkey, she was just swinging on a swing like any other 5 year old.  And after all, we are trying to follow Gods will for our life by coming to Africa!  

In John 6  Jesus gave the disciples a hard teaching that caused many people hearing it to no longer walk with Him.  In verse 67 of the same chapter, Jesus turns and asks the disciples, “Do you want to go away as well?”  Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

That pretty much sums up my emotions.  Wow, that was a bit rough God, couldn’t you have made it happen to me instead? But in the end, where else am I going to turn?  He holds the words of eternal life!  

I keep thinking back to a (true) story about a man in Asia who was being persecuted for his faith.  When the one interviewing him asked how his wife and children had been persecuted he became angry and asked, “How can He (God) ask this of me?”  His wife and children were not being persecuted because he had not been open about their faith.  He knew that to be fully obedient to God, he could not longer hide or protect them.  The interviewer respectfully asked him this question, “Is He worth it?”  

In the end, not only do I know that Jesus alone holds the words to eternal life, but I know He is worth it.  Worth what?  Yes.  Whatever He calls on us to endure.  Whatever the sacrifice.  He is worth it.   There are many here who have never even heard the name Jesus nor the hope and peace that He offers.  Imagine, never even hearing the name, “Jesus”...  that beautiful name never falling on your ears.  Imagine, never having the opportunity to come into relationship with Him.  It’s one thing to hear of Jesus and reject Him and quite another to never even have the opportunity to have a relationship with Him simply because you never heard.  My heart shudders to think of the millions who have never responded to the words of eternal life, simply because they have not heard them.  

More then ever I am convinced of God’s calling us to Africa to proclaim the good news of Christ, and a monkey bite is not going to make us waiver!  

(Perhaps you are reading this and you have never heard or responded to the Gospel.  You don’t know how to come into a relationship with God.  Send us an email by clicking HERE, as it would be our joy to share with you more about how to do this!)  

For His Glory,

dp