Connections

An excerpt from Connections
By Hubert Harriman, President
April-June 2012

I was 13 years old and on an emergency flight to Los Angeles, California, with my dad. It had all started because I was playing with an old syringe. My friend quickly pulled the needle out as soon as he had accidentally stuck me in my left knee bone, but a raging infection set in that soon had us flying out of the jungle village and into Santa Cruz, Bolivia. While I was in much pain and my knee was bent into a locked position, my father felt impressed to take me to Cochabamba, eight hours away over Andean Mountain roads. The doctor in Cochabamba not only saved me from deadly spinal meningitis, but he also saw what other doctors had failed to see in the X-rays and performed surgery on my leg on my 13th birthday. However, after another X-ray, it was evident that I wouldn’t survive without the amputation of my left leg. That’s what the flight to Los Angeles was all about—to save my leg.

Arriving at 4 p.m., I was in surgery at 6 p.m. I wish I had space to tell you the rest of the story, but needless to say, that doctor saved my leg. I had connections!

Not so with Natalia. I was back in Bolivia recently and learned of this 17-year-old girl who had suffered a shotgun accident to her left leg. The infection, similar to mine years ago, was too extensive and they had to amputate her left leg just above the knee.

I could hardly contain my emotions. I thought to myself, she didn’t have the connections I had. Since then, Sarah and I have purposed to make some connections for this young lady, and people have stepped up to the plate. But I continue to look for anyone who will be that connection Natalia needs to get her through school and give her a chance in life.

That’s what missions is all about—making the right connections for needy people. Natalia came to know the Lord through this ordeal. This is the greatest thing about missions—The Divine Connection! I urge you to help the deeply needy of this world make the right connections!

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